One day as I was chatting with an individual who was such a joyful and holy person, I asked him to tell me the secret of his holiness. He told me that the attitude of “gratefulness” to God for all he has and all he is has helped him in his faith life. He realized that everything is a gift in this life and he needed to give back to God for all that he has been gifted. Thus, he began giving of his Time, Talent, and Treasure to his Church and community and found the more he gave, the more blessings came his way!
He began to take greater risks in his business and personal life and found that if he followed these basic principles, more and more began to come to him. Not that he did Stewardship for what he would get back, but he sensed how different he felt about himself and about life. He became more trusting in God and had more people than he could count who called him their friend. “It was amazing”, he said. “I started out small and it grew like that mustard seed Jesus talks about in Scripture where it turns into a huge tree where the birds nest and provides shade for the weary.”
As I began to practice Stewardship in my own life, my Priesthood began to change. Insights into God’s desire for my life began to affect the way I preached, the way I related to people, and more importantly, it took away the fear! I became bolder and more confident and I began to see even greater changes in the lives of people in whom I ministered. I hope it does the same for you as you begin this understanding of the Stewardship way of life. If you believe in God, you believe in Stewardship! Take the step and see what awaits you.
PS: Please click here to read about the Stewardship Journey of some of our parishioners!