Our Father

Did you know that the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, was a stewardship prayer? Right there at the beginning it lays the groundwork for good stewardship by acknowledging God as Father, as Provider and Source of all we need.

And then we ask for a piece of the action – “Thy Kingdom come, thy Will be done on earth,” we pray. But how? And by whom? It would be convenient if just praying for it were sufficient, but God, our loving Father, has given us each a part to play, according to the talents with which we’ve been blessed. St. Paul says, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service, but the same Lord…To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit” (1 Cor 12:4-7). God has given us all the gifts we need to do the work to which He calls us. Not alone, perhaps, but together as the Body of Christ. In that same passage, St. Paul goes on to say, “If one part [of the body] suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy” (1 Cor 12:26).

“Give us this day our daily bread,” we continue. Here we ask the Lord to provide us with whatever we need, just for today, and to free us from whatever impediments keep us from serving Him with our whole hearts. For, ultimately, we know that everything is and was and always will be God’s – the kingdom, the power, and the glory.

Good stewards understand that all we are and have are gifts from our loving God. And our grateful response must always be to use those gifts wisely and responsibly – to do our part to help Our Father’s Kingdom come, His Will be done on earth. Amen!

When we use the gifts and talents that God has given us, we find that we are blessed with even more. Jesus assures us, “Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together , running over, will be put into your lap” (Lk. 6:38).

Good stewards know that the gifts God has given them are to be used to meet not just their own needs, but the needs of their brothers and sisters, and generously share what they have.

I filled out a Time and Talent form last year. Do I need to do it again this year? Yes! Each year St. Agnes parishioners are asked to update this form. Our gifts may change and God may call us to use our time and talents to serve in a different way. This is an opportunity for all members of your family to become actively involved in the life of your parish.

We’ve received so much from our Lord – life, faith, freedom, and family. Along with these gifts, we’ve also been given the responsibility to be faithful and faith-filled stewards of our finances. Yet so many of us have allowed a wall to separate our faith lives from our money. As one person puts it, “I felt the strength of my faith was not being reflected in my finances.” What’s the biggest problem most people have with their finances? Credit card bills? Inadequate income? No savings? Too much month left at the end of the money?

While people tend to think these are their major problems, they are just symptoms. The real problem isn’t so much money (or lack of it) as it is our relationship with God and how we respond to His call for us to be Stewards of Providence. This includes trusting God to provide for our financial needs and doing our part to manage our resources in ways pleasing to the Lord. How do our priorities reflect our beliefs in Him? How much do we include Him, through prayer, in our decisions?

It’s important for our financial objectives to support our goals for life. As Christians, we must always keep in mind the reasons for our existence. Remember Jesus’ words: “For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mk 8:36). As Catholics, growing in our relationship with Christ and being faithful to him and his teachings is our number one goal in life, and should be our first financial goal as well! All the other financial goals and priorities we set will flow from our decision to be faithful to Christ.