Week Beginning March 27, 2022
Be a Good Steward of Our World
“God blessed them and God said to them: Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that crawl on the earth. God also said: See, I give you every seed-bearing plant on all the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the wild animals, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the earth, I give all the green plants for food. And so it happened” (Genesis 1:28-30).
The concept of stewardship is that we serve as caretakers–not owners–of God’s bounty. The Bible reminds us that God created the world, but He entrusts it to human beings. As Christian stewards, we cultivate and protect our planet, our natural resources, the environment, and all life. We take special care of God’s creation, knowing that His plan includes preserving its natural beauty and life-sustaining resources for future generations.
“The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it” (Genesis 2:15). Through our works–regardless of our vocations–we build up both our world and the Kingdom of God. In this way, we partner with God to carry out our share of this divine and human collaboration for the benefit of creation.
Although we are called to have dominion over the earth, we are not called to exploit it. Rather, we exercise responsibility for God’s domain, paying close attention to the interests of those who are poor and marginalized. The stewardship of creation includes sharing our gifts, behaving ethically, and treating others justly. We recognize when it is prudent to develop and when it is prudent to conserve. We strive to limit destructive forces, restore glory, and sustain our environment.
The path of Jesus Christ is our perfect paradigm to guide us through the stewardship of creation. By mirroring his example, we can reflect the light of God to shine throughout the earth. This week, please consider the ways you can act as a good steward of our world.
Week Beginning March 13, 2022
Be a Good Steward of Talent
In gratitude for all of the talents with which we are blessed, we use our unique skills to benefit others, to benefit the world, and to benefit God’s eternal Kingdom. We recognize that each gift is given for the common good and comes with an associated task and responsibility to glorify God.
“Every person must walk unhesitatingly according to his own personal gifts and duties in the path of living faith, which arouses hope and works through charity” (Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium).
Saint Catherine of Siena explained: “God said to me, ‘I could well have made human beings in such a way that they each had everything, but I preferred to give different gifts to different people, so that they would need each other.’” This helps us act humbly and consider the interests of our neighbors.
We are called to be trustworthy with what we have been given, not to envy another’s abilities. What we do with what we have been entrusted is of greater importance than the quality or quantity of our particular talents.
This week, try to discern your unique gifts and talents. Consider how recognizing and accepting your talents illustrates God’s grace in your life. Focus on developing the talents you have rather than finding faults through your weaknesses. How can you use your talents to serve God?
Week Beginning March 6, 2022
Be a Good Steward of Time
For the gift of our lives, for all of time that God freely gives to us, and for the promise of eternal salvation, we return a portion of that time to God through prayer and execution of His good works. To properly steward our time, we set purposeful goals for our lives, intentionally select our activities, and make proactive choices about how we spend our days.
This week, reflect upon how you can use your time to glorify God. To be truly productive, we listen to God’s plans for us through praying and reading the scriptures. When we take faithful steps forward by following the path of our Lord, our lives become enriched. We become united with something bigger than who we are and what we do.
Time is one of our most precious gifts from God. In addition to reserving a portion of our time for God, we honor the remaining time we have by keeping our other activities in balance. Managing our integration of work, relationships, and self care helps us use our gift of time wisely. “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
