As Catholics and as stewards of God’s gifts, the Church is much more than a building in which we worship. The Church is the universal body of believers, the society that Christ established to help us grow in holiness, to bring us closer to Him through the giving of our gifts — our time, talent and treasure — and to lead the world to the truth.
Before Jesus ascended to the Father, He commissioned the disciples, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt. 28:19-20). That is the Church’s mission in the world today — to make disciples of all nations, to bring all men to Christ.
Our parish plays a key part in that — we are local representatives of the universal Church. Together, as members of this parish family, we work to carry out the Church’s mission on a local level. We worship the Lord at Mass, offering Him our praise and thanksgiving, and then we go forth on a mission to make disciples — to encourage our fellow parishioners in their lives of faith and to bring unbelievers into knowledge of the truth.
As stewards and as members of this parish family, we are called to take ownership in our parish. It is our responsibility to make a conscious effort to be actively involved in the life of the parish, to build relationships with our fellow parishioners, and to celebrate the Mass together as often as possible — and most definitely every Sunday. By getting involved and living the stewardship way of life, our entire parish family can fulfill our mission to grow as disciples of Christ, and ultimately help fulfill the mission of the universal Church.
