Stewardship
STEWARDSHIP AT ST. JEROME
“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.” - His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
Stewardship is not something new at St. Jerome Parish. Today a new focus is being given to the understanding of stewardship because of the 1992 pastoral letter of the Bishops: Stewardship: A Disciples Response. The letter describes conversion as “committing one’s very self to the Lord. Stewardship is an expression of that discipleship, with the power to change how we understand and live out our lives.”
The commitment to be a stewardship person/family at St. Jerome’s is an invitation to prayerfully and gratefully reflect on one’s gifts and then share them so that the vision and shared ministries of St. Jerome parish, and our outreach to the poor can be continued.
It means:
• Using one’s gift of TIME by growing in relationship to God and by striving faithfully to attend weekly Mass, as the Eucharist is the greatest act of thanksgiving.
• Sharing one’s TALENT and skills by being involved in some shared ministry of the parish, or by praying for the needs of St. Jerome parish and the many needs of our world.
• Giving of one’s TREASURE by contributing a portion of income, trying to take steps toward tithing as referred to in scripture.
A steward is a servant entrusted for a time with the goods of the Master. The steward uses but does not own these goods, and must eventually give an account to the Master for the way in which they have been cared for and made fruitful.
More to the point, each of us will stand before the Lord at the end of our life to give an account of our stewardship. That can happen at any moment, and we need to be ready. This is one exam for which it is useless to cram. Only the right use of the time, talent, and treasure which have been entrusted to us will allow us to be able serenely and joyfully to await the coming of the Lord. - Thomas Christopher Collins, Archbishop of Edmonton