It can be difficult for people to imagine standing in front of your fellow parishioners and speaking about your faith. Even those whose livelihood is based on personal communication—teachers, lawyers, receptionists—might never have had an opportunity to talk about their experience of God with others. Even those who are experienced in faith sharing in small groups might never have been asked to speak to a wider assembly, especially at Mass. But genuine humility regarding our own faith life or doubt about our abilities just might short-circuit the prompting of the Holy Spirit to speak up when God has something to say through us.
Romans addresses the importance of Christian witness in 10:14 “But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?” Saint Pope Paul puts it this way in Evangelii Nuntiandii: “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” Einstein said it this way: “The only source of knowledge is experience."
Our Sacred Scripture is the record of the experience of God in history. It is the story of God revealing Himself through preparing for Christ in the Old Testament and revealing Christ fully in the new. What we hold as sacred and true, and what we can remember and share about the Scriptures is mostly the concrete stories of men and women encountering God. The Bible is thus the record of these encounters and what has been revealed about the nature of God. The word for witness in Greek is “martyr”. It’s the same word we use when we bring people into a court of law to uncover the truth. Witnesses are people who have personally seen and heard, touched and experienced the people and the events that are relevant—that it reveals the truth of what really happened. The Christian martyrs witnessed to the Resurrection by holding fast to the truth, even in death.
As our parish prepares to make our yearly stewardship commitment this Fall, we need guidance, inspiration, and courage. Each of us is being asked to make specific commitments to God and each other about how we will live our discipleship in the coming year. Making and keeping a promise that is truly worth making and keeping is never easy. I have been exploring the themes of stewardship over this past year in my columns, but nothing I have shared can explain stewardship as well as the lived examples of our fellow parishioners.
That is why for the next three weekends, we will be hearing from our fellow parishioners their own personal stories of how God has revealed Himself in their lives, called them into a closer relationship with Him, and given them the time, talent, and material blessings that are necessary to do His will. These will be simple stories of stewardship. Each will be a unique insight into the many ways God blesses us.
Have you heard this quote before? “At all times preach the Gospel. And if necessary, use words.” It’s supposed to have been from Saint Francis. The funny thing is, there really is no record of him saying these exact words. Saint Francis’ Rule does include sentences emphasizing the primacy of deeds. Just as Jesus advocated integrity of action in the parable of the two sons who were asked to do something by their father. Indeed Francis is most revered by the example of Christian charity he lived. And is the action of the suffering and death of Christ that brought us salvation. But both Francis and Jesus Christ cannot be truly known without listening to what they preached. Their words gave meaning to what they did.
Public witness calls all of us to greater integrity and commitment. Think back about when you were learning how to ride a bike? Who taught you? Could you have learned without someone explaining what to do? Would you have even gotten on the bike without your parent encouraging you or your older sibling shaming you into trying? Words just work.
We take oaths, swear on the Bible, and profess vows. All these are antecedent to the actions we intend to perform or the life we intend to live. And there are many other times each of us is called to speak the truth, whether it is describing our symptoms to a healthcare professional, demonstrating our ignorance in asking a question in class, or simply sharing with another how the day went. And why? Because the response we seek is an affirmation of who we are and what we need to go just a little bit further on this journey.
I am asking everyone to pray that the Holy Spirit be with our witnesses as they prepare their talks. They will be responding to one of the following prompts regarding their own experience of stewardship, or exploring the many values that good stewards cherish. So that we might be receptive to what the share, please think about and pray over these questions. Be attentive to how they pertain to your own experience. And be ready to be strengthened in your own faith as you listen to their stories and are able to recognize that God has come to you in the same way.
The first commitment of stewardship is prayer. This is the time we recognize or designated as privileged occasions of hearing God speak to us or God answering our prayers. How have your times of prayer become encounters with the God who is revealed in the Scriptures, in the Sacraments, and in the Tradition of the Catholic Church?
The second commitment of stewardship is service. This is the work we perform with the talents that God has blessed us with for the sake of God’s Kingdom. How has your life found meaning and purpose as you have grown into the person God wants you to be through sharing of yourself for the good of others?
The third commitment of stewardship is sacrificial giving. This is the treasure we offer back to God so that Christ’s mission might be carried out through the work of the Church. How have you come to believe that the “first fruits” our parishioners offer each Sunday at the Eucharist are received by Christ and enfolded into his own sacrifice through the paschal mystery?