Stewards know where gifts come from

By Karen Johnston

	Stewardship Stewardship: A Way of Life is the diocesan thrust. It invites Catholics to acknowledge that all of life is a gift of God and to respond through prayer, service and sharing. This series will look at ways to do that.

"We seek to respond daily to God's love in gratitude and in prayer, with compassionate service, generous sharing, reconciliation and justice."

Embracing stewardship as a way of life is a journey all Catholics in the Diocese of Green Bay have been on for many years. Stewardship offers each of us a framework for serving others. We hold as a value the gift of being present to others and responding to God's love in our midst.

Stewardship provides a spirituality that one can adapt to daily living. Stewardship helps us to be aware that God is the ultimate giver of the gifts we have. Our gift to God is what we, in return, bring to his people. Taking a portion of our time for a retreat is a good way to reflect on these gifts and be grateful for the abundance of blessings bestowed on each of us.

"As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace" (1 Pt 4:10).

The U.S. Bishops' Pastoral Letter on Stewardship invites us to "... receive God's gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord." It is toward this end that we reflect on all that has been given to us as gift in our lifetime. We share responsibility for the care of God's creation, for the poor, for each other.

Retreats offer each of us the time to pray and reflect on what it is that God asks of us through our many and varied ministries. Taking time to reflect on the following areas may assist us as we take time away on retreat to renew our commitment to discipleship:

• Affirmation -- When have I felt most valued in my vocation to serve others?

• Selflessness -- When have I seen my colleagues go beyond their own self-interests and work collaboratively?

• Legacy -- How do we honor our stories and create and treasure new stories? What will we leave as a legacy for others?

• Vocation -- What is it that called each of us into the work of the diocese? What sustains you?

• Reflection -- What prompts the contemplative side of each of us? How do we pause to reconnect ourselves to a higher calling?

• Faith -- How do each of us create a vision of the future that we may never see? Where do we see the presence of God in the future of our work? How have we invited God into our workplace each day?

• Trust -- How do we build confidence in one another?

• Simplicity -- How might we simplify our lives to be more open to the Spirit in our midst?

Many the gifts and many the blessings, a retreat opens for us a world of possibilities for discovery!

(Johnston is director of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Green Bay.)