Several weeks ago, on Respect Life Sunday, I spoke about the foundational gift... the gift of life. Everything we do, everything we seek, everything we accomplish... it all depends on this absolute gift of God. Life is a gift... we do not earn it. We do not merit it. It is a gift.
If you begin with the premise that life itself is a gift, then you will begin to see that every gift experienced in this life is also a gift of God: Your children and your parents; Your health and your dealing with health issues; Your blessings and your hardships. Every good thing is a gift from the Giver of all gifts, the Lord God. Knowing this in the deepest part of his human heart, Jesus of Nazareth lived this truth, recognizing that all gifts are a blessing from our Abba, our Father; and the Lord Jesus calls us to follow Him in living this new Way of Life.
A spirituality of stewardship is really the spirituality of our discipleship, our following of Jesus. Our baptismal vocation points us to follow the Lord Jesus as a disciple (a disciplined and intentional following of the Way). We are called to live as He lived and lives... in loving obedience to our Abba. To be a steward is to steward or manage the gifts given in a way pleasing to God. To be a steward is to remember that that is good comes from the Lord; and this same Lord asks us to manage these gifts according to the plan of God.
As your pastor and as a brother in discipleship, I am asking each of you to be a good steward of the gifts given.; and I am asking you to be generous in offering our parish family a portion of the gifts given, as you share some of your time, a generous helping of your talents and a portion of your treasure. Today, I need to share with you the needs of the parish as regards your treasure. We are in need, and our only source of income... is you.
Each year, the parish family of SJN is called to offer our fair share of dollars to the Archbishop's Annual Appeal. In the DVD presentation seen this weekend, you've heard the Apostle of Atlanta and North Georgia speaks about the needs of his office. We need the participation of each family and each individual member, if we are to meet the goal set for us by the Archbishop. I am asking that you offer the 2010 Archbishop's Annual Appeal 1% of your own treasure (whatever that 1% comes out to be). Please know that if all do not assist in reaching this parish goal, the difference will have to be made up from our offertory.
We are in need of an increased offertory. Even in these difficult times, we are called to the kind of sacrificial love, the kind of sacrificial giving that is seen in the life of Christ. I urge each member of the parish and each family of the parish to give 5% of your treasure to the week-by-week offertory. From this offertory, we pay the salaries of the staff, we make repairs as needed, and we organize the catechesis and ongoing adult formation. Our week-by-week offertory pays the bills that this parish family has, week-by-week. We need that increase now.
Our Building a Legacy of Faith project is no longer a project. It's growing right outside the windows of the church and parish office. We need 100% redemption of all that have made a sacrificial three-year pledge; and for those of you that (for whatever reason) did not pledge when we began the BLF dream, now is the time. I am asking every member and family to offer at least 4% of your income (whatever it is) to the BLF campaign.
This parish is being called to do mighty things for the Lord, in the many small acts of service we offer. We are in need of the time and the talents and the treasure, of one and all. I am "all in". What about you?
AMDG
Msgr. David Talley
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|