Dear friends, Here is the homily for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Be generous with your time, talent and treasure. One of the television programs I like to watch on Friday evenings is ‘Undercover Boss’. In case you have not seen it, each week a different CEO goes undercover in their own business – stores or restaurants usually – to find out how their employees work, and what they think about the company. Most of the time it is good news, and you really admire the people the dedication of the employees. They often go ‘above and beyond’ in their work, and really identify with the business and its goals. Sometimes, though, we also see employees who are just putting in time, or doing the minimum in order to collect a pay cheque and really have no loyalty or commitment to the company. At the end of the program they are called to one of the company offices and the ‘boss’ reveals who he is, thanks them for their dedication, and thanks them for their suggestions and constructive criticisms that will help to make the company better. Sometimes, though, they are reprimanded for their minimalism or bad attitude, and some are not given a second chance to improve their service. The bosses usually reward the good employees with promotions, raises, or monetary gifts. Some have been very generous, as in one case, a boss gave a female employee, a single mother of three who at one time had been homeless, the gift of $250,000 to buy a house. I thought of this when I first read the gospel of today (Luke 16:1-13) as Jesus speaks to us about stewardship. Jesus tells us that those who are responsible in “small matters” will be given “greater ones”. He also tells us that we “cannot serve two masters … God and mammon”. I went to the on-line dictionary to see what “mammon” was defined as, and it said: “material wealth and possessions especially as having a debasing influence”. I found it interesting that the word gives such a negative impression, that wealth and possessions are seen as “debasing”, and sometimes they surely are. This attitude is reflected in the First Reading from the Prophet Amos (8:4-7). The wealthy are seen as oppressors of the poor, “trampling upon the needy”. At the end of the reading, God says that he will not forget them – in the sense that they will be punished. In the Second Reading from St. Paul’s First Letter to Timothy (2:1-8), St. Paul writes about praying for the high and mighty, that they will use their authority in keeping with God’s will. As I reflected on the readings, I could not help but reflect on our call to be good stewards of God’s many gifts and blessings. In our better moments we realize how much we were blessed, and how generous God has been with us. In our worse moments, we feel forgotten by God, and that we have not received anything from God. Of course, we know that is not true. The basis of all stewardship is gratitude. If we have a grateful heart – recognizing the gifts that God has given to us – our natural human response is to appreciate and use well what we have. If we are grateful, we are happy and joyful. If we are grateful, we not only recognize God’s goodness to us, but can be celebrate the graces and blessings that others have received. We are not threatened or ‘lessened’ by their gifts, but rather enhanced by what they have achieved through God’s grace. Stewardship is all about the use of our time, talents and treasure. God – who is the giver of all good gifts – wants us to use his gifts according to his design, to his will. In our use of our time, it is important to recognize the preciousness of each moment in time. Too often, we live in the past, most often with regrets, or live in the future, most often already with worries. Then the present moment escapes us, and we wonder where the time went. Our memories of the present are blurred by our preoccupation with the past and the future. God calls us to use our time well, to share it with others. It is not enough to be just physically present to others – sitting around the dining room table, in the car, or in front of the television set. We need to use the time positively – sharing who we are and what we are about. Our time, naturally, needs to not only be spent with our family, but also with those with whom we find ourselves – our colleagues and classmates, our friends and acquaintances. They also need our active presence. In our use of our talents we have an important responsibility to recognize, accept and use well that which we have and are. All too often, in our human condition, we recognize the talents of others, and experience envy, but fail to recognize, accept and use well what we have and are. Too often, we want what another has, and at the same time, others are looking at us and thinking, “I wish I were like that”. The more we use our talents the more talents we discover in ourselves. When we have used well the “small matters” of our life we discover that God blesses us with ”greater ones”. God wants to use our intelligence, our personality, our life experience, and our gifts and talents to build up our family, our school or workplace, our Parish community, and our world. In the use of our treasure, we must recall that the gospel and First Reading show us that our treasure may not necessarily be the road to happiness and fulfillment. Our financial and material treasures can separate us from others and from God. This weekend you will find in your Bulletin our Stewardship Survey. There are more copies available at the entrances to the Church if you need more than one copy per family. I ask you to prayerfully and gratefully look over the ways that God may be calling you to share your time, talents and treasure with our Parish Community. As God has been generous with us, he also asks us – as his family – to share with one another. Our Parish Community is always in need of generous volunteers, active people willing to share of their time, talents and treasure. Too often, some people think that their contribution is too insignificant, or their gift not good or great enough. Others think that all the needs are already being met, and that they are not needed. Some presume that others will always be generous, and that that they are ‘off the hook’. The time is now for each and every one of us to commit ourselves to discover, accept, and use well the time, talents and treasure that God has given us, and how we can share it with one another in the family of St. Theresa’s Parish. Like the good stewards on ‘Undercover Boss’, we may be surprised at the prize that awaits us. Following is a copy of the Survey, to be distributed in our Sunday Bulletin at St. Theresa’s Cathedral this weekend. Logo of Stewardship Name: __________________________________ Address: __________________________________ Telephone: _____________________ Cell _______________ E-mail: ______________________ I usually attend the ________ Mass at St. Theresa’s Cathedral. Are you already Registered in St. Theresa’s Parish? YES NO Stewardship flows from recognizing that we are created in God’s image – created to love, to give, and to share. We become whole and complete only when we give ourselves, and from what we have to bring about goodness and beauty in society. True Stewardship is planned, deliberate, and in proportion to one’s resources. It involves one’s Time, Talent, and Treasure. It involves everyone from pre-school children to retirees. Stewardship is outreach to others – at home, at Church, and in society. Take time to pray and ask the Lord to guide you in deciding your response to God’s call to Stewardship. Take the folder home. Study it, pray over its contents in order to evaluate your current practice of Stewardship and whether the Lord is calling you to greater Stewardship. Complete the form and return it to the Church next weekend. (Place the completed form in the collection basket.) Stewardship of Time and Talent In Liturgical Ministries Presently Serving & Wish to Wish to Continue Serve 1. Ministry of Hospitality ⧠ ⧠ (including collections) 2. Ministry of the Word – Lector ⧠ ⧠ 3. Altar Server ⧠ ⧠ 4. Leader of Song ⧠ ⧠ 5. Choir Member ⧠ ⧠ 6. Diocesan Choir ⧠ ⧠ 7. Musician/Organist ⧠ ⧠ 8. Gift Bearer at Mass ⧠ ⧠ 9. Care of Flowers/Decorations ⧠ ⧠ 10. Driver of Shut-ins to Mass ⧠ ⧠ 11. Driver of Guests to Hotel ⧠ ⧠ Stewardship of Time and Talents For Special Times and Needs Presently Serving & Wish to Wish to Continue Serve Leadership 12. Parish Council Member ⧠ ⧠ 13. Parish Finance Council Member ⧠ ⧠ 14. Stewardship Committee ⧠ ⧠ 15. Fund Raising ⧠ ⧠ Social Ministry 16. Social Committee ⧠ ⧠ 17. Coffee Socials (once a month) ⧠ ⧠ 18. Special Parish Events ⧠ ⧠ 19. Diocesan Social Events ⧠ ⧠ Catechetical Ministry 20. C.C.D. Catechist ⧠ ⧠ 21. C.C.D. Assistant ⧠ ⧠ Compassion Ministry 22. Visiting the Sick/Shut-Ins ⧠ ⧠ 23. Bereavement ⧠ ⧠ Outreach Ministry 24. Newcomers Welcome ⧠ ⧠ 25. St. Vincent de Paul Society ⧠ ⧠ Spiritual Life 26. Lectio Divino (Scripture Study) ⧠ ⧠ 27. Men’s Group ⧠ ⧠ 28. Ongoing Formation Programs ⧠ ⧠ (Catholicism, Study Groups, etc.) Maintenance 29. Maintenance Assistance 30. Painting ⧠ ⧠ 31. Plumbing ⧠ ⧠ 32. Electrical ⧠ ⧠ 33. Carpentry ⧠ ⧠ 34. Cleaning ⧠ ⧠ Other 35. Secretarial/Office Help (occasional) ⧠ ⧠ 36. Couples/Youth/Singles for Christ ⧠ ⧠ 37. Diocesan Peace and Social Justice ⧠ ⧠ Committee 38. Diocesan Life and Family Ministry ⧠ ⧠ 39. Other _________________________________ Stewardship of Treasure Our treasure includes our income, our material possessions, and our financial resources. In Stewardship, we give away a portion of our treasure first - to God and to the needy - and the rest for ourselves. It acknowledges that God is the source of all that is good and it involves trust in God. We give to charities and to the Church Community not simply because they need assistance, but because giving allows us to deepen our faith relationship with God and others. The ideal in Stewardship is that the same percent of one’s income is given each week. Parish Envelopes are available as a means of reminding of this truth. Online giving, through your bank, is also an option. Yes No 40. I am already using Stewardship Principles as a guide for giving to charities and the Church ⧠ ⧠ 41. I am willing to try Stewardship principles in giving to charities and the Church ⧠ ⧠ 42. I would like to use parish envelopes to help me remember my gift to the Church each week ⧠ ⧠ 43. I would like to do online contributing as my gift to the Church each week ⧠ ⧠ 44. I am willing to consider using the idea of Steward- Ship when I make my Last Will and Testament ⧠ ⧠ Dear Parishioner(s), Thank you for taking the time to reflect on your use of Time, Talents and Treasure, and for sharing them generously with St. Theresa’s Parish Community. God bless you!
Posted on: Fri, 20 Sep 2013 12:34:51 +0000
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