Podcasts

Don’t Get Caught Up

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

How often do we get caught up in conforming to this age? Advertising and social media bombard us with messages that tell us what we should want, what is necessary to be happy and successful. And we tend to agree. So off we go, chasing after that image of happiness the world creates, asking the Lord to bless what we have decided is pleasing and perfect.

The Christian life, by contrast, is guided by a transformed mind that learns to think as God thinks. St. Paul tell us in Romans 12, “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer helps us grapple with this. In his book The Cost of Discipleship, he contrasts cheap grace with costly grace. Cheap grace requires no cross, no personal transformation. It is Christianity without sacrifice, inconvenience, or self-discipline. But discipleship has a cost. It requires obedience, sacrifice, and suffering. The Gospel demands that we trust God, that we trust His will for us leads to a better life than what the world offers. Deep down we know this to be true. We know it is this costly grace that buys us the peace and happiness we truly desire.

So, be transformed. Renew your mind, not by the glamor of glitzy advertising or some exciting influencer on social media, but by God’s word. Spend time studying scripture. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s gifts of wisdom to discern His will for you, and the fortitude to live it. Put God first in every area of your life, every moment of time, every ounce of talent, and every dime of treasure. That is where you will find true peace and happiness.

St Ignatius of Loyola said, “We should not get caught up in our desire for either health or sickness, wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or a short one. For everything has the potential of calling forth in us a deeper response to our life in God.” Instead, may we be transformed by renewing our minds and live each day with kindness and generosity, trusting that His will for us is what is good and pleasing and perfect.

                                                                                                                                                                                       Photo Credit: Robert Davis

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What Do You Have that You Haven’t Been Given?

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Think for a moment about everything you have – What do you have that you haven’t been given? I hear your pushback: “What do you mean? Nobody has given me anything. I work hard and have earned everything I have.”

Yes, of course. We do work hard to provide for our needs and wants. But listen, James Taylor admits this truth. In the first stanza of Carry Me On My Way, he sings:

I forget what to ask for
There isn’t anything I haven’t been given
How could I wish for anything more
As I am here living in heaven

And St. Paul tells the Romans, and us, that, “From him and through him and for him are all things.” (Rm 11:36)  As we are here living in heaven on earth, we believe that God owns everything and so everything we have is a gift from God. Acts 17:25 tells us that it is He who gives to everyone life and breath and everything!

So, the proper mindset of good stewardship is that God owns everything, and everything we have are gifts to us from God. He gives us the talent and ability to work and earn the money we use to get the things we have. When we embrace this truth, we can’t help but be overwhelmed with gratitude and humility. Our gratefulness invites us to make a response to God. We want to give back, to make a return to the Lord for all the blessings and benefits He gives to us.

I think of Jonah 2:10 where he sets a good example for us when he declares, “With thankful voice, I will sacrifice to you; What I have vowed I will pay.” In your thankfulness, what should you vow to pay? How can your giving reflect your humble gratitude to God for all he’s given to you?

                                                                                                                                                                               Photo Credit: Robert Davis

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Lord, Save Me!

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Have you ever embarked on a new venture? Maybe it involved a move across the country to start a new job, or resigning a corporate position to start your own company. At this time of year, many young people are going away to college for the first time. In most cases, we start out with great excitement. But after a short while, the strong winds of challenges and obstacles arise, causing us to become frightened. The initial excitement gets replaced by fear and doubt.

That’s what happened to Peter in Sunday’s Gospel. In Matthew 14:29-30, Jesus said to him, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and with great excitement and enthusiasm, began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he felt how strong the wind was, he became frightened and began to sink. He cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Living stewardship can be like that. Jesus calls to us, “Come. Come close to Me. Trust Me. Be a good steward of all of my gifts and blessings to you.” You hear His message. You embrace it with great enthusiasm – “Yes, Lord, I will.” But soon you realize that the call of stewardship is to live like Jesus, to love unconditionally and give courageously – beyond what you think you can. And so you falter. You begin to sink.

Fear not. Jesus will catch you. Step out in what little faith you have and trust God to provide. St. Francis de Sales said, “Do not fear what may happen tomorrow. The same loving Father who cares for you today will care for you tomorrow and every day. Be at peace and put aside all anxious thoughts.”

Be the best disciple you can be and put God first in every area of your life – including your budget. Give generously out of gratitude for all the blessings God gives to you. If you falter, cry out like Peter, “Lord, save me!” Trust that God will catch you and help you to continue on this wonderful, exciting, adventure of stewardship.

                                                                                                                                                                                Photo Credit: Robert Davis

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Will It Be Enough?

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Do you ever worry that what you give just won’t be enough to make a difference? The Apostles surely had that same concern. In Matthew 14:15-20, they must have worried, “Will it be enough? How can 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish possibly feed thousands?”

But here we have yet another example of Jesus taking our meager gifts and with overwhelming abundance, providing for people’s needs. He tells the apostles, “Bring them here to me.” They obeyed. They gave what they had. Jesus takes it, looks up to heaven in prayer, and gives thanks to God for their gifts. You know how this goes, they collected 12 baskets of leftovers.

And this is how it goes with our giving. He takes our gifts, however meager we may think they are, and multiplies them to meet everyone’s needs. In praise and thanksgiving to the Father, and enlisting the help of the disciples, He provides for all.

In this event, Jesus demonstrates the sacramental principle behind Stewardship: From→Through→To. From the power and graciousness of God, through Jesus, the Church and His priests, He provides for us.

Everything we are and all that we have are gifts to us from God. How blessed are we?! When we embrace the truth of that, we can’t help but respond. In humble gratitude, we receive God’s gifts gratefully and develop them as best we can. We then share them out of love and justice with those in need.

We are blessed and so we give. St Paul tells us that if we give eagerly, it is acceptable according to what we have (2 Cor 8:12). We give what we can from what we have and trust that God will use our gifts to bless others.

What if we all lived this stewardship principle: From→Through→To? We would transform our church. We would change the world.

                                                                                                                                                                           Photo Credit: Robert Davis

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What are You Searching For?

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

We hear from Jesus about a merchant searching for fine pearls. And when he finds the pearl of great price, he sells everything to get it. What are you searching for? What is the finest possession you could have—the pearl of great price? What are you willing to sell to get it?

It seems too often that too many of us strive to acquire the highest-end merchandise and go on the most exotic excursions thinking having and doing these things will make us happy and bring a sense of satisfaction to our life. But isn’t it true that after get those things, we find the happiness they brought lasts only for a short while. It’s temporary. Deep down, we know something is missing, that there must be more. The happiness the world offers, we know, is fleeting.

At the end of the day, we know that the greatest gift we could ever have—the pearl of great price—is eternal life. Life eternal with God is the happiness we truly desire, and frankly, is beyond our understanding. The hope of receiving that gift should drive our actions love others which fills our days with the joy and peace we truly seek.

Eternal life in the kingdom of heaven is the pearl of great price. It is worth selling out for with all that we have and all that we are.

St Faustina said, “A humble soul does not trust itself, but places all its confidence in God.” How would your life be if in your confidence in God, you sold everything to buy this pearl of eternal life, trusting that all will work out for good for those who love God (Rm. 8:28)? That is living Stewardship.

                                                                                                                                                                  Photo Credit: Robert Davis

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