When you hear the word “stewardship” what readily comes to your mind? Let me guess: money? You are correct. Like many of you, I strongly believe the church has not done a great job in explaining the biblical concept of stewardship. And because people often learn by association, and we only talk about stewardship when there is a capital campaign, people tend to understand stewardship as only having to do with money. Whereas stewardship includes money, it is more than that. It is where the concepts of faith, work and economics intersect. There is therefore the need for a proper understanding of stewardship as a biblical concept - one that God commands, one that God expects from all of us, and one that God rewards.
In its etymology, the word “stewardship” comes from the Greek oikonomos (oikonomia), which is made up of two parts: oikos, the word for “house” or “household,” and nomos, the word for “law.” So, oikos and nomos together literally mean “house law.” Oikonomia is transliterated into English as “economy.” The English word that translates the word oikonomia is the word stewardship. Hence, stewardship and economics are closely related concepts. The word steward closely correlates in modern English to manager. The task of a manager is primarily to oversee. Stewardship is thus defined as “The careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.” In a sense, it is managing or caring for things that belong to someone else. The person tasked with this management responsibility is called a “steward.”
At creation God gave Adam and Eve dominion over all created things. This did not mean God relinquished ownership of the earth, because he created it. He only bestowed stewardship responsibility to Adam and Eve so they could care for the earth and all in it. They were to responsibly grow it, increase it, and then return it to God multiplied (Genesis 1:28). In the ancient world, a steward was a person who was given the responsibility and authority to rule over the affairs of the household (see Genesis 39:1- 6). Joseph was the steward of Potiphar’s household: he managed everything in the household and was given the authority to rule over the house.
Last weekend I shared a story in my homily how a woman came to me in the sacristy after Mass to ask for a screwdriver so she could fix a screw that was coming off one of the pews. She was an example of a steward, one who recognized that she had a responsibility to care for God’s church. There are a number of such examples here at our parish, parishioners who see a need and go ahead to address them. And we are grateful to God for that. We would love to see a parish where everyone had such a sense of stewardship, where everyone saw the parish as entrusted to them by God to care for it.
As our parish plans toward October 2023, our parish Month of Stewardship, the question I would like us to reflect on is: Do I consider St. Thérèse, Little Flower my parish or a parish I go to? To say “My Parish” entails some investment, some commitment, and some dedication. The reverse would be true if I only consider the parish one that I go to, with no interest or investment. Your answer, as well as mine, would be dependent on our attitude to giving of our time, talent and treasure to help the parish grow. Do I prayerfully and sacrificially contribute to the growth of the parish and her mission? Do I consider support of the parish my responsibility or that of others?
In the coming weeks I will be inviting all of us to prayerfully reflect on how we can collectively take ownership of the parish by claiming her, just as she claims us and provides for our spiritual needs.
May Jesus bless you, and may Our Lady protect you!