July 2020

The stewardship way of life could be described as a daily pursuit of the kingdom of heaven. In our Gospel passage from Matthew today, Jesus employs three parables to describe this kingdom. 

In the first of today’s parables, our Lord reminds us that living for Him and for His kingdom will be costly. But the deep joy that comes in following Him makes the “price” entailed worth it. Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Next, He says the kingdom of heaven is “like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all he has and buys it.” 

In each of these stories, the kingdom of heaven is somewhat “hidden.” We must intentionally search for it amidst the noise of the world that bombards us. Yet, our Lord reminds us that His Kingdom is meant for everyone and He wants us to find it! He says, “It is like a net thrown into the sea which collects fish of every kind.”

But Jesus concludes His teaching with a rather ominous image, reminding us that every “fish” will also be judged as good or bad. “The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace.” This is a description that is difficult to forget. Clearly Jesus wants to get our attention.

Let us pray for the wisdom to recognize the kingdom of heaven in our midst and intensify our efforts to pursue it starting right now. There is no time to lose, and we will obtain the immeasurable joy that only comes when we live as disciples of Jesus.

— Stewardship Reflections by Catholic Stewardship Consultants

Today’s Gospel passage from Matthew is filled with lessons both cautionary and consoling for the Christian steward as Jesus uses several parables to describe the kingdom of heaven and our role in it. 

First, He compares it to a field where both wheat and weeds have been sown. Both weeds and wheat are permitted to grow and only at harvest time are they separated, or “judged” — the wheat gathered into the sower’s barn and the weeds finally destroyed. So it will be for each of us at the end of our time on earth. It is a sobering reminder of the justice of God. 

Next, He says the kingdom of heaven is like the small portion of yeast that is mixed in with flour for the making of bread. The yeast makes up an insignificant fraction of the ingredients, yet it is vital to the outcome — without that tiny bit of yeast, the bread simply will not rise. Similarly, He compares the kingdom of heaven to a mustard seed, “the smallest of all the seeds.” But when it is full-grown it becomes the largest of all the plants, a sturdy and hardy bush where “birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.”

So often, the prayers we pray, the service we offer, the gifts we give — in comparison to the immense needs around us — can seem laughably small. But, as Jesus makes clear through the images of yeast and mustard seed, that is not the truth! God sees and “grows” our offerings of time, talent, and treasure in ways we cannot begin to imagine.

In justice, in gratitude, in love, let us remain faithful to the mission entrusted to our care for the building of the kingdom of heaven.

— Stewardship Reflections by Catholic Stewardship Consultants

In today’s Gospel from Matthew, our Lord shares the Parable of the Sower who scatters seed on many different kinds of land. This is a wonderful analogy for the stewardship way of life, demonstrating the slow and steady, yet powerful effect this lifestyle will have on those who fully embrace it.

In this parable, some of the seeds land on a path where birds carry them off before they can begin to take root. Other seeds land on rocky ground with little soil. As soon as things begin to heat up, they get scorched and die. Then there are seeds that land on soil cluttered with thorns which choke the seeds just as they are beginning to grow strong.

Finally, there are seeds that land on deep and healthy soil. These seeds produce abundant fruit. 

This is where the stewardship way of life comes in. When we give the best of our time, talent and treasure to serve God and others, we create lives filled with that rare “good soil” needed for the Kingdom of God to thrive. 

How does this happen? Stewardship living removes the “rocks” of mistrust from our lives as we develop an unshakable faith that God will always provide for our needs. It clears away the “thorns” of worldly ambition that make us self-centered, fill us with needless anxiety and stifle our focus on God. Stewardship living requires a deep reliance on the Word of God and the sacraments which continuously nourish and fertilize the soil of our lives.

Let us deepen our commitment to this way of life, allowing the Sower to do His work in us, slowly and steadily. The Master Gardner will surely produce miraculous fruits through us.

— Stewardship Reflections by Catholic Stewardship Consultants

The theme of humility is central to our readings today. God Himself is a humble God, so if we wish to follow Him as Christian stewards, we too, must be humble. In fact, humility is key to the stewardship way of life, and to a peaceful and fulfilling life.

Our first reading from Zechariah foretells the unexpected way in which the Lord, the Savior of the world, will arrive. “See, your king shall come to you; a just savior is he, meek and riding on an ass… and he shall proclaim peace to the nations.” It is almost unfathomable that our almighty, all-powerful God would humble Himself to live among us as one of our own, let alone to contemplate the unassuming way in which He arrived — born as a helpless baby, growing up under the care of human parents and finally making his entrance as savior on a lowly colt. Christ has given us a clear and compelling model of humility. We dare not pursue any other path for ourselves if we wish to follow after Him. 

But this kind of humility goes against our natural, worldly bent which says we must insist on having our own way, assert our rights at all costs, and put ourselves first so as to get ahead. How can we live the radical way Christ is calling us to live? 

As St. Paul tells us in the letter to the Romans, our second reading today, “Brothers and sisters: You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit.” Because of the gifts of our Baptism and Confirmation, we have a “super power” right within us — the Holy Spirit — Who gives us every spiritual gift and all the strength we need to follow Christ. We must awaken to the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, leaning into Him to increase virtue in us, especially this key virtue of humility. Paul reminds us that this is for our own good after all — “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

In our Gospel passage from Matthew, Jesus Himself speaks to the Father of the privileged role that humble souls play in God’s plan of salvation. “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones.” 

What does it mean to be a “little one”? It means that we acknowledge we don’t have it all figured out, but that we are very much in need of a savior. It means we recognize that all we are and all we have been given is a gift from God. It means we embrace the stewardship way of life. 

It is not easy, but deep peace and consolation come with this way of life. Jesus offers these warm and encouraging words to entice us to embrace it. “Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” 

— Stewardship Reflections by Catholic Stewardship Consultants