A Way of Life

Stewardship - The Lifestyle of Christian Discipleship
Whenever faithful Catholics devote themselves to daily prayer, to service, and to financial generosity, they have practiced stewardship. In essence, whenever we use our personal gifts to serve the Lord, we are being Christian stewards. Even though faithful members of Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary have practiced stewardship for many years, we now feel that God is calling us to a parish-wide Stewardship Renewal.
This isn't program or a fundraising effort. It's not a one-year experiment. Its a commitment to a way of life - the lifestyle of Christian Discipleship. Practically speaking, it means making time for personal prayer. It means choosing to serve in parish ministries. It means planning a generous, consistent gift to the weekly offertory. Over time, as each person embraces their personal commitments, our parish can become a powerful witness to the abundant life that Jesus has promised.
Stewardship of Time - Persevere In Prayer, Romans 12:12
Prayer and Christian life are inseparable, says the Catechism of the Catholic Church. But as anyone who has ever tried to pray on a regular basis will tell you, prayer can be hard work.  That's why we have to make a firm commitment to be persistent.  Just as we learn to budget our money or schedule occasions for service, we also have to be very specific when we make time for prayer. Many people set aside 30 minutes in the morning to sip a cup of coffee and read Scripture. Others pray a rosary on the way to work. Still others pray with children before bedtime, or pray with their spouse before retiring for the evening. Whatever the format, the important thing is that we make a conscious effort to spend time with the God.

For Catholics, stewardship of time should include setting aside periods for family prayer, for the reading of Scripture, for visits to the Blessed Sacrament, and for attendance at Mass during the week whenever this is possible. From the U.S. Bishops' Pastoral Letter on Stewardship

Action Steps for Spiritual Growth

• Make Mass your top priority on Sunday
• Schedule time for daily prayer
• Pray together with family and loved ones

Stewardship of Talent - Serve One Another, John 13:15
Every week, Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is buzzing with activity. There are groups that pray together, groups that minister to other parishioners, and groups that reach out to the community. We have dozens of ministries to choose from! Part of being an active member of our parish is to find your niche - the ministry where your personal talents can best be put to use. This is what St. Peter meant when he wrote, As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace. (1 Peter 4:10)
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service, but the same Lord; there are different workings, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7
Action Steps to Increase Your Involvement

• Re-commit yourself to your current parish ministries
• Choose at least one new ministry to join
• Train your children to serve in the Church
• Plan to attend parish-wide events announced in our bulletin

Stewardship of Treasure - Tithe in a Spirit of Joy, Sirach 35:8
Have you ever created a family budget? At the top of most people's list of expenses are big items like the mortgage, car payments, and tuition.  Other expenses are food, credit card payments, and entertainment.  But how about the Church? Does Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary have a place in your family's budget? Throughout scripture, we are taught to give to God our first fruits or the choicest portion. In modern speech, we might say that the first line item in the family budget should be returning a portion of our income to God.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse.  Shall I not open for you the floodgates of heaven, to pour down blessing upon you without measure? Malachi 3:10
Action Steps for Financial Generosity

• Strive to give 5% to Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 1% to the
  diocese, and 4% to other charities
• Commit to a specific gift each week or month
• Use your offertory envelopes
• Support the parish even when you are out of town

In Conclusion
If you're not currently involved in our parish, or if you feel that God may be calling you to do more, this is a great opportunity to become a more active member. Ask the Lord to help you spend more time in prayer.  Talk to your spouse or your children about which groups or ministries they would like to join.  Try to budget a consistent weekly gift of five percent of your income.
As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace. Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God; whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified in Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 4:10-11