Permanently etched in my memory is a painting done by the famous Italian artist Caravaggio of the “Conversion of St. Paul.” It is one of Caravaggio’s greatest works, telling the story that changed the face of Christianity and the Catholic Church. I have read the account of Paul’s conversion many times in the New Testament […]
Eric McArdle: A Stewardship Prayer
We often get requests from parishes for short prayers to incorporate at the end of the Prayers of the Faithful, and we think this is a good practice. Listed below is an example of a stewardship prayer you could use as-is or adjust as you see fit for your own parish. Lord, hear our prayer […]
Stewardship Reflections on Lectionary Readings – Sept. 26, 2010
Sept. 26, 2010 —Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Amos 6:1, 4-7; Psalm 146; 1 Timothy 6:11-16; Luke 16:19-31 What kind of steward are you? The Gospel reading from Luke 16 really challenges us. Oh, we may try to get around it by maintaining that we aren’t stewards, that we’ve never committed ourselves to the practice […]
Stewardship Bulletin Reflection for the Week of Sept. 26, 2010
Luke 16:19-31 In Jesus’ Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, the Rich Man (“Dives”) suffers after death, while poor Lazarus has consolation. The parable indicates that Dives never harmed Lazarus, but he never did anything to help him either, although Lazarus would gladly have eaten Dives’ table scraps. Dives’ sin was that of omission, […]
Fr. Michael Troha: Redirecting the Questions
I find it interesting to note that in the Gospels, Jesus never gives a straight answer to a question posed to Him. Actually, He did give a straight answer once, when the rich young man asked Him which was the greatest commandment and then followed up with another question, “What more must I do to […]
Msgr. Thomas McGread: How We Use Our Time
When people are asked to log their time – say, at work – they often never get started because they’re waiting for a “normal week.” There have been, however, careful studies of how people in the U.S, actually use the 10,080 minutes that make up a week. Here are some of the findings:
Stewardship Reflections on Lectionary Readings – Sept. 19, 2010
Sept. 19, 2010 —Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Amos 8:4-7; Psalm 113; 1 Timothy 2:1-8; Luke 16:1-13 or 16:10-13 Summary. Jesus tells a parable about a man who mismanages his employer’s property and who alters the books so he’ll be supported after his firing. Jesus points out that worldly people are more successful at dishonest […]
Fr. Allan McDonald: Renewing Our Faith
Anne Rice, the famous author of horror novels, rediscovered her Catholic Faith a couple of years ago. Last month, she publicly renounced her Catholic Faith. She said she would not belong to any Church or religion and would no longer even be a Christian, although she would continue to be “spiritual” and believe in Christ. […]
Eric McArdle: The Ultimate Goal Of A Parish
At our most recent Msgr. McGread Stewardship Conference, Fr. Jim Golka — the pastor of St. Patrick’s Church in North Platte, Neb. — gave a wonderful presentation on how they have successfully developed stewardship at St. Patrick. Here, I would like to share with you my recollection of a small portion of Fr. Golka’s presentation, […]
Stewardship Reflections on Lectionary Readings – Sept. 12, 2010
Sept. 12, 2010 — Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14; Psalm 51; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-32 or 15:1-10 Summary: The parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates God’s loving and generous character. The father gave to the younger son, who wasted what he had received, but then forgave him and welcomed him home. […]
