Take Your Place

As we begin our lenten journey as a People called and set apart by God, the voice of Christ speaks powerfully in next Sunday's scripture readings to remind us of our own mortality. This Word of God calls us to reflect on the reality that we who were formed from the earth will one day return to our place of origin.

And yet, because of the Mercy of Christ, who offers Himself for our sake, we are given an end beyond our end, returning to our ultimate source--the very Heart of God. Therefore, we must remember that our giftedness, our call to mission, indeed the very foundation of our stewardship comes from Jesus Christ. We labor and work for social justice not out of a purely secular humanitarian impulse, not even because it is the right thing to do. Rather, it is the Person of Christ who animates our ministry to the world. It is the right thing to do because of Christ's Presence in Creation and His personal call to each member of His Body. As the Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People from Vatican Council II points out: "Christ, sent by the Father, is the source of the Church's whole apostolate. Clearly, then, the fruitfulness of the apostolate of lay people depends on their living union with Christ."

   Our stewardship, then, becomes an expression of fidelity to, and ever-deepening union with, the God who formed us out of clay. Our lives might be fleeting, mere dust in the wind of time, yet like dust, we can reflect light--the Light of Christ--to the world.

How do you express your call to Stewardship?