Stewardship and Young Adults - An Invitation to Help Change the World

Taken from: National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference

What Is Catholic Stewardship?

It is a spirituality (i.e. hence a way of life) made of four parts:

• Receiving the gifts of God with gratitude
  
• Cultivating them responsibly
  
• Sharing them lovingly in justice with others
  
• Standing before the Lord in a spirit of accountability
  

Reflection Questions

1. What resources, talents, and abilities has God given me? Do I use them in service to others? How might I take the next step to become a more effective steward?
   
2. What qualities in the life of Jesus provide a model for living and an example of good stewardship? How might they compare to my own life and lived experience?
   
3. If I am to work to be an effective Christian steward, with the help of God's grace, what will it cost me in terms of personal sacrifice and hardship? Am I willing to take the next step?
   
4. How am I reaching out to invite others to recognize their gifts? What opportunities do I provide for them to employ those gifts for the good of the community?
   

Change the World
"I am convinced that if we can make stewardship part of our faith life we can truly change the world. We can make this a much better place in which to live—not just for us, but for everyone. I am convinced of this because I am convinced that it will attack the selfishness that besets all of us. It turns the mine to ours; it turns self to others. It turns us from just loving ourselves to loving others as Jesus loves them."

Bishop John J. McRaith
Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky