Immaculata Stewardship
A Letter from Our Pastor
Rev. Matthew D. Spahr
Dear Parishioners,
We are in the midst of our annual Stewardship Month, an opportunity each year to reflect on stewardship as a way living the Christian life, by which, in response to God’s gifts, we make a return of our time, talent and treasure.
As we continue the year of Eucharistic Revival our theme is “The Eucharist Unites Us”. The Eucharist is our most precious gift as Catholics, transforming us into the Body of Christ and strengthening us to be Christ for each other by the sharing of our gifts.
The Eucharist is also a reminder that God’s gifts never stop being poured out. And, consequently we always have reason to thank him. It is my hope that our Stewardship Carnival this weekend will be an opportunity to learn how you can express your gratitude by the sharing of your time, talent and treasure with our community and beyond. Please take the time to read through this booklet and prayerfully consider what will best help you to grow and express your gratefulness to God over the next year. Parish ministers will be on hand throughout the weekend to answer your questions about the various ministries of our parish.
Prayerfully consider how God is calling you to use your time, talent, and treasure in service to others in gratitude for his gifts to you. Then, find a way, however large or small, to share your gifts by beginning or rededicating yourself to a ministry and to financial support of our parish that is planned, “off the top,” and in proportion to your gifts. May the Eucharist unite us in gratitude and renew us in our commitment to become Christ for each other and for the world by becoming faithful stewards.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. Matthew D. Spahr
Pastor
Time, Talent & Treasure
Stewards of Time: Prayer
The Stewardship of Time is the careful, wise, and Godly use of the precious gift of time God has blessed us with. Stewardship of Time refers to how we place ourselves in the presence of God. "For Catholics, the stewardship of time should include setting aside periods for family prayer, for the reading of Scripture, for visits to the Blessed Sacrament, and for the attendance at Mass…”- U.S. Bishops' Pastoral Letter on Stewardship
Stewards of Talent: Service
All of us have been blessed by God with many talents, skills, and abilities. The Stewardship of Talent calls us to search out those talents, nurture them, and share them with others. These talents and gifts are not given to us just for our own use, but are given to us for the enrichment of the lives of others in order for us to serve God better. Here at The Immaculata there are different minis tries that help serve our parish community and the community at large.
Stewards of Treasure: Generosity
Our temporal possessions are gifts from God that we are asked to care for and generously share. It is important to share our material possessions for a couple of reasons: because everything good that God has given us is meant to be shared; and because each of us has a need to give. We need to give generously to individuals and families in need, to the Church, and to other worthwhile charitable organizations because giving is good for the soul and because as stewards of God’s precious gifts, it is our responsibility to share those gifts in gratitude to a loving God for our many blessings.
“A steward makes God’s love visible by imitating Jesus. The more deeply one grows in love for God, the more one grows in heart and sees Stewardship as a way of life, a way of love, imitating God's love for us. Stewards see everything good as gifts received from God and they respond in gratitude with the gift of self.” - USCCB: Stewardship, A Disciples Response
