BUHAY KATIWALA (STEWARDSHIP)
1. What is Stewardship o Buhay Katiwala?
Stewardship is not all about money or raising fund for the parish. Or others may say: secular fundraising in sheep's clothing! It is not a gimmick or strategy to increase the collections in the Church or to secure financial stability of a parish!
Stewardship is above all, A WAY OF LIFE! a SPIRITUALITY! Isang landas ng pagpapabanal bilang isang katiwala. isang BUHAY KATIWALA!
In short, stewardship is a way of life, a spirituality; not just an activity nor a parish program, nor a practice. It covers all aspects of our life, not just our money. It's about my whole life, my whole self, my time, talent and treasure!
Stewardship encompasses everything: my life, my time, my talents, my possessions & money, my faith, the environment, my vocation/profession and social status/position, my capabilities & opportunities!
Stewardship is the ability to share one’s gifts of life, time, talents, and resources with others with no strings attached and no conditions.
2. What is Spirituality of Stewardship or Daan ng Pagpapabanal sa buhay Katiwala?
Spirituality of Stewardship is a way of life chosen by a person who decided to follow the way of Christ. It's a disciple's response! A response to Jesus' invitation to the young rich man mentioned in the Gospel (cf. Mt. 19: 16-30).
This way of life is also a way of discipleship! Why? Because: a) Mature disciples make a conscious decision to follow Jesus, no matter what the cost; b) Christian disciples experience conversion - life-shaping changes of mind and heart - and commit their very selves to the Lord; c) Christian stewards respond in a particular way to the call to be a disciple. Stewardship has the power to shape and mold our understanding of our lives and the way in which we live; and d) Jesus' disciples and Christian stewards recognize God as the origin of life, giver of freedom, and source of all things. They are grateful for the gifts they received and are eager to use them to show the love for God and for one another.
Spirituality of Stewardship will lead a disciple to a deeper realization that she/he is:
a) a God’s creature with a mission (true to her/his identity as a child of God);
b) being lead to reverence and awe: an attitude of profound respect – seeing God in all and all in God;
c) expressing a sign of gratitude to God;
d) called to trust God;
e) called to love God above all things, as part of the dynamics of love.
1. What is Stewardship o Buhay Katiwala?
Stewardship is not all about money or raising fund for the parish. Or others may say: secular fundraising in sheep's clothing! It is not a gimmick or strategy to increase the collections in the Church or to secure financial stability of a parish!
Stewardship is above all, A WAY OF LIFE! a SPIRITUALITY! Isang landas ng pagpapabanal bilang isang katiwala. isang BUHAY KATIWALA!
In short, stewardship is a way of life, a spirituality; not just an activity nor a parish program, nor a practice. It covers all aspects of our life, not just our money. It's about my whole life, my whole self, my time, talent and treasure!
Stewardship encompasses everything: my life, my time, my talents, my possessions & money, my faith, the environment, my vocation/profession and social status/position, my capabilities & opportunities!
Stewardship is the ability to share one’s gifts of life, time, talents, and resources with others with no strings attached and no conditions.
2. What is Spirituality of Stewardship or Daan ng Pagpapabanal sa buhay Katiwala?
Spirituality of Stewardship is a way of life chosen by a person who decided to follow the way of Christ. It's a disciple's response! A response to Jesus' invitation to the young rich man mentioned in the Gospel (cf. Mt. 19: 16-30).
This way of life is also a way of discipleship! Why? Because: a) Mature disciples make a conscious decision to follow Jesus, no matter what the cost; b) Christian disciples experience conversion - life-shaping changes of mind and heart - and commit their very selves to the Lord; c) Christian stewards respond in a particular way to the call to be a disciple. Stewardship has the power to shape and mold our understanding of our lives and the way in which we live; and d) Jesus' disciples and Christian stewards recognize God as the origin of life, giver of freedom, and source of all things. They are grateful for the gifts they received and are eager to use them to show the love for God and for one another.
Spirituality of Stewardship will lead a disciple to a deeper realization that she/he is:
a) a God’s creature with a mission (true to her/his identity as a child of God);
b) being lead to reverence and awe: an attitude of profound respect – seeing God in all and all in God;
c) expressing a sign of gratitude to God;
d) called to trust God;
e) called to love God above all things, as part of the dynamics of love.
Two important signposts of Spirituality of Stewardship or Buhay Katiwala:
1) Our Connectedness to the Father. A good steward has a "puso sa pusong ugnayan" with the source of all life. We are connected because we are made in the image of God and responsible for all of creation - this is our common heritage and identity. As a an image of God and Steward of Creation "kawangis ng Diyos at katiwala", our lives vibrate with the 4 core values of a) identity as image of God (kawangis ng Panginoon); b) sense of gratitude (may utang na loob, marunong magpasalamat); c) sense of trust (may pagtitiwala at mapagkakatiwalaan) and sacrificial love (may malasakit sa kapwa at kalikasan, may pag-ibig na mapagpalaya). A good steward has a "puso sa pusong ugnayan sa Diyos", a person who honors and nurtures this realtionship by receiving all of God;s gifts gratefully, and shares these gifts out of justice and love to all, esp. the poorest of the poor!
2) Our Life is ready to be poured out for the Kingdom. A good steward heeds Jesus' call to build the Kingdom of God which is "a new heaven and a new earth" marked by justice, peace and integrity of creation. This Kingdom-building is more than just a call to a new inner more pious life, but also a demand to transform the world. This Kingdom that a good steward is called to pour his/her life is not the kingdom in the next life, it is the kingdom "here and now", the kingdom here on earth, the earth we live in, "ang pangarap nating langit dito sa lupa".
Buhay Katiwala is therefore characterized by a VIBRANT PERSONAL FAITH or EXPERIENCE OF JESUS EXPRESSED IN RADICAL LOVE FOR GOD AND NIEGHBORS - ESP. THE POOREST AMONG THE POOR - THAT TRANSFORMS HUMAN PERSONS, COMMUNITIES AND THE WORLD!
3. What are the qualities of a good steward?
a) A good steward is one who is grateful, thanking God daily for the blessing he or she has received. A good steward never stops saying “thank you”.
b) A good steward is one who is responsible and accountable with the blessings that God has bestowed, not only using them prudently, but also making sure that they do not atrophy.
c) A good steward is one who shares God’s gifts out of a sense of love and justice. A good steward knows that it is better to give than to receive, for in giving we receive far more than we could ever have imagined (cf. Acts 20:35).
d) A good steward is one who makes a return to the Lord with increase. Remember the parable of the stewards to whom the master had entrusted the silver pieces? They had to render an account of their stewardship. One day you and I will have to stand in accountability before the judgment seat of God. And God will ask: “What did you do with all the time that you had? What did you do with all the gifts that I gave you? What did you do with your life?”
a) A good steward is one who is grateful, thanking God daily for the blessing he or she has received. A good steward never stops saying “thank you”.
b) A good steward is one who is responsible and accountable with the blessings that God has bestowed, not only using them prudently, but also making sure that they do not atrophy.
c) A good steward is one who shares God’s gifts out of a sense of love and justice. A good steward knows that it is better to give than to receive, for in giving we receive far more than we could ever have imagined (cf. Acts 20:35).
d) A good steward is one who makes a return to the Lord with increase. Remember the parable of the stewards to whom the master had entrusted the silver pieces? They had to render an account of their stewardship. One day you and I will have to stand in accountability before the judgment seat of God. And God will ask: “What did you do with all the time that you had? What did you do with all the gifts that I gave you? What did you do with your life?”
4. How do we live out this spirituality of stewardship in our daily lives?
One can live out the spirituality of stewardship through the famous stewardship triptych: time, talent and treasure!
a) Stewardship of Time: helping people to look at their lives as an opportunity to serve the Lord and to build up God’s kingdom. Stewardship of time is about paying attention to the three most important things in our life:
Making sure that we are connecting with the Lord through faithful prayer and regular participation in the sacraments of the Church.
Making sure that we are spending time with our families/loved ones.
Making sure that our lives are anchored firmly in our community of faith by allowing our lives to revolve around the worship of the Lord and the activity of the parish.
b) Stewardship of Talent: helping the people in bringing their passion to all that they do in order to make a difference. We can’t think of stewardship of talent only in terms of what we can do to help out around the parish. Talent is the passion that people have for doing what is good. Think of people that you know who are passionate about the cause of the poor, who are passionate about pro-life issues. In bringing their passion to all that they do, they make a difference. Remember that Jesus warned in a parable about the temptation of burying our talents because we think of them as insignificant. Don’t give in to that temptation. Realize that God has blessed you with unique talents, meant to be invested in the lives of those around you.
c) Stewardship of Treasure: helping people realize that stewardship is not about giving to a need, but rather a need to give, a need to make sure that material possessions do not dominate our lives. In the Gospel, Jesus praised the widow who gave what little she had, declaring that she had given more than all the others. Realize that in giving of your “treasure,” what you have to offer is of great value in the Kingdom of God.
· A good steward of treasure purchase goods and services prudently and knows the difference between needs and wants.
· A good steward sets aside part of his or her income for the Church and makes a gift to the Lord that is prayerful, proportionate, planned, and sacrificial.
· The faithful steward gives in a significant way, all in gratitude for the Lord’s magnanimous gift upon the Cross. To be sure, God will not be outdone in generosity.
Stewardship of time teaches us to give in a manner proportionate to how we have been blessed. It teaches us make our gift sacrificial. To give to the Lord a gift that is meaningful to us, a gift that we are proud to present to the Lord as a means of giving thanks for all that He has done for us.
No comments:
Post a Comment