Hospitality and Parish Staff Parking are two things that don’t seem to be naturally tied. Unfortunately, though, in many parishes, they are indeed joined at the hip. During a recent visit I made to a parish (name and city are withheld), I had a good laugh after I pulled into the parking lot. As I […]
Fr. Dave Zimmer: What Would a School of Discipleship Look Like?
The experience of learning is a human activity that is a lifelong process. Whether we realize it or even acknowledge it, our opportunities to learn about life, acquire new knowledge or strengthen our faith are always right before us. While the potential to learn is constant, our “classrooms” keep changing. Where we experience “learning” is […]
Stewardship Reflections on Lectionary Readings – August 29, 2010
August 29, 2010 — Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time Sirach 3:17-18, 20, 28-29; Psalm 68; Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-24; Luke 14:1, 7-14 There is one theme running through the readings today, that of humility. Humility has been defined as seeing yourself as God sees you. It is knowing who you really are. Humility is accepting the […]
Stewardship Reflections on Lectionary Readings – August 22, 2010
August 22, 2010 — Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Isaiah 66:18-21; Psalm 117; Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13; Luke 13:22-30 You’ve had the experience, haven’t you, of coming into a room full of strangers, all of whom seem to already know each other? Most people feel dismay as they look around, trying to figure out where they […]
Fr. Michael Troha: The Meaning of Life
About a year ago, I was asked to lead a stewardship retreat at a parish in the Orlando, Fla., area. After arriving at the Orlando airport, I went to the rental car counter and got in line to get my car for the weekend. The agent quickly got me through the process of finding the […]
Msgr. Thomas McGread: Stewardship Prayer
Stewardship Prayer Lord, You alone are the source of every good gift, of the vast array of our universe, and the mystery of each human life. We praise You and we thank You for Your great power and your tender, faithful LOVE. Everything we are and everything we have is Your gift, and after having […]
Stewardship Reflections on Lectionary Readings – August 15, 2010
Aug. 15, 2010 – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Vigil Mass: 1 Samuel 15:3-4, 15-16; 16:1-2; Psalm 132; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57; Luke 11:27-28 Mass during the Day: Revelation 11:19; 12:1-6, 10; Psalm 45; 1 Corinthians 15:20-27; Luke 1:39-56 The Blessed Virgin Mary, our bishops tell us, is not only the model […]
Fr. Allan McDonald: A Pure Stewardship Mission
God created everything, that which is visible and invisible. Our Catholic Faith places an emphasis not only on the invisible realities of spirituality, but also on the visible and tangible realities of spirituality. For example, the sacraments of the Church are very “materialistic” in the positive sense. We use water, oil, bread, wine, incense, music, […]
Stewardship Reflections on Lectionary Readings – August 8, 2010
August 8, 2010 —Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Wisdom 18:6-9; Psalm 33; Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19 or 11:1-2, 8-12; Luke 12:32-48 or 12:35-40 Once again Jesus shocked his hearers, and he continues to shock us today: “Sell your belongings and give alms.” That sounds reckless and goes against all we have heard about financial planning. But […]
Deacon Don McArdle: Surveying Our Parish
As the leaders of a stewardship parish, we are charged to foster a community of disciples. It is not as though as the leaders we must simply direct our fellow parishioners as to what they ought to do. Rather, we are called to serve them, to help them grow in faith, and to help them […]
