Stewardship Reflections on Lectionary Readings for Nov. 7, 2010 Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14; Psalm 17; 2 Thessalonians 2:16 – 3:5; Luke 20:27-38 or 20:27, 34-38
It’s jokingly said that one of the most painful motions a man can make is to reach down to pull his wallet out of his pocket. That’s especially true when he’s going to open his wallet to make a contribution. But as the reading from 2 Maccabees 7 makes clear, men are willing to suffer pain and even death for something they believe in. And what’s more worthy of our pain – either physical or emotional – than the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ carried out through his Church?
The seven brothers and their mother who died for the practice of their faith in the reading from 2 Maccabees did so because of their hope for the resurrection. Jesus in the Gospel reading from Luke 20 reaffirms that hope as one of the basic doctrines of Christianity. This life is not the end. At the end of time, our bodies will rise again and be rejoined to our souls.
The belief that death is not the end means how we live in this life is important and has eternal consequences. If it were true that this life is all there is, then why not live by the motto, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (I Cor 15:32)? There would be no point in living except to experience as much immediate pleasure as possible.
But the truth of the resurrection – with the accompanying judgment – means that our life has purpose, and we are responsible to God who gave us life and will raise us from the dead. In gratitude for his gifts – the time we enjoy, the talents we have, the treasure we receive, even life itself – we return a portion of them to his service. We’ll actually experience joy in this life, and even greater joy in the next.
There may be some pain, at least psychological pain, in a life of stewardship. We’ll probably forgo some things that would give us pleasure. But the ultimate reward of a life as a steward is worth far more pain than any lack we’ll experience here will cause.
We are not alone, however, as we seek to live as stewards. We may feel discouragement from time to time. St. Paul assures us in the reading from 2 Thessalonians that “the Lord is faithful” and by his grace he will direct our hearts “to the love of God and to the endurance of Christ.”
Let us so live and so use the time, talent, and treasure entrusted to us in this life that we can look forward with hope and eager expectation to our resurrection at the end of time!
Source: Posted by The Catholic Steward Oct 26, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
September Bulletin Announcements
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
For the weekend of October 3, 2010
In today’s Gospel Jesus instructs the apostles on faith and
service, two bedrock principles of Christian stewardship.
While his teaching on one’s attitude toward service may be
easier to grasp, Jesus’ reflection on faith is the more important
one for the Christian steward. Perhaps this is a good
week to reflect on being stewards of our own faith. Some
questions we might ask ourselves: What is the character
and quality of my own faith? How sincere is it? Have I ever
asked the Lord for an increase in faith? What seemingly
impossible things might I be able to accomplish if my faith
in Jesus Christ were the size of a mustard seed?
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
For the weekend of October 10, 2010
In their gratitude for being healed, both Naaman, the Syrian
general, and the leper in today’s gospel offered profound
expressions of faith. So it is that the life of the Christian
steward is based on a life lived in gratitude. Naaman
was willing to offer a fortune to the prophet. The leper was
willing to accept a whole new way of life in Christ. Embracing
a sense of gratitude is often lost in our “I want more”
culture. But when we truly understand what it means to be
grateful, we begin to develop an awareness of all that God
has given us. Ask yourself this week: Do I live each day
with a sense of gratitude? Am I really thankful for the gifts I
have received?
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
For the weekend of October 17, 2010
A fundamental element of Christian stewardship is prayer
and in today’s Gospel Jesus encourages his disciples to pray
constantly and not to lose heart. Prayer is a gift and we
would not even have an awareness to pray if the Lord had
not planted this gift within each of us. Take inventory of
your prayer life this week. Do you stop to pray each day?
Do you take opportunities to try and have a deep conversation
with God? Do you find quiet time so that you may be
able to hear Christ speaking to you, consoling you, encouraging
you, challenging you, befriending you?
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
For the weekend of October 24, 2010
October is a month filled with sporting events, from
school athletic fields to professional sports stadiums across
the country. We see athletes honored and praised for the
God-given gifts they’ve cultivated and displayed, whether it
be in newspaper headlines, television screens and on many
a sports apparel. In today’s second reading, St. Paul uses the
sporting metaphor to reflect on his gift of faith and how he
has used his gifts to give testimony to Jesus Christ. God has
endowed each of us with unique gifts as well, beginning
with the gift of faith. How well have we cultivated and displayed
our own God-given gifts? As stewards of God’s abundant
gifts, have we “competed well” for the Lord? Are we
“running the race” for God? Are we keeping and sharing our
faith in Jesus Christ?
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
For the weekend of October 31, 2010
The encounter between Jesus and the wealthy Zacchaeus
offers a number of stewardship themes for this week’s reflection:
heeding the call of Jesus, conversion, repentance, generosity,
acting out of justice. One stewardship theme from
this Gospel reading that is not often commented upon is the
steward’s task of receiving Christ with a joyful heart. How
often do we “receive him with joy?” Do we know him well
enough to receive in joy? Do we experience his love? Do we
accept him as our savior, or are we looking for something
or someone else? It seems that only when we have some
personal knowledge of Jesus, open our hearts to him and
accept him as Christ, our savior, can we truly receive him
with joyful hearts.
For the weekend of October 3, 2010
In today’s Gospel Jesus instructs the apostles on faith and
service, two bedrock principles of Christian stewardship.
While his teaching on one’s attitude toward service may be
easier to grasp, Jesus’ reflection on faith is the more important
one for the Christian steward. Perhaps this is a good
week to reflect on being stewards of our own faith. Some
questions we might ask ourselves: What is the character
and quality of my own faith? How sincere is it? Have I ever
asked the Lord for an increase in faith? What seemingly
impossible things might I be able to accomplish if my faith
in Jesus Christ were the size of a mustard seed?
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
For the weekend of October 10, 2010
In their gratitude for being healed, both Naaman, the Syrian
general, and the leper in today’s gospel offered profound
expressions of faith. So it is that the life of the Christian
steward is based on a life lived in gratitude. Naaman
was willing to offer a fortune to the prophet. The leper was
willing to accept a whole new way of life in Christ. Embracing
a sense of gratitude is often lost in our “I want more”
culture. But when we truly understand what it means to be
grateful, we begin to develop an awareness of all that God
has given us. Ask yourself this week: Do I live each day
with a sense of gratitude? Am I really thankful for the gifts I
have received?
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
For the weekend of October 17, 2010
A fundamental element of Christian stewardship is prayer
and in today’s Gospel Jesus encourages his disciples to pray
constantly and not to lose heart. Prayer is a gift and we
would not even have an awareness to pray if the Lord had
not planted this gift within each of us. Take inventory of
your prayer life this week. Do you stop to pray each day?
Do you take opportunities to try and have a deep conversation
with God? Do you find quiet time so that you may be
able to hear Christ speaking to you, consoling you, encouraging
you, challenging you, befriending you?
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
For the weekend of October 24, 2010
October is a month filled with sporting events, from
school athletic fields to professional sports stadiums across
the country. We see athletes honored and praised for the
God-given gifts they’ve cultivated and displayed, whether it
be in newspaper headlines, television screens and on many
a sports apparel. In today’s second reading, St. Paul uses the
sporting metaphor to reflect on his gift of faith and how he
has used his gifts to give testimony to Jesus Christ. God has
endowed each of us with unique gifts as well, beginning
with the gift of faith. How well have we cultivated and displayed
our own God-given gifts? As stewards of God’s abundant
gifts, have we “competed well” for the Lord? Are we
“running the race” for God? Are we keeping and sharing our
faith in Jesus Christ?
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
For the weekend of October 31, 2010
The encounter between Jesus and the wealthy Zacchaeus
offers a number of stewardship themes for this week’s reflection:
heeding the call of Jesus, conversion, repentance, generosity,
acting out of justice. One stewardship theme from
this Gospel reading that is not often commented upon is the
steward’s task of receiving Christ with a joyful heart. How
often do we “receive him with joy?” Do we know him well
enough to receive in joy? Do we experience his love? Do we
accept him as our savior, or are we looking for something
or someone else? It seems that only when we have some
personal knowledge of Jesus, open our hearts to him and
accept him as Christ, our savior, can we truly receive him
with joyful hearts.
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