Stewards of Our Treasure

The third T in the three Ts of stewardship is all about our treasure or wealth and how we put it to use for God’s glory. In Luke 12:34, Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

In the Bishops’ Pastoral Letter, Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, we are told that in the context of total commitment to stewardship, it is important for us to consider prayerfully the gifts we have received from God and how we should respond in turn.

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Do not be deceived…all good
giving and every perfect gift is from above
- James 1:16
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We should then set goals for giving. This giving must be planned, proportionate and sacrificial. This decision should be made in advance from the “first fruits” of what we own instead of giving what is left over after other obligations have been met.

When we give we must give from the heart. It is giving which must flow from a deep sense of gratitude for the Lord’s generosity in our lives.

Whatever you might think your priorities are, a look at last month’s credit card bills or financial statement will tell you what your real priorities have been.

The way we spend our money must reflect our vision of who we really are. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says:

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
(Matthew 6:24)


Stewards of the Church

Catholics today form part of the mainstream of Canadian society. As such we have become influenced by the secular world around us. We often allow ourselves to ignore spiritual values and focus instead on success and amassing wealth. Christ calls on us to re-examine these values and change our attitude to giving.

We all know that the parish is not the only place to which we make our charitable donations. Many other charities look to us for support.

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Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully…God loves a cheerful giver
-- 2 Corinthians 9:6
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As a guideline for giving, the bishops’ document suggests that once you have decided how much of your income should go to charity, half of that amount should be set aside for the parish, while the other half may be distributed to other worthwhile religious, educational and charitable organizations.

Project Advance is a diocesan annual appeal dedicated to helping Catholic schools, residences, hospices and other good causes. Making an annual pledge would be a good way to distribute your other half.

“Planned Giving” is another way of thinking ahead about the needs of the Church and its work. A planned gift is made by a will or formal agreement to donate cash, stock, real estate or personal property at a specified time.

Our attitude to making contributions should be one of maximum giving in the spirit of trust in God rather than minimum giving in a spirit of fear and insecurity.



The Steward’s Challenge

Stewardship begins with a deep, inner conversion that leads us to give more generously of everything that we own.

Archbishop Thomas Collins in his Stewardship document of 2004 when he was Archbishop of Edmonton said, “Stewardship is sometimes called ‘the attitude of gratitude.’ We recognize gratefully that everything in life is a gift of God.

“We do not ultimately own anything but are entrusted with time, talent and treasure for use during our passage through this life. And at the end of life, we take nothing with us, except the life which arises out of generous love. If each of us is aware that all is gift, then we are freed from possessiveness.”

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But seek first the kingdom of
God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be
given you besides.
– Matthew 6:33
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True stewardship comes from getting our priorities right. We are to use what we have for the service of others. It means we have to trust in the Lord and be willing to be at the disposal of others. We are stewards, not the ones who are in control.

The life of a Christian steward, imitating the life of Christ, is undoubtedly challenging. It forces us to examine what we do with our time, abilities and money. Jesus has called each one of us individually to respond to his way of life. Our challenge is to understand our vocation and then to respond generously.

Stewardship Prayer
Overview
Time
Talent
Treasure