33rd Sunday Stewardship in the Diocese of Wichita

 

The Gospel today speaks about the parable of the master, who trusts three stewards with his money and possessions, as he plans to go on a journey. When returning from his journey, the master discovers two of the three stewards were wise and so increased his wealth. He told them, “Well done, my good and faithful servant(s). Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come share your master’s joy!”

However, one steward did nothing with the one talent, and the master told the unfaithful steward, “You wicked lazy servant! Throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

This parable reminds us of stewardship. God entrusts each and every one one of with time, talent, and treasure in order to glorify Him, and His kingdom. Some receive greater and some lesser talents than others, yet all are called to use their gifts for God and neighbor. Some have the gift of singing, others the gift of playing musical instruments, others are artists. But some have none of these gifts. Each person has their own special gift that no one else can give. Their smile, their love, their kindness, their building up of others, their gift of hard work and others have the gifts of virtues, such as patience and humility.

Msgr. McGread founder of Stewardship at St. Francis of Assisi parish in Wichita, and throughout the diocese of Wichita said, “Stewardship is about giving back to God the first and best we have in thanksgiving for all He’s given us.” He said, “The biggest mistake people make is that they think stewardship is a finance program. It’s not. It’s a spirituality program. It’s not about asking for money. It’s about getting people to come to church, to practice their faith, and to be disciples of Christ.”

The diocese of Wichita is nationally known for its practice of stewardship and many other dioceses, including the Archdiocese of Chicago, have asked us to help them with stewardship. Bishop Robert Morneau of the diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, said, “The core of stewardship is gratitude, a gratitude that overflows into giving as a way of thankfulness for all that God has given us.”

A parishioner from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Wichita said, “When you realize that everything you have and everything you do is from God, then you have a completely different reason for giving—your giving back to God in thanksgiving.”

If we examine all that we have, we can see everything that we have, comes from God. First and foremost, God gave us the gift of life. The gift of parents, siblings, grandchildren. God gave us a job in order to provide an income for our family. God has given us the gift of an education, which some societies do not have as an opportunity. God has given us our Catholic faith, our family and our heritage. He has given us the gift of freedom in our country. God has given us talents to hold down a job, so that we use money to buy clothes, food, and a home. He has given us transportation to travel by way cars, boats, trains and airplanes, to see His wonderful creation including the flint hills, and also the mountains of Colorado, the seas, rivers, animals, plants, and the sky, stars and the moon—all to remind us of our creator and are gifts from Him to us. He has given us technology for healthcare, televisions, computers, gas and electricity to help us live securely and in comfort. He has also given us gifts to play sports and activities. He given us taking care of livestock and 4-H which demonstrates our care for them. There are singers, musicians, artists, nurses, woodworkers, accountants, lawyers, doctors, and about any kind of field you can imagine, God has given so many people with such a wide variety of gifts and talents.

Some might say I don’t have any of these gifts, but they fail to understand that prayer, suffering, and sacrifices are gifts as well. And most importantly, the greatest gift we can give to God is the gift of our self. At every Mass every one of us is to give our works, sacrifices, and our self to God with the bread and wine at the offertory. When the priest is offering the bread and wine on the altar to God, at that moment each of us can spiritually give our self to God. And what does God give us back, but Jesus Himself in Holy Communion. We give our self to God and God gives Himself to us at every Mass in the Eucharist.

Msgr. McGread said, “Everything comes from prayer and the success of stewardship in our diocese is due to Eucharistic Adoration”. He said, “By giving an effective amount of time to God—time at home in prayer, time with their families in prayer—people get closer to God. They come to understand their individual obligation to God, and they come to church because that is where they experience Christ in the Eucharist”.

If we heed the words of Msgr. McGread, we can see how important Eucharistic Adoration is and how it causes a blossoming of stewardship. To spend an hour with Jesus every week in Eucharistic Adoration is the stewardship of prayer, which is the backbone of every form of stewardship. Before or after most every Mass, we pray the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

Stewardship is not about asking for money. Rather, it involves a way of life. It’s living the Gospel, as witness by word and deed. We give back to God, by way of our time, talent and treasure.

To those who would like to give their treasure by tithing, Msgr. McGread used to say it is better to tithe small at first, such as 3% or 4%. The more we trust, many will enjoy giving 10%. He also said it’s important to tithe regularly even if it’s a small amount.

Due to the generous tithing of the people in many parishes, and the diocese, Catholic schools in our diocese are tuition-free, but they are expected to use their time and talents for God and neighbor.

Our gifts and talents are not to buried, or kept for our self, but rather, to be given away to glorify God, by increasing the wealth of His kingdom, on earth, and in heaven. When we use wisely, that which belongs to God, which we are entrusted, as His stewards, we earn for ourselves, the sharing our Master’s joy, and His glory in heaven.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, help us to live the stewardship way of life, by giving our time, talent, treasure, and our very self, to the service of Christ and His Church, as a true witness in word and deed to help bring about His kingdom on earth, as it is in heaven.