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ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON CATHOLIC CHURCH
The Eucharist and Stewardship as
a Way of Life
I
n 1992, the United States Conference of Catholic stewardship. We should enter the church for Mass Bishops published a groundbreaking pastoral out of gratitude. We recognize the presence of the letter titled Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response. This Lord in Holy Communion, and then we truly receive document was designed to be an invitation to the Lord. follow Christ, Who gave of Himself for us. Each What’s left after we receive the Eucharist is of us is called to serve our neighbors and to be going out into the world to fulfill our stewardship stewards of God’s creation and of all that has been mission in love of God and neighbor. This holistic entrusted to us. experience is the essence However, to truly of stewardship. We are “The Eucharist is ‘the source understand stewardship, we grateful, we recognize the must look to the Holy Eucharist Real Presence of the Lord, we and summit of the Christian — the total gift of our loving receive the Lord, and then we life.’ ‘The other sacraments, Savior to us. Stewardship is our share what we have received. response to that gift. Christ’s gift of the Eucharist and indeed all ecclesiastical Even the word “Eucharist” is an invitation to us. We are ministries and the works of implies stewardship. The called to give beyond what is word finds its roots in the or comfortable. the apostolate, are bound up convenient Latin word eucharistia, which We are called to forgive even in turn came from the Greek when forgiveness may not be with the Eucharist and are word eukaristos, which deserved. We are called to oriented toward it. For in the love as God loves us. simply meant, “gratitude” or “thanksgiving.” The Eucharist is blessed Eucharist is contained Since we are called to be stewardship celebrated. The the whole spiritual good of the Mass is more than a ritual. It a stewardship people, how fitting is it that we celebrate is an actual encounter with Church.’” – Catechism of the an act of thanksgiving and God, with the Father, the Son, gratitude at the focal point and the Holy Spirit. What we Catholic Church, 1324 of every Mass — namely, the experience in the Eucharist reception of Jesus’ gift to us, the Eucharist. should, in turn, translate into our daily lives. We In Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, the bishops are committed to the Church, which is Christ’s tell us “The Eucharist is the great sign and agent body. We show our love for His body through acts of this expansive communion of charity… we enjoy of charity and generosity. We spend time in prayer, a unique union with Christ and, in Him, with one expressing our gratitude and our love. another. Here His love — indeed, His very Self — God’s greatest gift to us is Christ’s great love for flows into us as disciples and, through us and our us — this was shown when He was crucified on the practice of stewardship to the entire human race.” Cross to pay the penalty for our sins and to give us When we receive Christ’s Body in the Holy eternal life. God’s love for us is without limit, and Eucharist, we hear the minister say, “The Body of He offers Himself to us in the Holy Sacrament of Christ.” To this, we respond, “Amen” – which means the Eucharist. Stewardship is how we respond to in Hebrew, “Yes; it is so.” This is the essence of that gift.
