The Steward s Way. A springtime lesson in stewardship INSIDE. A monthly publication from the Office of Stewardship and Development

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1 INSIDE DIOCESE OF KALAMAZOO Office of Stewardship & Development 215 N. Westnedge Avenue Kalamazoo, MI Celebrate May Day A fun May Day project is a good time to thank God for all the new growth and new gifts that are abundant in Spring. This simple, but creative project can be used by Parents or parish staff to involve children in this ancient tradition to help teach them a greater understanding of God s blessings and the joy of sharing and giving. A springtime lesson in stewardship Spring is a very busy time for all of us. Yet spring offers an amazing and fairly easy way to reflect on three aspects of our stewardship. Resurrection Catholic Parish of Green Bay, Wis, suggests three easy ways to think about your stewardship through the care of a plant. A fun and appropriate project (lesson) for all ages. Stewardship some Get It, some don t In an article by Fr. Dave Zimmer, he suggests there are too many that think of stewardship only in terms of fundraising. What can be done to evangelize the stewardship way of life and convince others to do the same when you encounter this incorrect myth about stewardship? Fr. Dave provides some wisdom in a practical suggestion to help de-myth this wrong notion of stewardship. page 2 Mary & Mothers modeling lives of stewards May is traditionally the month dedicated to Mary as well as honoring our mothers on Mother s Day. This article re-caps the origination of Marian devotions and the many diverse cultural traditions. page 3 A MAY stewardship prayer Blessing of St. Therese of Lisieux. page 3 May holy days affirm our role as stewards In the month of May spring abounds with new life. We also celebrate two special church year events: The Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost. These very important holy days help to encourage and empower us as God s stewards. page 4 Blessed to be a blessing It s important for us to help our children and one another understand that we are blessed by God and we are to use our gifts to bring about blessings in the world. This short and fun exercise for children and adults can help better realize God s blessings in our life. page 4 Cultivating your God-given gifts An article by Fr. Michael Troha helps us understand that just like the springtime flowers we care for, our time, talents, and treasure also need to be cared for they need to be cultivated and nourished. With poignant questions, Fr. Troha challenges us to reflect on whether we have first accepted the seeds in our lives and whether we are cultivating and caring for them properly. page 5 The Steward s Way A monthly publication from the Office of Stewardship and Development Celebrate May Day Since ancient times May Day has been a joyous celebration to mark the return of spring. Certainly this is a good time to thank God for all the new growth and new gifts that are so abundant in spring. In England children traditionally dance around the Maypole, decorated with streamers, garland, flowers and dyed eggshells. An early American tradition was to leave a basket of flowers on a neighbor s door. A fun project might be to have children draw or color a basket of flowers. They can write the message Happy May Day from a friend! on the top. Then instruct them to secretly leave their cheery message in the mailbox or under the door of a friend or neighbor. Ask them to report back the next day how they felt after secretly doing something nice for someone else. Source: Archdiocese of St. Louis A springtime lesson in stewardship S pring is a very busy time for all of us. It is a challenge for many of us to find ways to reflect upon our call to be good stewards. Yet, spring offers an amazing and fairly easy way to reflect on three aspects of your stewardship. All you need to do is plant the seed. Literally! Take a walk through a local garden store. Take your lunch break or make it a sort of field trip after naptime (this exercise is great for kids). For less than $3 you can select a pack or two of your favorite seeds or pick up a starter carton of flowers or herbs. The opportunities to reflect daily on your stewardship are the same no matter what you choose. This plant is a gift that has been given to you by God. It is up to you to care for it tenderly and help it to grow. Ultimately, your goal is for it to bear fruit. Here are three ways to think about your stewardship as you care for your plant. Continued page 2 MAY 2013 STEWARDSHIP E-NEWSLETTER

2 THE STEWARD S WAY AM ONTHLY PUBLICATION FROM THE OFFICE OF STEWARDSHIP & DEVELOPMENT Continued cover story Springtime Lessons Prayer: As you seek the best place for your plant to live in your home, ask yourself, do I seek the best people, places and things to surround myself with in order to best use the gifts God has given me? As you water your plant each day, reflect/ask God to show you where the places are for you to grow your gifts. Service: As you feed, water, prune, transplant and nurture your plant as it grows, reflect on the ways you feed, prune, and nurture your God-given gifts. How are you strengthening your gifts by using them to serve others and your parish? Sharing: When you begin enjoying the fruits of your plants, (the smell, the sight, or in a favorite recipe), consider taking a flower plant to the local nursing home or dropping off a bunch of herbs to your neighbor. Reflect on the ways you could be sharing your tangible and material God-given gifts with others and through your parish. Spring offers an amazingly easy way to reflect on your stewardship. All you need to do is plant the seed literally. Source: Resurrection Catholic Parish Green Bay, Wis. Stewardship some Get It, some don t By Fr. Dave Zimmer, St. Thomas More Church Sandy, Utah I find that the stewardship way of life is often challenged by a myth that is very difficult to change. Some get it, some don t. Too many think of stewardship in terms of fundraising a program or strategy that promises to increase one s offertory. This is the myth to which I am referring. It is often thought that successful stewardship is measured only in dollars and cents. This is also a myth. As I talk with priests and lay people throughout our community, within our diocese and around the country, I notice that many people hang on to this myth more than I care to admit. Not only do people defensively hold on to this misunderstanding, but they are also convinced that there is no other perspective about stewardship than their preconceived notion, and nothing is going to change it. This really becomes a challenge to those who are trying to evangelize the stewardship way of life and convince others to do the same. What can you do when someone isn t convinced or doesn t understand that the stewardship way of life is an all-inclusive answer to authentic discipleship? My first response is, don t give up! Persistence pays in the long run, and if we truly believe this is what Jesus is calling us to do, we can t give up. Opportunities will present themselves to witness to the stewardship way of life. Seizing such opportunities to inform, instruct and encourage the stewardship way of life as an expression of our discipleship can, and will, happen when we least expect it. Be prepared and do not fear to say the word stewardship explain it as the practical, understandable way to live life as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Keep your faith in action it will be fruitful. Jesus knew that some of his followers would understand and embrace his call to discipleship simply and wholeheartedly. He also knew that there were others who would take a little more time to understand the call and respond with faithful stewardship. He would never give up on those who deserved a little more attention. Granted, it can be discouraging when my brother priests are stuck in the money mode, due to the fiscal responsibility we have as pastors to balance budgets and provide for all the needs of a parish family. Those responsibilities cannot and should not be ignored or neglected. But when the myth about stewardship overpowers the fiscal responsibilities of parish administration, we will find ourselves on a very different level of our spiritual growth and expression of faith. It is an easy trap in which to find ourselves I have been there too often, myself. I readily admit, I don t completely get it yet, for I am quite comfortable enthusiastic even that embracing stewardship as a way of life is a lifelong process that promises unlimited possibilities, and is a potential that knows no bounds as only the Holy Spirit can provide. I am more convinced than ever we all are called to live the stewardship way of life. It is my hope and prayer that as you read this, more are getting it than those who do not. 2 MAY 2013

3 THE STEWARD S WAY AM ONTHLY PUBLICATION FROM THE OFFICE OF STEWARDSHIP & DEVELOPMENT Modeling lives of stewards May is traditionally dedicated to Mary as flowers blossom during this month and they have come to be seen as symbols of Mary, the Flower of flowers. Several Marian devotions during May originated in the 16th century and flourished in the commonly called Marian century (around ), a period sandwiched between two bookend Marian dogma proclamations: Immaculate Conception in 1854, and Assumption in 1950). The May devotions at churches usually include the singing of Marian hymns, readings from the Scripture, a sermon, Hail Mary s, etc. May crowning on or around May 1 is also a popular practice. In addition, Marian devotion takes place in the family around a Marian picture or statue decorated with various May flowers. The family would gather to pray the Rosary and other prayers in honor of the Blessed Virgin. Under the influence of Spanish Dominicans and French Missionaries, Vietnamese Catholics have had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin since the 16th century. Honoring Mary during the month of May with flower-offerings, songs and dance, is common in churches in Vietnam and also in many Vietnamese communities overseas. Vietnamese children perform a flower dance around the statue of Our Lady of La Vang, who reportedly appeared in 1798 in a small village in central Vietnam to comfort Catholics suffering from persecution. Today Marian devotion in general is not as popular as it once was. However, there s a renewed interest in Mary even in Protestant circles with a flurry of publications by Protestant scholars on Mary. Beverly Roberts Gaventa, a biblical scholar at Princeton Theological Seminary, has led the exploration with Mary: Glimpses of the Mother of Jesus (1995) and Blessed One: Protestant Perspectives on Mary (2002). Robert Jenson is another noted author who has focused on the role of Mary through his monumental two-volume Systematic Theology (1997 and 1999) and Mary; Mother of God (2004). In addition, years of dialogue between French Catholics and Protestants bore fruit in a resource book titled Mary in the Plan of God and in the Communion of the Saints (1999) that calls for both Catholic and Protestant conversions on the subject. Church historians have maintained that devotion to Mary was not abandoned even by the Reformation leaders Luther, Calvin and Zwingli. The Second Vatican Council even declared in Lumen Gentium, the constitution on the Church, that Mary is a potential ecumenical bridge, a source of the future unity of all Christians. On Mothers Day as we honor our mothers and motherly persons in our lives, let us remember and honor also our Blessed Mother who is the best role model in discipleship. If we model our lives after our Blessed Mother, we will become better stewards and disciples of Jesus. And isn t that our life journey as followers of Jesus? Source: Holy Family Parish San Jose, Calif. MAY Prayer Blessing of St. Therese of Lisieux May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us. Amen. 3 MAY 2013

4 THE STEWARD S WAY A MONTHLY PUBLICATION FROM THE OFFICE OF STEWARDSHIP & DEVELOPMENT May holy days affirm our role as stewards In the month of May in many parts of our country the fields, gardens and orchards are green and growing, giving us the promise that seedtime and harvest will again prevail, and with God s blessing, the earth will yield its increase and provide food for all God s creatures. According to God s design the sun will warm the fertile soil and the rains will cause the seeds to sprout and grow into healthy, productive plants, vines, trees and bushes. April showers bring May flowers. We are now seeing evidence that this old saying is true! In May we will also be celebrating two special church year events: The Ascension of the Lord and Pentecost. These two very important holy days help to encourage and empower us as God s stewards. On Ascension Day our Lord returned to the right hand of the Father, not to escape from the world, but to serve as our Advocate to the Father. It is so encouraging for us to know that Jesus gave us a renewed start for us as God s stewards. At the price of His own life, Jesus earned for us the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. Pentecost Day reminds us of when the Holy Spirit descended upon the first apostles and empowered them to be renewed servants of Jesus who became bold and effective witnesses of the good news of salvation in Christ Jesus. Pentecost Day also reminds us of the new birth of faith in us through the marvelous, yet mysterious, working of the Holy Spirit. For most of us, that started with our baptisms. That new life continues as the Holy Spirit works through Word and the sacraments to strengthen and equip us to be effective stewards. As God s stewards, we have the promise that the Holy Spirit empowers us to do what we otherwise could not do. God s stewards recognize that their stewardship involves a Gospel-powered style of life which is demonstrated in servanthood within all the arenas of life. By the grace of God we are reminded that we are to serve our Lord with personal acts of compassion and service as well as financial gifts. Some people seem inclined to think that stewardship is just about money. Yes, it is about money and how we manage it, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. Stewardship involves our wise management and use of all of life and life s resources for God s purposes. What a blessing and encouragement it is to know and believe that Christ died for us, rose again from the dead, ascended into heaven as the divine conqueror of sin, death and the devil, and now sends the Holy Spirit to be the Lord and Giver of life. May the Holy Spirit enable us to use our time, talents, relationships, treasure and all the other special gifts and blessings in a way that honors our God and blesses our neighbors. AMEN! Source: St. John s church Fort Collins, Colo. Blessed to be a Blessing (An exercise for all ages) In the Old Testament, God promised to Abraham; I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:23) As our ancestor in faith, God did use Abraham to be a blessing to many including us! The people of Israel were the descendants of Abraham, and it was from this family that Jesus was born into the world. Our Lord Jesus Christ came so that people like us people who come from many nations and families across the earth would receive the blessings of faith and eternal life with God. Have you ever seen a Cornucopia (COREnew-COPE-ee-ah)? The word means horn of plenty. The fruit and produce that pours out of the cornucopia represents all the good things that God provides for us. We get to share God s blessings with others! In the space below, write down a list of the many blessings you have from God, that you could share with others. Each of the words should start with a letter from the word CORNUCOPIA. A list of God s blessings in my life: C O R N U C O P I A 4 MAY 2013

5 THE STEWARD S WAY A MONTHLY PUBLICATION FROM THE OFFICE OF STEWARDSHIP & DEVELOPMENT Cultivating your God-given gifts By Fr. Michael Troha Everyone loves springtime. But anyone with a beautiful garden will attest to the fact that the flowers do not magically appear as if the change in season itself miraculously makes the flowers bloom. Beautiful flowers and lush gardens are the result of hard work by the gardener. Imagine a person is given some flower seeds. The person then buries the seeds in the ground and leaves them on their own. As the months pass and rain falls, some seeds may receive enough nourishment to bloom. But simply burying seeds in the ground will hardly make for a gorgeous garden. Rather, if the person truly wants to enjoy many beautiful flowers, there is much care and work ahead. Recognizing the hidden beauty within these simple seeds, the person must cultivate the ground, plant the seeds in a solid foundation and water and fertilize them throughout the year. Only then will the proper fruit these seeds were made to bear be realized. This simple illustration should speak to our hearts not only as we look around at the flowers, but more importantly, as we reflect on the springtime of the Church. Through His death and resurrection, Christ offers us the greatest gift of all eternal life. This should lead us to reflect on the many gifts God has given us in this life and the fruit they will bear, especially as we look to life eternal. Each of us is a multitude of gifts so that we can better serve God and bring others to God. Do we notice the hidden potential of our gifts? Do we see them, like the seed, as seemingly small, yet so full of fruit? Everything we have our time, talents, and treasure is a gift from the Lord. Do we accept gifts in gratitude, then put them to use by cultivating and nourishing them so they will bear the proper fruit? Just like the springtime flowers we enjoy, our time, talents, and treasure need to be cared for. Our gifts need to be cultivated and nourished. Only then will we see them for what they are wonderful gifts given by God and meant for God s continued work. If we use our gifts flippantly, we may see some fruits here and there. But we are called to so much more. We are called to build a beautiful garden. We are called to offer God the most beautiful flowers of all. This season, as we look at all the beautiful flowers around us and enjoy God s creation, let us think about the seeds in our own lives. Ask yourself if you have accepted the gifts God has given you your time, your talents, and your treasure and cultivated and cared for them properly. Or, do they just sit dormant within you, yearning to bloom? DIOCESE OF KALAMAZOO Office of Stewardship & Development Mark Morrow or Terry L. Hageman thageman@dioceseofkalamazoo.org MAY