What is Stewardship?
Stewardship is the grateful response of a Christian disciple who recognizes and receives God’s gifts and shares these gifts in love of God and neighbor. Gratitude for these gifts is expressed in prayer, worship, offering, and action by eagerly sharing these gifts out of love of God and one another (National Catholic Stewardship Council 1993). Stewardship is based on the spiritual principles of the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus; and where it has been implemented, both givers’ and receivers’ lives have been changed. Stewardship is a way of life, a way of thanking God for all His blessings by returning a portion of the talent, treasure and time given to us.
Stewardship is living out Christ’s instruction to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34).
Stewardship is caring. Stewardship is responsible management of our God-given resources of talent, treasure and time. It enhances our relationship with God and one another.
Stewardship builds happy, healthy families. Stewardship renews Christ’s Church.
Stewardship pleases God because the good steward is careful of creation, is respectful of justice and charity, and is prayerful at all times. “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more” (Luke 12:48).
Our offering of our ability, time and tithe/alms is one way of saying: “We belong to the Lord and to one another.”
Stewardship is…
Hospitality
We place our life in God’s loving hands and make Him our treasure.
Prayer
We adore Him as the giver of all good gifts. We thank God for the profound gift of the Eucharist.
Service
We unite our offering with the rest of our Parish Family so that together we might care for the needs of one another, especially the poor.
Formation
We profess that we belong to God that all we possess is His and we wish to know Him better. “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).
