May 2006 Stewardship Tips

Planting and tending the seeds of faith…

The Bishops’ pastoral on stewardship says, “In various ways, then, stewardship of the Church leads people to share in the work of evangelization or proclaiming the good news [and] in the work of catechesis or transmitting and strengthening the faith…”

We are all called to be good stewards of the gift of faith, but every parish has some faithful people who do this especially well.  Your RCIA coordinator and the members of the RCIA team, as well as the sponsors who walk the journey with your candidates and catechumens to full reception into the Church at the Easter Vigil, are good examples.  So also are your DRE or director of faith formation, the volunteers catechists, and the parents of this year’s First Communicants.  Confirmation sponsors who help young people discern their particular gifts and seek to lead them to a deeper commitment to their faith and the youth minister who plans retreats and Bible study evenings for the parish teens are also precious stewards of the faith.  And then there is the homilist who prays over the Scriptures and preaches them with love and passion and the lectors who prepare the readings ahead of time and proclaim the Word clearly and with meaning…

Who are these faithful and faith-filled people in your parish –- these often unsung stewards of the faith –- who call others to become steward-disciples, not only by what they say, but also by unselfishly sharing their lives and their faith with others?  Don’t let the Confirmation/First Communion season go by without thanking God for these good stewards.  And be sure to thank them, too!