In today’s gospel, Jesus is very clear in His message to the apostles, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you”. His message to us, today, is no less ambiguous.

In the recent pastoral letter of Cardinal Roger Mahoney, he offers all of us some insight into what this gospel means for us. Here is an adapted version of his thoughts.

The baptized are called to share in the Church’s mission through mutual service, through a life of worship and through witness to the gospel by holiness of life. These are the hallmarks of Christian living. The manner and degree of engagement in this common call differ, depending on the gifts and ministries given by the Spirit…Most laypersons are called to transform the world by living out their baptismal vocation, being and becoming the Body of Christ in the world, advancing the Kingdom of God amidst the pressing demands of marriage, family, school and workplace…they witness through all forms of prophetic utterance, through teaching, through the ministry of catechesis, through theological reflection by which they seek to probe the riches of the Word and the Christian tradition…they worship God in spirit and in truth through full, conscious and active participation in the Sunday liturgy…through the liturgical ministries of lector, musician or eucharistic minister, through the many other ministries which serve to animate the community gathered in prayer…the baptized serve God through administration, feeding the hungry, caring for the needs of the sick, working for justice, washing the feet of the homeless, safeguarding and protecting the rights of the last, the littlest and the least, giving the Body and Blood of Christ to those gathered at the Table of the Lord and bringing this Holy Communion to those who are sick at home or in the hospital. In all these ways and more, the gifts of the Christian people for witness, worship and service are being shared for the greater glory of God in a community of faith, hope and love. (Catholic Update April 2001)

Last week, All Hallows concluded it’s annual parish mission. This year the focus was on identifying and using our gifts, "Gifted and Called". It was pointed out that some Catholics have difficulty acknowledging their gifts. Further, it is important to remember that discerning our gifts is not a once in a lifetime experience. It is a process that begs for review and renewal at many stages of our development in life. Since God has entrusted these talents to our special care, we need to hear His advice for knowing what to do with them.

" No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." (Mt. 5:15-16)

In Nota Bene (Good Notes for Stewards…) Winter 2001, there appeared a related reflection. "Who calls us? Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Mary, through His living Presence in the life of His Church. Perhaps for you, this call came through a vocation to consecrated life or marriage. Perhaps it came through a professional opportunity or a task in your parish. However you were personally called, the Lord was present right at the heart of the encounter. And for you, there has been a change! During this sacred season of Lent, we encourage prayerful reflection on the fact that each of us has been called by name to be the Lord’s steward."

Our parish is in the process of stewardship conversion. That means that we care about attracting every parishioner to active participation in the parish because they are gifted and called. Although our parish mission has ended for this year, the joy of identifying our gifts, of "overturning the bushel basket and shining your light" remains for us an ongoing personal mission; a journey toward discipleship where Jesus is calling us.

"What do I own? What owns me?"

The late Archbishop Thomas Murphy wrote these words. Years ago, he suggested to the U.S. bishops that they needed to take a position on stewardship. Since there was no real committee to review this matter, he was asked to chair an ad hoc committee, which he did. It was decided that a pastoral letter would be written, and it was published in 1992. It has been reported that a key discussion of the committee was whether they would put out a pastoral that would attempt to raise money quickly or would it recommend that stewardship would be a total part of the faith life of Catholics, in fact, a way of life. Of course, they decided on the course that we are now familiar with and is rooted in our own parish.

"What we do with our money says a lot about who we are."

Archbishop Murphy also used to say if you want to know what you stand for, open your checkbook register and look at your choices about money. One of the best proponents of stewardship, he challenged us to examine our lives and to see our way to the response to Jesus’ call to us to be disciples. He wrote about stewardship, "a conscious, firm decision, carried out in action, to be followers of Christ no matter what the cost…This commitment to be a disciple of Jesus involves a process of conversion, a change of heart, that is not expressed in a single action, nor even a series of actions over time, but in an entire way of life…It is not just another program to raise money, as important as that may be. It is not just a way of recruiting more volunteers for the parish, as much as we need them…It is a choice of the heart…to become a partner with God"

This is a wonderful reflection for us personally and for the parish as community during the Lenten Season.