October 21, 2018 — Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

IS 53:10-1; PS 33: 3-5, 18-19, 20, 22; HEB 4:14-16; MK 10:35-45 or MK 10: 42-45

Our readings today are wonderfully consoling and wildly challenging. If we take them to heart, they just might change our lives. For they should call us to profound gratitude for all that God has done for us and inspire us to live lives of thanksgiving and obedience in response to His overwhelming love and mercy.

The First Reading, from Isaiah, reminds us just how much our Father in Heaven loves us and wants us to be with Him in Heaven — so much that He was “pleased” to allow His Son to be “crushed in infirmity” for our sake and to give His very life as an offering for our sins. “Through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear.” What profound love this is that Jesus took on our sins, laying down His life to save us. How can I remain indifferent to such love?

The Second Reading, from the letter to the Hebrews, gives further insight into this deep love that our Father, through His son, Jesus Christ has shown us. Such love that Jesus took on flesh to experience all the weakness and frailty of life on this earth — all except for sin. Jesus endured all this so that we could feel close to Him, so that we would not hesitate to approach Him and embrace Him as our own Brother. “For we do not have a high priest who us unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.” Not only did He come to save us through His suffering, He came to stand with us in our own suffering, offering mercy and help whenever we call upon Him. How can I offer Him my thanks for such love?

In the Gospel Reading, from Mark, Jesus tells us in His own words how we can thank Him and how our lives can reflect greatness in His eyes — we can imitate Him. He tells us “whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Our God has ransomed our lives. In truth, this “ransom” means our lives are not our own but belong to God. We must do what He asks us to do with them. And He has told us clearly what to do — serve others in love as we have been served in love by Him.

This is why service for the Christian Steward is not an add-on to our already busy lives. It is our life.

Over the course of the next week, take these readings to heart. Reflect on the remarkable love God has shown for you. Then look carefully at your daily life. Is it an imitation of the servant-love of your Brother and Savior? What changes do you need to make, perhaps just in attitude, or perhaps to the trajectory of your life as a whole, to live in grateful service to the One who loves you so?

October 14, 2018 — Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

WIS 7:7-11; PS 90:12-17; HEB 4:12-13; MK 10:17-30 or MK 10:17-27

Part of the beauty of stewardship spirituality is its simplicity and practicality. It can be summed up in the brief phrase, “All I have is a gift from God and I must make a grateful return to Him for all He has given me.” In making this return, we consider three areas that cover the primary aspects of daily life — Time, Talent, and Treasure.

So simple that even our youngest parishioners can grasp the concept.

But simple does not necessarily mean easy. And simple does not mean shallow.

Today’s readings invite us to look into the truth of what a stewardship way of life is all about. These readings also reveal how this spirituality and way of life require the commitment of our whole being to God. It is anything but easy or shallow. But it is indeed the way to lasting intimacy with God and the path to eternal salvation. It points us to seek after higher things — the wisdom of God and Heaven itself.

Our First Reading speaks of the value of wisdom. “I prayed, and prudence was given me; I pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.” We are told that God’s wisdom is more precious than any earthly riches or power and that when we possess this gift of wisdom — of seeing things and life as God sees them — we possess “all good things” and “countless riches.”

Our Second Reading, from the Letter to the Hebrews, shows us a way to obtain such wisdom — it is available to us right in the Scriptures. “Indeed the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.”

The Scriptures are the living Word of God. Every time we approach them in a spirit of prayer, they will speak to us. A passage that we ponder one week can take on entirely new meaning for us in another week. It is God’s living message and it has the power to speak to each of us personally based on our needs at a given moment. It is so simple! God’s wisdom is right there for us. All we need to do is commit some daily Time to seeking it.

The Gospel Reading from Mark is one of the better known passages in the Gospel — the story of the rich young man who went away sad after rejecting Jesus’ wisdom on how to obtain eternal salvation. This passage reminds us that while a stewardship way of life may be simple to understand, it is not easy to live out. In response to the man’s question on what he must do to obtain salvation, Jesus tells him to keep the commandments. The man replies that he has always done this much. But he suspects (rightly) that there is more to being a disciple of Jesus than just following the external rules. Jesus lovingly confirms this, telling him, “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

We are called to be so much more than rule-followers; we are called to be Christ followers. A stewardship way of life asks us to look at three simple, practical areas — Time, Talent, and Treasure. But it asks us to commit to them from the depths of our being. Only then can we truly be free to follow Christ. Only then do we obtain the countless riches of God’s wisdom and a path to eternal life.

October 7, 2018 —Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

GN 2: 18-24; PS 128: 1-6; HEB 2: 9-11; MK 10:2-12 or MK 10: 2-16

Today’s readings give us a wonderful refresher on the Biblical origins of the Sacrament of Marriage, going all the way back to the second chapter of Genesis in our First Reading. Adam’s delighted reaction to Eve, his bride, is ancient praise of this beautiful sacrament. ”This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called ‘woman,’ for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.” The passage goes on, “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.”

In our Gospel Reading, taken from St. Mark, we see the Pharisees questioning Jesus about the meaning and permanency of marriage. Jesus responds by going back to the origins we just recalled, reminding them, “From the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, no human being must separate.”

Today, perhaps more than at any other time in Christianity, marriage and family life are under attack. It is vital that we have a proper understanding of the Church’s beautiful and solid teachings in these areas, which as we see in today’s readings, go back to Genesis itself. We call this type of knowledge, “Formation” and it is one of the pillars of a stewardship way of life. A good formation in the faith not only strengthens us in our own walk with the Lord, it allows us to pass on this knowledge to others who are thirsting to know the truth about the human person, and arms us to defend our beliefs when necessary.

These readings also invite us to reflect on the reality that we are to be good stewards of the vocation that the Lord has entrusted to us. If I am married, do I recognize that my spouse and my marriage are a gift from God that must be nourished, developed and tended? This brings to mind the stewardship aspect of “Time.” After time spent with God, my next priority of time should be for my spouse. Do I realize that at the end of my life I will have to give an account to God for how I cared for the gift of my spouse and marriage? Do I make the time to pray regularly for and with my spouse? Do I understand that my marriage and family are meant to reflect the love of the Trinity itself? What a dignified calling this us! The gift of my marriage and family are meant not just for myspouse and my kids. My marriage and family are meant to be a blessing to all those I come into contact with.

This week, look around at all those married couples in the parish, particularly those married for many decades. These couples are a gift to the entire parish and should be commended for their faithfulness to each other and to their sacramental vows. They have much wisdom to offer. Reach out to them. Ask them to share their best piece of advice, whatever your particular vocation. Pick up the Catechism of the Catholic Churchand read what the Church has to say about marriage and family life. Our brothers and sisters need the strength of our formation and witness to be a light to them in a darkened world.

September 30, 2018 —Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

NM 11: 25-29; PS 19: 8, 10, 12-14; JAS 5:1-6; MK 9:38-43,45,47-48

Sometimes stewardship messages are sprinkled subtly within the Sunday readings; other times they hit us like a Mack truck. This week’s readings contain a bit of both.

The “Mack truck” message is contained in the second reading, once again from the letter of St. James. He gives a chilling description of the outcome of a life based on materialism and pleasure-seeking. “Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire.” St. James is not condemning people for having wealth. His harsh words are for those who acquire wealth and luxuries as if these things are the ultimate purpose in life. He makes it vividly clear what will happen to the material possessions and the owners of these possessions at the end of their lives.

When we hold onto possessions too tightly, they come to possess us. The “stuff” can easily become the focus of our energy and attention. Attachment to material things slowly and steadily corrupts.

In the Gospel today, Jesus is anything but subtle about the need to detach from everything that keeps us from loving Him. “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off… If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off… And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.”

The urgency of our need to detach from all that is not God, is clear. The spiritual discipline of tithing can help us with this. Tithing leads us to let go of unhealthy attachment to material things and leads us to attach instead to God, relying on Him as our true source of security. We come to understand that all that we have is a gift from our loving Father and we use it to bless others and glorify HIm. What wonderful freedom there is in living this way! Amazingly, we actually enjoy material gifts, and all other gifts, moreas a result because we realize where they really came from are using them as God intended.

Also, in today’s Gospel Jesus warns, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck.” Whether we are aware of it or not, we are always serving as a witness of our Catholic faith and an example of Catholic living in modern society. We have a serious obligation to examine our lives to see if the example we give in the use our gifts leads others to Christ… or away from Him.

Lastly, in the Gospel, the disciples of Jesus complain that “outsiders” are preaching the Good News and Jesus essentially responds, “Good for them!” Again we must examine our lives. Do we in this parish have an attitude of openness to others? Do we welcome all, even those who are not the “insiders” here, to join us in sharing the Good News of the Gospel?

What powerful challenges we have before us this week. Let’s pray for each other as we set out to embrace them.

September 23, 2018 —Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

WIS 2:12, 17-26; PS543-6 and 8; JAS 3:16-4:3; MK 9:30-37

This week’s readings shed further light on the contrast between the worldly wisdom that Jesus rebuked in Peter last week, and the wisdom of God, modeled perfectly for us by Christ. They teach us that living as Christian stewards requires us to swim against the tide of our me-first culture and stake out a path for our lives that may be quite different from of that of our neighbors, friends or co-workers.

Our first reading comes from the Book of Wisdom, written about 50 years before the coming of Christ. It predicts the reaction some would have to our Savior’s life, saying that many would find His goodness and teachings “obnoxious” — particularly when He calls them out for their own violations of God’s ways. If we, as Christian stewards, are called to follow in the footsteps of our Savior, then we can expect this same type of reaction at times. Like Jesus, we are to respond with patience.

The second reading, once again from the letter of St. James, also details the contrast between human nature versus “wisdom from above.” When we give in to our natural inclinations to jealousy and selfish ambition, we can expect the negative consequences they bring — “disorder and every foul practice.” On a global scale we can expect (and indeed see) wars erupting due to selfishness and untamed greed.

In contrast, when we seek to live as Christ lived and think as He thinks, our minds and hearts will be pure. Our lives will become “peaceable, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruit.” What an inspiring way of life. Certainly worth the risk of being labeled “obnoxious” by some from time to time.

So how do we fight our tendency toward egotism and selfishness? How can we live not as the world advises but in the wisdom from above? What can we do to lead a Christ-like life?

Jesus shows us one way in today’s Gospel. “Taking a child, He placed it in their midst, and putting His arms around it, He said to them, ‘Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me.’”

In this context Christ is speaking not only of youngsters, but all “little ones,” those who are vulnerable or needy in any way — through poverty, physical or mental illness, advanced age, difficult family situations — the brothers and sisters St. Teresa of Calcutta would call “Jesus in distressing disguise.”

They are all around us if we open our eyes. Like Jesus, we can put our arms around the little ones in our community and channel some of our energy, ambition and talent towards them.

Giving the best of ourselves to these brothers and sisters may be a little messy at times. It may put us in situations that are far outside our comfort zones. Maybe our colleagues and neighbors will not understand our actions. We may even seem obnoxious to some folks. But in reaching out to little ones in Jesus’ name, it is Jesus Himself we are touching. And that is a most privileged way of life.

This week ask the Lord for the wisdom from above to notice the little ones in your neighborhood, community, or this parish and to show you concretely how you can reach out to them. Take at least one step. You will be stepping closer to Jesus Christ Himself.

September 16, 2018 — Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

IS 50:5-9A; PS 116:1-9; JAS 2:14-18; MK 8:27-35

Sometimes, the Sunday readings bring peace and consolation. Other times, they come as a swift kick in the pants. Today’s readings definitely fall in the latter category.

In the Gospel from St. Mark, Jesus begins to instruct the Apostles in what was ahead for Him – and for them if they wished to follow Him. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”

Peter’s immediate reaction to Jesus’s words probably resonate with many, if not all of us, when we are faced with the prospect of self-denial. He pulls Jesus aside to try to talk him out of this craziness. In Peter’s worldly way of thinking, Jesus should not have to suffer (and for that matter, neither should Peter!).

But rather than agreeing with him or trying to soften His words, Jesus seems to double down on His message, rebuking Peter with this strong language: “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” It seems Jesus meant exactly what He said earlier. What’s more, He was inviting Peter, and all of us, to join him in this way of life that is costly and self-sacrificing.

Why? Isn’t Jesus all about love? Of course He is. He islove. And Jesus shows us by His example that real love requires toughness as much as tenderness. Real faith in Him is displayed through actions, not words.

The second reading, from the letter of St. James, helps us to know that our faith and our love are real and not mere words. “If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it: So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

This passage makes it clear that faith and love are not alive in us until they are demonstrated through works. “Works” of any kind will involve some self-denial. Getting up early to serve at the soup kitchen on my day off requires sacrifice. Helping out in the CCD program when I could be catching up on work emails costs me. Praying in front of the abortion clinic may get me jeered at by passers-by. Making a sacrificial gift each week to the offertory means I have to give up some dinners out or the newest tech product.

But when I do these costly works and embrace the self-denial they require, I have the joy of knowing my faith and love are real. I attain the peace of soul that only comes from imitating Jesus’ way of life. By laying down my life for Him, I gain a life that is really worth living.

September 9, 2018 —Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

IS 35:4-7A; PS 146:6-10; JAS 2:1-5; MK 7:31-37

This Sunday’s readings once again illustrate the timeless message of stewardship interwoven throughout the Word of God. Today’s readings offer beautiful illustrations of two of the “Four Pillars of Parish Stewardship” — hospitality and service — and the joy that a life lived for others can bring.

The first reading from Isaiah starts off with a powerful message of hope meant to be shared. “Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared.” What a message of encouragement and consolation the prophet is instructed to give!

By virtue of our Baptism, we modern-day prophets are entrusted with this same message. We, too, are called to share the good news of salvation with others, starting in our own families and circle of friends and extending to all in our parish and community. Sharing this Good News is the true goal of hospitality.

In our second reading, from the letter of St. James, we see that all are equally worthy of our hospitality. “If a man with gold rings and fine clothes comes into your assembly, and a poor person in shabby clothes also comes in, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Sit here, please,’ while you say to the poor one, ‘Stand there,’ or ‘Sit at my feet,’…have you not become judges with evil designs?”

Clearly, we are to welcome and serve everyone who walks through our church’s doors, extending warmth and a dignified greeting to all. The person who wanders in late to Mass, who is not dressed to our personal standards, may be just the person who is most in need of the message of hope we read of in Isaiah this week. Sometimes we can offer that message simply with a smile and offer to come and sit next to us in “our” pew.

The Gospel reading from Mark gives further illustration of hospitality and service, and the connection between the two. In this passage we find Jesus on the go, and “people brought to Him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged Him to lay His hand on him.”

These people had already heard the Good News that Jesus was preaching. In response, they reached out to a man who literally could not hear and brought him close to Jesus so that he could receive the Good News, too. This is true service. This is hospitality at its finest.

Jesus responds immediately to this act of service and hospitality, opening the deaf man’s ears and removing his speech impediment! And what about the people whose service and hospitality had made this encounter possible? Jesus blessed them for it, confirming their faith to such a degree that they were “exceedingly astonished” and could not stop themselves from proclaiming the miracle they had witnessed.

This scripture passage illustrates a wonderful aspect of stewardship living – we simply cannot outdo our God in generosity. The more we give of ourselves to welcome and serve others for His sake, the more He blesses and strengthens our own faith. This week let’s challenge ourselves to step out of our comfort zone to reach out to someone who needs to hear the Good News of Jesus. We may just find ourselves astonished at what miracles He accomplishes!

September 2, 2018 —Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

DT 4:1-2, 6-8; PS 15:2-5; JAS 1:17-18,21B-22,27; MK 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

In today’s Gospel from Mark, Jesus instructs us in the best way we can honor Him, teaching us the meaning of true worship. Jesus reveals that the way we truly worship Him is by giving Him our hearts. The heart is the deepest part of us, the very core of our being. He wants our heart connected to His heart. He wants a strong, real, and intimate relationship with us.

Stewardship is all about giving our hearts over to the Lord, giving Him first priority so that we can have this profound relationship with Him — a relationship that affects every area of our lives.

We also learn in this Gospel passage what our Lord does not want – the pious lip service that the scribes and Pharisees offer. In fact, recalling the words of the prophet Isaiah, Jesus laments, “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me.” The scribes and Pharisees were observing the religious rituals of their day and time, but they were simply going through the motions. They were not allowing God to change them and so their worship was in vain. Our Lord is not looking for the number of prayers we can rattle off or our great knowledge of Church teaching.

The second reading, from St. James, reinforces Jesus’ teaching on true worship. St. James tells us to “be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.” In other words, talk is cheap, and actions speak louder than words. It is not enough to show up at Mass on Sunday as a passive observer. That is vain worship; it is not giving our hearts over to God.

St. James then gives two examples of worship that is pleasing to God. “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” Reaching out to the most vulnerable members of society, maintaining a moral lifestyle in our increasingly immoral world, this is true worship.

But how can we determine if we really are giving our hearts over to the Lord and not just paying Him lip service? We must commit to the Lord day by day and not just for an hour on Sunday, important as our Sunday Mass commitment is. We must examine our lives to see if they reflect a life lived out for Him.

Stewardship gives us a concrete means to examine our lives in three fundamental areas — the use of our time, our talents, and our material gifts. A stewardship way of life invites and challenges us to make specific commitments in each of these areas on a regular basis, giving us a practical means to commit to the Lord. How well we are keeping these commitments can give us a kind of measuring stick to see if we are growing closer to Him, or perhaps need to put a little more effort into a particular area of our lives.

When we all strive to give God true worship — putting Him first with all our hearts — what beauty we will find in our homes, our parish, and our world.

August 26, 2018 —Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jos 24:1-2a; Ps 34; Eph 5:21-32; Jn 6:60-69

There are so many stewardship themes in our readings today, but they boil down to this: they challenge us to choose whom we will serve. Will we choose God and others, or ourselves? In the first reading, Joshua poses the challenge this way, “If it does not please you to serve the Lord, decide today whom you will serve.” As a leader he sets an example declaring, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” And the people, recalling God’s many blessings to them and his great faithfulness time and time again, join Joshua in his choice, pledging “We also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

St. Paul issues a similar challenge in the second reading saying, “Brothers and sisters: Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ.” He places this challenge in the context of married life. Husbands and wives are asked to decide whether they will choose to serve themselves or their spouse, and by extension, their families. But the challenge extends to all relationships — friendships, employers and employees, fellow parishioners, even the people hurrying to the checkout line at the store. In choosing to serve others before self, we are ultimately choosing to put God first in our lives. That is stewardship.

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus continues His instruction on the Eucharist. Many of his own disciples cannot accept His teachings and instead return to their former way of life, abandoning Christ altogether. Jesus turns to the Apostles and asks them to choose with the question, “Do you also want to leave?” Peter speaks up for the Twelve responding, “Master, to Whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

The demands of a stewardship way of life can be difficult. And the teachings of Christ can be hard to accept. How can we keep going when it gets tough? The people’s response to Joshua’s challenge in the first reading, and Peter’s response to our Lord in the Gospel show us two ways.

When Joshua asks the people to decide whom they will serve they pause and call to mind all the blessings the Lord has given them and His unfailing faithfulness. Filled with gratitude to God, they choose Him. When the going gets tough for us, we too, can pause and remember the many blessings God has given and the many times He has shown His care for us. In gratitude, we are inspired to put Him and others first even when it is difficult.

Peter’s honest response to the choice Jesus poses shows us a second way to stay true to a stewardship way of life. Looking at himself and the world around him, Peter comes to a realization. To paraphrase, he says, “I don’t really see any better options, Lord. I’ve tried life with you and it’s hard. But I’ve tried life without You and it’s harder — it doesn’t satisfy. Where else am I going to go? I choose You, Lord.” Peter knows he doesn’t have all the answers. And so, he humbly chooses to rely on God. When the going gets tough, we can keep going by relying on God and trusting more deeply in Him.

Remembering blessings and relying on Him — two keys to help us choose whom we will serve. Two keys to a beautiful way of life.

August 19, 2018 —Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Prov 9:1-619; Ps 34; Eph 5:15-20; Jn 6:51-58

Jesus said to the crowd, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.” Their response? Shock and indignation. We can hardly blame them for this reaction — eating the Flesh and drinking the Blood of our Lord should cause us a bit of a shock. Yet, how easy it is for us modern-day Catholics to show up at Mass Sunday after Sunday, receiving the Eucharist as simply part of a weekly routine.

If we really spent time praying and contemplating the gift our Lord is offering us in this sacrament, we would be awestruck at the love and power in this gift. Through it, our Lord is giving us the very best He has to give — Himself. In his gift of the Eucharist, He has held back nothing, giving us literally everything he has to give, His very Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Not even the greatest theological scholar or the holiest of saints can fully understand this mystery.

Thankfully, the first reading comes as a wonderful consolation to us “ordinary folks.” It says, “’Let whoever is simple turn in here; to the one who lacks understanding… come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed! Forsake foolishness that you may live; advance in the way of understanding.”

St. Paul delivers a similar message in our second reading, instructing, “Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity because the days are evil.” So, we don’t need to be saints or scholars in order to receive this sublime gift. But we should do our best to receive the Eucharist with gratitude. And we can look to today’s readings to glean two fundamental principles to become better Christian stewards.

First, the Eucharist is the foundation for a stewardship way of life. Through His gift of the Eucharist, God fills us with His love and strength. This love and strength empower us to live as generous stewards — to be faithful to the ministries in which we serve, to step beyond our comfort zone in material giving, and to offer our very best to our families and secular work.

Second, the Eucharist is our ultimate inspiration for a stewardship way of life. When we really think about what we receive in this gift — God Himself — we will want to make a joyful return to Him by the way we live our lives! The more that we deepen our understanding of this sacrament through study of the Church’s teachings on the Eucharist, the more we will want to live our lives as grateful, generous and joy-filled stewards.

As the book of Proverbs and the great St. Paul remind us, let us not live foolishly, but make the most of our time — during Mass and adoration — by giving the Lord all our attention and devotion in these moments. Let us form ourselves by studying what the Catechismand spiritual writers have to teach us about the Eucharist. Then, coming to Mass each week will be anything but routine.

And in return for this unfathomable gift of our Lord Himself, let us live intentionally and passionately as His disciples every day of our lives.

August 12, 2018 — Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

1 Kgs 19:4-8; Ps 34:2-9; Eph 4:30-5:2; Jn 6: 41-51

Elijah spent a long, hot day traipsing through the desert until he finally came to a sad little broom tree. Sliding dejectedly beneath it, he prayed for death, crying out. “This is enough, O Lord! Take my life.” Talk about a bad day! Haven’t we all been through this at some point in our stewardship journey — whether in the parish ministry work we are trying to do, at home with our family or in our profession? Maybe you’re there right now. You’ve have been dragging yourself through the “desert” all day and have nothing to show for it but frustration and misunderstanding; you have nothing left to give and you are just done — enough already, Lord!

It’s a cry we all make at one point or another, whether out loud or silently. Elijah certainly doesn’t hold back in his complaint to God — he asks the Lord to end his life entirely! He’s being a just a wee bit dramatic, wouldn’t you agree? Yet this plea — melodramatic to be sure — is a form of the stewardship pillar of prayer, for prayer at its core is simply a lifting of the mind and heart to God.

And how does the Lord respond to Elijah? With a stern lecture? With a guilt trip to just pull himself up by the sandal straps and keep going?

No, he responds with help and comfort that is both tender and practical — He sends an angel to give Elijah food and drink and lets him extend his nap a little longer. When Elijah’s strength is fully restored, God sets him right back on his journey. Rejuvenated, Elijah is able to walk for 40 days until he arrives at the destination God had in mind for him all along!

We see just the opposite happening in the Gospel reading. The people, hearing Jesus’ message, do not understand. But rather than take their complaint to Him, they begin to complain amongst themselves about Him — that’s murmuring.

What can we learn from these reactions as modern-day disciples and Christian stewards? Several things. First, feeling worn out and worn down from time to time is actually part of the stewardship journey. It means we are giving our all to the life God is calling us to live. But it is also a sign to us that we need to find some rest and restoration, so that we can gain new and needed strength to keep going.

Second, we learn that “murmuring” is counterproductive. It only leads to more discouragement, weariness and discontent. Rather than complain about God, (or our ministry, our relationships, our work) we should take our complaints to God in prayer. We should ask Him for the rest and strength we need to keep going on the journey of faith. He delights in our reliance on Him. He will send an “angel” in some form or other to give you what you need physically for your own unique stewardship journey.

Even more, as we see in today’s Gospel, He will send you His own Son, the Bread from Heaven, to strengthen you spiritually with His very Body and Blood and the living Word of the Scriptures. A stewardship way of life takes all the strength we have to give. The beauty of this way of life is that we have a God who delights in giving us every bit of strength we need to live it!

Copyright © 2018 — Catholic Stewardship Consultants, Inc.

August 5, 2018 — Eighteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

EX 16: 2-4, 12-15; PS 78: 3-4, 23-25, 54; EPH 4: 17, 20-24; JN 6: 24-35

Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem was foretold more than once in the Old Testament. In fact, the town of Bethlehem is mentioned more than 40 times in the Old Testament. The prophet Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah, and perhaps you are familiar with how often Isaiah referred to the Messiah to come. Micah states in Chapter 5 of the Book of Micah, “But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathaha, least among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old.” He refers to it as Bethlehem-Ephrathaha to distinguish it because there was more than one Bethlehem.

`However, King David was born in Bethlehem-Ephrathaha, as was Joseph. Bethlehem in Hebrew (Bet Lehem) means “House of Bread.” This reference to bread is one that occurs throughout Holy Scripture. We are all aware of that part of the Our Father,“Give us this day our daily bread,” but there is and was more to it than that, and is much more than providing us with enough to eat. St. Paul wrote in First Corinthians “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” — namely, Jesus Christ.

Bread is important in today’s readings. The final verse of the First Reading from the Book of Exodus is, “This is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.” This reading speaks of the Bread from Heaven (manna) that fell to save the Israelites as they wandered in the desert. God provided for them, but they did not recognize what was being provided. We are provided the “Bread of Life” through the Eucharist and through our holy liturgies. Sometimes, though, we do not recognize it as we should.

In truth, we need to be changed every time we receive of the “Bread of Life.” This idea of change, conversion, is emphasized by St. Paul in the Second Reading from his letter to the Ephesians. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians lays out in many ways the spiritual journey on which we should travel. Paul is telling us we as Catholics and Christians need to walk — to live — in a different way than the world around us.

We tend to display to the world that we really are not that different at all. To have as our goal the respect and approval of the world around us is misguided. Recall from the First Reading that God met the needs of the Israelites but He did not do it in a way they expected. As Christians we must be prepared to break with the past. We do not just add the Lord to our old life. He needs to become our “new life.” That is what the Bread of Life discourse is all about. It renews us; it invigorates us; it strengthens us every time we receive it. It is not easy to see it that way or to feel that when we approach the Holy Eucharist, but that is very much what it is intended for. As Paul tells us in this reading from Ephesians, we need to “put away the old self of your (our) former life, and be renewed in the spirit of your (our) minds, and put on the new self.” It is this “new self” that recognizes the important role each of us plays as part of the Body of Christ.

The Gospel Reading from John tells of Jesus revealing that He is the Bread of Life. In terms of chronology, this happens shortly after Jesus fed the multitude. We note that the “feeding of the 5,000” occurred near Bethsaida (also worth noting that Bet (Beth) again means “house of” and “saida” means “fish.” What a coincidence! Jesus has just fed the multitude using a few loaves of bread and some fish, and Bethsaida is recorded as being the hometown of Sts. Andrew, Peter, James, John, and Philip, some of whom were fishermen. Bethsaida lies at the northern end of the Sea of Galilee, and not too far west of that is Capernaum, where our Gospel is set.

Many of the same people who were “fed” at the miracle of feeding the multitude sought Jesus out. They were still hungry, but not for food as we know it, but for the Word of God — and Jesus knows that. The Lord says, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life.” In other words, for the “Bread of Life.”

When Jesus calls Himself the “Bread of Life,” He is indicating that He wants us to lift our minds, thoughts and hearts from earthly existence and to spiritual realities. Each of us needs to put our confidence in the Lord — not in material things. If we accept the Lord and believe and trust in Him, we, too, can satisfy our spiritual hunger.

Copyright © 2018 — Catholic Stewardship Consultants, Inc.

July 29, 2018 — Seventeenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

2 KGS 4: 42-44 PS 145: 10-11, 15-18; EPH 4: 1-6; JN 6: 1-15

St. John Chrysostom was particularly known for his preaching skills and his ability to communicate. In fact the name “Chrysostom” means “golden-mouthed” In defining Christ-like humility, he said, “It is having the power to take revenge, but never doing that. It is characteristic of a generous, forgiving heart.”

Although our readings on this 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time do not directly address the idea of humility, that is an underlying theme in all of them.

In a miracle that anticipated Jesus’ miracle of feeding the multitude, as reported in today’s Gospel, Elisha commanded that a small amount of bread be served to 100 men. Elisha’s request is met with doubt and unbelief, but Elisha reminds them, “For thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and there shall be some left over’.” And indeed there was. God promises not only to provide, but to provide beyond the immediate need.

Elisha trusted that promise, acted upon it, and saw the promise miraculously fulfilled. We, like most people, tend to forget that God can multiply food like this. God is not dependent on how this happens, but He does touch our hearts, convert us to giving and sharing people, in ways that accomplish miracles like this. If we trust in God and live as good stewards, what we accomplish is, in its own way, a miracle.

St. Paul could not state more succinctly what our approach to living as Catholics and Christians should be. In the Second Reading from his letter to the Ephesians, Paul urges us to live “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit.” Does that describe our parish community?

We might like to think it does, but that cannot happen unless we have the same kind of trust that Elisha had, and which St. Paul had, as well. Paul also says in the Second Reading from his Letter to the Ephesians, “I urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received.” To truly understand this call to be “worthy,” we need to understand all that God has done for us, individually and as a community. It would seem natural that if we understand what God has provided us, we will naturally want to serve and obey out of gratitude.

That sounds a lot like stewardship in action, doesn’t it? We do not do what we do necessarily because we want God to love us; we need to realize that He already loves us. Each of us in his or her own way might be considered God’s first-born. Being a child of God is almost more important than anything else, and that is why we love one another, and why we serve on another, and why we recognize that miracles occur in our lives every day.

We might not know a great deal about the Apostle, St. Philip, but he certainly is listed as an Apostle by all four Gospel writers. However, he figures most prominently in the Gospel of John, from which our Gospel Reading for today comes. The main focus of today’s Gospel is Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5,000, but Philip plays an important role in what we are being taught.

The Lord speaks specifically to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food to eat?” It is essential to note nonetheless that the Gospel tells us, “He said this to test him, because he himself (Jesus) knew what he was going to do.” Philip answers quite frankly, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” This is the same doubt experienced by Elisha in the First Reading, and the same doubt many of us face when it comes to putting total trust in the Lord.

Jesus knew full well what miracle He was about to perform, but He also saw this as a chance to teach His Apostles, and us, too. Philip and the others had already seen Jesus perform many miracles, and there should have been no question in his mind about the divine resources Jesus had at His disposal. Yet Philip hesitated. It is human nature to hesitate, to perhaps doubt, when it comes to believing and trusting. Yet, as with Elisha, they ate and there was much left over.

Even the Lord’s closest followers could not really believe. But through this miracle, Jesus is teaching us to trust Him and to do the same in our lives. And, by committing ourselves to a stewardship way of life, we can see our own gifts multiplied. And perhaps even perform our own modern-day miracles.

Copyright © 2018 — Catholic Stewardship Consultants, Inc.

July 22, 2018 — Sixteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

JER 23: 1-6; PS 23: 1-6; EPH 2: 13-18; MK 6: 30-34

“The Lord is my shepherd. There is nothing I shall want.” We are familiar with that scriptural quote from Psalm 23. Many of us have learned that and heard it since we were small. Many learned people maintain that it is the most quoted Psalm in the Bible. It is the recommended Responsorial Psalm on this 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time because it is so supportive of the other readings. It presents two important ideas: that we must place our trust in the Lord and that we inherit life from our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

The First Reading is from the Old Testament Book of Jeremiah. Of all the books in the Bible Jeremiah is the longest Book in the Bible with more than 33,000 words. It is followed by Genesis; the longest book in the New Testament is Luke with more than 19,000 words.

Jeremiah was familiar with the writings of Isaiah although Isaiah lived about 200 years before he lived. Only once did Isaiah refer to the coming Messiah as a shepherd (Isaiah 40:11): “He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast.” We can certainly recognize the many images we have of Christ the Good Shepherd in that verse.

However, Jeremiah uses that point of reference more often, especially in today’s First Reading. Jeremiah writes, speaking in behalf of the Messiah, “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock from all the lands to which I have driven them and bring them back to their meadow.” That sounds very much like today’s Church that includes “all the lands.”

At the close of today’s reading Jeremiah says, “This is the name they give him: ‘The LORD our justice’.” Jeremiah, like most Books in the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew. What we translate as “The LORD our justice” was Yahweh Tsidkenu in the original. Another translation of the Hebrew phrase is “He is Yahweh,” a clear indication that the Messiah is God, a part of the Holy Trinity. Finding Him described as a shepherd in the same reading is quite powerful.

At the time St. Paul was writing his letter to the Ephesians (our Second Reading), Paul was under house arrest in Rome, awaiting trial. He was allegedly accused by the Jews of taking a Gentile into a temple. Therefore, part of Paul’s statement, “For he (Christ) is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh, abolishing the law with its commandments and legal claims,” is in defense and explanation. Not only can we relate this to Jeremiah’s statement about “all the lands,” but we also need to note that for Paul any wall of separation that once existed is gone because of the Messiah’s sacrifice. Paul is saying in effect to us if the Lordship of Jesus is not greater then any difference you may feel you have with others — be it political, racial, economic, language, or geography — then you (we) do not understand what it means to be under the Lordship of Jesus. Jesus is our Savior and our Shepherd.

The Gospel Reading from Mark shows some of the dissatisfaction the Apostles evidently had with the huge crowds who followed Jesus (and thus them), but again it is this idea of shepherding that lies at the heart of it. We are told in today’s Gospel, “When he (Jesus) disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.” In other words, He began to feed them.

Jesus was meeting the most essential need any of us have, to be fed with the Word of God. That is what we do during this part of our Mass; we hear Holy Scripture. These are the Words of the Lord. He is, or should be, our shepherd. He is speaking to us in this way, and He speaks to us in many ways. And we are His sheep.

July 15, 2018 — Fifteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time

AM 7: 12-15; PS 85: 9-14; EPH 1: 3-14; MK 6: 7-13

“In God We Trust” has been the official motto of the United States for more than 50 years — declared so by unanimous votes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate in 1956, and signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Most of us are aware that this declaration and motto have been challenged in courts through the years, but it is sending a message to us as Catholics that is similar to the messages in the Holy Scripture on this Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Our First Reading is drawn from the Book of Amos. Amos is one of the Minor Prophets — however, he is said to have had a great influence on Isaiah, with whom we are more familiar perhaps. Like the other prophets, as well as each of us, God called Amos, a sheepherder and farmer. Any response to the call of God requires a combination of courage and trust in the Lord.

In today’s reading, Amos says, “I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. The Lord took me from following the flock, and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel’.”

Although we may not be called to prophesy, we are indeed called by God, and one of the driving forces in our lives should be to discover, pursue and follow that calling.

Yet, just as it did for Amos and many others, it will require our total trust in God.

After his dramatic conversion, St. Paul submitted his life to serving God. He trusted the Lord implicitly. Paul faced insults, rejection, and trial after trial, but he remained content with his life. Why? Because he surrendered his will to the Lord. Paul learned that God always has our best interests at heart. Paul would have each of us us ask “Who is in charge of your life?”

In effect, that is what he maintains in our Second Reading from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. St. Paul may not say it directly, but that trust is implied when he says in this reading, “In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”

Paul is telling us that our trust is based on our view of life in general. He makes it clear that God’s guidance and help works in our lives, but we must cooperate with that by hearing the “word of truth,” accepting it, and believing in it. Paul consistently tells us that his view, and ours as well, is of eternity, not of the things of this earth.

Jesus confirmed to His Apostles how trust in God was paramount with His instructions to them in today’s Gospel from St. Mark. Jesus understood full well that if His apostles did not trust God and did not convey that trust to others, they could not effectively tell others to trust in God. That is why He told them to travel lightly, because that assured that they had to trust in God for everything.

Our belief as Catholics is that Jesus’ Apostles did exactly what He told them to do. At the same time, though, this can be quite the challenge for even the most committed and active Catholic. We can hear Jesus’ Word over and over, but until we actually follow it and live it out through stewardship, we are not truly fulfilling our calling. That is why we say that stewardship requires action on our part. We can not only talk the talk. We must also walk the walk. We need to show others that we understand it and embrace it by how we live our lives. As stewards, we must vividly demonstrate that we completely and wholeheartedly trust in God.