Receiving God's gifts gratefully;
Cultivating them responsibly;
Sharing them with love and justice;
Returning them with increase to the Lord.

International Catholic Stewardship Council

A Summary of the U.S. Bishops'
Pastoral Letter on Stewardship

Stewardship in a Nutshell
 

Click here for our 2017 Stewardship magazine.
 

All that we are, all that we have,
comes from God
and one day will return to God.

What is stewardship? It’s not another fund-raising gimmick. It’s also not just the usual
time, talent, and treasure message we’ve heard before. It’s not about how much of our
time we donate but how we donate it. It’s not about how much money we donate to our
church or any charity. It’s about our attitude when we donate and so much more!
Stewardship involves all of life. It’s about remembering that everything we are and
everything we have has come from God. This includes our parents, spouses, children,
and friends, our jobs, our income, our health and the very breath in our lungs. God has
given us our ability to think, act, and choose. He even gave us His own son, Jesus
Christ.
So when we remember what God has done, see what He is doing, and imagine what He
will do with our lives in the future, we need to make time to think about how we thank
Him. If everything we have is a gift, what stops us from giving to others? We’ve been
told before that God will not be outdone in generosity. Do we truly believe that?
We exercise stewardship every day over our spirit, mind, and body. Do we spend time
in Adoration, prayer, or Mass? Do we pray the Rosary, read the Bible, or read a good
spiritual book? Are we careful about what we feed our minds with (TV, music, movies,
etc.)? Do we get enough sleep and exercise or make healthy food choices?
Has God given us the gift of being a good listener? Maybe someone we know is going
through a difficult time and just needs to talk. Has He given us a good job? Maybe we
can give a little extra to someone who has less. Has God given us good health? Maybe
we can help a neighbor who is sick.
There will always be people in need but there will always be people who can help. Are
we willing to help? Are we willing to give? Are we willing to be a part of something more
than just going to church on Sunday? Think about how we can be good stewards of
God’s gifts.
“Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Matthew 25:21

Scott Fritton, Pax Christi Stewardship Committee

Prayer for Stewardship

Lord God,
You alone are the source of every good gift,
of the vast array of the universe,
and of the mystery of  each human life.

Everything we are
and everything we have
belongs to You
and is your gift.

Fill our minds with Your
truth and our hearts with Your love.

Bring us together as a community of faith,
a parish family, a caring people.

In the name and spirit of Jesus, help us to be good stewards
of the gifts You entrust to us.

Guide us as we go forth to serve as
Your disciples,
freely sharing of our time,
our talent,
and our material gifts,
to glorify You,
acknowledge your abundant blessings,
and care for each other as Jesus taught us.

Amen.