Imagine for just a moment that you are one of the first disciples. This is not an easy task. After all, we cannot truly fathom what it was like to live in Galilee 2,000 years ago as Jesus walked the earth. But let’s take a moment and put ourselves in the place of Simon, Andrew, […]
Stewardship Reflections on Lectionary Readings – July 4, 2010
July 4, 2010 – Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 66:10-14c; Psalm 66; Galatians 6:14-18; Luke 10:1-12,17-20 or Luke 10:1-9 The teaching Jesus gives in Luke 10 can provide a serious challenge to even the most vocal advocate of Christian stewardship. Jesus tells not just to believe that God loves us and provides what we […]
Fr. Dave Zimmer: Tithing Made a Difference in my Spiritual Life
Tithing hasn’t always been a part of my own practice of contributing to the Church or other charities. I donated when and what I could for a number of years, but I have to admit, how much I was willing to give was sporadic and inconsistent. To make the decision to commit 10 percent of […]
Fr. Michael Troha: “Re-Charging” Our Stewardship Commitments
“There’s no vacation from vocation.” That was the pithy saying, uttered by the spiritual director, that we took home with us for summer vacation from the high school seminary. Our diocese closed the high school seminary in the early 1970s as times changed and the numbers of high school seminarians decreased. The thought remains the […]
Stewardship Reflections on Lectionary Readings – June 27, 2010
June 27, 2010 – Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time 1 Kings 19:16b,19-21; Psalm 16; Galatians 5:1,13-18; Luke 9:51-62 Jesus’ preaching kindled a reaction from those who heard him. He summoned his hearers to follow him into the kingdom of God, and his call demanded an immediate and total response. Jesus’ strong and attractive personality caused […]
Msgr. Thomas McGread: Ten Mistakes to Avoid During Your Stewardship Renewal
When your parish conducts your annual stewardship renewal, it is important to do so in a proper manner. The renewal is a big part of your year, as it offers your entire parish a great opportunity to re-evaluate our lives and re-commit yourselves as Christ’s disciples. However, it is important to carefully conduct the renewal […]
Msgr. P. James Costigan: Hospitality — The Cornerstone of Stewardship
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a five-part series by Msgr. Jim Costigan on The Pillars of Parish Stewardship. The dictionary defines “hospitality” as: “the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.” From the standpoint of a Christian worldview, hospitality can be referred to as […]
Fr. Allan McDonald: Keep it Sacred, Keep it Holy
Does the image to the right offend you? It should! Catholics are noted for their good sense of humor as it concerns some of the cultural experiences we have in the Church, especially in our Catholic schools and elsewhere. A sense of humor will go a long way in helping us to live ulcer-free lives. […]
Deacon Don McArdle: Financial Transparency – One Hallmark of a Stewardship Parish
One of the hallmarks of a Stewardship Parish is having the parishioners take ownership of the parish and feel a sense of responsibility for all its activities, including its finances. In this regard it is important to promote openness in all financial dealings so that parishioners have a real sense of what is going on […]
Fr. Dave Zimmer: Planting the Seeds That Become the Roots of Stewardship
The understanding of stewardship is that everything we have is a gift from God, and responding to that gift with gratitude and a need to give something back in appreciation has become our natural response. We have used our time, talent and resources to establish our parish as one who models the stewardship way of life.
