Podcasts

Giving is Acceptable According to What One Has

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

St. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 8:12-14, “For if the eagerness is there, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have; not that others should have relief while you are burdened, but that as a matter of equality your surplus at the present time should supply their needs, so that their surplus may also supply your needs, that there may be equality.”

Time for a quick review: Stop for a moment and think about all the blessings in your life. Write them down…       

 

…What did you write? Family; Job; House; Health; Yes of course, what wonderful blessings. Did you also include God’s unconditional love for you? His mercy and forgiveness? And also, His real presence with us always and especially in the Eucharist? And the one that overwhelms me – His suffering and dying on the cross in payment for your sins so that by faith in Him, you can have eternal life with Him in Heaven – oh my goodness. I mean truly – how blessed are we, Amen?!

Our stewardship mindset reminds us that all of this is gift. Everything single thing that we have and all that we are are gifts to us from God. God’s generosity invites a response. When we admit and embrace this truth, we know in our hearts that we must make a return to God for all the gifts and benefits He gives to us. In all humility and profound gratitude, and as St. Paul reminded the Corinthians as he reminds us, as a matter of equality, according to what we have, we are to use and share our gifts to supply the needs of others.

Does your giving reflect how grateful you are for all of God’s blessings? Give according to what you have to help others. 

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Stewardship can be Scary!

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Like the storm the disciples encounterd when crossing the Sea of Galilee was scary, living Stewardship can be scary. Putting God first in every

area of your life – every facet of your life – includinging in your spending can seem terrifying? But that is what we as disciples are called to do. Hesitant? Afraid? Jesus admonishes us, “Oh you of little faith.” (Mt 8:26) Mark’s Gospel in Chapter 4 verse 40 has Jesus asking us, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”

Being obedient to God’s will can seem intimidating. Of course, even knowing God’s will can seem confusing. But we can be sure that in God’s will is for us to acknowledge that He is the source of all we are and all we have. Another part of His will surely is to respond to all of His gifts and blessings with humility, gratitude, and generosity. We are to detach from our comforts and desires, and trust that He will provide. And that certainly can be scary.  Delaying gratification and relying on anyone other than ourselves goes against cultural norms. But it is only when we put God first that we find the peace and happiness that we seek. 

How do we do this? The key is to start small. Take that first small step of faith. Because that’s what it takes – faith. Living a Stewardship way of life demands that you have faith. Putting God first in everything and giving courageously and sacrificially requires you to trust God. Trust that He knows you, He loves you, He wants the best for you, and He will provide. This comes of faith. 

Faith is a gift. Pray for the gift of faith to trust God and give. Give courageously in response to all the blessings He gives to you. 

Photo Credit: Robert Davis

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Who Are My Mother and Brothers?

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Mark 3:33-35   But he said to them in reply, “Who are my mother and [my] brothers?” And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.[For] whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

This Gospel might seem a little strange. It kind of sounds like Jesus kicked his family to the curb, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Huh?

But think of it this way – Jesus expands family beyond any bloodline connection. He considers us family when we do the will of God. This is great news! All we have to do to be a part of His family is know the will of God and do it. How? St. Luke put it this way, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” (Luke 8:21)  So, doing the will of God is being obedient to His word. And what does His word tell us to do?

  • Love God above all else, and love our neighbor as ourselves.
  • Give God praise and thanksgiving always and everywhere.
  • Give back to God from our entire selves – Time, Talents, and Treasure, in humble gratitude for all of His blessings. 

In this, let’s look to Matthew 25 and find the works of mercy: feeding, clothing, providing shelter, visiting the sick, the shut- in, and those in prison. To this I add, educating kids from poor families, and providing real solutions for young pregnant women to choose life.  Being obedient to God’s word, putting God first in every area of our lives, and giving to the needs of the poor – to me, this is doing God’s will. This is living stewardship.

So – be obedient to God’s word. Give in response to God’s blessings!

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How Blessed are You?

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

Take a moment and think of how blessed you are. When I ask people to share their blessings, the most common responses are family, job, house, and health. Yes of course, thank you Lord. But do you also think about God’s unconditional love for you? Do you think of His unmerited grace? His mercy and forgiveness? Do you think about His suffering on the cross, and His dying for us so that by our faith in Him, we can have eternal life with God in heaven forever!! Oh My Goodness! How blessed are we, truly?

How do we respond to God for all of His blessings? The Psalmist asks the question for us in 116:12,  How can we repay the Lord for all the great good He does for us? 

  • How about a heartfelt, humble “Thank you, Lord?”
  • How about genuine praise and thanksgiving? Yes
  • And how about by putting God first in your life? First in every area of your life – including in your financial life. 

That is what good disciples do. In imitation of Jesus, we put God first in every facet of our lives, including with our money. Giving is the first category of spending in our budgets. When we do this, we admit the truth that all is gift from God. And in all humility, we give back to God – first. 

Put God first in your life. Put God first in your spending. Give to God first in thanksgiving for all of his blessings. 

Photo Credit: Robert Davis

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Go and Make Disciples

Published on: by Joe Galloway Comment

This Holy Trinity Sunday we hear Jesus give us His great commision in Matthew 28:19, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.” 

Being a disciple is living a life of Stewardship. We become better disciples when we embrace and practice stewardship every day. As stewards, we acknowledge that God gives us everything. Everything is gift from God: every moment of Time, every ounce of Talent, every dime of Treasure. We gratefully receive and cultivate these gifts from God. And we share them out of love for others. When we do, these gifts then come with the fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace. They manifest themselves in how we speak and act. This very way of living Stewardship evangelizes others. Our joy exudes. Peace emanates. Others see this and are attracted to us. They want to know our “secret”.  

The secret is that good stewards are so confident in God’s love that they can’t help but share His love with others. Good stewards trust God to provide and so give of their entire self – Time, Talent, and Treasure – for the good of others. Living stewardship allows us to be a part of something big, something more majestic than our own selfish drives and desires. Live stewardship and be a part of the Church’s mission to evangelize, to make disciples of everyone you encounter.

            Photo Credit: Robert Davis

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