{"id":12172,"date":"2025-06-01T13:50:38","date_gmt":"2025-06-01T17:50:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alleluia.nyc\/?page_id=12172"},"modified":"2025-11-23T11:24:45","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T16:24:45","slug":"june-2025-become-a-good-steward-of-talent","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.alleluia.nyc\/?page_id=12172","title":{"rendered":"June 2025: Becoming a Good Steward of Talent"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\"Weekly Challenge\" June 2025: Becoming a Good Steward of Talent<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Week Beginning June 29, 2025\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>
Serve Out of Love<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>
Love gives us the reason to do every good work we accomplish. Love gives us the ability to bear every good fruit we produce. Saint Francis de Sales explains: \u201cThe good man is like a tree planted by the water-side that will bring forth its fruit in due season, because when a soul is watered with charity, it brings forth good works seasonably and with discretion.\u201d<\/h6>
The Gospel<\/em> teaches us that love is also the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:34-40). In this passage, the Pharisees ask Jesus which one of their more than six hundred laws is the most important. Jesus draws upon Deuteronomy 6:5 and responds, \u201cYou shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment\u201d (Matthew 22:37-38). He continues by referring to Leviticus 19:18 saying, \u201cThe second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments\u201d (Matthew 22:39-40).<\/h6>
We are created to participate in two dimensions of this one great love. First, God sends down His infinite love to fill up our hearts. The Reverend Thomas \u00e0 Kempis describes: \u201cNothing is sweeter than love, nothing stronger or higher or wider; nothing is more pleasant, nothing fuller, and nothing better in heaven or on earth, for love is born of God and cannot rest except in God, Who is above all created things.\u201d We reciprocate by offering up all that we have, including our love for Him. Saint Augustine muses: \u201cTo fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement.\u201d<\/h6>
Second, we freely exchange love, perform good deeds, grant forgiveness, and live in harmony with our neighbors. Saint Paul reminds us to \u201cDo nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but [also] everyone for those of others\u201d (Philippians 2:3-4).<\/h6>
Our cross of love is formed when our vertical love with God intersects with our horizontal love with each other. Just as the wooden beams of the crucifix must remain in balance to form a stable cross, so must our love stay balanced to be strong. And just as Jesus hangs on the center of the crucifix, so does he join divine love with human love. Jesus brings God to us as the Word Incarnate. Jesus brings us to God through his Passion, death, and resurrection. While hanging on that cross, he exhibits his unwavering love for both God and man and sets the ultimate example of how to love.<\/h6>
Because we are made for love, the commandments to love are revealed to help us flourish. God loves us because of who He is, not because of who we are. Saint John teaches us that \u201clove is of God\u201d and \u201cGod is love\u201d (1 John 4:7-8). We are only able to give freely what we have received from God. Therefore, we are only able to give love because God loves us first (1 John 4:19).<\/h6>
Although God does not need our love, we need to love Him. When we love God above everything else, our passions and our lives are properly ordered. Our hearts are set ablaze with God\u2019s love, and we are able to use our gifts as God intended. When we prioritize anything else over God, we lose our way. Our love becomes distorted, our lives lose their meaning, and our hearts are eventually left broken and empty.<\/h6>
More than just loving God with all of our heart, we are instructed to love Him with all of our soul and all of our mind. That means we can choose to participate in God\u2019s love, or we can turn away from His invitation. \u201cWhen people choose to withdraw far from a fire, the fire continues to give warmth, but they grow cold. When people choose to withdraw far from light, the light continues to be bright in itself but they are in darkness,\u201d observes Saint Augustine. He warns, \u201cThis is also the case when people withdraw from God.\u201d<\/h6>
This past Friday, we revisit the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7) which provides hope for anyone who has strayed from the light. This story illustrates the relentless love and mercy of our Good Shepherd, who values every single soul and joyfully pursues us despite our transgressions. Like the lost sheep brought back to the security and protection of the flock, the repentant sinner restores a right relationship with God. Our repentance is not solely a human effort. It is a cooperative response to God\u2019s offer to return to Him. It bridges the gap from spiritual death to everlasting life. Every act of repentance is a victory over sin, a rescue from destruction, and a reaffirmation of God\u2019s life-giving charity and power.<\/h6>
When we open our hearts to God\u2019s love, that love transforms us. We are enabled to love others with the power of God\u2019s love in the way that Jesus shows us. We begin to love what He loves by recognizing the inherent value of every person, created in His image (Genesis 1:27). We walk with others on their journey, sharing in their trials, forgiving their trespasses, and supporting their potential. Our love becomes active, welcoming, merciful, generous, genuine, enduring, and at times sacrificial. Meeting someone in need is like finding a hidden treasure, and loving others becomes our privilege. \u201cYet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us\u201d (1 John 4:12).<\/h6>
Saint Augustine says, \u201cChrist is not valued at all, unless he is valued above all.\u201d This week, take inventory of your loves. What tops the list in your heart, soul, and mind? Do your actions reflect your priorities? Saint Vincent Ferrer gives us sage advice: \u201cIf you truly want to help the soul of your neighbor, you should approach God first with all your heart. Ask him simply to fill you with charity, the greatest of all virtues; with it you can accomplish what you desire.\u201d<\/h6>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Week Beginning June 22, 2025\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>
Prepare and Share<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>
There is a famous quote of Jesus taken from the Gospel According to Matthew<\/em>: \u201cThen repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God\u201d (Matthew 22:21). Jesus explains that the coin used to pay the taxes, which bears the image of Caesar, belongs to Caesar. As Christian stewards, our focus belongs on the latter part of his quote. Understanding that we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), it stands to reason that we are called to give our very selves to God our Creator.<\/h6>
God is imprinted on every human heart and every human soul. Each one of us bears some likeness to Him. Through each one of us, therefore, God reveals something unique about Himself. Together, we combine our individual gifts for the benefit of all, recognizing that every talent has an associated task that contributes to God\u2019s plan. Saint Catherine of Siena relays: \u201cGod said to me, \u2018I could well have made human beings in such a way that they each had everything, but I preferred to give different gifts to different people, so that they would need each other.\u2019\u201d<\/h6>
By helping one another, we multiply the good by sharing the good. However, we risk losing everything if we fail to use it. In the Gospel According to Luke<\/em>, Jesus introduces us to the rich fool who hoards all of his treasure for himself (Luke 12:13-21). The fool, rich in all things but those that matter most to God, stores away his worldly goods without considering how he could use them to carry out God\u2019s will. He dies suddenly after his selfish toils, wasting his material possessions which can no longer console him.<\/h6>
We might look to the rich fool and think that he is prudently preparing for his future. Through the parables, Jesus shows us that being prepared does not mean stockpiling material things for our own use on this earth. Being prepared necessitates readying ourselves for eternal life where those types of goods have no value. Preparing<\/em> involves wearing<\/em> the garment of charity, daring<\/em> to try despite fears and obstacles, bearing<\/em> the fruit that will remain, sharing<\/em> our gifts out of love, and caring for others and for God.<\/h6>
Additionally in the Gospel According to Luke<\/em>, Jesus tells us about the vigilant and faithful servants (Luke 12:35-48). Blessed are the servants who complete the will of the master in his absence, who serve him diligently and are prepared for his return. He ends the story with the expectation that \u201cMuch will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more\u201d (Luke 12:48). Here we learn that our actions are measured in proportion to our gifts, not in comparison to others.<\/h6>
This is a liberating lesson in stewardship. We are encouraged to focus on cultivating the abilities we have, rather than finding faults in that which we lack. Saint Francis de Sales simply states, \u201cDo not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.\u201d What we do with our talents is of greater importance than the quantity or quality of our particular skills. Pope Saint John XXIII inspires us to \u201cConsult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.\u201d<\/h6>
Our lesson also contains a warning not to compare our efforts with those of others. We may not know the extent of our neighbor\u2019s gifts and responsibilities. Do not become complacent by thinking that you are doing more than everyone else; do not become despondent by thinking that you can never match the accomplishments of others. Just do the best you can do using everything that you are given. \u201cAnd since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly\u201d (Romans 12:6).<\/h6>
This week, evaluate how you prepare and share. Are you planning so much for this life that you neglect preparation for the afterlife? How are you using your special strengths to benefit others and to build the Kingdom of God? Pope Saint John Paul II reminds us that \u201cNone of us is alone in this world. Each of us is a vital piece of the great mosaic of humanity as a whole.\u201d Reflect on how you fit as a living stone in God\u2019s beautiful creation.<\/h6>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Week Beginning June 15, 2025\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>
Work in the Vineyard of the Lord<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>
In the 2003 Pastoral Letter on Stewardship, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops asserts: \u201cWork is a fundamental aspect of the human vocation. It is necessary for human happiness and fulfillment. It is intrinsic to responsible stewardship of the world.\u201d Saint Francis de Sales observes: \u201cWe all have a vocation. We believe that God has placed us in this life to fill a special need that no one else can accomplish.\u201d The Catechism of the Catholic Church<\/em> teaches us that \u201cIn work, the person exercises and fulfills in part the potential inscribed in his nature (CCC 2428). Saint\u00a0Teresa of Calcutta explains, \u201cI can do the things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.\u201d<\/h6>
Our Gospel<\/em> reading on Friday instructs us to work for treasure in heaven over worldly rewards:<\/h6>
\u201cDo not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be\u201d (Matthew 6:19-21).<\/h6>
One of the greatest things we can do through our work is to partner with God for a divine and human collaboration in creation. In his encyclical Laborem Exercens<\/em>, Pope Saint John Paul II notes that \u201cWork is one of the characteristics that distinguish\u00a0man from the rest of creatures.\u201d He states: \u201cThe Christian finds in human work a small part of the Cross of Christ and accepts it in the same spirit of redemption in which Christ accepted his Cross for us.\u201c\u00a0He continues: \u201cLet the Christian who listens to the word of the living God, uniting work with prayer, know the place that his work has not only in\u00a0earthly progress\u00a0but also in\u00a0the development of the Kingdom of God,\u00a0to which we are all called through the power of the Holy Spirit and through the word of the Gospel.\u201d<\/h6>
Our service as Christian stewards is likened to working in the vineyard of the Lord. Doing so requires discerning our unique talents and using them for the glory of God. Saint John Vianney provides simple guidance: \u201cHere is a rule for everyday life: Do not do anything which you cannot offer to God.\u201d Working in the vineyard of the Lord means being spiritually alive, bearing choice fruit through righteous deeds, and clothing ourselves with Christ (Galatians 3:27). More than having faith and linking our toils to the plan of salvation, it necessitates answering His call, cooperating with His grace, and doing His will.<\/h6>
This cannot be accomplished without obeying God\u2019s commandments, especially the commandments to love God and each other. Through love, we are conformed to God. For love, we are compelled to act on His behalf. When human love meets divine love, the vineyard thrives and burgeons with new growth.<\/h6>
Let\u2019s pause for a moment to reflect on obedience, which is often overlooked in our modern world. It is important to understand that God\u2019s commandments are handed to us out of love to help direct us toward human flourishing. If you were to purchase a very expensive cloak and the label says \u201cdry clean only,\u201d you probably wouldn\u2019t toss that coat into the washing machine. You would likely obey the instructions, because you want to protect and preserve the garment. So much more than caring for that piece of clothing do we need to care for our eternal souls. Obeying God\u2019s care tags helps us to keep our souls pure. When that fails and we need a refresh, the Lord institutes the sacraments to cleanse and restore us. God wants to shield us with salvation and dress us in the righteousness of Christ. Saint Paul summarizes:<\/h6>
\u201cBut since we are of the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet that is hope for salvation.\u00a0For God did not destine us for wrath, but to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,\u00a0who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live together with him. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, as indeed you do\u201d (1 Thessalonians 5:8-11).<\/h6>
Charity is woven into the uniform worn by the disciples of Christ. As we learn in the Gospel<\/em> According to Matthew<\/em>, it also comprises the fabric of the garment required for the great wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-14). We learn that the Parable of the Wedding Feast is a metaphor for the messianic banquet enjoyed with Christ in heaven as foretold by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 25:6-10a). With Jesus as the bridegroom and the Church as the bride, \u201cWe are all invited to be the Lord\u2019s guests, to enter his banquet with faith,\u201d reveals Pope Benedict XVI, \u201cbut we must put on and take care of the wedding garment: charity, to live in the profound love of God and neighbor.\u201d Saint Gregory elaborates: \u201cTherefore each one of you in the Church who has faith in God has already taken part in the wedding feast, but cannot claim to wear the wedding garment unless he jealously guards the grace of love.\u201d<\/h6>
At the close of the parable, Saint Matthew shares Jesus\u2019 warning that \u201cMany are invited, but few are chosen\u201d (Matthew 22:14). This week, take that caution to heart. What is your response to God\u2019s invitation? Are you open to receiving His grace? Are you properly disposed for it? Is your work in the vineyard motivated by love \u201cfrom a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith\u201d (1 Timothy 1:5)? What changes can you make now so that you are always properly attired?<\/h6>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Week Beginning June 8, 2025\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>
Produce Fruit<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>
In the Book of Isaiah<\/em> (Isaiah 5:1-7), we are introduced to someone who spares no expense and is meticulous with every detail to cultivate a fertile vineyard. Despite all of his careful efforts, he reaps only wild, rancid grapes. We learn that the Lord is the vineyard owner, the house of Israel is the beloved vineyard, and the people of Judah are the cherished plant. God provides a privileged paradise for His chosen people to produce rich fruit, to live in righteousness and justice, and to spread that bounty throughout the land. When they take God\u2019s gifts without using them for good and when they live sinful lives that pull them away from God, He recalls His gifts and enacts His punishment.<\/h6>
It is important to note that despite the harsh ending to this story, the original plan is crafted with love, and God\u2019s corrective actions are necessary to lead His people to redemption. Sin may cause death, but death does not have the final word in the story of salvation.<\/h6>
Fast forward to the Parable of the Tenants in the Gospel<\/em> According to Matthew<\/em> (Matthew 21:33-43). The setting is similar: the landowner lavishes a most spectacular, fully-equipped vineyard for lease to his tenants. In this story, the tenants express no gratitude for the bounty allotted to them. Rather, they wickedly attack the servants who come to collect the owner\u2019s portion. The landowner mercifully tries again, this time dispatching even more servants who are treated just as brutally. Finally, the landowner sends his son. Instead of treating the son with due reverence, they kill him, greedily hoping to gain his inheritance. The actions of the tenants are so egregious in this context that the chief priests and elders express justice in potentially sentencing them to death and leasing the vineyard to other tenants who provide the landowner with the produce due to him.<\/h6>
Here, the landowner is God, the vineyard is the nation of Israel, the tenants are the religious leadership and officials who reject those sent by God, the servants are the prophets, the son is Jesus, and the new tenants are the Jews and Gentiles who follow him. Jesus prophesies his own death as the Son of God, he references Psalm 118:22-23 to solidify his point using Biblical imagery, and he rebukes his audience for their failure to heed the message from God.<\/h6>
Saint John reveals to us that in our lives, God the Father is the vine grower, Jesus is the true vine, and we are the branches (John 15:1-17). The branches that fail to produce fruit are trimmed and burned. Only by staying connected to the vine can the branches bloom; only by staying connected to Jesus can we flourish. Following the commandments of Jesus\u2013loving God and one another\u2013keeps us connected and productive. God has great plans for us, and through His grace we can accomplish wonderful things. For even the branches that do bear fruit are pruned to yield yet more fruit.<\/h6>
Today, we view the Church as the new Israel (CCC 877).<\/strong> One of our Pentecost readings explains how we are called to use our varied talents to contribute to the workings of God and how each of us comprises a different part of the same body united through Christ (1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13). \u201cTo each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit\u201d (1 Corinthians 12:7). As tenants in the vineyard of the Lord, we are called to be prudent stewards of God\u2019s bounty, to use our gifts for the benefit of others, and to return them with increase to the Lord.<\/h6>
Saint Peter refers to the Christian faithful as \u201cliving stones,\u201d encouraging us to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:4-9). We can worship God through the way we live our lives, dedicating our time, talent, and treasure for His glory. Living only for ourselves may provide fleeting satisfaction, but living for God produces eternal rewards. Our Gospel<\/em> reading this Tuesday reminds us that \u201cyour light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father\u201d (Matthew 5:16).<\/h6>
Just as the chief priests and elders fail to initially recognize their shortcomings, we also have difficulty uncovering our own inclinations that separate us from the Lord like the wicked tenants. This week, think critically about your role as God\u2019s tenant. Do you listen to His Word and obey His will, or are there some areas where your heart remains rebellious? Are you an active worker in the vineyard who produces fruit, or have you become complacent? Do you trust in God as you endure the pain of pruning, or do you stumble away from Him and risk being crushed to powder by the Stone? When the Lord looks to us to see how we carry out justice toward others, does He find love and compassion or “bloodshed” and “outcry” (Isaiah 5:7)?<\/h6>
\u201cI have chosen you from the world, says the Lord, to go and bear fruit that will remain\u201d (Cf. John 15:16). We are called to produce, not to destroy. Staying connected to the Vine enables us to live in peace on earth and experience the Kingdom of God. This week, remember that \u201cYou are the light of the world\u201d (Matthew 5:14). Live in the light of Christ and use that light to illuminate those living in darkness.<\/h6>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Week Beginning June 1, 2025\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>
Life of a Disciple<\/span><\/strong><\/h6>
As disciples of Christ, we are called to give our lives in humble service. \u201cThe Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many\u201d (Mark 10:45).\u00a0The\u00a0Gospel<\/em> provides us with a glimpse into the life of a disciple, which is not always easy. Disciples humble themselves like children (Matthew 18:1-5, 10). Disciples make sacrifices for their mission and leave their past behind (Luke 9:57-62). Disciples let go of their possessions, journey to unfamiliar places, work hard in the name of the Lord, accept what they are given with gratitude, and focus their efforts on those who receive them (Luke 10:1-12). Disciples face troubles in this world (John 16:33).<\/h6>
Despite their sacrifices and struggles, disciples reap unsurpassed rewards. Disciples are privileged to represent Christ through their mighty deeds and come to others in the way of righteousness (Luke 10:13-16). Disciples glorify Jesus and receive his prayers (John 17:9-11). Disciples share completely in the joy of Jesus (John 17:13) and are filled with the love of God (John 17:26). Disciples are protected from harm, blessed to see and hear God\u2019s gracious will, and welcomed into heaven (Luke 10:17-24).<\/h6>
His Excellency John J. McRaith declares: \u201cOnce one chooses to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, stewardship is not an option.\u201d The Reverend Dr. John H. Westerhoff, III remarks that \u201cStewardship is everything we do after we say we believe.\u201d In the 2003 Pastoral Letter on Stewardship, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops\u00a0explains the role of disciples as stewards:<\/h6>
“Let us begin with being a disciple\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u2013a follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. As members of the Church, Jesus calls us to be disciples. This has astonishing implications:\u00a0<\/h6>