Stewardship
At St. Joseph's we strive to make stewardship a way of life. We are abundantly blessed by our God. We desire to receive God's gifts gratefully, cherish and tend these gifts in a responsible and accountable manner, share our gifts in justice and love with others, and finally to return them with increase to the Lord. We encourage each other to use our time, talents and treasure in the manner of a good steward.
The four pillars of Stewardship are: prayer, hospitality, formation, and service.
The four pillars of Stewardship are: prayer, hospitality, formation, and service.
Prayer
Heart-to-Heart with God - "Do not become so involved in the work of the Lord that you forget the Lord of the work," a seminary professor once taught. In other words, don't get so caught up with parish projects and outreach efforts that you forget to draw aside to spend time with God in prayer. Every great saint has taught that prayer is the most essential component in the life of the Christian. Through prayer, we nurture our most important relationship - the one that will last for all eternity. A healthy prayer life should include communal prayer, such as Mass, as well as personal prayer and family prayer. The two biggest obstacles to prayer are lack of time and lack of an understanding of how to pray. We have to schedule time for prayer just as we would for an important appointment. And we have to learn how to pray from other people. Many saints have written spiritual books that describe different methods of prayer.
Hospitality
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me." Mt 25:35-36
Welcome all as Christ - St. Joseph's parish opens her arms to all people. It is important to us that everyone who enters through these doors feels welcomed and at home. Jesus Christ gave us this space - it is His gift to us. Through practicing good Christian hospitality, may all have the opportunity to encounter Jesus Christ.
Living hospitality
We are all prodigal children longing to be welcomed home. In a hospitable parish, parishioners and guests feel they belong and are appreciated. This is especially true if they were ever absent from the church. Hospitality leads to a sense of ownership among parishioners. This ownership and personal involvement fosters a sense of “belonging.” When parishioners experience a warm and sincere welcome, they in turn become open to give themselves to others. God is love. God gives His love to each one of us. As God loves us, He calls us to love one another. This Divine Love flows through the heart of the faithful steward to love others. When we are recipients of such love from others, we are attracted to follow this example. When others welcome us, we are open to welcoming others. This desire to welcome others is yet another gift of God. The most vibrant stewardship parishes are those in which parishioners know they are welcomed, which fosters a sense of ownership and personal involvement in lived stewardship to the parish family.
Welcome all as Christ - St. Joseph's parish opens her arms to all people. It is important to us that everyone who enters through these doors feels welcomed and at home. Jesus Christ gave us this space - it is His gift to us. Through practicing good Christian hospitality, may all have the opportunity to encounter Jesus Christ.
Living hospitality
We are all prodigal children longing to be welcomed home. In a hospitable parish, parishioners and guests feel they belong and are appreciated. This is especially true if they were ever absent from the church. Hospitality leads to a sense of ownership among parishioners. This ownership and personal involvement fosters a sense of “belonging.” When parishioners experience a warm and sincere welcome, they in turn become open to give themselves to others. God is love. God gives His love to each one of us. As God loves us, He calls us to love one another. This Divine Love flows through the heart of the faithful steward to love others. When we are recipients of such love from others, we are attracted to follow this example. When others welcome us, we are open to welcoming others. This desire to welcome others is yet another gift of God. The most vibrant stewardship parishes are those in which parishioners know they are welcomed, which fosters a sense of ownership and personal involvement in lived stewardship to the parish family.
Formation
Continuous Conversion - Blessed John Paul II always emphasized ongoing conversion. From childhood through adulthood, our whole life must be a process of drawing closer to God. He never stops calling us forward to learn more and to examine ourselves more deeply. Very often our society values material things more than interior virtues. But as personal experience shows, when we finally acquire the car or house or "toy" that we wanted so badly, it doesn't really satisfy. On the other hand, we don't tend to desire spiritual virtues with the same kind of longin, but when we actually have them, we find them far more rewarding than material things.
Service
Love in Action - "Amen I say to you, whatever you did to the least of my brothers, you did it to me" Mt 25:40. This Scripture was one of Blessed Mother Teresa'a favorites. Each time she picked up a poor and hungry child, she knew she was ministering to Christ. While we may not view ourselves as saints, we, too, are called to such heroic service right within our own community. As Blessed Mother Teresa said, "To be a saint is not the privilege of a few, but the duty of everyone." We have many service opportunities right here within our own parish. If you have the willingness to serve and take the initiative to find where you are needed, you'll find that there is no end to the families and individuals who truly need help. How can you reach out to them in love?
Resources
Stewardship Committee
|
Dear Lord
I pray that You give me the wisdom to guide me on this faith journey of stewardship. Help me to understand that everything I have is a gift from You. Open up my heart and my mind so that I may use these marvelous gifts to give back to You here on earth. I pray Lord that You welcome me into Your kingdom at the end of my life and that You are pleased with what I have done with all Your gifts. Amen |
|