A Culture of Stewardship

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A Culture of Stewardship
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Bishops Pastoral LetterStewardship A
Disciples Response

• Contents
• Introduction
• 1. The Call
• 2. Jesus Way
• 3. Living as a Steward
• 4. Stewards of the Church
• 5. The Christian Steward

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Bishops Pastoral Letter

• It might be helpful to first review the three
  convictions that the Bishops say in their
  Pastoral letter

• 1. Mature disciples make a conscious, firm
  decision, carried out in action, to be followers
  of Jesus Christ no matter the cost to themselves.

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Bishops Pastoral Letter

• 2. Beginning in conversion of mind and heart,
  this commitment is expressed not in a single
  action, nor even in a number of actions over a
  period of time, but in an entire way of life. It
  means committing oneself to the Lord.

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Bishops Pastoral Letter

• 3. Stewardship is an expression of discipleship,
  with the power to change how we understand and
  live our lives.
• Disciples who practice stewardship recognize God
  as the origin of life, the giver of freedom, the
  source of all they have and are and will be.
• They are deeply aware of the truth that The
  Lords are the earth and its fullness the world
  and those who dwell in it (Ps 241)
• They know themselves to be recipients and
  caretakers of Gods many gifts.
• They are grateful for what they have received and
  eager to cultivate their gifts out of love for
  God and one another.

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• INTRODUCTION TO THE PASTORAL
• The Challenge
• May be harder to be a Christian Steward today
  than at times in the past.
• A culture of isms.powerful and seductive
  influences
• Strong tendency to privatize faithkeep it in the
  heart and home and not out in the public and
  marketplace.

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• The Choice
• Christians are part of this culture and
  influenced by it
• Catholics have entered into this mainstream too
• As predicted with Vatican II, the split between
  faith and life has become one of the more serious
  errors of our age. American Catholicism has
  taken on some of the less attractive values of
  the secular culture.
• Evangelization is not the priority that it should
  be!
• The questions of how to use peoples gifts, how
  to empower the laity, how to recognize the role
  of women, how to affirm racial, cultural and
  ethnic minorities, how to overcome poverty and
  oppression remain the vexing questions

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• The Choice
• While many Catholics are generous in giving of
  themselves and their resources to the Church,
  others do not respond to the needs in proportion
  to what they possessthe resulta lack of
  resources which hampers the Churchs ability to
  carry out it mission

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• The Choice
• The pastoral letter recognizes the importance of
  Church support.especially the sharing of time,
  talent, and treasure
• But it stipulates church support in its broader
  context.what it means to be a disciple of Jesus
  Christ.
• This also is the context of stewardship.
• Generous sharing of resources, including money,
  is central to its practice, and church support is
  a necessary part of this.

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• The Choice
• Church Supporthelping the Churchs mission with
  time, money and personal resources of all kinds.
• This sharing is not an option for Catholics that
  understand what membership in the Church
  involves.It is a serious duty!
• This pastoral letter.initiates a long term
  continuing process encouraging people to examine
  and interiorize stewardships implications.
• At the startImportant to layout a comprehensive
  view of stewardshipa vision of sharing,
  generous, accountable way of life rooted in
  Christian discipleship---

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• The Vision
• The Bishops wish to present a vision that suits
  the needs and problems of the Church in our
  country todayand speaks to those who practice
  stewardship in their particular circumstances.
• What the Bishops sayis directed to themselves as
  much as it is to usthey recognize their
  obligation to be models of stewardship in all
  aspects of their lives, and that as they ask each
  of us to respond that they also will be open to
  the grace to respond.

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• The Call The Disciples Vocation
• Each of us has been given a specific vocation by
  God.
• Every vocation shares the call to be a disciple
  of Jesus Christ.
• To follow him is to serve him with our gifts.
• Stewardship is an integral part of discipleship.
• We are to be faithful stewards of our own
  vocation.
• Discern, Foster, Share
• Each vocation is personal, but it is to be lived
  out within community.

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• The Call Responding to the Call
• Embracing our Discipleship calls us to action.
• Your responsibility to serve is a consequence of
  your Discipleship.
• Jesus tells us to act now, not to put it off in
  the future.
• The call from Jesus is urgent
• Go and proclaim the kingdom of God No one who
  sets a hand to the plow and looks to what is left
  behind is fit for the kingdom of God (Lk
  960,62)
• You have a choice, some say no
• When the young man heard this statement, he went
  away sad, for he had many possessions (Mt 1922)
• Detachment

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• The Call Discipleship to Stewardship
• Living our Discipleship leads naturally to
  stewardship.
• Through Baptism we are united together, joining
  all our vocations, talents to serve God.
• Stewardship is for a lifetime, it is not
  something we do, it is something we are.
• Stewardship plays an important role in the lives
  of those who seek to follow Christ.

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• The Call The Cost of Stewardship
• Discipleship is not an easy way
• If you wish to come after me, you must deny
  yourself and take up your cross daily and follow
  me. (Lk 923-24)
• Can we get beyond only accepting the feel good
  experiences in following Jesus Christ?
• Can we put aside our cravings for domination,
  possession and control?
• Can we move beyond these grand terms and find
  those whom we should imitate? Can we accept the
  title of Disciple?

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• Jesus Way

John 434 My food is to do the will of the
one who sent me and to finish his work.

• The Example of Jesus

• Jesus is the supreme teacher of Christian
  stewardship Complete self-denial, not for its
  own sake, but, rather, to fulfill the will of God
  the Father.

• Jesus calls disciples and empowers them to
  collaborate with him in the work of redemption.
  Jesus then prescribes the lifestyle of a
  Christian disciple in the Beatitudes and the rest
  of the Sermon on the Mount. (Matt 53-727).

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• Jesus Way

Matthew 633 Seek first the kingdom of God and
his righteousness, and all these things will be
given you besides.

• Image of the Steward

• Jesus describes a disciples life, at times, in
  terms of stewardship. See Matt 2514-30
  regarding the parable of the talents.

• Recognizing that all temporal and spiritual goods
  are created by and come from God is key in the
  conversion to a stewardship way of life.

• One day each of us will be required to give an
  accounting to God of the use we have made of
  those gifts God has entrusted to us.

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• Jesus Way The Stewards Reward

• Ultimate reward is in another life. Mark 10
  29-30 there is no one who has left house or
  brothers or sistersfor my sake and for the
  gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in
  this timeand in the eternal life.

• In the here and now, Christian discipleship and
  the practice of stewardship itself is a source of
  deep joy. Those who live this way of life have
  found the meaning and purpose of living. There
  is no identity crisis on the part of the
  Christian disciple and steward.

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• Living as a Steward Creation Stewardship
• God wants us to be his collaborators in the work
  of creation, redemption, and sanctification.
• Upon the creation of human persons, God commands
  that we fill the earth, subdue it and have
  dominion over all living things.
• The human activity of cultivating and caring for
  Gods creation has a simple name WORK
• The command to work is not a punishment for
  original sin, rather the command to work comes to
  us from God before the fall.

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• Living as a Steward Collaborators in Creation
• Protecting the sanctity of all human life is at
  the heart of living the life of a Christian
  steward.
• Vatican II speaks of the surpassing ministry of
  safeguarding life, declares that from the
  moment of its conception life must be guarded
  with the greatest care
• This is no greater gift than life, if we are
  willing to throw that away, what is worth
  preserving?
• As we look at natures beauty we are reminded of
  our responsibility to be ecological stewards.

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• Living as a Steward Collaborators in Creation
• So to with the economic concerns, the creation of
  material wealth must be balanced with a need to
  guard against misguided desires to enjoy
  superfluous material goods and comforts.
• Simplicity , moderation, and discipline, as well
  as a spirit of sacrifice, must become a part of
  everyday life. John Paul II
• All work for the cultivation of material creation
  requires a focus on Gods plan.

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• Living as a Steward Redemption Stewardship
• We are also called to be stewards of things not
  of the physical world.
• By Baptism we enter a royal priesthood, called
  to offer up the entire world, especially
  ourselves, to the Lord of all.
• Called to lead one another to the gates of
  heaven.
• Use of our time for family prayer, study of the
  Scriptures, visits to the Blessed Sacrament,
  daily Mass

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• Living as a Steward Redemption Stewardship
• Repentance and acceptance of penance aides in the
  life of a steward.
• It can liberate us from the obstacles in our
  secularized culture which exalts individual
  gratification.
• Our sinfulness causes us to work from self
  interest rather than a standard of generous
  stewardship.
• God loves us, beyond our understanding, always
  return to him.

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• Stewards of the Church Community Stewardship

• We are all stewards of the church, called to
  build up the Church through participation in and
  support of the Churchs mission of Proclaiming
  Teaching, Serving and Sanctifying

• Participation takes different forms according to
  our different gifts but there is a fundamental
  obligation arising from the sacrament of Baptism
  that people place their gifts, their resources
  and their selves at Gods service in and through
  the Church.

• Second Corinthians 96 whoever sows sparingly
  will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
  bountifully will also reap bountifully.

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• Stewards of the Church Evangelization
  Stewardship

• Stewardship of the Church leads people to share
  in the work of evangelization and proclaiming the
  Good News.

• Family Life Parents have great work to do in
  the domestic church, the home, primarily by
  serving as models of Discipleship Stewardship.

• Teaching children the truths of the faith and how
  to face the pressures of secularism, consumerism,
  individualism.

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• Stewards of the Church Evangelization
  Stewardship

• Parishes must be true communities of faith.
  Parishioners must accept responsibility for
  parishes contribute generously in terms of both
  money and personal service to their parish
  programs and projects.

• Requires that pastors and parish staff be
  accountable, open, and collegial in the conduct
  of affairs. Sounds business practice is a
  fundamental of good stewardship.

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• Stewards of the Church

John 155 I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear
much fruit.

• Solidarity and Stewardship

• Our individual lives as disciples and stewards
  must be seen in relation to Gods larger
  purposes. Those who enter into Jesus New
  Covenant find themselves growing in a union of
  minds and hearts with others who also have
  responded to Gods call.

• Challenges of Solidarity include a selfish lack
  of love. The absence of charity from the lives of
  disciples is self defeating (see 1 John 420).

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• Stewards of the Church

• Eucharistic Stewardship

• In the Eucharist, Christians reaffirm their
  participation in the New Covenant and give thanks
  to God for blessings received.

• The Eucharist is the sign of the heavenly
  communion in which we shall together share,
  echoing the fruits of stewardship freed of
  stain, burnished and transfigured.

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• The Christian Steward
• New Testament doesnt really provide a rounded
  portrait of the Christian steward all in one
  place.
• The faithful and prudent steward as one whom a
  householder sets over other members of the
  household in order to distribute the food
  allowance at the proper time Luke 1242 and
  Matthew 2425
• Evidently good stewards understand that they are
  to share with others what they have received,
  done in a timely way, and God will hold them
  accountable for how well they do or badly they do
  it.

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• The Christian Steward
• Luke 1246.For if a steward wastes the owners
  goods and mistreats the other household members,
  that servants master will come to an unexpected
  day and at an unknown hour and will punish him
  severely and assign him a place with the
  unfaithful
• Corinthians has much to say about Stewardship
• The New Testament is filled with warnings to
  those who might be tempted to substitute some
  counterfeit for authentic love..

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• The Christian Steward
• What then are Christians to do?
• Their lives of stewards take countless forms,
  according to their vocations and
  circumstancesone part is changelessServe one
  another through love
• The life of a Christian lived in the imitation of
  the life of Christ is challenging, even difficult
  in many ways
• Like Paul, the good steward is able to say I am
  filled with encouragement, I am overflowing with
  joy all the more because of our affliction

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• The Christian Steward
• After Jesus is was the Blessed Virgin Mary that
  led by her example of discipleship and
  stewardship in the fullest sense.she was called
  and she responded.as handmaid
• We are challenged to do the same!
• The Lord God planted a garden and placed there
  human persons to cultivate it and care for it
  Genesis 28,15

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• The Christian Steward
• Now, as then and always, it is a central part of
  the human vocationthat we be good stewards of
  what we have receivedthis garden, this divine
  workshop,
• Central to our unique vocations that each of us
  receives from God is that we be good stewards of
  the gifts we possess.
• The Spirit shows us the Way
• Stewardship is a part of that journey!

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• Help us create a culture of Stewardship at North
  American Martyrs!