February



The Month of the Holy Family

As we end this ‘Month of the Holy Family’, what pearl of truth should we take with us on our journey? In Stewardship we talk about gifts and the nurturing of those gifts. What about ‘family’correlates to this concept? Pope Benedict XVI put it this way:

Parents "are not the friends, nor the masters of their children's lives, but guardians of this incomparable gift from God".

Wow! We aren’t the owners of our children? No, we are the guardians of these precious gifts from God. We are their teachers, their cheerleaders, their consolers, their first catechists, and their role models. So, how do we prepare them for the role for which God created them? It isn’t easy. Even Mary and Joseph suffered the anxieties that we all have about the well-being of our children. Think of the time Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, at the Temple, and was missing for three days. When they found him, Mary said, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.” Luke 2:47 
 
Inspite of all the parenting anxieties that assail us, perhaps what we take with us from this month of the Holy Family is to remember that our children belong to God first. They, like ourselves, will one day return to Him.  Our duty is to raise them according to God’s will and Mary and Joseph are our role models; loving and good parents, guiding and protecting their precious gift, and ultimately setting Him free to fulfill God’s purpose for Him on earth. Exactly the process of living out Stewardship as set forth in the Pastoral Letter – receive gratefully, nurture responsibly, share lovingly, return to the Lord. Let us pray always, that God gives us the wisdom to be good guardians of our children, so that we work with Him to create hearts and souls willing and able to help build up His Kingdom.

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Snow in the Pacific Northwest

 



The Trouble with Snow!

 

The first snowstorm this winter hit SW Washington in a big way, causing transportation to come to a grinding halt.  Central Western Washington was next.  This past weekend the Northern parts of Western Washington had their turn with the snow.

 Beautiful as it is and as much as our kids are delighted, it has an unfortunate impact on our churches.  For many of us, it means lower Mass attendance and lower collections.  Please consider putting a blurb in your bulletin along the following lines:

• Our total collections were down ___% due to weather.  The collection was $_____ less than an average weekend.  If you stayed safe and snug in your house during the snow and missed adding your donation to our collection, it’s not too late.  We still need your help. Unfortunately, the snow didn’t stop any of our expenses.  Please send in your ‘Snow’ Sunday envelope or put it in the collection this weekend along with your regular donation.  Special thanks to all those who have already made up for the Snow Sunday!  

Parishes, if you have any ideas to share with us about coping with ‘Snow’ Sundays, please contact us at parishstewardship@seattlearch.org.

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What is Stewardship of Time?





Stewardship of Time

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints… Ephesians 6:18

How can we be good stewards of our time?  Does the scripture reading of Ephesians 6:18 give us a clue?  What does, ‘pray at all times in the Spirit,’ mean?  How can we be ‘alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints…’?

We know that in our lives, in this world that we cannot sit quietly and pray at all times.  We must work.  We must take care of our families and our homes.  We must participate in ministry.  We must do many things.

Maybe praying ‘at all times in the Spirit’ means carrying God with us as we go about our daily activities?  Maybe it means looking for God in all that we do?  Maybe it means not forgetting our Lord when we are out in the world?  Maybe it means asking ourselves if what we are doing is righteous and good in the eyes of God?   

Does that mean we don’t need to go to Mass, set aside time for prayer, pray before meals, spend quality, intentional time with our families, teach our children to pray?  Maybe it means we do both.  Maybe the intentional ways we connect with God, help us carry Him in our hearts at all times.  What do you think?  What can you plan?  What can you do?  Let us ask the saints to pray for us and remember to spend time with God each and every day so that He is with us at all times, wherever and whatever we are doing.