Daily Reflections - March 1,2013

STEWARDSHIP

 

One of the commands that God gave at Creation has something to do with stewardship. Humanity was commanded to subdue the Earth and to multiply. Within this text is an implicit call to good stewardship, and not a license to exploit the resources of the Earth, as some seem to think it is. There are generations who will follow after us, and they will need resources to live comfortably, or even to survive. We all have the responsibility to conserve the Earth’s resources.

The message about stewardship is made clear by today’s parable. We should not limit our understanding of stewardship to personal things, but be conscious of it in the personal, communal and universal levels.

The old adage comes to mind: To the person to whom much has been entrusted, much will be expected. One of the small comforts of the poor or those who do not have a lot of disposable belongings is that their responsibility towards the material needs of others is far less than the rich.

One aspect of stewardship that we need to remember is gratitude. If we use our gifts and talents well, it means we are grateful for them. If we ignore them, or hold them in contempt, we lack gratitude and this makes us bad stewards. Growth in gratitude is always associated with growth in responsible stewardship.

In order to be faithful to the gifts and talents that God has given us, we first have to discover them. This is where faith, prayer and trust in God help us. We should be tireless in discovering our gifts and in how we use them once we have found them.

If each of us uses well all that we have been given, and if we share what we have with one another, no one will be left wanting. The world’s resources are not distributed evenly among its population. It is up to us to recognize that we have a responsibility to share what we have with one another. Only then will we be good stewards of what God has given us. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: How good or bad are you as a steward of the gifts God has given you?

 

Holy Spirit, help me to discover the gifts God has given me and to use them well in building the Kingdom of God on earth.