CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP. Stewardship: Living the Beatitudes. International Catholic Stewardship Council. A STEWARDSHIP PRAYER for February

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1 International Catholic Stewardship Council CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP e-bulletin February 2014 A STEWARDSHIP PRAYER for February Let Your Light Shine God our Father, you who said, Let there be light shining out of the darkness, make your light shine in our hearts so that the knowledge of the glory of God which is on the face of Christ may shine there also. Throughout this day may your mercy be our defense; your praise, our gladness; your Word, the treasure of our hearts. Let your blessing descend on each of our actions. Let it accompany us and help us reach that great morning which knows no night, when we will praise your love unceasingly, through your Son Jesus Christ, our Savior and brother, in the unity of the love of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. by Lucien Deiss, C.S.Sp. Stewardship: Living the Beatitudes Three weekends in our February liturgical calendar will turn our attention to Jesus teachings in the Gospel of Matthew explaining what is to be expected of those who choose to follow him. This is the familiar Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:1 7:29), the most quoted part of the Bible. Jesus sermon begins with messages of comfort, the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-12). Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. The word Beatitude refers to a state of deep happiness or joy. But these sayings are paradoxes. They turn our normal expectations upside down. Jesus is bringing us a new law, new expectations on how to live. He is bringing forth the Kingdom of God. As the United States bishops wrote in their 1992 stewardship pastoral, Jesus does not waste time proposing lofty but unrealistic ideals; he tells his followers how they are expected to live. The Beatitudes and the rest of the Sermon on the Mount prescribe the lifestyle of a Christian disciple. Each of these blesseds is a statement about an important aspect in how we exercise stewardship of our lives. Each of them offers us an ideal of how to live and how we find God living within us. Learn the Beatitudes, memorize them, make them part of your daily prayer life, and ask the Lord for the wisdom and strength to follow this stewardship way of life, a path that follows in the footsteps of Jesus.

2 February 8: Focusing on the Victims of Human Trafficking One of the year s best films is Twelve Years a Slave. Winning accolades and Academy Award nominations, this riveting film tells the true story of a free black man in 19th century America who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. After 12 years, Solomon Northup regained his freedom and recounted his story to David Wilson who wrote a book of the same title. The book and movie reveal the horrors of a slave market that operated within sight of the United States capitol, and recount the misery of slavery on cotton and sugar plantations. Undoubtedly, filmgoers will leave the theater asking, How could this have happened in our country? The stark reality, however, is that human trafficking still exists, in the United States and throughout the world. People are conscripted to work in factories, on farms and as domestic help, and a particularly egregious form of trafficking involves the sex trade. According to Covenant House, the nonprofit agency which serves runaway and homeless youth, sex trafficking in the United States ensnares over 100,000 youth yearly. Traffickers frequent malls, middle schools and high schools, theaters and bus transit centers looking for vulnerable youngsters. Covenant House also maintains that a girl who has taken to the streets is likely to be approached within 45 minutes. Traffickers create a cycle of dependency and coercion from which it is extremely hard to escape. Millions throughout the world are subjected to modern forms of slavery, and this subjugation can occur in neighborhoods close to us. It happens wherever the homeless, the mentally ill, the runaways, and the poor are neglected. It happens to those who answer ads for employment in faraway places and may not understand what they are getting into. It happens in our cities and small towns. Support legislation to strengthen anti-trafficking measures, support the efforts of those who take care of street kids and be alert to situations around you. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Migration designated February 8 as an annual day of prayer for survivors and victims of human trafficking. February 8 is the feast day of St. Josephine Bakhita, who was kidnapped as a child and sold into slavery in 19th century Sudan and Italy. Once Josephine was freed, she dedicated her life to sharing her testament of deliverance from slavery and comforting its victims. SAVE THE DATE for the 2014 Annual Stewardship Conference.!October 5-8, Orlando, Florida, Buena Vista Hotel $499 Early Bird Special Rate CONTACT US! Call (800) or ICSC@catholicstewardship.org International CathoLic Stewardship Council

3 STEWARDSHIP SAINT FOR FEBRUARY Blessed Vicente Vilar David Vicente Vilar David was born in 1889 to a devout Catholic family in Valencia, Spain. His father owned a ceramics factory. The youngest of eight children, he was known to be a cheerful, outgoing individual with a strong faith. He married Isabella Rodes Reig, a young woman who shared his faith and youthful enthusiasm for putting that faith into action. After completing his formal education with a degree in industrial engineering, Vicente and three of his brothers took over the family business when his father passed away prematurely. He was said to have been single-minded in incorporating the principles of social justice in the supervision of his factory employees. Employees were treated as members of a family; especially when they became ill or infirm. They related to him more as a father than as an employer. Vicente held several important municipal posts in which he put the Church s social teaching into practice as well. But his great love was assisting his pastor in ministering to the parish community. He was devoted to Catholic youth groups and directed religious education programs. He was also committed to serving the poor in the parish. He was devoted to Catholic youth groups and directed religious education programs. He was also committed to serving the poor in the parish. Against the anti-religious sentiment of 1930 s Spain, Vicente spoke out on behalf of persecuted priests and members of religious communities, and even gave them sanctuary. He continued these practices despite official warnings that he stop. His arrest was inevitable, but he was given the opportunity to cease his activities and renounce his religious beliefs before a Spanish court. He refused however, and was sentenced to death as a result. Just a few moments before they shot him he forgave his persecutors. He was executed on February 14, Vicente s beatification was the culmination of a life committed to Catholic social teaching, works of charity and a deep faith courageously lived. Those who have studied his case believe he had a cause for canonization based solely on his life of faith, not just his martyrdom. He was venerated by Blessed John Paul II in 1993, the same year Isabella passed away. He was beatified on October 1, His Feast day is February 14. Valentine s Day: A Day to Celebrate Marriage February brings with it that chocolate-saturated holiday, a gift to florists and jewelers everywhere, Valentine s Day. What does this light-hearted and romantic celebration mean to Christian stewards? We can lament the amount of money spent on Valentine s Day apparently it rivals Christmas and Easter for inspiring outlays of cash for kids, teachers, the office staff, not to mention the spouse. We can shake our heads at the sometimes obligatory nature of the flowers quickly purchased on the way home from work. But imagine what a delightful celebration of marriage this day could actually be. And what is more important to the life of the Church than solid marriages and the healthy families they produce? Our Catholic theology of marriage is that the institution is the domestic church. And the bedrock of that church, the family, is a good marriage. Isn t that something to celebrate? What better day to devote to married relationships than Valentine s Day? Make special plans. Schedule some alone time. Forego the storebought card and compose your own Valentine. Put the emphasis on togetherness, not expensive gifts. Have fun. Rejoice in your relationship. Be a good steward of your spouse and use this opportunity to celebrate your relationship.

4 PATIENCE This article is part eight in a series of 12 reflections on stewardship virtues by ICSC member, Dan Potvin, Director of Stewardship for the Archdiocese of Winnipeg, Canada. Patience is a virtue that brings with it many rewards. One of the most rewarding benefits advanced by this virtue is found in the habit of delayed gratification. We live in a culture that is constantly shouting, You deserve it, and, you can have it right now! The result is many people fall prey to instant gratification. Instant gratification places a serious roadblock on our path to being the best disciples and stewards we can be. This is where patience can reward us. One of the hallmarks of stewardship is generosity; however, it is difficult to be generous if we too frequently give in to instant gratification. Advertisers would have us believe that we can spend our way to happiness. The truth is that sharing first and spending second is the path to sustained happiness and greater generosity. Patience is more than the ability to wait; it is all about how we behave while we are waiting. When it comes to developing patience with our spending habits, the best course of action is to preface every spending decision with the question, Do I need this or do I simply want it? This question is at the heart of good financial stewardship. The modern media feeds our subconscious minds with hundreds of images every day, all intended to blur the difference between what we legitimately need and what we simply want. If we are not careful these images can have a powerful influence on our attitudes. Whoever controls the images controls the culture (Bishop Robert Morneau). Making stewardship a way of life involves patience because it often requires that we make some adjustments to our lifestyle in order to become better stewards. Being patient with myself helps me on my journey. As with all the virtues, gratitude is the parent of patience. I try to be grateful in every situation, grateful for what I have, grateful for my job, grateful for my relationships. In gratitude I find patience whenever things don t go the way I think they should. Patience is more than the ability to wait; it is all about how we behave while we are waiting. Sometimes God makes us wait in order to teach us to trust Him, to have faith, and to be patient. There is nothing quite as exciting as waiting on God because we know whatever He has planned for us it will be good!

5 A STEWARDSHIP MOMENT Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Weekend of February 1/2, 2014 In today s first reading the prophet Malachi compares our need for conversion with the refinement of gold and silver. To purify these precious metals, gold and silversmiths subjected their ores to extreme heat. As the metals reached temperatures as high as 2,000 degrees Farenheit, impurities began to melt away and only the precious metal in its purest form remained. When these ancient refiners saw their reflections in the metal, they knew the gold or silver was ready; that it was pure. Good stewards know they, too, are full of impurities, and the only way God will see his image in them is when they allow themselves to undergo constant refinement; to accept ongoing conversion to take place in their lives. Do we take active steps to improve and refine our lives? Do we allow Christ to help us rid ourselves of our impurities? Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Weekend of February 8/9, 2014 In this weekend s readings and psalm, the prevailing theme is that of light: We are the light of the world; our light breaks forth like the dawn; our light shines in the darkness; our light reflects generosity and justice. Good stewards know they are the lamp, and Christ is the flame that, through them, illuminates the earth. They know that they carry Christ s light in their hearts, and let it shine through their words and deeds. What are we doing to shine Christ s light on the hungry, the homeless and others most in need of God s mercy? How do we exercise good stewardship over the light of Christ that burns within each of us? Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Weekend of February 15/16, 2014 In today s Gospel reading we hear Jesus reveal his attitude toward the Law. His mission is not to reject the Law, but to fulfill it, bring it to perfection. Jesus challenges his followers to live by an even higher standard than the Scribes and Pharisees; to be even more observant of the laws than even the strictest interpretation. Jesus says that if the Law condemns someone for murder, he wants the very roots of the anger, vengeance or insults which can lead to murder removed completely. He goes further to say that one cannot even offer prayer and worship to God if there is unresolved strife with another. One must leave the altar at once to go and reconcile the wrong. Do we trust Jesus enough to be able to conform our attitude to his? Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Weekend of February 22/23, 2014 In today s Gospel Jesus continues to teach his followers how to embrace his attitude toward the Law, and its fulfillment. Among these familiar teachings, Jesus enjoins his followers to be generous givers without regard to whether they will receive equally back from those to whom they are being generous. He directs them not to refuse either the person who begs or the person who wants to borrow from them. They are not to react in these situations by trying to protect themselves and make sure that they will be treated fairly. Jesus wants his listeners to have an attitude toward another person that transcends that other person s character, motives or behavior. In this way, he maintains, they must be perfect, as their heavenly Father is perfect. How might we cultivate such an attitude toward giving? International Catholic Stewardship Council 1275 K Street, NW, Suite 880 Washington, DC T: (800) F: (202) We encourage you to check out the ICSC Forum at under members where members can share ideas and questions. The Parish Stewardship section is reviewed every day by members of the Parish Stewardship Education and Services Committee. parishstewardship@catholicstewardship.org