Podcasts

Stewardship is Hard!

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Living Stewardship can be hard. We think we’re doing all the right things, and often we are. We go to Mass most every week. We put something in the basket. We volunteer, and are members of the Knights of Columbus or Cursillo or some other group. But life is too hard.  Something is not quite right. And then we read about a saint. We hear about someone we know at church who seems to just be able to do and give and do and give – way beyond what seems reasonable, way beyond what we think we can do. We want to do more. We want to trust God and detach from wanting more stuff. We want to try to give courageously. But it is easier said than done. Maybe we should stop trying. Maybe we should give up like Elijah tried to give up.

God knows this. God didn’t let Elijah quit, and He won’t let us quit either. He tells us like He told Elijah in 1 Kings 19: 5-8, “Get up and eat!” He looked and there at his head was a hearth cake and a jug of water. After he ate and drank, he lay down again, but the angel of the LORD came back a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat or the journey will be too much for you!” He got up, ate, and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb.

Thankfully, He gives us ample provisions for this journey of discipleship. We “get up and eat” when we go to Mass and hear the Word of God, hear the Gospel preached. We are fed by the Eucharist and find support in a community of like-minded believers. It is Mass and the Sacraments that strengthen us on this journey of stewardship.

We are not meant to journey alone. Jesus sent His disciples out two-by-two (Mark 6:7). So, plug in to your church community. Join a Bible study to help you grow deeper in your discipleship. Give and be a part of the mission of the church. There, in your church community, find the strength and courage to be a joyful, generous, and thankful steward.

Photo Credit: Robert Davis

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God Will Provide

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

God Will Provide! We read In Exodus and in John’s Gospel great examples of God providing for the needs of the people. In John 6 they went looking for Jesus. They were hungry, as were the Israelites in the desert. And aren’t we hungry in our desert? Aren’t we searching for more, something more than this? We can trust that God will provide it:

In Exodus 16:4   The LORD said to Moses: I am going to rain down bread from heaven. And in verse 15, after the quail came and the dew evaporated into manna, Moses told them, “This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.”

God Will Provide

In John 6:27, Jesus told them, “ Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. And again in verse 32,  Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.

God Will Provide

What are you searching for, asking God for? Isn’t it something more than bread? Aren’t you hungry to have more in your life, more significance, make more of an impact? And truly, more of God’s peace? Jesus tells us in verse 35, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Come to Jesus in all humility and gratitude for all the blessings in your life. Respond with generosity, and trust that… God Will Provide

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Where Can We Buy Enough?

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little [bit].” One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.” Now there was a great deal of grass in that place. So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. [John 6:5-13] 

I love the Gospel of John’s version of the feeding of the thousands. Here we have this little boy offering up his family’s food. There’s no way one family’s cache of bread and fish could be enough to feed 5 thousand people. But this boy, undaunted by Andrew’s cynicism, stepped out in faith and gave what they had. 

Did Jesus need that family’s supper in order to feed the crowd? No. He could have called down steak and loaded baked potatoes, dessert included, for everyone. But, He waited until someone acted. Jesus took what was given, multiplied it, and provided amply for all. He worked a miracle!

Jesus wants us to step out in faith and give. He will take our gifts, no matter how insignificant we think they may be, no matter if we think we need that money to provide for our family. He wants us to give sacrificially because He will take our gifts to work miracles. Ask yourself this question, “Is anyone missing out on a miracle because I didn’t give?”

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What Seperates You from God’s Peace?

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

What separates you from God’s peace? St. Paul tells us that Jesus is our peace. Ephesians 2:14 says, “For He is our peace, He who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through His flesh.”

What is your dividing wall – what keeps you having God’s peace? Is it stress from striving to advance your career to make more money? Does that, then, lead to even more stress due to time demands? Does our society’s definition of happiness fuel your consumeristic drive to buy more stuff, to go on extravagant trips?This usually results in higher credit card balances which only exacerbates our stress. Do you worry about money?

Is it our pride that hopes that by having the right house, the right car, the right clothes, going to the best restaurants, seeing all the first-run shows, vacationing on the Riviera, is that the money we need to spend so that others think of us as successful? Is that what it takes for us to feel good about ourselves?

These are walls of enmity. The world’s ways to peace and happiness are hostile to God. They divide us from God. They lead to anxiety and animosity, and keep us from becoming better stewards, holier disciples. It is only in putting God first in every facet of our lives that we gain the peace we truly seek. This is an over-arching message of this ministry.

Embrace the truth of how much God loves you, how much He blesses you. And then respond by accepting the challenge of putting God first. First in your time each day. First in using your Talents to serve. First in spending your Treasure to help the poor. Do that and see if you don’t begin to gain a sense of His peace in your life.

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Take Nothing for the Journey

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Mark 6:7-8,12-13   He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. So they went off and preached repentance.They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

The apostles left everything to obey Jesus’ instructions. Anything they thought they might need to thrive on their trek, they left it behind. They took nothing for the journey. Surely, that made them nervous. But note: Jesus didn’t send them out solo. He paired them up to send them out two by two. Together in community, they willingly detached from their insecurities, and trusted God to provide. And in doing so, they successfully carried out His mission.

Living stewardship is not meant to be done in isolation. God knows our need for each other, our need to be in community. As community – our family, our brothers and sisters in Christ, the Knights of Columbus and the Columbiettes as examples – together, when we put God first, when we obey Him and trust Him, we, too, successfully carry out His mission. We may have some anxious moments. But when we put others’ needs ahead of our own desires for more money and possessions, we are more effective in changing our environments for the good of His kingdom. And we feel a sense of satisfaction for doing what God asks us to do. 

Let’s join together in fraternity. Together, let’s put God first. Let’s detach from the things we think we need to be comfortable and successful, trust that God will provide our needs, and obey His commands to give and serve. Like the apostles were sent two by two, let’s join together to carry out the mission of preaching repentance for our consumerism, and drive out the demons of materialism. Doing this will bring you the peace, joy, contentment, and happiness you truly desire.

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