November is Stewardship Month
(part 1 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)
What identifies a steward? Safeguarding material and human resources and using them responsibly are one answer; so is generous giving of time, talent and treasure. But being a Christian steward means more. As Christian stewards, we receive God’s gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord.
DISCIPLES as STEWARDS
Let us begin with being a disciple – a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. As members of the Church, Jesus call us to be disciples. This has astonishing implications!
- Mature disciples make a conscious decision to follow Jesus, no matter what the cost.
- Christian disciples experience conversion – life shaping changes of mind and heart – and commit their very selves to the Lord.
- Christian stewards respond in a particular way to the call to be a disciple. Stewardship has the power to shape and mold our understanding of our lives and the way in which we live.
- Jesus’ disciples and Christian stewards recognize God as the origin of life, giver of freedom, and source of all things. We are grateful for the gifts we have received and are eager to use them to show our love for God and for one another. We look to the life and teaching of Jesus for guidance in living as Christian stewards.
STEWARDS of CREATION
The Bible contains a powerful message about the stewardship of material creation: God created the world, but entrusts it to human beings. Caring for and cultivating the world involves the following:
- Joyful appreciation for the God-given beauty and wonder of nature.
- Protection and preservation of the environment, which would be the stewardship of ecological concern.
- Respect for human life – shielding life from threat and assault, doing everything that can be done to enhance this gift and make life flourish, and
- Development of this world through noble effort – physical labor, the trades and professions, the arts and sciences. We call such effort “work”. Work is a fulfilling human vocation.
The Second Vatican Council points out that, through work, we build up not only our world but the Kingdom of God, already present among us. Work is a partnership with God – our share in a divine human collaboration in creation. It occupies a central place in our lives as Christian stewards.
Monsignor John Urell
