Prologue:

    This is the seventeenth in a series of articles that will be appearing in the Sunday bulletin over the next several weeks. These articles are designed to help our parishioners understand what stewardship is all about and guide our parishioners in supporting our parish through prayer, service, and sharing.

    The following is from TO BE A CHRISTIAN STEWARD: SUMMARY OF THE U.S. BISHOPS’ PASTORAL LETTER ON STEWARDSHIP. This summary is found in the last chapter of Stewardship a Disciple’s Response, A Pastoral Letter on Stewardship. First published in 1993, the Pastoral Letter from the National Conference of Catholic Bishops addresses Stewardship in chapters entitled the Call, Jesus’ Way, Living as a Steward, Stewards of the Church, and The Christian Steward.

    TO BE A CHRISTIAN STEWARD: SUMMARY OF THE U.S. BISHOPS’ PASTORAL LETTER ON STEWARDSHIP

    "As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Pt 4:10)

    What identifies a steward? Safeguarding material and human resources and using them responsibly are one answer; so is generous giving of time, talent, and treasure. But being a Christian steward means more. As Christian stewards, we receive God’s gift gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others and return them with increase to the Lord.

• Chapter 15: Disciples as Stewards

• Chapter 16: Stewards of Creation

• Chapter 17: Stewards of Vocation

    Jesus calls us, as his disciples, to new way of life—the Christian way of life—of which stewardship is part.

    But Jesus does not call us as nameless people in a faceless crowd. He calls us individually, by name. Each of us—clergy, religious, lay person; married, single; adult child—has a personal vocation. God intends each one of us to play a unique role in carrying out the divine plan.

    The challenge, then, is to understand our role—our vocation—and to respond generously to this call from God. Christian vocation entails the practice of stewardship. In addition, Christ calls each of us to be stewards of our personal vocations, which we receive from God. (To be continued…)  [Top]