Category: Parish Renewal

CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READINGS

“Live in love,” St. Paul tells us.

It is as simple as that. There is no need for us to get caught up in the ways of the world – consumed with our possessions or achievements, focused on keeping up with the Joneses or being the best of the best. No. As St. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading, in order to be happy and fulfilled in our lives, in order to do what we were created to do, to glorify the Lord and live worthy of the lives He has given us, we must simply live in love.
Notice how much more peaceful and manageable that calling is to the calling of the world which encourages us to attain more material possessions, to become a better businessman than the next one, to have the biggest most well furnished house on the block, and on and on. The world encourages us to find comfort and greatness in the here and now. It is exhausting just to think about. And, what’s more, it will never fulfill us, because we were not made for the here and now. We were made for God.
God calls us to simply love – love Him above all else and love our neighbors as ourselves. And, the wonderful Lord that He is, He does not merely call us to do that, He gives us an example to follow.
So, St. Paul urges us, “Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed Himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God” (second reading).
Living in love, in true, unconditional, Christian love, means giving oneself for the sake of another, just as Christ did. He offered His life out of true love for us, because He wanted us to have life everlasting, and He knew that in His offering Himself as expiation for our sins, that would be possible.
Likewise, each one of us is called to love God and love our neighbor. In doing so, we look out for our neighbor. We offer him ourselves in loving service, for no other reason than because we care for him. There are plenty of ministries within our parish that offer us the opportunity to do just that.
As Christ’s disciples, we should get involved. We should show true genuine Christian charity, and not in order to be praised or to check a to-do off our list, but solely out of love for one another. That’s what it means to be a Christian steward, to follow Christ, and to serve one another in love.
And to think, we don’t have to do it alone. In His ever-present spirit of love for us, the Lord not only gives us an example to follow, He gives us His grace and His strength, especially through the sacraments, aiding us in carrying out our mission as Christian stewards.
The more we participate in the sacraments, the more equipped we’ll be to live discipleship.
“Get up and eat, else your journey will be too long for you” (first reading).
Christ gives us Himself in the sacraments – His grace, His life – and He invites us to participate in them, promising us that when we do, He will strengthen us.
“I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, but they died… I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (gospel).
So, as we live our lives, striving to follow Christ as His disciples, we are called to love, first God and then one another, and we ought to run to the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, to encounter Christ and to gain the strength to “live in a manner worthy of the call we have received”(Eph. 4:1).

 

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CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READINGS

The Lord is abundantly generous! He gives of Himself out of love for each one of us, and His gifts are unconditional.

Today’s readings draw our attention to the gift par excellence — the Eucharist. In this central mystery of our faith, Christ gives us Himself, completely — Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. It is so much more than we deserve, so much more than we can wrap our human minds around. It is Jesus Himself. And He invites us to partake of it — to consume Him — so that we might have life in Him.

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst” (Jn. 6:35).

Every time we step forward to receive the Eucharist, we literally take the Savior into our own bodies. And in so doing, we are given a grace to live our lives to the full, to show forth God’s glory.

How will we respond to God’s gifts of self, to His unconditional outpouring of love?

Will we offer Him ourselves in return — unconditionally? That is what it means to be Christ’s disciples. We recognize His gifts, we see that they are given solely out of love — he expects nothing back — and we respond in sheer gratitude and awe struck wonder, offering Him our whole lives in return!

 

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 CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READINGS

Today’s Gospel speaks to us of God’s unconditional love for us and His boundless generosity. He cares for our needs in such a way that we are not only cared for, but we are given more than we could ever ask for.

He does this on His own accord, of His own free will, and with His own capability. But He asks us to help. He wants us to help. He calls us to help.

Just as the boy with five barley loves and three fish was called upon to give what he had in order for Christ to carry out His mission, each one of us is called to give what we have to assist the Lord.

He loves and cares for every one, every single human being, and He longs to care for everyone — physically and spiritually. With that mission in mind, He calls each one of us to assist Him, to give Him all we have — our time, our talents and our treasure — so that, together with Him, we can feed the world, offering others the Love of Christ and sharing the Gospel with them.

This is what it means to be Christ’s disciples. We give of ourselves so that His mission, His ministry can be carried out here and now. This bring all those we meet closer to Him and spreading the Gospel throughout our parishes, our cities, and the whole world!

 

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CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READINGS

This Sunday we celebrate the greatest event in all of history – Christ’s resurrection from the dead. It is the greatest mystery of all time and, therefore, today is the highest celebration of the liturgical year.

As Christian disciples, we not only rejoice in the reality of the resurrection, but, as St. Peter tells us in his speech in the first reading today, we are commissioned to proclaim the good news. We proclaim Christ to the world by the way we live our lives. Filled with sheer gratitude and joy for what Christ has done, we put Him first in our lives, committing to love and serve Him before all else. We recognize our time, talents, and treasure as gifts from Him, and we use them to give Him glory.

Then, those who bear witness to our lives see the beauty of Christ in us, and we invite them to live to love and serve Him as well.

This is what it means to be a disciple. We rejoice in the good news, and we proclaim it to all the world!

 

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CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READING

In today’s Gospel, we hear the Passion of Jesus Christ proclaimed. He suffered and died a cruel death for the sake of sinners – for the sake of all of us. And St. Paul tells us in today’s second reading that Jesus Christ “humbled Himself becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross,” St. Paul tells the Philippians in today’s second reading.  “Because of this … at the name of Jesus every knee shall bend and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
So, by sacrificing Himself the way He did (for the sake of others), Jesus gave glory to the Father. What does that mean for us today?
As His disciples, we follow in Jesus’ footsteps. We follow His example. This does not mean that we are all called to die a cruel torturous death. But we are all called to live lives of sacrifice – offering ourselves – our time, our talents, and our treasure – to love and serve the Lord by loving and serving others. What’s more, we do not do so in such a way that we give of our excess. Quite the opposite, in fact. Jesus’ Passion and Death shows us that this gift of self ought to be sacrificial. It ought to come from the first fruits of ourselves. In fact, we ought to give our whole lives – everything we say and do should be done for the glory of God and the service of others.
It is not an easy calling, but it is a noble one. The goal of it all, to give glory to the Lord our God.

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CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READING

“For God so loved that world that He sent His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16) This familiar verse which is a portion of today’s gospel reading speaks of a profound reality, a central truth of our Faith in which we wholeheartedly rejoice.

God the Father sent Christ into the world as a selfless, loving, life-giving gift to us and Christ, meanwhile, came willingly in order to give of Himself for our salvation.

How do we respond to such a gift?

We follow suit. We give of ourselves in utter gratitude to God. We recognize that He has given us gifts beyond measure, and we give Him our hearts and our whole lives. We live our lives in such a way that glorifies Him – lovingly serving one another. In so doing, we say “Thank you.”

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CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READING

In the gospel reading today, Jesus, upon seeing all the buying and selling that was taking place in the temple, flips over tables and throws coins to the ground. At first glance, his reaction seems a bit radical. As Mark tells it, Jesus even “made a whip out of chords.” Indeed, it is radical, and for good reason. Jesus wants to call the people’s attention to what’s important. He is angry that the temple has become a marketplace. Jesus’ reaction tells us just how important worshipping God really is. We simply must put him before all else, and we must live our lives accordingly.
Yet Jesus doesn’t tell us that and simply expect us to listen to Him. He takes it to heart in His own life here on Earth, putting the Father’s will above His own wants, even to the point of death. On the cross, Christ offers us an example of just how selfless we must be as Christian stewards. We are called to follow the Lord, and put His will for us before our own. It is, then, to the cross we look to discover what should be our way of life — a complete and total gift of ourselves to the Lord, offering our time, talents, and treasures to serve Him. And for some (those whom we call martyrs), this gift of self will involve a sacrifice to the point of death.
As St Paul reminds us in the second reading “there is great power in the cross.” When we respond to Christ’s call by following His example and giving ourselves completely in love and service to God and neighbor, we will feel incredibly fulfilled.

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CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READING

In today’s readings, we focus on the cross.

In the first reading, we hear the story of Abraham willing to sacrifice Isaac because the Lord asks him to. And then an angel intervenes telling Abraham to stop. His mere willingness showed the Lord that he is faithful.

It is hard to even imagine what Abraham and Isaac must have felt as they approached the impending sacrifice. It is gut-wrenching to even think about, and yet, as Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans, Christ Jesus did die for us. In him, what we see prefigured in Abraham and Isaac was done. The father gave his only Son like a lamb to be slaughtered, and the Son willingly offered Himself. Sometimes we look at the crucifixion and, while we marvel at the torture Jesus endured, it is easy to think, “But He is God,” and thereby minimize His agony. But when we consider the crucifixion together with Abraham and Isaac’s story, the pain of the suffering becomes that much more real. It is important to remember that God the Father did in fact offer His only Son up to death just as Abraham almost did. It is important to remember that while Jesus is indeed God, He is also man, and as such, He experienced the pain and agony of His torturous death. And He did it all for us. In the midst of all this, it is vital to understand that the cross, while utterly torturous, was and still is necessary for our salvation. Without the cross we wouldn’t know the glory of the resurrection.

This reality applies not only to Christ’s crucifixion on Calvary, but to the many crosses we ourselves bear through pain and suffering. Life is not easy. But when we unite our sufferings with Christ’s, they too can become redemptive. They allow us to grow closer to Christ and deeper in faith as we learn to rely on His grace.

This is what life as a Christian disciple is all about.

Jesus Himself tells us “if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.”

It doesn’t mean that carrying the crosses – dealing with the pain and sickness, trials and tribulations – will ever be easy. But when we deny ourselves and unite our sufferings with His, we will experience the glory of the resurrection in a deeply personal way. Christ will touch our lives and change us.

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CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READING

Lent is upon us. This season of intense fasting and prayer offers us an opportunity to focus on our sinful nature and the wonder of Christ’s saving power in a particularly poignant way. As Jesus tells us in the gospel reading today, we are to “repent and believe in the gospel.”

But doing so involves much more than a simple passive belief. In fact, for Christian disciples, this belief in the gospel necessitates a life actively lived for the sake of the gospel, a life lived in immigration of Jesus who gave himself up for death for the sake of others.

This does not mean that we will all be called to die a martyr’s death. But our lives ought to be lived out for others. As stewards, we ought to give ourselves in loving service for others — at home, in our parishes, at work, at school and elsewhere. The life of a Christian disciple, as Christ so radically shows us, is a life of self-giving in love.

It sounds like a lot of work, and rightly so. Just look at the cross. It is far from easy. But, then, focus on the resurrection. Christ suffered the most unthinkable agony, but in his resurrection he experienced the most tremendous victory. That is what we live for. We give of ourselves like Christ did, knowing that we look forward to the glory of eternal life. The reward of a self-giving Christian steward far surpasses the effort it takes to live this way; it far surpasses any hardships we experience along the way.

So, we live for others and we call others to do the same, proclaiming the good news that Christ has come to save. All we need to do is repent and believe. Then, on Easter morning, we celebrate together the joy of the resurrection and we look forward to the day when we run out to meet the Lord together with all the angels and saints.

What a glorious gospel we proclaim!

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CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READING

God is merciful. He came to Earth in order to suffer and die and then rise from the dead so that we, the sinners whom He loves, could have eternal life. He came because He loves us so much that He desired to take the punishment of our sins upon Himself.

In today’s gospel, Jesus shows his mercy to a suffering paralytic. He forgives him of his sins – healing him spiritually and then healing his physical ailments. The spiritual healing was, by far, the most important, even though it was only after the physical healing that the people recognized Jesus’ power.

Christ offers us his merciful healing and His life of grace in the sacraments. In a particular way, Jesus forgives us of our sins in the sacrament of reconciliation. He is there for us. He pours his mercy upon us, but, like the paralytic, we have to humbly come to Him. We have to be open to receiving that spiritual healing and that new life of grace.

When we do open ourselves to God’s grace and regularly receive the sacraments, He changes our lives. He makes us stronger disciples and equips us to live a life of faith here and now. He draws us ever nearer to Him and helps others to do the same so that, one day, we will all rejoice with Him in the eternal glory of the heavenly kingdom.

 

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CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READING

“Do everything for the glory of God,” Paul tells the Corinthians in today’s second reading.

Indeed, we are all charged with that same task. As Christian disciples, we are called to live in such a way that all we do and say gives glory to the Lord. We recognize that He is the one who has given us the many good gifts we enjoy – our time, our talents, and our treasure. Even our very lives come by way of gift from God, and it is our duty as His disciples to use the many gifts He has given us in such a way that we bear witness to Him.

It is not an easy task, particularly in the world in which we live. We are surrounded by so much relativistic thinking, and engulfed in a culture of selfishness. The secular society tells us that what “I” want to do and when “I” want to do it is all that matters. Yet, we know that there is so much beyond our “here and now” life on Earth. There is so much beyond the “feel-good” mentality of our culture. We are here to know, love, and to serve God, and when we do so, all who come in contact with us will see Christ.

It is a difficult task to be in the world but not of it, and to live for one person and one person only: the Lord. But we know that, when we do, we are richly rewarded. The life of a Christian disciple isn’t an easy one. In fact, just as the Corinthians to whom Paul writes this letter, we are sure to confront constant opposition, but when we live for Christ, giving Him glory in all we do – at home, at work, at school, and elsewhere, we are richly blessed.

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CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READING

In the gospel today, Jesus heals the sick and performs other such miracles. He then tells His disciples that He cannot stay. He must move on to the next town and continue preaching and healing others. “For this purpose have I come,” Jesus says.

As Christ’s disciples, it is our purpose and our mission to proclaim the Word of God to the world today. We are, in effect, the hands and feet of Christ, and He calls each one of us to continue His ministry of proclaiming the good news. In fact, that is why He established the Church – to call all men to Himself.

Each one of us plays a very important role in the Church’s mission. We are all vital members of the One Church, and the Lord has given us many good gifts with which to carry out this mission. When we live our lives for the glory of God and use our gifts – our time, our talents, and our treasure – to serve the Lord by serving others, people are sure to see Christ in us. People are sure to be drawn to our way of life, to the hope and happiness Christ offers, and men are sure to come to Him.

Later in Mark’s gospel, when Jesus tells the apostles, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation,” (Mk. 16:15), He was speaking to the whole Church. Let us take ownership of our call. May we all use our God-given gifts, our time, our talent, and our treasure – to proclaim the good news: Christ has come to save all and He offers everyone life everlasting. It is a wonderfully hope-filled message. May our lives reflect its truth!

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CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READING

As Christ’s disciples, we are called to recognize all of our gifts as God-given – our time, our talents, and our treasure and to use them accordingly, putting them at the service of the Lord.

Today’s readings remind us that it is the Lord whom we serve. In the gospel, when Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit, “Quiet! Come out of Him!” the gospel tells us, “The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed.”

It is amazing. God has authority over the whole world, and He has seen fit to bless us with so many good gifts, to give us life and family and faith, time and talents and treasure. It is only fitting that we recognize those gifts as God-given and give of them in gratitude to the One who has blessed us so.

So, we live to love and serve Him in all we do. Whether we are a mother or father, brother or sister, married or single, doctor or lawyer, writer or singer, it is our duty as Christian stewards to live our lives to the praise and glory of God. All that we do ought to proclaim His goodness to those around us.

In the first reading from Deuteronomy, the writer reminds us of this call. Speaking of prophets whose role it is to proclaim the Good News, he says, “But if a prophet presumes to speak in My name an oracle that I have not commanded him to speak, or speaks in the names of other gods, he shall die.”

Indeed, it is God whom we serve. We are called to live not for our own sake, but for the sake of the Gospel, being sure that through all we say and do, we help others see God.

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CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READING

The theme of today’s readings is one any stewardship parish should be familiar with, and one whose message bears such a significant impact on our lives that it is well worth repeating time and time again.

God calls each one of us to be His disciples. He knows we are made to know, love and serve Him, and so He reveals Himself to us and calls us to Himself. Just as He called Samuel in the first reading, and then Andrew, Simon Peter, and the unnamed disciple in the Gospel reading, God calls us. He invites us to share in His life of love, because He knows that’s what we are made for.

However, His call necessitates a response. God doesn’t force us into a relationship with Him. Rather, He reveals Himself to us, much like He did to the men in today’s readings.

Both the Old Testament reading and the Gospel tell us of men who heard God’s call, responded by willfully following the Lord and then offered themselves to God as His stewards, using their gifts to bring others to Him.

God calls each and every one of us today, and He wants us to respond. We hear His call in numerous ways, and often, just like He did with Samuel and Andrew, the Lord uses other people to reveal Himself to us, to call us to Himself. We simply must be open to the call, keeping our hearts and minds fixed on Him, and then, we must respond to Him. Our response involves a willing gift of self, offering the Lord all we are – our time, our talent, and our treasure – to serve Him. Then, our lives will bear witness to the Love and goodness of the Lord, and, just as Andrew brought Simon, we will help others find the Lord.

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CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READING

The theme of this Sunday’s Scripture readings is two-fold: God manifests Himself and man responds to that manifestation with gifts of gratitude and conversion of heart.
The Magi, who were likely astrologists and magicians, made the long journey from somewhere far away to see the Savior, and when they saw him, they gave Him themselves. The gold, frankincense, and myrrh were likely “tricks of the trade” they surrendered to the Lord upon meeting Him. Then, the Gospel tells us, they departed from another way.
Such language tells us not simply that the Magi traveled home on a different route, but on a deeper level, that their lives were changed that day. Their encounter with Christ made a huge impact on their lives, calling them to give of themselves and then to live the remainder of their lives accordingly.
Their story is a great example to all of us. It speaks of some universal truths.
As Christian stewards, we live for God. Everything we do and say ought to proclaim the Gospel and bring others closer to Christ so that one day, as the psalmist sings “Every nation on Earth will adore” Him.
God has given each one of us many good gifts. As stewards, let us use the gifts He has given us – our time, our talent, and our treasure – at home, at church, at work, and wherever else we find ourselves, to glorify Him and, in so doing, call others to encounter Christ and live for Him.

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CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP FROM SUNDAYS READING

CHRISTMAS DAY

Today, we celebrate the tremendous love Christ has for us, the love that led Him to enter into human history. On that first Christmas many years ago, Jesus became man. He existed before the world was made, He, in fact, has no beginning, because He is God and, therefore, has always existed, took on humanity, became one of His mere creatures and then entered into human history.

It is a baffling mystery.

How Christ can be fully God and, at the same time, fully man is beyond our comprehension. Yet, we know that He is. That first Christmas, when Mary and Joseph welcomed the sweet baby into the world, they were, in fact, welcoming their Lord and God.

Jesus entered human history as a human being so that He could take upon Himself the sins of mankind and free us from the bonds of sin and death. He came because He loves us so much.

It’s amazing. Our God is wonderful. His love is selfless, and it is boundless.

So, as we sit and exchange gifts with one another in an effort to showcase our love for each other, as stewards, let us be sure to take the time to thank the Lord for the gifts He has given us, particularly the gift of His Son through whom we can attain salvation!

Merry Christmas!

 

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