Make a Personal Pastoral Plan to Celebrate the Year of Faith

October marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. On this momentous anniversary, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed October 2012 as the beginning of a Year of Faith. But what does this Year of Faith mean to Catholic stewards?

In his apostolic letter announcing the Year of Faith, the pontiff stressed three important areas in our life of faith. He exhorted us: 1) to better understand our faith; 2) to take some action to give witness to our faith; and 3) to share our faith with others.

Don’t let this year slip away without embracing its opportunity for growth. Make a personal pastoral plan that will set concrete goals and deepen the stewardship of your faith life this year. Here are some questions to guide you in the Holy Father’s three-fold areas of concern.

1. Faith seeks truth. What am I to learn about my faith in the God of Jesus Christ?
• Read the Bible. One simple plan is to prayerfully read each day’s lectionary readings, which can be found online at www.usccb.org/bible/readings.
• Study the Catholic catechism and have it on hand to answer questions. The United States Catholic Catechism for Adults is an adaptation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and is a handy reference as well as a good learning tool.
• Intentionally choose several books on Catholic life and spirituality this year. These could range from books on centering prayer to the lives of the saints or perhaps a book on the Second Vatican Council. Immerse yourself in Catholic reading.

2. Faith leads to Action. What action will witness to my commitment to Christ?
• Pray – We live our faith more fully by cultivating a more disciplined prayer life. The most important time of your day is the time you set aside for prayer.
• Give more generously to the Church, its ministries and related charities.
• Exchange one hour of time spent in front of the TV or computer each week with an hour spent with others who are in need of your unique gifts.

3. Faith is not a private affair. With whom should I share my faith in Christ?
• Attend Mass more often, and bring someone with you.
• Join or form a bible study group.
• Talk to a family member, friend or coworker about your faith.

The Year of Faith is a wonderful gift meant to help us to grow in our Catholic faith. Make your plan now for this Year of Faith, and prepare yourself to be amazed at how Christ can work in and through you when you take the initiative to grow closer to Christ.

Source: International Catholic Stewardship Council October 2012 Newsletter

A Stewardship Moment

September 2, 2012 Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
In the reading from the letter of St. James we are urged to be “doers” of the Gospel, not just listeners. Being a “steward” of God’s Word is a matter of listening to the Good News, embracing the Good News and putting the Good News into action in our day-to-day lives. And whenever we are uncertain as to what decisions to make or actions to take as good stewards of the Gospel, St. James reminds us: We can never go wrong if we resist popular values that are not compatible with the Gospel, and we come to the aid of those who are burdened, distressed and poor.

September 9, 2012 Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
St. James teaches that those who are poor in the eyes of society are the ones who have been chosen to inherit the Kingdom of God. Indeed, we are saved because of our poverty; we are redeemed out of our need; not because of our material wealth or achievements that the world finds praiseworthy. St. James also suggests that we are stewards of others, especially the poor; and it is how we respond to the poor and needy that will define our relationship with the Lord. How do we respond to the less fortunate right within our own parish?

September 16, 2012 Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
St. James asks what our love for Jesus Christ can possibly mean if it does not result in action on behalf of our neighbor. He suggests that that faith is demonstrated most acutely in care for the needy, the suffering, and the underprivileged. Stewardship includes proclaiming the Good News by putting our faith into action on behalf of others. In what ways have we been willing to make sacrifices and renunciations for the sake of Jesus Christ and our neighbor?

September 23, 2012 Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues to turn society’s idea of greatness upside down. He teaches that true greatness lies in being a servant to others; a good steward of our relationships. We want success, but Jesus defines success differently than we do. Jesus redefines our notion of greatness and success. How do we define success? Is our notion of success consistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ?

September 30, 2012 Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
St. James warns against accepting the standards of the world and assuming that what is normative in society needs no countercultural challenge. The temptation to hoard riches and make sharp bargains at the expense of the powerless is pervasive because these things are generally done and look respectable enough. St. James points to God’s judgment on these attitudes and actions of amassing wealth and comfort at the expense of others. How might we be better stewards of the material blessings we have been given? How might we use our wealth with compassion toward others?

Source: ICSC Newsletter 2012

An Ancient Psalmist Calls us to Gratitude

The Book of Psalms is Israel’s hymnbook. Historically, the psalms are so closely linked to King David that many believe some of them were written by him. They provide prayers for every aspect of the life of the Israelites, and today they reveal a spiritual wisdom that can draw the Christian steward into a deeper intimacy with God, especially through the fundamental notion of gratitude. Psalm 50 provides an insightful look at gratitude. The psalmist felt so strongly about the call to thankfulness to the Lord that he even chose to speak with the Lord’s voice, assuring the people that God did not need their burnt offerings: “I shall take no young bull out of your house nor male goats out of your folds. For every beast of the forest is Mine. The cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine.” No, God tells the people, everything is already God’s, so your cattle and birds and young bulls need not be offered to their Creator. So what does God want from us? The psalmist urges us to “offer to God a sacrifice of Thanksgiving.” Keeping in mind that all we have is from God, and remains God’s, Christian stewards awake each morning to say with humility, “Thank you.” The ancient psalmist’s words make sense to a modern Christian, because the God who gave us free will does not possess our thankfulness until we freely give it. And we’re asked for more than a perfunctory show of gratitude. The God who already possesses cattle on a thousand hills and every bird of the mountain is calling us to a deep sense of conversion, a sense that we stand before the God who has gifted us with everything we possess. Source: ICSC Newsletter

Stewardship Reflections

Today’s readings call our attention to a topic most of us would like to ignore, but none of us can avoid: death. The idea of spending any length of time contemplating death seems morbid. It is scary. And rightly so, for even the scriptures tell us that death is not of God. “God did not make death, nor does He rejoice in the destruction of the living. For He fashioned all things that they might have being …” (first reading). Yet, today’s readings highlight some of the wonderful aspects of the reality of death. While we recognize that God did not intend for us to die, nor does he delight in the death of any living thing, we are made aware of a remarkable reality — God brings good out of evil. In the case of death, he has brought unfathomable good out of something that entered the world by Satan’s actions: “But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world…” (first reading); “The child is not dead but asleep…” (Gospel). It is in that which we rejoice. It is upon that which we contemplate. God in His infinite goodness, through Christ’s death and resurrection, made death — something that was brought about by sin and destruction — into something that serves as a point of departure for our complete glorification. Death is the beginning of our life in eternity, perfectly united to the Trinity. He sanctified death in a glorious way. In the gospel today, we hear Christ encourage those mourning the death of the young girl. He assures them, “she is not dead. She is just asleep.” and while this gospel reading culminates in the miracle of the girl’s resurrection from the dead, “’Little girl I say to you, arise!’ The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around”; it speaks to us about the reality of death after Christ. It is not an end to life. We fall asleep as it were and awake refreshed in a life of glory. Contemplating the subject of death, and the way in which Christ’s death and resurrection has transformed the reality of our own, brings to light the purpose of our life here and now. We are made for God. We are made to live in perfect unity with Him. We will not experience such perfect unity until we reach the eternal kingdom, because we live in a fallen world wrought with sin, and sin is not of God. Yet, in many ways, we are able to experience unity with Him — imperfect though it may be – here and now. As we pray, we are united to the Lord. When we celebrate Mass together, and participate in all of the sacraments, we are mystically united to God in a very real very strong way. When we love and serve others in His name, we are united to Him. Through these and many other ways, we are closely bound to God here and now. He gives us strength and the grace we need to live a life of goodness, and He calls us to bear witness to the beauty of Christian living. Indeed, in contemplating death, we see so many ways in which God has blessed us. We recognize his infinite goodness and his unconditional self-giving love, and we marvel at the gift He has given us in life everlasting. Contemplating death ought not make us afraid. After all, Christ took the sting and the victory out of death (1 Cor. 15:55). He has won the victory, and He invites us to share it with Him in a life of eternal glory. It is now our responsibility to live our lives for Him here and now so that we show Him our undying gratitude for all He has done for us and so that we show others the beauty in this life we call Christian discipleship.

Springtime Stewardship

Everyone loves springtime. The official start of Spring is less than a week away, but the weather is already getting warmer and beautiful flowers are beginning to bloom all around us.

But anyone with a beautiful garden will attest to the fact that the flowers do not magically appear as if the change in season itself miraculously makes the flowers bloom. Beautiful flowers and lush gardens are the result of hard work by the gardener.

Imagine a man is given some flower seeds. The man then buries the seeds in the ground and leaves them on their own. As the months pass and rain falls, some seeds may receive enough nourishment to bloom. But simply burying seeds in the ground will hardly make for a gorgeous garden. Rather, if the man truly wants to enjoy many beautiful flowers, there is much care and work ahead. Recognizing the hidden beauty within these simple seeds, he must cultivate the ground, plant the seeds in a solid foundation and water and fertilize them throughout the year. Only then will he see the proper fruit these seeds were made to bear.

This simple illustration speaks to our hearts this season — not only as we look around at the flowers, but more importantly, as we reflect on the springtime of the Church. Soon we will celebrate the great feast of Easter when, through His death and Resurrection, Christ offers us the greatest gift of all — eternal life with Him forever. This celebration leads us to reflect on the many gifts God has given us in this life and the fruit they will bear, especially as we look to life eternal.

He has given each of us a multitude of gifts so that we can better serve Him and bring others to Him. Do we notice the hidden potential of our gifts? Do we see them, like the seed, as seemingly small, yet so full of fruit? Everything we have — our time, talents, and treasure — is a gift from the Lord. Do we accept gifts in gratitude, then put them to use by cultivating and nourishing them so they will bear the proper fruit?

Just like the springtime flowers we now enjoy, our time, talents, and treasure need to be cared for. Our gifts need to be cultivated and nourished. Only then will we see them for what they are — wonderful gifts given by God and meant for His greater glory.

Like the seeds, if we use our gifts flippantly, we may see some fruits here and there. But we are called to so much more. We are called to build a beautiful garden. We are called to offer God the most beautiful flowers of all.

This season, as we look at all the beautiful flowers around us and enjoy God’s creation, let us think about the seeds in our own lives. Ask yourself if you have accepted the gifts God has given you — your time, your talents, and your treasure — and cultivated and cared for them properly.

Or, do they just sit dormant within, you yearning to bloom?

Fr. Michael Troha, March 15, 2012
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