September 3, 2017

The Christian vocation is essentially a call to be a disciple of Jesus. Stewardship is part of that call. Each of us must discern, accept, and live out joyfully and generously the commitments, responsibilities, and roles to which God calls us. Jesus not only calls people to him but also forms them and sends them out in his service. Jesus’ call is urgent. He does not tell people to follow Him at sometime in the future but here and now. Being a disciple of Christ naturally leads into Stewardship. These linked realities, discipleship and stewardship, make up the fabric of a Christian life rooted in our Lord. We recognize that everything we have is a gift from God, to be used for the purpose of sharing those gifts with others. A true sense of Stewardship involves giving from our first fruits. So often, the tendency can be to give from what we have left over. When we understand Stewardship, then it is easy to see the abundance of gifts we and others have to offer. Giving from that abundance, rather than from a sense of “this is all I have left to give” becomes a natural part of our lives. This is why Stewardship is a conversion of the heart. It is a way of life. Stewardship will change us. It is very rewarding and joyful. However, when we truly place our trust in the Lord and share our gifts out of the pure joy of sharing; then the old saying rings true, “you will receive more than you give.” Prayer is the cornerstone of stewardship, part of the Time, in Time, Talent and Treasure. Only when we spend time with God in prayer, are we spiritually prepared to offer ourselves in service to others. Consequently, the first step we must take on the path to being good stewards is prayer. Therefore, I have asked all of our participants in Eucharistic Adoration to pray every day for all of us here at St. Paul’s so that our Stewardship is always bountiful. You shall take some of the first fruits of the various products of the soil which you harvest from the land which the Lord, your God, gives you, and putting them in a basket, you shall go the place which the Lord, your God, chooses for the dwelling place of his name. There you shall go to the priest in the office at that time and say to him, “today I acknowledge to the Lord, my God, that I have indeed come into the land which he swore to our fathers he would give us.” …. Therefore, I have now brought you the first fruits of the products of the soil which you, O Lord, have given me.” And having set them before the Lord, your God, you shall bow down in his presence. (Deut. 26:2-5, 10)