Principles of Catholic Stewardship
of Time, Talents and Treasure
“As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (Peter 4:10)
The word “stewardship” refers to the Catholic approach to the gifts that God has bestowed upon us. Stewardship is living out a commitment to be Christ-centered rather than self-centered. Profound gratitude, justice and love become the fundamental motives for giving back to God. Everything that God has given to us is intended to serve the divine plan. Therefore, our life is to be lived in gratitude toward God. In a variety of ways, we as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, share our time, talent and treasure to build up the Church and make our world a better place.
The Church needs you and God has chosen you to go out into all the world. Every Christian is to take an active part in the life of the Church and to share the gifts of salvation. Three convictions in particular underlie our understanding of stewardship.
- Mature disciples make a conscious, firm decision, carried out in action, to be followers of Jesus Christ no matter the cost to themselves.
- Beginning in conversion, change of mind and heart, this commitment is expressed not in a single action, nor even in a number of actions over a period of time, but in an entire way of life. It means committing one’s very self to the Lord.
- Stewardship is an expression of discipleship, with the power to change how we understand and live out our lives. Disciples who practice stewardship recognize God as the origin of life, the giver of freedom, the source of all they have and are and will be. They are deeply aware of the truth that “The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it” (Psalm 24:1). They know themselves to be recipients and caretakers of God’s many gifts. They are grateful for what they have received and eager to cultivate their gifts out of love for God and one another.
“The promotion of the practice of stewardship is important for the mission of the Church and for the spiritual well-being of each individual Christian. Everyone benefits from the sacrificial gift one makes of his time, talent, and treasure.”
-Pope Benedict XVI
Stewardship, A Way of Life
Stewardship is based on the fact that all that we have and all that we are comes from God. We commit ourselves to stewardship as a way of thanking God for all His blessings; returning to Him a portion of the time, talent, and treasure he has allotted to us:
- Each week, we choose what will be done with the 168 hours we have available to us. Good stewardship of time means we will share some of that time with God in prayer, praise and thanksgiving, and some time caring for the needs of others.
- Every person has a flair for something. Good stewardship of talent means we identify our talents and use them to glorify God and to help other people.
- Although the amounts vary significantly, we all bring some kind of revenue into our households. Good stewardship of treasure means we intentionally plan to donate a set percentage of our income to the church and other charities. As a final act of stewardship, we should prayerfully consider leaving a portion of our assets to the Church in our wills.
Through the efforts of dedicated parishioners and staff members alike, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish is able to offer members of its faith community a variety of services and support, as well as the means with which to be of greater service to members in need. Parishioners interested in participating in any of the parish ministry groups should contact the parish office.
Stewardship Vision
Our Lady of Lourdes regularly assesses the needs of our ministries and provides adequate resources for each.
Our Lady of Lourdes uses a wide variety of methods to inform the parishoners of the needs and functions of all parish ministries so that there can be fuller involvement of laity at all levels.
Our Lady of Lourdes instills in our youth the desire to contribute their time, talent and treasure to the parish so that they may feel more a part of it today while establishing a strong faith foundation.