Christian Stewardship has long been familiar to parishioners at St. Lawrence, but it’s an idea that constantly needs revisiting.  Despite what some people think, stewardship isn’t just a strategy for tackling the budget, or asking for more in the collection basket!  Instead, it’s best understood as a whole frame of mind, a way of approaching our lives as 21st century disciples.  It begins with the recognition that we have been singularly blessed—that ALL we have ultimately comes from God.  We are not the masters, but the stewards, the caretakers of what God has entrusted to us.  All that I am, and all  I possess, has been entrusted to me by a divine Father who asks me—like our first parents—to “be fruitful and multiply.”  His gifts are only on loan to me during this brief lifetime, and the best stewards are the ones who make the greatest use of what’s been placed in their care.  “Well done, good and faithful servant,” we hope to hear when we come to the end of our lives . . . and we will, to the degree that we commit our time, our talent, and our material resources in service to God, and to one another.

Stewardship of Time

Few things are as precious as our time!  When we realize how fleeting life is, every moment becomes precious.  So the question becomes:  how do I allocate my time, particularly when it comes to my relationship with the Lord, and my responsibility to those around me?  Am I satisfied with making it to Mass most weekends, whispering a quick prayer before bed, and leaving it at that?  Jesus thirsts for our time, and our challenge is to structure our lives so that the first and best part of our day is his.  That might mean setting aside some of our usual “to-do’s” in order to spend quiet in prayer.  Perhaps you feel called to get better acquainted with the Bible, or other spiritual reading; to pray the Rosary; or to turn into the church parking lot on a non-Sunday and spend a few minutes in silence before the tabernacle.  The possibilities for giving our time more lavishly to the One from whom it all comes are endless, but just making a start is a beautiful thing! 

Stewardship of Talent

Just as fundamental to the concept of stewardship is the use to which we put our talents—our intelligence, energy, creativity, and unique aptitudes.  Am I sharing some part of my giftedness with the larger community?  Many people look at themselves in the mirror, and don’t believe they have much to offer.  But they’re often not looking carefully enough, or appreciating what may seem to be the “little things”:  Jennifer likes to bake; Bob has always been good at relating to kids; Georgia can listen patiently as if there were nothing else vying for her time; Regina is deeply contemplative; Carl has a better singing voice than he realizes; Patty loves to garden; Lisa reads well in public;  Jim has a gift for numbers.  Our aptitudes and talents don’t need to be newsworthy—they only have to be offered with a generous heart.  St. Lawrence would be little more than a sacramental filling station without the color, energy, imagination and love that so many active parishioners—our ministers and volunteers—are eager to give.  

Stewardship of Treasure

Stewardship is not solely about what one leaves in the collection basket . . . but dollars and cents DO matter!  Our financial resources are certainly part of what God has given us, and our challenge as stewards is to share some choice portion—hopefully not just the crumbs—with the Lord and his Church.  We can’t hope to thrive as a parish without the financial support that comes to us week by week.  This community can be extraordinarily generous:  we see that in the poor boxes, in the donations of food that go to our pantry, in the steady and generous giving that marked the whole of the COVID pandemic, or in the hefty contributions made whenever we hear about a natural disaster.  The week to week financial wellbeing of St. Lawrence isn’t the responsibility of just a certain number of generous people.  Each member of the parish is asked to lend a hand to the extent he or she can—even if one’s gift hardly seems more than the proverbial “widow’s mite.”  It falls to all of us to keep our parish fiscally healthy and forward-moving.  Whatever one contributes, no matter how modest, speaks to the priority we place on St. Lawrence, and contributes to what we dream about for our future. 

For varied approaches to financial giving—traditional, electronic, and otherwise—please check the other headings in this section.  God bless you!