As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving next week, I am reminded of the time one of my children said with great pride and perception: “Thanksgiving is a stewardship holiday.” I did not deflate her sense of awareness by saying anything to the contrary (a weakness of mine), but merely agreed with her.
Nevertheless, the words thanksgiving and stewardship and holiday began to run through my mind inter-connectedly, and I thought to myself not only do many people not recognize the strong connection between stewardship and gratitude, they may only practice stewardship at Thanksgiving and the Advent and Christmas season which follows.
In a sense, stewardship never takes a holiday. If we truly aspire to be good stewards it is something we should be living and pursuing constantly. The late Msgr. Thomas McGread stated more than once that “Every day is a challenge when it comes to stewardship.” His point was that we live in a world which does not lend itself to gratitude and giving. The faithful steward must undergo ongoing conversion, and make an effort each and every day to appreciate God’s gifts, nurture them, and share them willingly and generously.
