In Egypt, huge pyramids are built in order to store the body of the dead along with their most important possessions. This is due to the belief that they will be in need of it in their next life. Here in the Philippines and certainly in other parts of the globe, a different perspective is used when it comes to material possessions. In a number of cases, a dying person writes his last will. The last will states the distribution of his possessions to other people, usually to intimate family and friends, once he dies. The dying person understands that his possessions are his only until his last breath. And with this realization, he begins to think of people he knows would need the possessions he has and so gives it to them.
Now let me ask you a question. Will you wait for your deathbed before you begin to give? We all know that death is not the only opportunity to think of the many other people sharing this world with us. We do not need to be on our deathbed in order to realize that not one of the things we have will always be with us. Our possessions temporarily belong to us. In fact, our possessions are ours simply because someone greater blessed us with those gifts. It is He, who created all, that provides us with all that we need and with all that we have. The irony of it is this: just because He created everything does not mean that He is the only one who can give. We mere mortals share in God’s ability to be generous. When we spare a change to a malnourished kid on the street, we give. When we offer during mass collections, we give. When we teach a lost person his way, we give. When we eat with family during dinner, we give. When we volunteer to tutor a classmate on a difficult lesson, we give. Giving is not just for those who have plenty. Giving takes shape in many forms. We can give by spending our time for another’s benefit, by sharing our knowledge and skills to others or by spending our money and other possessions for another’s sake. There are so many opportunities to be generous and it is our responsibility to be exactly that. Think of it as a way of paying God back. Remember that we, the Church, are God’s body. When we make ourselves a blessing for other people by sharing ourselves or our possessions, we allow ourselves to function as God’s body. We are called to be stewards of God’s gifts. We are called to help God make real his desires for his people by allowing God to use us. Don’t you want to be a blessing? Don’t you want God to use you?
On November last year, the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice held a retreat on stewardship. Nearing Christmas time, the parish prepared Simbang Gabi masses with the theme on stewardship. And so, early this year, the parish will launch its stewardship campaign to give concrete opportunities for its parishioners to be stewards. The parish wishes to make real the task of stewardship inside the parish by providing the parishioners venues to share their time, talent or treasure. This will be done by a Stewardship Campaign Program which is set to be launched by February. Information dissemination on the different ministries of the parish and their corresponding activities will be done in order to allow prospective volunteers to understand which ministry their blessings are best fit. Details of this program will be made available during the launching.
It is our responsibility to be stewards of what we have been provided by sharing these blessings. Why not decide as early as now to make yourself a blessing to others while you still got time?
- By Kristine Turado
