1st Reading: Wisdom 11:22-12:1
2nd Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1″11-2:2
Gospel: Luke 19 1-10
In today’s gospel we meet one of the singular characters in scripture. Zacchaeus has some social problems. He is small and he is a tax collector for the dominating Roman Empire which is taking money from the Jewish people, his kinfolk. He is also rich himself which puts him above his neighbors. In a strange way, he is-by being small, below others, but by his occupation he has made himself above others.
He climbs a tree to just catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass by that way. Zacchaeus literally put himself above his neighbors but a safe distance from Jesus, not wanting to be seen or encountered. The text says that Zacchaeus put himself in a position to see Jesus, but Jesus is the one who sees him first.
Jesus does not say anything about conversion to Zacchaeus or giving up his day job, or his fortune. Jesus says only that he desires to stay with this social inert fellow. Zacchaeuas is reduced, or re-sized to his dignity. He slides down the tree and welcomes Jesus, JOYFULLY. He also welcomes himself by reducing the size of his possessions. He fulfills the Jewish law of repayment and Luke has Zacchaeus do what the rich man in the previous chapter in Luke’s gospel, could not do, he gave half of his riches to the poor.
Conversion follows encounter-Jesus meets us and the relationship makes the difference in our actions. Zacchaeus becomes a Good Steward.
In our church today few concepts are more misunderstood than the concept of Catholic Stewardship. I know, many hear the word stewardship and immediately it morphs into“Fund Raising”. But that is really not what stewardship is about, not at all.
Quite simply, the good steward is the person who takes care of whatever it is that he or she has been entrusted, uses it well, to good purpose, that doesn’t squander it. As the U.S. Catholic Bishops said in “Stewardship A Disciples Response”, “A Christian steward is one who receives God’s gifts gratefully, cherishes and tends them in a responsible and accountable manner, shares them in justice and love with others and returns them with increase to the Lord”.
When we think about it, good stewardship affects every part of our lives. If we have wasted a talent, or wasted our time away with worthless pursuits, or squandered our resources, something inside us just doesn’t feel right. That’s because our inner compass senses the right direction even when we sometimes wander off course.
On the other hand, when we are using our time, talents, and our material resources well, we feel in balance, in tune with God. We realize we have been generously given those gifts and in turn, we are using them for the good.
As I was researching for this homily today, I came across a 2005 American Catholic Update flyer and in it was “The Seven Secrets of successful stewards”. Written by Paul Wilkes, a freelance journalist who has written 18 books on various Catholic topics. These“Seven Secrets”, as he calls them, were compiled by many visits to parishes around the country and what he had found in those parishes. I will now give you just a glimpse of each secret.
Secret #1— Give until it “FEELS GOOD”
There is a simple saying that, to me, makes ultimate sense: “Stewardship- it is already in your heart”. There is something deep within us that is good and generous, some almost biological sensation that is triggered when another persons needs and our shared gifts intersect.
Secret #2— See not obligation, but “Opportunity”
When we as Catholics really begin to understand good stewardship, (usually because of someone’s example of generosity and then in becoming more generous ourselves) a light often goes on. “This is exciting: this is actually fun” the we discover. And then the entrepreneurial side of stewardship kicks in. Where can I help,
What are the needs here? What difference can I– yes me, specifically me with what I have to offer, what difference can I make?
Secret #3— Give to specifics
Good stewards dislike— and rightly so— generic appeals. Good stewards also are less generous— and rightly so— if they do not know to what or to whom their generosity is being directed. That is why good stewards give and give generously of themselves and their means to the parish. And there in the parish, good stewards are eager to hear the stories, the modern-day parables of lives changed, enriched, made better and more human because of their generosity.
Secret #4 Have an “Attitude of Gratitude”
Without sounding like a ditz, good stewards are constantly aware and amazed by what they have been given. “How lucky I am” easily comes from their lips and is radiated in their faces. Good stewards have good memories, recalling where they came from, the struggles of their parents, the struggles of their own lives, those peaks and valleys that shaped them and brought them to this very moment. And they find themselves deeply grateful.
Secret #5 Share various gifts at the right time
Good stewardship is not a calcified formula or a specific recipe: “To 4 parts time, add 2 parts talent, and sprinkle 3 parts treasure over the top and serve”. Not at all. At various times in our lives, we will become more able to give of our time, talent, our treasure.
The busy young lawyer or executive may not have time to sit in a retirement home and play bingo every morning but may have the organizational skills to put that ministry together. A retired couple with a fixed income may have to be careful about their limited finances, but they may be able to spend time in the day-care center with children of working parents, or volunteering at the local food bank. The good stewards practices this: “DO WHAT YOU CAN—NOT WHAT YOU CAN’T”.
Secret #6 Realize God will point the way
Stewardship is in our hearts, but like any other discipline, good stewardship takes time to infuse our total being. And so the
4 operative word is: Relax, God is with us on this journey. He will point the way. It is not so much that good stewardship has a learning curve, it is more a experiential curve; as we do or live good stewardship we become better and better at it.
As we experience that satisfaction (God’s grace streaming into our lives) that comes from sharing some portion of out time, talent and treasure, we hunger for more. God gives us a little flashlight. You won’t see too far ahead, but you will usually know where to place your foot for the next step.
Secret #7 See Stewardship as a Spiritual Act
First, God gives us life—(Time). Then he provides the various physical and psychological components, DNA, education and temperament that create and shape our various talents. Finally, without the application of those talents and abilities over time, there would be no treasure for us to even consider. It is we who need to return some portion of time, talent, and treasure as an act of love, of appreciation, of acknowledgment.
Good stewards see this love relationship as a spiritual act. It is an offering to God that in some small but real way mirror’s Christ’s own life, and a way to return the Father’s great love.
As you can now see, these are really not secrets or if they were, I can now say that these secrets are out of the bag. We have a great opportunity to give thanks to God for what he has blessed us with by sharing these gifts for the betterment of others. Like Zacchaeus in our gospel today, let us hurry down our trees of prosperity and share what we have been given as a joyful greeting to Jesus who lives in all of us.