{"id":34186,"date":"2013-01-29T11:14:40","date_gmt":"2013-01-29T17:14:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=34186"},"modified":"2013-01-29T11:14:40","modified_gmt":"2013-01-29T17:14:40","slug":"stewardship-and-the-universal-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/01\/stewardship-and-the-universal-church\/","title":{"rendered":"Stewardship and the Universal Church"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"St.<\/a>At most Sunday Masses, we stand after the homily and recite the Nicene Creed. This creed is our proclamation that we believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as three persons in one God. We also proclaim our belief that our Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. To proclaim the Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic is to acknowledge that our Church, the Catholic Church, was founded by Jesus Christ, is for all people everywhere, and that the Church\u2019s mission is the same as the Apostles\u2019, to \u201cGo and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit\u201d (Mt 28:19).<\/p>\n

If we believe the Church is universal and for everyone no matter who they are or where they live, why is it so hard for many of us to share our gifts with the greater Church or world? Many of us give our time, talent, and treasure regularly to our local parish but grumble about or outright refuse to share our gifts with causes or needs outside of our local parish. Perhaps part of this disjointed generosity is due to the confusion many of us have over what is expected of us by God.<\/p>\n

Many parishes and individual Catholics throughout the United States and here in the Austin Diocese have adopted stewardship as a way of life<\/a>. This means they have dedicated themselves to living the Gospel message to sharing their time, talent, and treasure with others and back to God in gratitude for all God has given them. Along with committing to spending time with God in prayer and using their skills and talents for the benefit of others, they also strive to share their financial gifts with others and return a fitting portion back to God. Many use the Old Testament guide of a tithe, or ten percent, of their income as a way to determine their financial gifts. As followers of Jesus and the Gospels, a tithe should be seen as a minimum, not the maximum, way to share our gifts of treasure. No matter what percentage or amount we give back to God, the underlying principle is that we must share our financial gifts with others and back to God with love and gratitude. Tithing is only possible when we allow God to be first in our lives and when we use the remaining portion of our income according to God\u2019s will.<\/p>\n

The Austin Diocese\u2019s Catholic Services Appeal<\/a> and special collections<\/a> for national and international causes, such as the Propagation of the Faith, Retired Religious, and Catholic Campaign for Human Development, should be seen as additional opportunities to share our gifts with others beyond our regular tithe or offerings. As members of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church, we are called not only to use our financial gifts for the benefit of our local parish, but also for our diocese, the greater Church, and world. While the weekly offertory at Mass typically receives most of our tithe back to God, diocesan and national collections are opportunities to go beyond our normal comfort level of giving and sacrificially help our neighbors here in Austin and throughout the world. As we take that step in faith and put God first in our lives, we must always remember Jesus\u2019 promise, \u201cYour Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what God requires of you, and God will provide you with all these other things\u201d (Mt. 6:33).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At most Sunday Masses, we stand after the homily and recite the Nicene Creed. This creed is our proclamation that we believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as three persons in one God. We also proclaim our belief that our Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. To proclaim the Church… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":97,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3,671],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-acnm","category-column","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":190002,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/12\/catholic-liturgy-101-introduction-to-liturgical-catechesis\/","url_meta":{"origin":34186,"position":0},"title":"Catholic Liturgy 101: Introduction to Liturgical Catechesis","author":"Michael Raia","date":"December 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"A handful of friends and colleagues have requested a very basic survey of concepts on Catholic worship and liturgical catechesis \u2013 that is, teaching on liturgy. I find the progression in the following outline very helpful when explaining what liturgy is and why it's important in the big picture of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Central mural in the triumphal arch above the apse of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Westerville, OH by EverGreene Architectural Arts. (photo by Meleca Architecture)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/EverGreeneArchitects-550x413.jpeg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/EverGreeneArchitects-550x413.jpeg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/EverGreeneArchitects-550x413.jpeg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":112190,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/05\/diocesan-corpus-christi-procession-that-they-may-all-be-one\/","url_meta":{"origin":34186,"position":1},"title":"Corpus Christi Procession – \u201cThat They May All Be One” (Part 1)","author":"Deacon Guadalupe Rodriguez","date":"May 9, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The Corpus Christi Procession in Austin, Texas, is a very special one. This year, two communities are coming together to praise and adore the Lamb of God on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. \u00a0For the first time in Central Texas history, the English and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pope Francis at the 2014 Day of Adoration","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/pope-francis-monstrance-323x190.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":115481,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/05\/sunday-says-may-24-2015-mass-readings-and-reflection\/","url_meta":{"origin":34186,"position":2},"title":"Sunday Says – May 24, 2015 Mass Readings and Reflection","author":"Crist\u00f3bal Almanza Herrera","date":"May 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Pentecost Sunday - May 24, 2015 Lectionary: 6 (NAB Translation) This is the great celebration of Pentecost, the joyful end to the season of Easter. Reading 1 ACTS 2:1-11 This week\u2019s first reading is the central story of the Pentecost event in the book of Acts. We hear how the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sunday Says"","block_context":{"text":"Sunday Says","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/podcast\/sundaysays\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunday Says Podcast","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/SundaySaysPodcast-logo-300x231.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":105772,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/04\/the-water-and-blood-of-baptism\/","url_meta":{"origin":34186,"position":3},"title":"The Water (and Blood) of Baptism","author":"Adam Shaivitz","date":"April 29, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Ten years ago I took the plunge, literally. This Easter season marks ten years since I received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion. What a ride it has been. When people ask me what I remember most about my baptism from ten years ago, four things come to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/faith-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"FullSizeRender (1)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/FullSizeRender-1-251x190.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":349820,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/01\/sunday-says-podcast-january-15-2017-mass-readings-reflections\/","url_meta":{"origin":34186,"position":4},"title":"Sunday Says Podcast – January 15, 2017 Mass Readings and Reflections","author":"Steve Scott","date":"January 14, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Second Sunday of Ordinary Time Sunday January 15, 2016 Lectionary: 64 (NAB Translation) Reading 1 Isaiah 49:3,5-6 This week\u2019s first reading is from the forty-ninth chapter of the book of Isaiah.\u00a0 This chapter introduces us to the \"Suffering Servant\" whose vocation was to liberate the people of Israel and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "ACNM"","block_context":{"text":"ACNM","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/SundaySaysPodcast-logo1-300x231.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2736669,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2024\/11\/always-we-begin-again\/","url_meta":{"origin":34186,"position":5},"title":"Always We Begin Again","author":"Geoffrey, Obl.OSB","date":"November 30, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The Thanksgiving Holiday presents the perfect time to take stock of every blessing we've received from our great God and Savior Jesus Christ and start fresh on the path of holiness.","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/file-8jUis2e89SrwpD2HRURmi9.webp?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/file-8jUis2e89SrwpD2HRURmi9.webp?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/file-8jUis2e89SrwpD2HRURmi9.webp?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/file-8jUis2e89SrwpD2HRURmi9.webp?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/file-8jUis2e89SrwpD2HRURmi9.webp?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/97"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34186"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34186\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}