Although ours is not a tithing tradition, few parish budgets would face shortfalls if every parishioner, from minimum wage earner to corporate executive, were to put ten (or even five) percent into the collection basket each Sunday! However, although we may not hear about tithing from the pulpit, Catholics are familiar with the concept of stewardship. The dollar amount of our weekly offering may be just that, an “offering,” but financial support itself is one of Precepts of the Church. We are to set aside a portion of our worldly goods for the work of the church, as “good stewards.”

The concept of stewardship is an ancient one, with many examples spread throughout both Old and New Testaments. Christ himself used the image often in parables to illustrate the Kingdom of God. Every generation is challenged to be a responsible steward of its time, talents, resources (including the earth itself) and money. What we might overlook, central to the concept of stewardship, is that it is not one’s own affairs, but the affairs of someone else, that a steward oversees. It is not his property, nor will he ever own the kingdom, but both are managed for the sake of an absent king.

It sometimes seems as though everything, including our very life, is our own possession, but it is not. Christian stewardship is grounded in the recognition that everything belongs to the King. We are his stewards, wisely or unwisely investing what has been entrusted on his behalf. When giving to the collection, prayerfully reflect on your stewardship. The work of the church is not confined to one’s own parish or even Archdiocese, but it surely must begin here. We are dependent upon your generosity, and deeply grateful for your support.