If you are as old as I am, you are aware of something called the Baltimore Catechism. It was used in the U.S. Church from 1885 to the 1960s. It was sometimes criticized for being merely a rote memory of questions and answers. However, some of those questions and answers are worth recalling today, especially […]
Ed Laughlin: Thanksgiving — A Stewardship Time
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 […]
Ed Laughlin: Stewardship — Saving and Storing
I was born and raised in very rural Illinois. There were only two Catholic churches in the county, one of which was a mission. If you were not a farmer, you probably provided some kind of service to farmers. Throughout the county there were grain bins, some owned by the government. I was learning to […]
Ed Laughlin: Stewardship — An Attitude of Gratitude
My wife, April, has used the phrase “Stewardship: An Attitude of Gratitude” so often that she thinks she coined it. While the originator will probably remain anonymous, the first time I heard this phrase was from Monsignor Joseph Champlin, a gifted and well-spoken priest from the Diocese of Syracuse, N.Y. As April and I recall, […]
Ed Laughlin: What Exactly is Stewardship?
Whether it is a family member, a member of my parish, or just someone who asks me what I do, and I invariably say “stewardship,” one question is often posed: “So, what exactly is stewardship?” Of course, books have been written; sermons have been given; conferences have been held; and prayers have been offered to […]
Ed Laughlin: Stewardship and the Road to Emmaus
People who practice stewardship may speak of their “stewardship journey,” which is the parallel of their “faith journey.” Like the disciples in the Gospels, in a sense, we are always on the road to Emmaus. For the disciples, in order to see and know Jesus, they had to be on the journey, and be part […]
Ed Laughlin: Stewardship, Lent, and First Fruits
In the first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy from this past Sunday, the first Sunday of Lent, Moses makes reference to the practice of giving of one’s first fruits to God in thanksgiving and reverence. Stewardship embraces that kind of giving. I grew up in farm country in northwestern Illinois. Many farmers would give […]
Ed Laughlin: Stewardship and Expectations
For us as Catholics and Christians, the Lord does not make it easy. He has high expectations of and for us. Stewardship is a way of life, which allows us to meet the Lord’s expectations of us. In their pastoral letter Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, the United States Bishops speak of stewardship and the expectations […]
Ed Laughlin: Eight Signs of a Stewardship Parish
People often ask, “What is a stewardship parish?” The answers to that question can be varied and subject to endless debate. The following represents eight key areas where parishes need to ask themselves how they are doing. Prayer: The authentic steward must be rooted in the sanctifying presence of Christ through prayer and sacraments that […]
Ed Laughlin: The Stewardship of Time
A steward is one who manages and administrates what has been entrusted to her or him by another. For us, we are stewards of what God has given us, which is everything. Therefore, stewardship is the careful and responsible management of all that God has entrusted to our care. The three traditional legs on the […]
