Author Archives: The Catholic Steward
Stewardship Reflection on Lectionary Readings: May 27, 2012
May 27, 2012 – Pentecost Sunday
Acts 2:1-11; Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34; 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Gal 5:16-25; Jn 20:19-23
Today we celebrate the feast of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church as it is commonly called. We commemorate how Jesus sent the Spirit to be with us after He ascended into heaven, to strengthen us, assist us, and comfort us as we carry out our mission as the Church – both as individuals and as the One Body of Christ. We recognize and rejoice in the fact that the Spirit is with us today. He is at work in the Church and in each of our individual lives. It is our responsibility to open ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit, to allow His grace to penetrate our hearts and to yield ourselves to the strength he offers us.
Today’s readings focus on the gift of the Holy Spirit and the many ways he is active in the Church today.
In the first reading, we hear Luke’s version of the Pentecost story. Full of symbolic meaning, Luke’s story tells us that the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles with power, “like a strong driving wind.” Then He tells us that tongues of fire came to rest on each one of the apostles. Each one of them was filled with the Spirit. Each one of them was blessed with the gifts He needed for His particular ministry, and then, armed with the Spirit, all twelve of them left the room and began proclaiming the mighty works of God, in such a way, that everyone there (people from many different places who spoke many different languages) could understand. And the Faith spread. (more…)
Stewardship Bulletin Reflection for the Week of May 27, 2012
May 27, 2012 – Pentecost Sunday
Acts 2:1-11; Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34; 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Gal 5:16-25; Jn 20:19-23
Today we celebrate the feast of Pentecost. We commemorate the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles “like tongues of fire,” giving them the grace and the strength they needed to carry out Christ’s work here on Earth, to proclaim the Good News of all Christ had done, and to spread the Faith throughout the world. With that, the Church was born.
As we focus on the Spirit’s descent at Pentecost and His work in the life of the Church even today, we recognize that we too have been given many gifts and the grace that is necessary to spread the Faith. The Spirit is at work in each one of our lives. We simply must be open to His graces. We must recognize our many gifts, and, with the Holy Spirit as our guide, advocate, and comforter, we use our lives and the gifts we have been given to glorify God.
Are you a singer, a cook, a reader, a leader, or otherwise? Whatever gifts you have been given, use them for God’s greater glory. Let the Spirit lead you as the gospel tells us He will. Let your life be a witness to others – boldly proclaiming the mighty works of God, just as the apostles did.
Stewardship Reflection on Lectionary Readings: May 20, 2012
May 20, 2012 — Seventh Sunday of Easter
Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26; Ps 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20; 1 Jn 4:11-16; Jn 17:11b-19
Or
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9; Eph 1:17-23 or Eph 4:1-13 or Eph 4:1-7, 11-13; Mk 16:15-20
For some of us, today marks the feast of the Ascension, while for others it is the seventh Sunday of the Easter Season (for those dioceses, the feast of the Ascension was celebrated Thursday). In either case, we continue to celebrate the Easter Season. We rejoice in Christ’s resurrection, and, Christ having ascended into heaven, we look forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
There are a number of possible readings for today, depending on what feast your particular diocese celebrates, so for our purposes here, we will draw on a few of them from each feast and reflect on what seems to be a common theme throughout: our role and responsibility as disciples to proclaim the Good News of the resurrected Christ.
Christian disciples have always been charged to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ — even as He walked the earth Himself. (more…)
Stewardship Bulletin Reflection for the Week of May 20, 2012
May 20, 2012 — Seventh Sunday of Easter
Acts 1:15-17, 20a, 20c-26; Ps 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20; 1 Jn 4:11-16; Jn 17:11b-19
Or
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9; Eph 1:17-23 or Eph 4:1-13 or Eph 4:1-7, 11-13; Mk 16:15-20
Today we continue to revel in Easter joy, and the scripture readings remind us that it is our duty as Christian disciples to proclaim the Good News of Christ’s resurrection. Just as realistically as Christ called His first disciples to proclaim the Good News, He calls each one of us. He has given us so many gifts, and it is our task as disciples to use them for God’s glory, to build the Kingdom with our time, talents, and treasure.
St. Paul writes to the Ephesians, “”I urge you to live in a manner of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love. … You were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all. … But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift” (second reading for the Ascension).
Christ has ascended into heaven, and we live in a different era than those first disciples, but the call is one and the same. It is personal (He calls each one of us by name), it is urgent (He wants us to turn to Him now. He wants us to bring others to Him now). And it is sacrificial (We must give of ourselves – whole and entire – for the sake of the Gospel).
Living such a life, giving of ourselves for the sake of Christ and His Church is extreme, particularly today when the world is consumed in selfishness, but it is fulfilling and it is glorious. It is the only way each one of us can be truly happy.
How will you take ownership of your call to discipleship today. How can you take a step forward in your stewardship way of life, giving more of yourself – of your time, talent, and treasure to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ?
Fr. Dave Zimmer: Finding Christina, Finding a Faithful Steward
Recently, a classmate of mine informed me of an article he read in his diocesan newspaper written by a young writer named Christina Capecci, who lives in St. Paul, Minn., and writes a syndicated column on the national level. The column is titled, “Twenty Something” and can be found at www.ReadChristina.com. She is young Catholic woman using her time and God given talent to inspire and inform others, especially young people about their Catholic Faith. I knew right away I had found a faithful steward that would share stewardship stories that would inspire me and others. Soon I would realize I had found a goldmine filled with faith and discipleship.
The story I was introduced to is titled “MISSING CATHOLICS STILL INSPIRE” published on Thursday, March 15, 2012. Having contacted Christina, she happily gave me permission to share this story with you: (more…)
Stewardship Reflection on Lectionary Readings: May 13, 2012
May 13, 1012 – Sixth Sunday of Easter
Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48; Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4; 1 Jn 4:7-10; Jn 15:9-17
What is love?
For many of us, our immediate reaction to the word invokes thoughts of romance or even of sugar coated feelings toward our loved one — our family and our friends- but in today’s readings we are reminded that love is not just a feeling. Real, true love — whether it’s directed toward one’s spouse, one’s children or other family members, or toward one’s friends — is a choice. It is a choice that results (necessarily so) in self-giving action. Loving one another means giving of ourselves for the good of the other.
Simply put, it means doing what Jesus did.
“In this way, the love of God was revealed to us: God sent His only Son into the world so that we might have life through Him. In this is love” (second reading).
In reality that is not simple at all. It involves utter self-sacrifice. It involves putting others before ourselves (a very hard thing to do especially in a society that emphasizes personal happiness and selfishness above all else). But loving one another — real, self-giving love — is what Christian discipleship is all about. We are called to love. And when we do, when we live our lives out of love for one another, when the things we do, the way we use our time, our talents, and our treasure is driven by our love for our fellow men, we are more fulfilled as human beings. We follow Christ’s example. And, indeed, we give glory to the Lord. (more…)
Stewardship Bulletin Reflection for the Week of May 13, 2012
May 13, 1012 – Sixth Sunday of Easter
Acts 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48; Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4; 1 Jn 4:7-10; Jn 15:9-17
Today’s scripture readings are all about love – love of God and love of neighbor.
“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God,” the second reading tells us.
And in the gospel, Jesus Himself commands us, “As the Father has loved me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. …This I command you: love one another.”
Our lives as Christian disciples simply must be founded in and formed by love. Love is the basis and the driving force of the stewardship way of life.
Because God loved us, He has given us His only Son as the gospel reminds us today. In addition, He has given each one of us innumerable other gifts, solely because He loves us. So, in love of Him, we use those gift for His greater glory. We follow His example, and give of ourselves – offering our time, talent, and treasure in loving service of our neighbor.
As Christian disciples and stewards of God’s many gifts, we live lives of love.
Stewardship Reflection on Lectionary Readings: May 6, 2012
May 6, 2012 – Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:26-31; Ps 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32; 1 Jn 3:18-24; Jn 15:1-8
As Christian disciples, it is vital that we are intimately united to Christ. It is Him who we follow. It is His truth that we proclaim. So it only stands to reason that we can’t truly be His disciples without a personal relationship with Him. How can you follow someone you do not know? How can you boldly proclaim a truth about which you are not greatly familiar?
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us, “Remain in me as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. … Apart from me, you can do nothing.”
So, indeed, our lives as Christian disciples must be firmly rooted in Christ Jesus. We must wisely use the time He has blessed us with – spending time in prayer on a daily basis, reading the Scriptures, celebrating the sacraments and so on. (more…)
Stewardship Bulletin Reflection for the Week of May 6, 2012
May 6, 2012 – Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts 9:26-31; Ps 22:26-27, 28, 30, 31-32; 1 Jn 3:18-24; Jn 15:1-8
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us “Remain in me as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine. So, neither can you unless you remain in me… Apart from me, you can do nothing.”
As Christian disciples, we are called to serve the Lord with our whole lives. We are called to give of ourselves out of love — particularly love of God. That is what the Christian life is all about. We are to follow Christ’s example of selflessly giving in love of others (look to the crucifix). But surely we cannot do this alone. It is an extraordinary calling, and we must be firmly rooted in Christ, intimately united to Him, in order for us to truly live out the selfless service of Christian discipleship. This means that while we focus of giving our talent and treasure in service of one another, we have to make it a priority to give of our time — to spend time with the Lord in prayer, to celebrate the sacraments regularly, to strengthen our relationship with Jesus Christ, the One we follow, the One who is the reason we live discipleship through stewardship in the first place. We need intimate relationships with Him. He gives us the grace and the strength we need to live the life of a Christian disciple. We must stay focused on Him — all the time!
Stewardship Reflection on Lectionary Readings: April 29, 2012
April 29, 2012 – Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:8-12; Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 2; 1 Jn 3:1-2; Jn 10:11-18
In today’s gospel, we hear the parable of the Good Shepherd, a parable in which Jesus Himself focuses on the immense love and care He has for each one of us.
“I am the Good Shepherd. … And I will lay down my life for my sheep,” He says.
For many of us, the shepherd/sheep narrative does not hit home quite like it would have for those in Jesus’ day. Most of us are not as familiar as they would have been with what it takes to raise and care for sheep. But Jesus’ emphatic words make His point clear nonetheless, and the power of these words ought to pierce our hearts: “I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” God the Father and God the Son have a very intimate all-knowing relationship. They are, after all two of the three persons in one God. Therefore, their knowledge of one another, their love for one another is whole and entire. It is infinite. It is selfless. It is divine. Likewise, Jesus is telling us He knows us – He loves us and cares for us in an infinite, selfless, life-giving way – a reality that was made perfectly clear as He died on the cross. (more…)
Stewardship Bulletin Reflection for the Week of April 29, 2012
April 29, 2012 – Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:8-12; Ps 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 2; 1 Jn 3:1-2; Jn 10:11-18
In today’s gospel reading, we hear Jesus call Himself the Good Shepherd. He loves and cares for us like a shepherd cares for His sheep — taking care of their every need and leading them along the right path. In fact, so much does He care for us, that Jesus says, “I would lay down my life for my sheep.”
Of course, we know that He did in fact do that. We just celebrated the paschal mystery, in which Jesus gave himself up to death for our sake. And as we continue to celebrate the Easter Season and rejoice in His glorious redirection, we recognize that Christ’s loving care for us extends to today. He is actively involved in the life of the Church, providing for all of our needs and guiding us along our way.
In response to Christ’s life-giving love, it is our responsibility as His disciples to give ourselves to Him. We offer Him our time, talent, and treasure — truly, we offer Him our whole lives in thanksgiving for all He has done for us. As His disciples, it is our calling, our responsibility to use our lives for His greater glory. Everything we do — at home, at school, at work, and elsewhere — should glorify the Good Shepherd and call others to believe in His loving care.
Eric McArdle: Register Today — Stewardship Workshop for Pastors
With many pastors and parish office staff members on vacation last week following Holy Week, I’ve received a number of requests to re-post my last blog entry on our upcoming Stewardship Workshop for Pastors. Here it is:
Through my experience in working with parishes, I have found that pastors have unique needs when it comes to dealing with the day-to-day challenges of stewardship development. To address these needs, I am conducting a three-day Stewardship Workshop for Pastors on Hilton Head Island, S.C., May 23-24-25.
I have tailored this workshop to address the specific challenges pastors face each day in developing stewardship throughout the parish. Joining me to facilitate this workshop and share their insights will be a few pastors who have had tremendous success developing stewardship in multiple parishes over many years. We’re going to conduct brief presentations that foster discussions on key issues for pastors, and we will work together to develop solutions for the specific issues that each pastor in attendance faces at his parish.
To help facilitate an effective atmosphere of discussion, this session will be limited to 20 pastors. Applications will be processed first-come, first-reviewed, so if you’re interested, submit your application today.
This workshop will be held at the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort. In addition to the interactive sessions, there will be opportunities for personal time, as well as time to share ideas with other like-minded pastors during a round of golf if you’re so inclined, as well as an optional ocean dinner cruise. We will begin at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23, and conclude on Friday, May 25, at noon.
For more details and an application to attend this one-of-a-kind event, click here: Stewardship Workshop for Pastors Online Application
If you want to take your stewardship efforts to another level, whether you are in the early stages or have been successful at it for years and want to go to the next level, this opportunity will give you plans to get there.
Eric McArdle: Register Today — Stewardship Workshop for Pastors
Through my experience in working with parishes, I have found that pastors have unique needs when it comes to dealing with the day-to-day challenges of stewardship development. To address these needs, I am conducting a three-day Stewardship Workshop for Pastors on Hilton Head Island, S.C., May 23-24-25.
I have tailored this workshop to address the specific challenges pastors face each day in developing stewardship throughout the parish. Joining me to facilitate this workshop and share their insights will be a few pastors who have had tremendous success developing stewardship in multiple parishes over many years. We’re going to conduct brief presentations that foster discussions on key issues for pastors, and we will work together to develop solutions for the specific issues that each pastor in attendance faces at his parish.
To help facilitate an effective atmosphere of discussion, this session will be limited to 20 pastors. Applications will be processed first-come, first-reviewed, so if you’re interested, submit your application today.
This workshop will be held at the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort. In addition to the interactive sessions, there will be opportunities for personal time, as well as time to share ideas with other like-minded pastors during a round of golf if you’re so inclined, as well as an optional ocean dinner cruise. We will begin at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 23, and conclude on Friday, May 25, at noon.
For more details and an application to attend this one-of-a-kind event, click here: Stewardship Workshop for Pastors Online Application
If you want to take your stewardship efforts to another level, whether you are in the early stages or have been successful at it for years and want to go to the next level, this opportunity will give you plans to get there.
Stewardship Reflection on Lectionary Readings: April 22, 2012
April 22, 2012 – Third Sunday of Easter
Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; Ps. 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9; 1 Jn. 2:1-5a; Lk. 24:35-48
In today’s readings, we focus on the redemptive nature of suffering — one of the great lessons of Easter. In order for Christ to rise and break the chains of sin and death, he first had to die. But with the Easter resurrection, the suffering Christ endured on Good Friday becomes redemptive — we can see that Christ did not simply suffer for the sake of suffering itself. Rather, He suffered and died so that He could rise from the dead and redeem our sins.
This is precisely the point the biblical writers of today’s readings make.
In the first reading, we hear St. Peter tell his listeners (a mainly Jewish audience), “The God of our fathers has glorified His servant, Jesus, whom you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence. The author of life you put to death, but God raised Him from the dead.”
And then, in the second reading, John reminds us, “Jesus Christ is expiation for our sins.”
As we continue on through the Easter Season, we recognize that Christ is victorious over death. His passion, death, and resurrection redeem us from sin and death. Thus we can say, “oh death where is your sting?” And, as Peter explains to His listeners here, we can rejoice in the knowledge that all we need to do is repent and our sins will be wiped away. Christ’s death is indeed victorious. (more…)
Stewardship Bulletin Reflection for the Week of April 22, 2012
April 22, 2012 – Third Sunday of Easter
Acts 3:13-15, 17-19; Ps. 4:2, 4, 7-8, 9; 1 Jn. 2:1-5a; Lk. 24:35-48
Today we celebrate the third Sunday of Easter, and the readings today highlight for us the redemptive nature of the cross and the joy of the resurrection.
In the first reading, we hear Peter tell his audience, “The author of life you put to death, but God raised Him from the dead. Of this we are witnesses.”
Christ had to die in order to rise from the dead, but we see in His resurrection that God’s plans are greater than any we can imagine. So, as His disciples and stewards of His many gifts, we give ourselves to Him as His servants know at all time – in joy and in suffering – His plans far outweigh our own. We are His disciples, and in giving Him ourselves, we ask Him to do with us what He will.
