​“Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”       Luke 12:15
 
The Gospel message today is so contrary to our modern culture where advertising continually tries to convince us that our value lies in the things we possess.  Jesus showed us that our true value lies in the way we live our lives.  He challenges his Stewards to not store up or hoard material possessions, but rather to live a grateful and generous lifestyle.

​“Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”     Luke 11:9
 
Jesus assures us that if we ask Him, God will take care of what we need.  The problem is that in our culture we often confuse what we really need with what we simply want.  Many people need very little.  However, we usually want so much more.  A good Steward only asks God for what he needs.

​“…I am a minister in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God.”    colossians 1:25b
 
Believe it or not, Stewards are called to evangelize – to continuously grow in our knowledge and relationship with Jesus and to share it with others.  We may not be called to evangelize like St. Paul, but we should look for opportunities to share our Faith with those closest to us, like our family and friends.
 

​“Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”      Luke 10:37b
 
This was Jesus’ command at the end of the Good Samaritan story.  But did you know that the Samaritans and Jews despised each other.  The Stewardship moral of the story is to love our neighbor, who may be someone you don’t know, someone that looks different than you or someone you don’t like, without expecting anything in return.

​“He said to them, ‘The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few…’”     Luke 10:2a
 
As Stewards we are all called to serve in ministry.  However, many of us are unsure how to use our talents and gifts to build God’s Church.  Talk to God and ask Him what He wants you to do.  The next time one of your fellow parishioners asks you to help or join a ministry it may be the answer to your prayer.

​For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather serve one another through love.”                                                                                                             GALATIANS 5:13
 
We like to celebrate the fact that we are free to “live the good life.” But Jesus calls us to Stewardship. St. Paul reminds us that Jesus sets us free so that we can serve one another, share our gifts and promote God’s work here on earth to glorify His name and not honor ourselves.

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23
 
We are not very good at “denying ourselves” in our society. Our current economic situation is evidence of what happens when people think they can have everything they want. Jesus calls us to Stewardship where we set our own personal “wants” aside so that we have the resources to follow Him instead.

Prayer
That we as Christian Stewards learn to deny our own wants a little more so that we can more fully follow Our Lord’s example of giving and service to others.

 “When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet…”   LUKE 7:44A
 
Today’s Gospel calls us to consider how our Stewardship serves God. Do we consume like the Pharisee who simply reclines at the table and expects to be served? Or, do we contribute like the woman who kneels before Jesus and washes His feet? Every day we must make a choice.  Take or give?  Consume or contribute?  Recline or serve?

PRAYER
That we as Christian Stewards choose to serve rather than to be served, to give rather than to take, to contribute rather than to consume.

“And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’” Luke 7:13
 
This verse is a great reminder that the Stewardship lifestyle is one of service, putting God first and to “love one another.” Unfortunately today, many people have “passion” for activities they enjoy - their job and off-work activities. Many times our “passion” to excel is at the expense of someone else. We need to focus on a little less passion for our individual concerns and a lot more compassion for others.

Prayer
That we answer the call to Stewardship, where we think of our ourselves less and show more compassion for others.

“They all ate and were satisfied. And when the leftover fragments were picked up, they filled twelve wicker baskets.”       Luke 9:17
 
The story of the Loaves and Fishes shows us that with Jesus, all things are possible and miracles do happen!  Do not think that your Stewardship gift is too small or insignificant!  God blesses all the gifts we offer and makes them wondrous.

​Stewards pray that the abundant baskets of leftover loaves and fishes may remind us that God works wondrous deeds in our lives.