Things are happening at St. Monica’s! Two weeks ago, we unveiled our new banner and presented our theme for the upcoming pastoral year: OUR MISSION – SENT FORTH TO LIVE AND PROCLAIM GOD’S MERCY. Last weekend, as we celebrated our “Welcome Back” Sunday with coffee, muffins, hot dogs and lemonade after each Mass, Brent Walker preached an inspiring homily, calling us to ponder our response to Jesus’ question “Who do you say that I am?”, and inviting us to come away for a retreat day in which we “put ourselves in the Way of God’s love.” What a great way to begin our new pastoral year!

 Over the next few weeks, there is a word you will be hearing which may be unfamiliar to you – although it is one we have discussed many times over the decade of my tenure as pastor of St. Monica’s. That word is “stewardship”. But what does it mean? In his article “The Seven Secrets of Successful Stewards”, Paul Wilkes defines a Christian steward as one who:

• receives God’s gifts gratefully,
• cherishes and tends them in a responsible and accountable manner,
• shares them in justice and love with others, and
• returns them with increase to the Lord.

There is a lot packed into that definition! Ultimately, though, it comes down to this: God has been so generous to us! God has given us the precious gift of time: how do we use it to serve him, to be present to others, to do the work of the Kingdom of God? God has given each of us unique gifts and talents: do we “bury them” or deny them, or do we receive them gratefully and develop them responsibly so as to build up the community and serve the common good? God has given us treasure: do we think of money and material possessions as something we own or are somehow owed, or are we willing to be generous in sharing with our church community and with those in greatest need – not just from our surplus, but giving sacrificially?

Over the next three Sundays, we will hear brief witness talks from our parishioners about how, in their own journey, they have discovered through the gift of their time, talent, and treasure the blessings of a God who is never outdone in generosity. Today, we are blessed with Marcelle Lord’s witness to the sharing of her talents, through her involvement in St. Monica’s pastoral council, food pantry, and baptismal team ministry. May we be inspired by her example and witness to experience ourselves the blessings of a generous life. Good stewardship is contagious! So as we make room for the gifts of all members of our parish, let us together draw nearer to Christ, their one Source.