Ways to Give
The Four Pillars of Stewardship are Hospitality, Prayer, Formation, and Service.
Prayer
Every parish has prayer as part of its life. At the center of our prayer life is Sunday Mass. But countless parishioners pray each day, offering God praise and thanks, crying out in desperation and anguish. Our prayer should be communal and individual. Our prayer should be speaking to God and listening for His response – the growth of a personal relationship with Him.
Formation. Formation occurs in our Catholic Schools, Parish Schools of Religion, and Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). In some places, there is a desire, a hunger for deeper understanding of the Church’s teaching and adult faith formation is part of parish life. The internet, with prudence, can also be a great source for formation, including programs like Formed, myParish app, Bible in a Year, Word on Fire, Hallow, etc.
Service. Many parishes have St. Vincent de Paul Societies, food pantries, and participate in diocesan ministries like Pregnancy Cares, St Anne's Cradle of Hope, Catholic Urban Programs, OBK, and DayStar. These opportunities answer a need for those who benefit from their services, but they also assist all of us in answering the need to be generous with God’s amazing gifts.
Hospitality. Hospitality usually makes or breaks a parish, school, ministry, or nation. Many of us have assumed the child’s lesson of stranger-danger throughout our lives. Hospitality is impossible with lives rooted in fear of others. And yet, so many have good reason to be afraid. The Christian disciple must become proficient at welcoming Jesus. If we become more willing to find Christ in the least of His brothers and sisters, the more likely we’ll recognize Him at the final moment. (paraphrased from Fr. Godfrey Mullins)
All parishioners are asked to prayerfully reflect and consider how to best support the parish. How can you become a good steward of God’s gifts of your time, talent and treasure? What opportunities do you see in your life to be a good steward?
