PARISH STEWARDSHIP. Annual Conference. Hospitality at Mass: A Key to Good Stewardship. Remember, we are Christ s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20).

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1 2O11 Annual Conference Orlando, Florida October 23-26, 2011 International Catholic Stewardship Council PARISH STEWARDSHIP Education and Services Committee e-bulletin June 2011 Hospitality at Mass: A Key to Good Stewardship A STEWARDSHIP PRAYER FOR JUNE Gracious God, So often you attempt to offer us a peaceful awareness of your presence. It is always there, but we do not slow down enough to become aware of it. Help us to slow down and appreciate this gift, and come to a deeper understanding of the movement of your Spirit in our lives. Help us recognize those moments when you rescued us, healed us, and reconciled us. Increase our trust in you, show us how to reach beyond ourselves to minister to others, and give us the wisdom to be better stewards and sacraments of your presence each day. We pray this in Jesus name. Amen. For many individuals and families alike, summer means travel. And summer travel may mean new visitors to our parish for weekend liturgies. How we greet and provide hospitality for our guests says a lot about our practice of good stewardship. Providing hospitality to strangers is a hallmark of Christian stewardship. In the Gospel of Matthew good stewards were commended for their hospitality: I was a stranger and you welcomed me (Matt. 25:35). St. Benedict directed his followers to receive guests and travelers as if they were Christ. Extending hospitality is especially important when it comes to welcoming visitors who may be attending mass at our parish for the first time. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence suggesting that the ability of a first-time visitor to have a meaningful experience of Christ in the liturgy is directly impacted by the warmth Remember, we are Christ s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). of the welcome extended by the local worshipping community. When people say hello, the worship experience is enhanced. A warm welcome is part of evangelization, work necessary in a church s mission to help people discover or renew faith in Christ. How do we treat the unknown person who walks by us in church, or who sits next to us at mass? Do we ignore them? Talk around them? Look at them and say nothing? Do we take the initiative to greet them, smile, extend a warm handshake? Remember, we are Christ s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). Our actions and reactions toward visitors at mass communicate who we are and who we represent. Let us take time to welcome visitors to our parish this summer. Welcoming gestures, however small, will not only have a positive impact on visitors, they will make us more hospitable ambassadors of Christ.

2 Do You Welcome Visitors to Your Parish? Welcoming newcomers to your parish is not just the job of the pastoral staff, ushers, ministers of hospitality or greeters. It is everyone s responsibility. Here are ten things you can do to provide better hospitality in your parish. 1. Cultivate the virtue of hospitality at mass. Many mass attendees tend to gather into little cliques and ignore those who are not members of their particular clique. They are not really inhospitable, just heedless of the need for hospitality. Make hospitality a new habit when you go to mass. 2. Come early, leave late. Instead of rushing to mass to be there on time, and then rushing out at its conclusion, make time to come a little early and linger just a bit later. Make room in your busy life to greet and spend time with others at mass. 3. Go in peace to greet someone! Seek out someone you ve not met before. Shake their hand, introduce yourself, and take a few moments to welcome them to your parish home, God s house. 4. Welcome everyone. Not only do visitors need your warm welcome, regular mass attendees also need a friendly greeting. Develop a good handshake and be enthusiastic about your parish. You are greeting others in the name of Christ. 5. Help newcomers connect. While you are getting to know visitors, introduce them to other parishioners as the opportunity presents itself. Feel free to invite visitors to sit next to you. 6. Say goodbye with genuine warmth. After mass, bid farewell to visitors, inviting them to return next week. Introduce them to the pastor if the opportunity arises. 7. Avoid parish business. Avoid conducting parish business with others just before or after mass. Focus on visitors. 8. Give visitors information about the parish. Ensure that a visitor has a bulletin and other information about the parish before they leave. If there is a social gathering after mass, invite them. 9. Be part of a greeting ministry team Parishes are always in need of greeters to serve regularly, and provide ongoing formation to new greeters. Help out, be a greeter. If your parish doesn t have greeters, now is a good time to start! 10. Greet those who already minister in the area of hospitality. It isn t necessary to neglect the people who are already ministers of hospitality in order to make visitors feel at home. A simple wave and a smile go a long way.

3 STEWARDSHIP SAINT FOR JUNE Saint Justin Martyr Justin was considered a great steward of Christian teachings a century after the apostles, and is regarded as the first significant Christian philosopher. Some even consider him to be the most prominent person in Christianity between Saint Paul (death ca. 67) and Saint Irenaeus (death ca. 200). Born of Greek parents in the ancient city of Shechem (now, Nablus, in the West Bank), he was well educated in rhetoric, poetry, history and philosophy. After studying and teaching philosophy, Justin converted to Christianity around 130, having been impressed with the connection between Christ and the Old Testament prophecies as well as with those who suffered martyrdom for their faith. Justin was attracted to the writings of the Greek philosopher, Plato, and how they complemented Christian teaching. But it was the teachings of Jesus Christ that became for him what he called the only sure and useful philosophy. After his conversion, Justin continued teaching philosophy, but now as a Christian, teaching first at Ephesus and eventually in Rome. He publicly debated others, including Jewish scholars, and those who embraced other religions and worshiped Roman gods. Around 150, he founded a school of philosophy, taught the Christian faith, and wrote his major works. His writings disclose important information about the contemporary rites of Baptism and Eucharist. He wanted to show that they were not magical rites as pagans said they were. It is also important to note that Justin taught from the lived tradition of the Christian community and not from the New Testament, since that portion of Sacred Scripture had not yet been developed into what we know it to be today. Justin s writings strengthened the morale of Christians at the time. Justin was arrested in Rome and at his trial he openly confessed his faith and refused to worship Roman gods. He was severely beaten and beheaded. Justin Martyr is the patron saint of philosophers and his feast day is June 1. 2O11 Annual Stewardship Conference Orlando, Florida October 23-26, 2011 INTERNATIONAL CATHOLIC STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL Stewards of God s Grace Save the Date! Please join us for the 2011 annual conference of the International Catholic Stewardship Council Early Bird Special $499 Registration now through July 31, 2011 Register Today! Online at or call ICSC toll free at

4 A STEWARDSHIP MOMENT Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord Thursday, June 2 or Weekend of June 4/5, 2011 In today s gospel Jesus charges his followers to make disciples of all nations. What exactly is going on here? What is this Great Commission anyway? Good stewards know they are directed to share what they exercise stewardship over: their life of faith in Christ Jesus. They know Jesus didn t direct them to go to church but to keep quiet about it; or to go out into the neighborhood, workplace or marketplace and just be nice. Christ s Good News is meant to be shared. Many people in our communities don t know about Jesus Christ. Does that bother us? Do we care? Do we realize we are supposed to do something about it? Seventh Sunday of Easter (If Solemnity of the Lord s Ascension is celebrated Thursday, June 2) Weekend of June 4/5, 2011 In today s second reading, we hear it proclaimed that we are blessed if we share in the sufferings of Christ. What then does it mean to share in His sufferings in this context? Most of us do not live in a part of the world where we could be killed for being a follower of Jesus. But we could face or suffer mockery, ridicule and disapproval from others. Far too often, and for various reasons, those who profess faith in Christ act as though they are ashamed of him. But to act ashamed is the same as a denial. Stewards of the Good News are never ashamed to reveal their love for the Lord. Pentecost Sunday June 12, 2011 Mass during the Day This weekend we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit among the believers of the early Church. Saint Paul reminds us of the special power the Holy Spirit has bestowed upon us and how that power gives us the potential to live extraordinary lives of faith. Good stewards recognize this power and use their gifts, through God s channel of grace, to transform their lives and the lives of others, and thus hasten God s Kingdom. Good stewards know that it is through the Holy Spirit that they can proclaim: Jesus is Lord. Weekend of June 18/19, 2011 The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity In today s second reading Saint Paul s final appeal is a call for unity. God created that unity. Good stewards who share Christ s life in the Eucharist belong to each other, just as God in the three persons of Father, Son and Holy Spirit enjoy unity. We are an intimate part of God s divine bond, God s family. Saint Paul maintains that we ought to act that way. In the Church there is a bond of family, yet plenty room for variety. Christian stewards use their uniquely varied gifts to live a Trinitarian faith, in unity, promoting Christ s peace and justice. How do we promote unity in our parish? June 26, 2011 Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ Among the compelling Eucharistic themes proclaimed in today s readings is the notion of participation as found in Saint Paul s letter to the Corinthians. Good stewards are part of a Eucharistic family: loving, welcoming, serving. An important part of living as a steward comes about in the many ways we can participate in the life of the Church. No matter how much time we have to give, no matter what our skills or interests, no matter what our level of commitment, there is a way to participate as a good steward to enrich our lives, and build up the Body of Christ.

5 Embracing Stewardship Means Living Our Trinitarian Faith On the third weekend of June we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. This feast reminds us that the doctrine of the Trinity is not some abstract theological principle. It is a practical doctrine reminding us that three persons in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, exist in perfect love and communion, in perfect unity. Indeed, it reminds us of the mystery of God as a family of love and we are the stewards of this triune mystery (1 Cor. 4:1). Christian stewards are called by Christ and gifted by the Spirit to participate in God s transforming work in the world. Christ walks with us on our individual and communal journeys, teaching us and sending us out to do this work. Stewards are the hands of God, serving as co-creators and co-redeemers. Christian stewards are called by Christ and gifted by the Spirit to participate in God s transforming work in the world. As a family of faith, a Church, we are led by the Holy Spirit, not fully knowing what God has in store for us. But as the Sprit leads us along new paths and into new situations, our understanding of the triune God deepens. Sometimes the Spirit moves us and our Church in directions that challenge us, take us out of what is comfortable, and in directions that even instill anxiety and fear. But the hearts of stewards remain open to the movement of the Spirit. They know that: No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9). The extent to which we are good stewards of our Trinitarian faith shows in the quality of our prayer and sacramental life; how we treat others at home and outside; how we make decisions; how generous we are with ourselves and our resources; and how we share our faith with others. Living Trinitarian faith moves us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, to do our part to restore communion among people everywhere, and to be confident that God is present among us always. 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