This Sunday has been designated as our stewardship Sunday. On this Sunday we reflect upon the importance of stewardship in the life of the faithful. Stewardship transcends the mere giving of money because through it one fully comes to recognize their mission as a Christian disciple. Through stewardship one freely gives of the many gifts that have been entrusted to our care by God.
Our response to our Responsorial Psalm proclaimed, “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Such a statement points inward upon self and reminds that we are to hear the voice of God that is being made manifest to us. We can only hear such a voice if we are first found willing to pursue relationship with God.
Through such a relationship we learn to pray. Prayer not only liturgical in nature or devotional (as important as these may be), but so to through the use of silence. Here we discover that silent voice that calls out to us and through the nurturing of such a voice we come to be transformed in the Lord’s presence.
Through such transformation we are able to grow in our participation in God’s love. In such manner our hearts come to be liberated through this relationship and from all that holds us captive. Stewardship then becomes a participation is such love for through it we are giving a response as a disciple of the Lord to God’s unconditional love that is being made manifest for us.
At the conclusion of our Gospel it was proclaimed that “we are unprofitable servants; we have done what what we were obliged to do.” From Psalm 116 we ask, “How can I repay the Lord for all the good He has done for me? The answer to this question as well as how we are to be an unprofitable servant is found through our commitment to stewardship.
CS Lewis once stated, “A person whose hands are full of parcels cannot receive a gift.” Stewardship allows us to enter into such a conversion where we can grow in our love and our desire to give freely of self through the use of our time, talent, and treasure. Stewardship is a part of our response to discipleship.
In our parish we are already blessed with so many good stewards who freely give of their time, talent, and treasure. Through our vast list of ministries are found so many who humbly give of themselves out of love. Stewardship is an invitation for us to continue to commit ourself in such a way for through such action we are found to be unprofitable servants.
Sometime this week all register families will receive a mailing asking them to make a commitment of their stewardship to our parish community. Please pray prior to filling out this form and return it next weekend during the offertory. It is my hope that all households will come together to fill out this form and make a commitment to give of their time, talent, and treasure based upon their state in life for the Lord calls to be unprofitable servant of all that has been entrusted to our care.
