Whether it is a family member, a member of my parish, or just someone who asks me what I do, and I invariably say “stewardship,” one question is often posed: “So, what exactly is stewardship?”
Of course, books have been written; sermons have been given; conferences have been held; and prayers have been offered to seek answers. Nevertheless, the idea of stewardship boils down to one simple fact — that is, everything we are and everything we have and everything we accomplish are achieved only through the grace of God. In other words, all comes from God and we are merely the caretakers, the stewards of all these gifts.
When we are called to lives of stewardship, it is quite simply God asking us what we are doing with the gifts we have been granted and given. At times we may become “somewhat full of ourselves,” and think it is ourselves who have succeeded, but if we meditate for even a short period of time on who and what we are, we must come to an understanding, assuming we are faithful Catholics, that it is God who has given us the abilities, the health, the strength, the courage, the intelligence, the support, and the time for us to realize anything.
Many times, we have referred to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ pastoral letter, Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response. On the first page of that letter is this statement: “Stewardship is an expression of discipleship, with the power to change how we understand and live out our lives. Disciples who practice stewardship recognize God as the origin of life, the giver of freedom, the source of all they have and are and will be.”
It really is that simple!
