November is Stewardship Month
(part 2 of 3 articles from USCCB)
“As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another
as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10)
Continuing from last week’s article which focused on a definition of Christian stewardship and then further reflection on Stewards as Disciples and being Stewards of Creation, we continue with:
STEWARDS OF VOCATION
Jesus calls us, as his disciples, to a new way of life – the Christian way of life – of which stewardship is a part. But Jesus does not call us as nameless people in a faceless crowd. He calls us individually, by name. Each one of us – clergy, religious, lay person; married, single; adult, child – has a personal vocation. God intends each one of us to play a unique role in carrying out the divine plan. The challenge, then, is to understand our role – our vocation – and to respond generously to this call from God. Christian vocation entails the practice of stewardship. In addition, Christ calls each of us to be stewards of our personal vocations, which we receive from God.
STEWARDS OF THE CHURCH
Stewards of God’s gifts are not passive beneficiaries. We cooperate with God in our own redemption and in the redemption of others. We are also obliged to be stewards of the Church – collaborators and cooperators in the continuing redemptive work of Jesus Christ, which is the Church’s essential mission. This mission - proclaiming and teaching, serving and sanctifying – is our task. It is the personal responsibility of each one of us as stewards of the Church. All members of the Church have their own roles to play in carrying out its mission:
- Parents, who nurture their children in the light of faith.
- Parishioners, who work in concrete ways to make their parishes true communities of faith and vibrant sources of service to the larger community.
- All Catholics, who give generous support – time, money, prayers and personal service according to their circumstances – to parish and diocesan programs and to the universal Church.
OBSTACLES TO STEWARDSHIP
People who want to live as Christian disciples and Christian stewards face serious obstacles in the United States and other nations, a dominant secular culture often contradicts religious convictions about the meaning of life. This culture frequently encourages us to focus on ourselves and our pleasures.
At times, we can find it far too easy to ignore spiritual realities and to deny religion a role in shaping human and social values. As Catholics who have entered into the mainstream of American society and experienced its advantages, many of us also have been adversely influenced by this secular culture. We know what it is to struggle against selfishness and greed, and we realize that it is harder for many today to accept the challenge of being a Christian steward. It is essential, therefore, that we make a special effort to understand the true meaning of stewardship and live accordingly.
Monsignor John Urell
