February 12, 2014 WBAS Cat Prayers & Reflections, WBAS Topics Virtues & Values, REL Topic- Virtues/Values, REL Asset - Prayer Card
By: Kathy Hendricks
A few years ago, while serving on a parish staff, I was asked to speak at the weekend Masses on the theme of stewardship. Just as I was heading to the lectern, I heard someone mutter, “Here comes the wallet talk.” It was dismaying because, not only did it mean some people would tune out my brilliantly-crafted words, but they would also miss the opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of stewardship.
The experience awakened me to some issues around stewardship. Have we made it into a “wallet talk” instead of something much broader and more beautiful? If so, we have done a great disservice to both the concept and to the people who would benefit from it. In his short but profound booklet, Embracing a Generous Life, Bishop Robert Morneau describes stewardship in a nutshell: receive, nurture, share, return. I love this description. It makes the sharing of our resources - be they material goods, abilities, or presence - a means to contribute to something larger than ourselves. Stewardship is, at heart, about generosity and the grace that returns to us in abundance when we disburse what we have been so freely given. It’s about being a “cheerful giver”, one who knows that all is blessing from a benevolent and magnanimous God.
The day after my talk on stewardship, a woman came to the parish office and said she wanted to donate the altar in our new chapel in memory of her husband. She told me how stirred she was by the idea of donating something to benefit the entire community. The comfort and joy it brought her was obvious. In the intervening years, I have seen small children donate pennies to those without homes, teens tend gardens for elderly people, and adults serve in soup kitchens, on parish committees, and as catechists, sponsors, and mentors. In each case there is a receiving and a giving back that creates a lovely cycle of generosity and possibility. It’s so much more than simply opening up a wallet.
Bright Ideas
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Read more about stewardship and find ideas to share with your class or family.
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Download my Reflections of a Christian Steward, and use it in your parish or home.