This is the time of year when most everyone is concerned with gift giving and receiving.
When we practice stewardship, however, we think about the gifts we give all year long. We also never count the cost because when giving what we treasure most, time, talent, or treasure, it comes from a willingness to give back to God.
Stewardship calls each of us to become personally engaged in giving gifts the way we are during the weeks and months before Christmas. That kind of enthusiasm is needed for the Church to live out the call of Vatican II.
We are constantly called to account for what has been given us and what we plan to give. Not the kind of accounting that we use when we budget for Christmas presents, but the decisions about our lives and lifestyles that call us to live out our faith.