Prologue:

    This is the eighteenth 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

    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

• Chapter 18: Stewards of the Church

   Stewards of God’s gifts are not passive beneficiaries. We cooperate with God in our own redemption and in the redemption of others.

    We are also obligated to be stewards of the Church—collaborators and cooperators in continuing the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, which is the Church’s essential mission. The mission—proclaiming and teaching, serving and sanctifying—is our task. It is the personal responsibility of each one of us as the stewards of the Church.

All members of the Church have their own roles to play in carrying out its mission:

• parents, who nurture their children in the light of faith;
• parishioners, who work in concrete ways to make their parishes true communities of faith and vibrant sources of service to the larger community;
• all Catholics, who give generous support—time, money, prayers, and personal service according to their circumstances—to parish and diocesan programs and to the universal Church.

What role in the church has God given you? (To be continued…) [Top]