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Spirituality of STEWARDSHIP. Buhay Katiwala. SPIRITUALITY. The Source, the well that gives me life… The Source, the well that inspires me… The Source, the well of my vitality… The Source where I can draw strength from… each day again. TERMINOLOGY.
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Spirituality of STEWARDSHIP Buhay Katiwala
SPIRITUALITY The Source, the well that gives me life… The Source, the well that inspires me… The Source, the well of my vitality… The Source where I can draw strength from… each day again...
TERMINOLOGY The Anglo-Saxon styweardis the person in charge of feeding the people in the manor, Hence the steward came to mean as the one who was responsible to the lord of the manor for managing essential resources and functions
Stewardship - a way of life - a spirituality - not just an activity or practice - It covers all aspects of our life, not just our money.
SCOPE OF STEWARDSHIP STEWARDSHIP OF …… • Life • The environment • Time
SCOPE OF STEWARDSHIP STEWARDSHIPOF … • Faith • Treasure, money or property
SCOPE OF STEWARDSHIP STEWARDSHIP OF … • Vocation and position • Capabilities
Stewardship is essentially a theological understanding of a total way of life. It is a reason for lifting the discussion of money to a spiritual level.
Biblical Grounds of the Spirituality on Stewardship • It is who we are as God’s creatures (true to our identity) • Stewardship leads to reverence and owe: an attitude of profound respect – seeing God in all and all in God.
Biblical Grounds of the Spirituality on Stewardship 3) As a sign of gratitude to God 4) We are called to trust God 5) It is part of the dynamics of love, and we are called to love God above all things.
1. SINO BA AKO BILANG TAO? Who am I as a human being? - IDENTITY -
Reading: Genesis 1:26-28 GOD said, ‘Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild animals and all the creatures that creep along the ground.’
Reading: Genesis 1:26-28 GOD created man in the image of Himself, in the image of God, He created him, male and female He created them.
Reading: Genesis 1:26-28 GOD blessed them, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all the living creatures that move on earth.’
Genesis 2, 8.15 The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed…. The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and care for it.
Teachings of Genesis creation stories • Creatures • Fruit of God’s inward desire • Patterned after God himself • Our humanity is complementary: male and female. • With a mission, to take care of creation. It is in this way that we are the image and likeness of the Creator.
Creation is made for all and not only for some. • There is social responsibility and social mortgage for what we have.
In the beginning God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of mankind to take care of them, aster them by labor and enjoy their fruits. The goods of creation are destined for the whole human race. (CCC 2402)
The right to private property, acquired by work or received from others by inheritance or gift, does not do away with the original gift of the earth to the whole of mankind. The universal destination of goods remain primordial, even if the promotion of the common good requires respect for the right of private property and its exercise. (CCC 2403)
In his use of things one should regard the external goods s/he legitimately owns not merely as exclusive to oneself but common to others also, in the sense that they can benefit others as well as himself. The ownership of any property makes its holder a steward of Providence, with the task of making it fruitful and communicating its benefits to others, first of all one’s family. (CCC 2404)
“Economic Justice for All”US Bishops 1986 All decisions on economics must be ethically judged and evaluated in the light of what they do for the poor, what they do to the poor, and what they enable the poor to do for themselves. The fundamental moral criterion for all economic decisions, policies and, institutions is this: they must be at the service of all people, esp. the poor.( 24)
“Economic Justice for All”US Bishops 1986 The misuse of the world’s resources or appropriation of them by a minority of the world’s population betrays the gift of creation since ‘what belongs to god belongs to all.’ (34) God intended the earth and all that it contains for the use of every human being and people (GS 69)
Other Biblical Reflections Mt 24, 45-51 Parable of the Conscientious Stewards Mt 25, 14-30Parable of the Talents
Matthew 24,45-51 The Faithful or the Unfaithful Servant ( Luke 12:41-48) “Who, then, is faithful and wise servant?It is the one that his master has placed in charge of the other servants to give them their food at the proper time. How happy that servant is if his master finds him doing this when he comes home! Indeed I tell you, the master will put that servant in charge of all his property.But if he is a bad servant, he will tell himself that his master will not come back for a long time.
Continuation of Matthew 24:4-51 • And he will begin to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards .Then that servant’s master will come back 0ne day when the servants does not expect him and at a time he does not know. • The master will cut him in pieces, and make him share the faith of the hypocrites. • There he will cry and gnash his teeth.
The Parable of the 3 Servants • “At that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like this.Once there was a man who was about to leave home on a trip:he called his servants and put them in charge of his property.He gave to each one according to his ability :to one he gave 5,000 gold coins, to another he gave 2,000 and to another he gave 1,000.Then he left on his trip.The servant who had received 5,000 coins went at once and invested his money and earned another 5,000.In the same way the servant who had received 2,000 coins earned another 2,000.
Continuation of The parable of the 3 Servants • But the servant who had received 1,000 coins went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
John 15:16 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name.
Romans 12:6-8 Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
1 Peter 4, 10 As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. 1 Corinthians 4, 1 People must think of us as Christ’s servants, stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God.
What does a steward do? To take care of what has been entrusted to him/her by seeing to it that…. • It is not destroyed or wasted • It is put into use for self and for others • It is returned with increase, i.e., developed • He/she will give an account – transparency • The part of the owner be given to him.
God is the owner. He is the source of all. What is to be given to God? • Mark 12, 42-43 • Luke 19, 1-10 • Malachi 3,10
2. Regard creation with great awe and respect Sirach 42:22-25 How desirable are all his works, and how sparkling they are to see! All these things live and remain forever; each creature is preserved to meet a particular need. All things come in pairs, one opposite the other, and he has made nothing incomplete. Each supplements the virtues of the other. Who could ever tire of seeing his glory?
Psalm 139:13-14 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
Attitudes to cultivateas stewards • Great respect • Appreciation • Sacramentality of the world • Not merely utilitarian • Not exploitative
Romans 1:19-21 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened.
3. Attitude of Gratitude Outlook of Abundance that God’s works present to us: • God is liberal in what he makes: Many flowers and seeds, different kinds of fish and insects, abundant colors in sunsets, etc. • We have many gifts given by God for free: life, health, the air, sunlight, love, freedom, etc.
Outlook of Scarcity that is being implanted in us by the world • There are many things that you do not have so you are not happy (Creating Needs). • You have to get them since there is a limited offer.
Outlook of Scarcity that is being implanted in us by the world • To get them you must buy them, hence you need money. • With money you can be happy since you can have the things being offered.
Luke 17, 11-19 • All 10 lepers have faith to call on Jesus. • All 10 lepers have faith to do the bidding of Jesus to go to the priests.
Luke 17, 11-19 • Only one has the faith to return to give thanks. • He not only received healing but he received salvation
Attitude of Gratitude We need to: • Stop • Return • Thank the source of goodness Our Worship to God is Eucharist, i.e., thanksgiving! We give, we offer as a sign of gratitude.
4. TRUST Because we recognize that we received so much, so we can trust God. Matthew 16, 5-11 Luke 11, 9-13 Luke 12, 22-34 Ephesians 3, 19-21
Leviticus 23:10 "Speak to the Israelites and tell them: When you come into the land which I am giving you, and reap your harvest, you shall bring a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest The offering of the first fruits and the first born is a sign of trust. God will not fail us!
5. Dynamics of Love True love is a reciprocity; it is not a one-way traffic! It is in the give-and-take that love grows. This is also the case with our love for God.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
1 John 3:16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us-- and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.
In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:10
To love is to give Luke 6:38 Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.
So you decide! 2 Corinthians 9:7-9 Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written, "He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”