December 16, 2018 — Third Sunday of Advent

ZEP 3:14-18A; IS 12:2-6; PHIL 4:4-7; LK3:10-18

“Rejoice in the Lord always, I shall say it again: rejoice!”

We have arrived at Gaudete Sunday (Gaudete is the Latin word for “rejoice”) this Third Week of Advent, and the Scriptures take on a joyful tone as we continue our preparations for the feast of our Savior’s birth and ultimately for His Second Coming.

Our First Reading, from Zephaniah, certainly gives us cause to rejoice. “Fear not… be not discouraged! The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior.” Even more cause for joy, this Savior delights in us — “He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in His love, He will sing joyfully because of you.” How can we not be moved by a God who pursues us, who comes to us as Savior, and who actually sings for joy over us!

Our Second Reading gives still more cause for joy as St. Paul reminds us, “The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all.” Then he gives us a prescription for maintaining this peace: “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Paul’s instructions for obtaining peace come as an early Christmas gift. They remind us that we can and should go to God with all our needs and present them to Him along with our thanks. This guidance calls to mind aa vital aspect of a stewardship way of life: gratitude to God in response to His great love and countless gifts to us.

The Gospel passage, from Luke, shows us how to live out this thanks, making our lives a “Christmas gift” to Christ in joyful response to His love for us. When the crowds hear John the Baptist’s message that their Savior is coming, they ask him what they should do to prepare. He responds, “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do the same.” He tells tax collectors to stop collecting more than is prescribed and soldiers, to be satisfied with their wages. In other words, he tells them to be good and generous stewards of all God’s gifts to them!

As the great feast of Christmas draws near, let us rejoice in Christ’s extravagant love. Let’s avail ourselves of the peace He longs to give us. And let’s look carefully at our lives to make sure we are indeed making of them a gift fitting for Him. When we get this “gift” right, all the other gifts and to-do’s on our Christmas list will fall into their proper place.

December 9, 2018 — Second Sunday of Advent

BAR 5:1-9; PS 126: 1-6; PHIL 1: 4-6, 8-11; LK 3: 1-6

The readings for the Second Week of Advent offer both encouragement and challenge during this brief but important season of the liturgical year. Recall from last week that the purpose of this season is reflection on and preparation for the two “comings” of Christ — His coming as a baby on the great feast of Christmas, and the anticipation of His second coming at the end of time.

Our First Reading, from Baruch, is a wonderful reminder of that God has already triumphed over sin and death and that we, His faithful disciples, will live in the light of His glory one day. “Up, Jerusalem! Stand upon the heights; look to the east and see your children gathered from the east and the west at the word of the Holy One, rejoicing that they are remembered by God… For God has commanded that every loft mountain be made low…that Israel may advance secure in the glory of God… for God is leading Israel in joy by the light of his glory, with his mercy and justice for company.”

Until He comes again, we must remain faithful to Him as true disciples and good stewards of all the gifts He has given us. While it can be tempting to give in to the materialism and calls for self-indulgence that surround us, (ironically more than ever at this time of year), this reading calls us back to the spiritual reality that this life is passing and that we are made for eternal life with God. We are called to prepare for eternal life by the way that we use our time, our talents and our treasure now.

In the Second Reading, the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians, Paul gives us a pep talk as we make our stewardship journey, and we modern-day disciples can take heart in his words. He tells us, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Paul reminds us of two important realities that should greatly encourage us. First, that the stewardship way of life is very much a journey. We don’t have to have every aspect of our life perfectly nailed down; we are all “works in progress”’ called simply to take one step at a time closer to Christ. Second, it is God who started this good work in us — on the day of our Baptism — He cares deeply about this journey of ours and He will give us all the grace and strength we need to stay faithful to Him and continue growing in love and imitation of Christ.

The Gospel reading from Luke shows us how personal and detailed is God’s love for humanity as He prepared the way for Christ’s coming among us. We are told the precise time, place and person, John the Baptist, He appointed to announce the arrival of our Savior. Through John, we are told how to celebrate to the fullest this first “coming” on the feast of Christmas and how to prepare for the second coming — through repentance.

This Advent let’s turn away from any bad habits or sin that may have crept in to our lives and turn our hearts and minds back to Christ. This is what the stewardship way of life is all about —moving ever closer in relationship with Christ and imitation of Him, ready to celebrate His birth, with eyes fixed on eternal life with Him.

December 2, 2018 — First Sunday of Advent

JER 33: 14-16; PS 25:4-5,8-9,10,14; 1THES 3:12-4:2; LK 21:25-28, 34-36

We have arrived at the powerful season of Advent, a season to prepare with awe and gratitude for the Feast of the Incarnation of Jesus, born to us as Savior and Brother. A season to prepare for His return at the end of time. It is also a moment to remind ourselves that our individual judgment day is coming, too — the moment when we will be called to give an account for all the love God has shown us and the gifts He has given us during our lifetime.

An important document on stewardship published by the Diocese of Wichita titled The Pillars of Parish Stewardship says,“God reveals His perfect and infinite love for us most visibly in His son, Jesus Christ. A steward makes God’s love visible by imitating Jesus… Stewardship is the response of the disciple to God’s unconditional love for us. Stewards bask in the wonder and awe of God’s love” Or, in other words, Advent is a steward’s season!

Our readings for the first week of Advent waste no time in calling our urgent attention to these themes of reflection and preparation. They seem to shout, “Wake up! Get ready!” and offer us some practical advice to make the most of this Season.

The Gospel, from Luke, warns, “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life.” How easy it is to lose focus on our Lord either by too much indulgence in our lives or by too much worry about our lives. Both extremes are easy to fall prey to. To avoid these traps this we are told to “be vigilant” and “pray for strength to sustain us.” During Advent, we Christian stewards must ask ourselves some hard questions. Am I staying faithful to my prayer life? Am I using my energy and skills to serve others? Am I overly concerned about material gain? Am I relying my “stuff” or my investments as my source of comfort or security? Am I living for the moment or for the coming of the Lord?

Our Second Reading, from Thessalonians, offers us a beautiful Advent prayer as we move through this season of reflection and preparation. Let us make it our prayer for each other: “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all… so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.”

Get ready Christian stewards! He’s coming! Let us prepare with awe and wonder.

November 25, 2018 —The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

DN 7: 12-14; PS 93: 1-2, 5; REV 1: 5-8; JN 18: 33B-37

Today, our last Sunday of Ordinary Time for this liturgical year, we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. This feast was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925, at a time when the world was experiencing a rise of secularism, materialism and individualism and an increasing denial of Christ’s existence and authority. The hope was that the establishment of this feast would accomplish three goals — that nations would see that the Church has the right to freedom, that leaders and nations would see that they are required to give respect to Christ, the King of kings, and that the faithful would be strengthened and encouraged by the reminder that Christ must reign in our hearts, minds, wills and bodies.

Our First Reading, from, Daniel, predicts a time when Christ will indeed “receive dominion, glory and kingship” and “all peoples, nations, and languages will serve him in an everlasting dominion that will never be destroyed.” The Second Reading, from Revelation, describes Christ as ruler of the kings of the earth and describes the day when He will come “amid the clouds and every eye will see him.” In the Gospel we hear the words of Christ Himself. As He is questioned by Pilate, Christ declares, “My kingdom does not belong to this world” but that He “came into the world to testify to the truth.”

This feast is needed more than ever for all people and for us especially, as Christian stewards. It reminds us of three vital truths. First, even when it seems the world is spinning out of control, we need not fear because we have a King of kings who is very much in charge and who is loving, merciful and just. Second, if Christ is king of all, then He is also king of me, personally. I am not “lord” of my time, talents, and treasure. He is. I am a servant of the King and a steward of His gifts to me. Third, as His disciple, I am called to imitate my King. Christ’s kingship is characterized by humble service, by emptying Himself for the good of others, The Scriptures tell us He went about doing good and He says of Himself, “I came not to be served but to serve.” How can I live in any other way than as a humble servant like my King?

This week, on the verge of a new Church year and the holy season of Advent, is an ideal time to take stock of our priorities, to see if we really are allowing Christ to reign in all aspects of our daily lives; to ask if He comes first in our schedules, our budgets, the use of our skills and talents. It’s also a great moment to celebrate! We are not only servants of Christ the King, we are also His brothers and sisters. This should fill us with great joy. After celebrating the Holy Eucharist, take some time to celebrate at home, too. Bake a cake, take a walk, put on some music and dance with your kids. Christ is King!

November 18, 2018 —Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

DN 12:1-3; PS 16: 5, 8-11; HEB 10:11-14, 18; MK 13:24-32

We are approaching the start of the holiday season. Thanksgiving is less than a week away and if the advertisers are to be believed, the Christmas shopping season is already in full-swing. Today’s readings stand in stark contrast to all this worldly merry-making, warning us of dark times ahead and our inevitable judgment day. How should a modern-day disciple and steward respond to these seeming contradictions? Keep this question in mind as we take a look at the Word of God presented to us this week.

The First Reading, from Daniel, describes a time “unsurpassed in distress since nations began” and warns that “many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, and others shall be an everlasting horror and disgrace.”

The Second Reading, from Hebrews, speaks of Christ who “waits until his enemies are made his footstool.”

Even the Gospel Acclamation is ominous: “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.”

In the Gospel passage, from Mark, Jesus describes a time of tribulation after which “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”

Sobering messages indeed. It’s enough to make you lose your appetite for that second piece of pumpkin pie. But for a committed disciple of Christ, these messages are simply a healthy (and vivid!) reminder of why our first priority is God Himself.

For when we have firmly established for ourselves as individuals, as a family and as a parish that we will give to God the first and best portion of our Time, Talent, and Treasure, the warnings we read in the Scriptures today need not cause us alarm. In fact, we can receive them as an encouragement — to “Keep Calm and Steward On,” no matter what comes our way.

One of the blessings of a stewardship way of life is this: In challenging times, whether in our homes or workplaces, or even our beloved Church itself, we can take great comfort in knowing we have a concrete plan to keep our priorities in right order. And when we put God first in all aspects of our lives, we will experience the peace that He gives that surpasses all understanding.

November 11, 2018 — Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 KGS 17:10-16; PS 146:7-10; HEB 9:24-28; MK 12:38-44

Today’s First Reading from the First Book of Kings, as well as the Gospel passage from Mark, both center on the actions of two poor widows. The Gospel passage is often called the story of the “Widow’s Mite.” But taken together, perhaps a more fitting title of the stories of these two ladies would be, “The Mighty Widows.”

In our First Reading, the prophet Elijah encounters a widow during a terrible famine. She is preparing to make one last meal for herself and her son before their supply of food runs out. Elijah, acting as God’s messenger, tells her not to be afraid and asks her to give him something to eat before preparing a meal for herself and her son. In an extraordinary act of trust — and heroic hospitality — she agrees to Elijah’s request! Again speaking as God’s own messenger, Elijah assures her of God’s special provision for her, telling her that her “jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the Lord sends rain upon the earth.” Sure enough, the widow and her son were able to eat for a year, just as God promised.

In the Gospel, Jesus observes the crowd as they make their offerings to the synagogue treasury. He sees the wealthy people putting in large sums, while a poor widow contributes only two small coins. Seizing on this teachable moment, Jesus calls His disciples to Himself and tells them that according to Hiscalculations, it is the widow who has made the most pleasing offering. Unlike the rich, who gave a portion of their surplus, the widow gave all she had, “her whole livelihood.”

In the eyes of the world, particularly in Biblical times where there was no life insurance or Social Security, these widows were weak and dependent on others to take care of them. They each found themselves in desperate situations — one in the midst of famine with a child to care for, and the other clearly impoverished. Yet each demonstrated strength and generosity that distinguished them from those around them. From where did this strength come?

It came from knowing who they are, andWhosethey are. These women must have known that their security would not come from a good life insurance policy or connections to someone with a hidden storehouse of flour.

No, their security came from knowing they were daughters of the Most High God and from putting their faith in Him. They had no need to panic in the midst of natural disaster or cling desperately to their menial resources. Their faith in God set them free to trust Him when all seemed hopeless. Their faith kept them detached from material possessions. Their faith allowed them to be brave and generous, to think of others despite their own trials.

These women saw themselves as stewards, not owners, of the resources God gave them, regardless of how much or how little they had. And acting as stewards made them gracious, generous and mighty indeed.

November 4, 2018 — Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

DT 6:2-6; PS 18; 2-4, 47,51; HEB 7: 23-28; MK 12: 28B-34

Today’s Gospel reading brings us to the very essence of a stewardship way of life, as Jesus responds to a question posed to Him by one of the scribes: “Which is the first of all the commandments?” His answer is a beautiful and concise description of a Christian steward’s life: “The first [commandment] is this… You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Let’s consider these “greatest commandments” as they relate to three aspects of a Christian steward’s daily life — the use of our time, of our talents and of our material treasure.

The use of time in the context of stewardship refers primarily to our relationship with the Lord — in other words, our prayer life. Since time is a gift to me from God, I show my love for Him and my gratitude for this gift by giving Him the best portion of my time. My best time for prayer may be first thing in the morning before the noise and hectic pace of the day begin. It may be a few quiet moments at my desk during my lunch break. Or it could be in the evening with my spouse after the children have gone to bed. Of course, it is vital to talk to God throughout the day, but if I really want to love Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, shouldn’t I make time for God “first” on my agenda each day? Not as an afterthought, but as a time I have intentionally chosen to spend only with Him.

The use of talents in the context of stewardship refers to the way I offer the abilities, skills, and interests the Lord has given me for the good of those around me. While our loving Father gives us these things for our own enjoyment, He also intends for us to use them to help others. Doing so is a practical way to “love my neighbor as myself.” At the same time, it is also a way to love the Lord with all that I am and have since He has told us that whatever we do for others we are also doing for Him.

The use of material gifts in the context of stewardship likewise demonstrates both love of God and of neighbor. When I trustingly offer a sacrificial gift to God through the offertory collection, I am showing Him in a very tangible way that He comes before all else in my life. At the same time, my gift is also a gift to my neighbor and a way to show my love for others through needed material assistance for charitable works, religious formation of parish children and adults, and the many other ways that our parish family works together to worship and serve the Lord and our community.

When we live for God and others, we are living a stewardship way of life. And like the wise scribe in today’s Gospel, we are moving closer to the kingdom of God, our ultimate destination.