Living with Gratitude and Generosity: A Call to Stewardship

Wisdom is a divine gift, in fact, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The wise person seeks wisdom, while the fool runs from thing to thing. However, to obtain wisdom, we need to be focused and prepared.

In today’s gospel parable, the wise virgins are ready for the wedding feast because they have prepared, they have thought about what is needed, and they have actively sought what they need – in this case, oil for their lamps. The foolish virgins are foolish because they have not prepared and have not actively sought what they need.

Every human being comes to a point in life when he or she realizes that life is short and that we want a life of meaning. Sometimes people come to our churches because they are seekers, and they are actively looking for wisdom and meaning, for connection and hope. The good news is that there is still time, though not an infinite amount of it!

For those whose souls are like “dry weary lands without water,” and who are seeking the One who is the Truth, who is Wisdom, let them find in our parish communities a welcoming place, a place where He who is Wisdom can be found.

The readings in the final Sundays of Ordinary Time focus on the last things and the conclusion of history. It reaches a crescendo on the Solemnity of Christ the King – the last Sunday of the liturgical year. Christ the King celebrates looking forward to the time when all things shall be under the headship of Christ.

November also marks the beginning of the Holiday Season as people prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. It is also the time when the greatest amount of charitable giving is done for churches and nonprofits.

Perhaps your parish is running its annual stewardship campaign, or you are asking your people to consider their Christmas gift to the parish. If you are, use your GiveCentral texting and QR Code capabilities to make things easier for them! Remember, the wise are prepared!

Pastoral Action Points

1. Do you have a new staff member that needs to be trained on the GiveCentral platform? If so, contact Teresa to set up training at teresa@givecentral.org
2. Prepare now to welcome new church members and those “once or twice a year” visitors during Advent and Christmas. Do you have a welcoming ministry organized? Also, we have Advent and Christmas pew card templates, email templates, and direct mail templates here available for your use. Contact teresa@givecentral.org for more details!

Last modified: November 8, 2024