Stewardship Reflection

Christian stewardship begins with a sense of who we are as disciples of the Lord Jesus. A good steward recognizes that all blessings come from the Lord and these blessings are to be used to serve all of God’s children. Our loving God created us in His image with the potential — and expectation — to share our gifts with the world around us. My hope is to grow stewardship as a way of living within our homes and parishes. May the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary help us all to respond with joy to the Lord’s invitation.”
Jaime Soto, Bishop of Sacramento


Who is a Christian Steward?
Guided by scripture, the Christian steward is a person whose prayer leads to a constant awareness that God is the creator of all blessings in life. He is the origin of life, giver of freedom, and the source of all things. Jesus presented the ultimate gift to God — the gift of His life — and we, too, are called to follow in Jesus’ footsteps by:

• Receiving God’s gifts gratefully;
• Cultivating them responsibly;
• Sharing them lovingly in justice with others, and;
• Returning them with increase to the Lord.

Stewards of the Church
As members of the Church, we are called to be disciples — followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. This has astonishing implications:

• Mature disciples make a conscious decision to follow Jesus no matter what the cost.
• Christian disciples experience conversion — changes of mind and heart — and commit their very selves to the Lord.
• Christian stewards respond in a particular way to the call to be a disciple. Stewardship has the power to shape and mold our understanding of our lives and the way in which we live.

All members of the Church have a unique role to play in carrying out Christ’s mission of proclaiming and teaching, serving and sanctifying:

• Parents by nurturing their children in the light of the faith;
• Parishioners by working in concrete ways to make their parishes true communities of faith and vibrant sources of service to the larger community, and;
• All Catholics by giving generous support — time in prayer, money and personal service to parish and diocesan programs and to the universal Church.