Grateful Living

The Joy of Stewardship

Leisa Anslinger

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NIHIL OBSTAT

Rev. Christopher Ciccarino, S.S.L., S.T.D.

IMPRIMATUR

Most Rev. W. Joseph Cardinal Tobin, C.Ss.R. Archbishop of Newark

Cover and interior design by Linda Eberly

ISBN: 978-1-62063-216-1

RENEW International 1232 George Street Plainfield, NJ 07062-1717 www.renewintl.org

RENEW International is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization.

Printed and bound in the United States of America

Foreword

Stewardship is mentioned in more than 2,300 verses in the Bible—an indication of how important it is in our Christian faith. One of those verses, in the First Letter of Peter, nicely sums up the concept:

“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received” (1 Peter 4:10).

The author of that verse calls us to both gratitude for what God has given us and a generous response. Stewardship, in the biblical sense, refers to someone who is entrusted with the care of something that he does not own. In that sense, the title applies to each of us, because each of us is entrusted with care of some part of creation, including our physical surroundings, whatever material goods we possess, and each other. All comes from God, and we are accountable to God for our stewardship.

For Catholics, stewardship is often practiced in the parish, including through monetary support of staff, programs, and property. However, as Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of the Diocese of Jefferson City has explained, “It also means being welcoming to all people, inside and outside the parish; making prayer a central experience of everyday life; inviting others to prayer and worship; continuously forming knowledge and understanding of the gospel; and contributing our gifts, talents and skills to serve the common good at home, in the Church, and in the world at large. Being good stewards means carrying out these responsibilities in ways that go beyond what is convenient.”

Grateful Living: The Joy of Stewardship provides an opportunity to think about how grateful you are for God’s gifts, how you express your gratitude, and how you might express it in the future—on your own and with others. This can happen through prayer, Scripture, the commentaries by author Leisa Anslinger, personal reflection, sharing faith in your parish and small Christian community, and recommitment to action.

We pray that God will accompany you and inspire you throughout this experience.

Yours in Christ,

G. Gregory Tobin President and Executive Director RENEW International

See with New Eyes Session 1:

Focus: What are you looking for in your life?

Prayer

Pray together:

Loving God, source of all that is good, we give you thanks, and we thank you for being with us as we gather and share our faith. We ask you to give us sight, free from the distractions and obstacles that keep us from seeing your grace in our midst. Guide our minds and hearts toward your vision for our world, and make us ready to share our gifts to bring your vision to life. This we ask, this we seek, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Introductions

Leader: Allow a few moments for the members of the group to introduce themselves.

The Word of God

Leader: You may read the scripture passage yourself or invite someone from the group to read it.

Reader: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark. They came to Jericho. And as he (Jesus) was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, he is calling you.” He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way (Mark 10:46-52).

Reader: The Gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

What word, phrase, or image from the scripture reading touches your heart or speaks to your life? Share with the group if you wish.

Reflection

Leader: You may ask the group to quietly review the reflection for a few minutes, or invite the group to read the reflection aloud, each member in turn reading a paragraph. “Master, I want to see.” Jesus asked what Bartimaeus wanted him to do, and in that moment, Bartimaeus blurted out what he most desired. Sight. Vision. The ability to see the world and be part of it. Able to see, Bartimaeus could have gone his way to pursue the sort of life he likely dreamt of for many years. Instead, with new sight, Bartimaeus followed Jesus. With the vision of Christ standing before him, Bartimaeus saw clearly and chose Jesus’ way, the way of love, mercy, and peace, the way of discipleship. We, too, are confronted with a choice—to participate in weekend Mass but devote the rest of the week only to our own interests and desires, or to be disciples who do whatever is within our means to actively spread the gospel with our words and deeds.

Bartimaeus became a disciple because of what he had received from God through Jesus, because of divine grace, the free gift of God’s love. His response was unlike that of the nine lepers who were healed by Jesus but did not pause to absorb the enormity of what they had received (Luke 17:11-19). Before we even consider the ways in which we may respond to God’s grace through acts of generosity and justice, what if we gratefully spend some time taking stock of the ways in which God has been and will be at work in our lives?

We may not be physically blind; yet, like Bartimaeus, most of us need new sight. We need to see life clearly, unimpeded by the distractions that so often block our view. We need vision—to see with eyes of wonder and awe, to perceive Jesus, our Savior and Brother, who walks with us, while seeing all we need to do in order to share Christ’s love in the world. We need to hear Jesus say to each of us, “What do you want me to do for you?” and trust in the Lord’s goodness, mercy, and grace. We need a “flash of insight—a certain way of seeing” by which we view the world and our relationship to it in a fresh new light. (Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, hereafter SDR, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops pastoral letter, 1991, p. 39).

As we grow as good stewards, we begin to see life differently. We see ourselves,

others, and the world around us as God’s handiwork, and recognize God’s grace in the daily circumstances of our lives, even when times are challenging. Seeing the hand of God in our lives, we can’t help but be thankful. And gratitude changes everything.

Like Bartimaeus, whose life was transformed when Jesus gave him sight, we are changed when we see God’s grace in our midst. Indeed, stewardship, our grateful response as Jesus’ followers, “is an expression of discipleship with the power to change how we understand and live out our lives.” (SDR, Introduction)

What is stewardship, and how can embracing stewardship have such a powerful impact on our lives? Put simply, a steward is one who cares for the property, resources, or affairs of another. Think of the steward of a vineyard, for example. The steward is not the owner of the vineyard but is entrusted with the cultivation and care of the vines and harvesting of the grapes. Stewards are responsible and accountable for all that has been entrusted to them. This principle applies to many activities in contemporary life. If we are employed, for example—whether as check-out clerks or as CEOs—we are responsible and accountable to the owner for any part of the business that has been placed in our care. If we babysit, we are responsible and accountable to the parents for the wellbeing of their child.

When we apply the meaning of stewardship to our lives, we understand that all we are, have, and will be is entrusted to us by God. The Christian steward “receives God’s gifts gratefully, cherishes and tends them in a responsible and accountable manner, shares them in justice and love with all, and returns them with increase to the Lord” (SDR, p. 9). While the call to be good stewards comes with responsibility, the steward’s way is not burdensome. In fact, many who intentionally live and grow as stewards find themselves filled with joy. We will explore many aspects of the stewardship way of life in the sessions that follow. For now, reflect and share together, using the questions below as a starting point.

Take a few moments to silently reflect on the following questions. Then share your responses.

• Take a moment to reflect on the ways in which you have received God’s grace, God’s unconditional love, throughout your life. Share these signs of God’s love with the group.

• You wouldn’t be a member of this group if you weren’t a disciple of Jesus. How do you live as a disciple every day? When are you or have you been a steward?

Insight

The Gift of Sight

Ever since I can remember, I have had an irrational fear of going blind. This has never been a debilitating obsession, but it has been consistent over my lifetime. When I had cataract surgery in both eyes a couple of years ago, I was afraid of the surgery, but I was more than ready to do what was necessary to prevent the blindness that I feared much more.

Why am I afraid of blindness? I think it’s because I recognize what a precious thing the gift of sight is. Life itself is the most wonderful gift that God has given us, and to be permitted to see, hear, taste, smell, and touch God’s magnificent creation is the icing on the cake. Through our senses we experience wonder. With our eyes, especially, we can contemplate the beauty of all things, and we are overwhelmed by the light, colors, shapes, and patterns that enrich God’s handiwork.

On the other hand, the gift of sight enables us to see the horror and brutality of life. But this too can be a good thing: we can identify signs that danger is nigh, that we should proceed with caution. This can be said of both literal and spiritual sight, for spiritual sight helps us know when to be careful and not go where evil beckons us. It is spiritual sight that prevents us from stumbling in the dark. It shows us the right paths, the ones that are lighted by the goodness and kindness of those who care about us and who seek to show us the way.

The blind man who said to Jesus “I want to see” was speaking for me. I may never have been blind physically, but there are many times when I have been blind spiritually, refusing to see my faults, my selfishness, and my sin. Too often, I fail to see how much I have been given as a steward of God’s bounty. Too often, I am blind to my responsibilities to take care of, and to share with others, the magnificent gifts I have received from a good and gracious God.

Christian stewardship invites me to be thankful for the gift of sight and to use this gift in ways that share the beauty of creation with others. When Jesus asks me what I want him to do for me, I hope I will have the courage and the wisdom to reply, “I want to see,” so that I can share generously with others the wonderful sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and touches that make my life such a great blessing.

—Daniel Conway, author

• If you said to Jesus, “I want to see,” what kind of sight would you be asking for?

Invitation to Act

Gathering and sharing in a small Catholic community fosters growth in our faith and in our spirituality. Still, no communal sharing is complete without a serious commitment to putting our faith into practice.

In this session, we have established the ways in which stewardship gives us new sight and clearer vision as followers of Jesus. How does this inspire you to act? Here are some possibilities.

1. Prayer: Pause at the end of each day and recognize any unexpected blessings you experienced. Write them down and keep the list in a visible place as a reminder. Say a prayer of gratitude for these and all your blessings.

2. Community: Think about the people or groups within your parish, neighborhood, or workplace whose caring and sharing inspire you to live more fully as a Christian disciple. Send a note or email or make a phone call to express your gratitude.

3. Service: Be mindful of the talents or abilities you have been given. Notice how these gifts help you to contribute positively at home, work, or school, in your parish and in the wider world. We will consider this in greater depth in future sessions. For now, make a commitment to use your gifts in small ways as opportunities arise.

4. Formation: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton said, “Be prepared to meet your grace in the daily circumstances of your life.” Reflect on this in your own life. How do you encounter the grace of God? What is your response to “your grace”?

Pray

Pray together:

God our Father, you have formed us in your image and you have filled our lives with abundant blessings. You ask us to nurture the gifts we have been given, — all we have, are, and will be; our lives, talents, faith, and resources — and you call us to use them wisely and well.

Jesus, Savior and Brother, you most perfectly show us the steward’s way, committed to seek and to follow God’s will, ready to give generously, to show mercy and share compassion, to sacrifice in order to bring your love into our world.

Holy Spirit, Fire of Love, inspire us now. Strengthen us as we resolve to live more fully as disciples and to grow as good and faithful stewards.

May we give glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Looking Ahead

To prepare for the next meeting, read the scripture passage and reflection in Session 2.