Stewardship Reflections for February 2011

Fifth Week in Ordinary Time, Weekend of February 5/6
Jesus said to his followers “You are the light of the world…
your light must shine before others, that they may see your
good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” Christian stewards
allow the light of Christ to shine through them to reach
others. A good reflection question for the week: In what ways
do we allow the light of Christ to shine through us?

Sixth Week in Ordinary Time, Weekend of February 12/13
In today’s Gospel, part of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
does not speak of replacing the law of the Old Testament.
He goes beyond it. He obliges his followers to work at being
holier than even the strictest of Pharisees. But the work
is not accomplished by following a religious “law”, it requires
growing in love for other human beings. Followers of
Jesus know they are required to be good stewards of others.
In what way will you exercise good stewardship over other
people this week?

Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Weekend of February 19/20
In another passage from his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
continues to turn his disciples’ way of thinking upsidedown.
One of the lessons for the Christian steward in today’s
Gospel is that if we have a chance to help someone
in need, we should be generous and give more than is expected
of us. Jesus went “the extra mile” for us. Can we be
more like Jesus and “go the extra mile” for others?

Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Weekend of February 26/27
Saint Paul reminds us as baptized Christians, as those who
have shared the Eucharist with one another, that we are
“servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”
We are not to define ourselves by our age, ethnicity, gender,
social status, work, vocation or avocation. Our primary
self-understanding should be that of servants and stewards
of the Lord and all that has been entrusted to us. Can we
accept this self-understanding? Do we find it encouraging?