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  ANOTHER OLD THING IS NEW AGAIN “For seven decades, from 1894 until 1964, not a single legal government-sponsored lottery existed in the United States. Today, forty-two states plus the District of Columbia run lotteries, exerting a powerful anti-thrift effect on the low and moderate-income players who are its most loyal customers.” The insightful publication entitled For a New Thrift: Confronting the Debt Culture, published earlier this year by the Commission on Thrift, details the many changes that have Read Complete Article »  We Gather Together, and Pray for His Peace In 1993, major league baseball’s Colorado Rockies celebrated their inaugural year of play as an expansion franchise and set a major league attendance record that stands today, welcoming nearly four and a half million fans to Mile High Stadium in Denver… Read Complete Article »  If You Could Make a Single Wish One parlor game is almost as old as conversation itself. It involves a simple question, asked in a variety of ways. If you could make a single wish, what would you desire? If you could have anything you wanted, what would you want? Bored partygoers ask … Read Complete Article »  There is Only One True Supplier Nineteenth century American industrialist Andrew Carnegie not only made a fortune, he gave much of it away, and he credited his success to insight and hard work. “The average person puts only 25 percent of his energy and ability into his work. The world takes … Read Complete Article » |
JULY 2008 Volume 5, Issue 7 All is a Gift from God. Stewardship Today is a monthly publication for parishioners whose mission is to assist Catholics in understanding and embracing the importance of Stewardship in our daily lives. Stewardship is the acknowledgement that all we are and all we possess are gifts that God has given us for our temporary use and for our use in helping our fellow man. Embracing Stewardship as a way of life starts with the personal need within each of us to return to God a thankful portion of our time in the form of prayer, our talents in the form of ministry to others, and the treasure He has entrusted to our care as gifts to His glory. A Total Stewardship Diocese Copyright © 2008 Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge. Reproduction of this material is prohibited without advance written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.  |
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IN THIS ISSUE: TOP STORY: » Another Old Thing is New Again PRAYER: » We Gather Together and Pray for His Peace MINISTRY: » If You Could Make a Single Wish FINANCE: » There is Only One True Supplier MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT: » Ministry Spotlight in the Baton Rouge Diocese Office of Vocations and Seminarians BACK TO TOP ^  |
ANOTHER OLD THING IS NEW AGAIN “For seven decades, from 1894 until 1964, not a single legal government-sponsored lottery existed in the United States. Today, forty-two states plus the District of Columbia run lotteries, exerting a powerful anti-thrift effect on the low and moderate-income players who are its most loyal customers.” The insightful publication entitled For a New Thrift: Confronting the Debt Culture, published earlier this year by the Commission on Thrift, details the many changes that have altered a culture once known for its frugality and generosity into one known equally well for its indebtedness and waste. Our nation’s daily lottery habit is only one of many contributing factors. Others include crushing levels of student debt, the rise of the check cashing store, the more than one billion credit cards in circulation, debit cards, the absence of any type of significant savings plan on the part of many, and the prevalence of an own-it-now/pay-for-it-later mentality. Thankfully, the authors of the report offer two goals and a set of prescriptive remedies as well. The goals are simple: “Renew thrift as an American value,” and “Create broadly democratic pro-thrift institutions as alternatives to the current crop of anti-thrift institutions.” In place of once-common passbook accounts, they see payday lenders, promoting a fundamental shift from savings to spending that is harming young and old. The five objectives? Also simple. Create a National Thrift Initiative, create a thrift savings plan available to all Americans, build new thrift institutions, repurpose the lottery, and maintain a progressive sense of purpose and intent by welcoming additional ideas. Fellow parishioners who remember the Latin Mass recall thrift programs, passbook savings accounts, lapel pins that promoted thrift and frugality, and posters with slogans similar to this: “Real thrift is the saving and intelligent use of health, time and property of all kinds, including money.” The commission would like to reintroduce some old ideas. Our diocesan stewardship program has long advocated meaningful stewardship in every area of parish life—prayer, ministry and finance. It is a biblical commitment, it is a faith commitment, and it is a cultural commitment. One commentator, having read the commission’s report, wrote, “The United States has been an affluent nation since its founding. But the country was, by and large, not corrupted by wealth. For centuries, it remained industrious, ambitious and frugal.” Each group of elementary-aged Catholic young people, saving coins on behalf of hurricane victims, demonstrates the notion that thrift is not dead; it just needs to be revived. In fact, the culture as a whole can learn valuable lessons from the sophisticated, spiritual understanding of its children. Saving, not spending. Giving, not hoarding. It is our cultural legacy. More, it is the Church’s legacy. The psalmist wrote, “The Lord is good to all, compassionate to every creature.” When we invest in more than today’s mundane needs, we realize we have much more to save and to share. In that, we show wisdom. And in that, we show compassion and love. Though not all principles and ideas necessarily translate to the work and ministry of the Church, those interested in additional information concerning the work of the Commission on Thrift might visit the website, www.NewThrift.org Send Stewardship Today to a Friend |
“If money talks, maybe some of us aren’t holding onto it long enough to listen to what it might be saying.”
~ Bob Phillips ~ |
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IN THIS ISSUE: TOP STORY: » Another Old Thing is New Again PRAYER: » We Gather Together and Pray for His Peace MINISTRY: » If You Could Make a Single Wish FINANCE: » There is Only One True Supplier MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT: » Ministry Spotlight in the Baton Rouge Diocese Office of Vocations and Seminarians BACK TO TOP ^ |
WE GATHER TOGETHER, AND PRAY FOR HIS PEACE In 1993, major league baseball’s Colorado Rockies celebrated their inaugural year of play as an expansion franchise and set a major league attendance record that stands today, welcoming nearly four and a half million fans to Mile High Stadium in Denver. Having moved into their own facility, they finished only a game out of first place two years later and averaged nearly 50,000 fans per game. But, after ten years as a second division team, tickets once difficult to acquire were given away by local merchants in dozens of promotions, and the team could draw barely 25,000 fans per game, attendance for the year falling under two million total for 2005. Then, last year, the team surprised everyone by playing their way into the World Series. As the season drew to a close, tickets for a tight pennant race were at a premium, and demand so exceeded supply that a now-infamous ticket scandal rocked the opening of the Fall Classic. Winning teams—even competitive teams—fill the seats. Losing teams play to empty stadiums. When the activity level is raised, even a little, people long to share in the excitement. And there are so many arenas in our culture. Our communities are graced with football stadiums, ball parks, concert venues, movie houses, theaters… and churches. We can appreciate why a winning baseball team packs out a stadium, and we understand the simple relationship between popular films and full parking lots at the neighborhood multiplex. But, what draws people to Mass? When our parking lots are full for mid-week, Saturday evening, and Sunday morning services—and surrounding streets teem with cars and pedestrians—why is it so? The cynical among us might suggest we want to identify with spiritual victors, as well, but there must be something more than mere identification with the holy. And there is. Much more. The Old Testament prophet Zechariah proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, a message of deliverance and hope. Each Easter, we remember Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, “meek and riding on a colt,” a truth prophesied by Zechariah centuries before. At a time of uncertainty, unrest, and with the ongoing threat of international conflict, his words speak to us in our day. “He shall banish the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem; the warrior’s bow shall be banished, and he shall proclaim peace to the nations. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.” As we know now, many first century followers of Christ expected him to institute a kingdom of dominion and peace then. It didn’t happen quite the way they expected, but it will. There are at least two realities the prophet addressed, and both of them relate to our willingness and desire to assemble as faithful Catholics in worship as his Church. We believe the Savior who has come brings peace to our hearts and minds today. And we believe the Savior of the world is the King of kings, the one who will ultimately bring eternal peace to mankind when he returns. We are both nurtured and nourished by the Prince of Peace. In this time of conflict, we pray for peace and we pray for the dominion of the Peacemaker. As his Church, we serve while we prayerfully await his return. Send Stewardship Today to a Friend “People who can least afford to pay rent, pay rent. People who can most afford to pay rent, build up equity.”
~ Arthur Bloch ~ |
 Prayers of the Saints: ST. BONAVENTURE (1221 — 1274) As an infant, John of Bagnorea was healed while under the care of St. Francis of Assisi, and took the more familiar name—meaning ‘good luck’—when he became a member of the Franciscans. By the middle of the thirteenth century, then an esteemed scholar in his own right, he became minister general of the order, offering needed theological correctives to changes that had followed St. Francis’ death. A friend of the Vatican and papal counsel, he served the Church well at a time when able but humble leadership was at a premium. His laudable humility is well illustrated by the story of his appointment as cardinal of Albano. When Gregory X’s papal envoys delivered the scarlet galero to Bonaventure, they found him washing dishes outside his monastery. He asked them to simply hang the valuable red hat on a nearby tree until he had finished the task at hand. Honored as the “Seraphic Doctor” of the Church, he died while serving at the Council of Lyons. The Prayer of St. Bonaventure is a timeless proclamation of fidelity and faith. A portion, appropriate for saints of all ages, follows: May I “do all for the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, with perseverance to the end; and be Thou alone ever my hope, my entire confidence, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession, my treasure; in Whom may my mind and my heart be ever fixed and firm and rooted immovably.” “Man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that sometimes he has to eat them.”
~ Adlai Stevenson ~ |
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IN THIS ISSUE: TOP STORY: » Another Old Thing is New Again PRAYER: » We Gather Together and Pray for His Peace MINISTRY: » If You Could Make a Single Wish FINANCE: » There is Only One True Supplier MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT: » Ministry Spotlight in the Baton Rouge Diocese Office of Vocations and Seminarians BACK TO TOP ^ |
IF YOU COULD MAKE A SINGLE WISH… One parlor game is almost as old as conversation itself. It involves a simple question, asked in a variety of ways. If you could make a single wish, what would you desire? If you could have anything you wanted, what would you want? Bored partygoers ask it of each other, teachers ask it of their students, and parents of their kids. Though often designed as simple conversation starters, if such questions were taken seriously, answers could reveal something of a person’s basic character—whether self-centered or selfless, visionary or confined to the present, interested in matters of real significance or confined to the temporal and material. Asked and answered by acquaintances or friends, the questions form the basis of interesting prattle but little more. After all, neither questioner nor answerer is truly able to supply absolutely anything another might need or want. And yet, what if the questioner were God himself, the author of the universe and—in the words of the psalmist—the one who owns the cattle on a thousand hills? What if God were the questioner, and you were invited to reply? What then? As recorded by the author of the Old Testament book of history, 1 Kings, that is exactly the situation in which young King Solomon found himself. “In a dream at night, God said, ‘Ask something of me and I will give it to you.’ ‘O Lord, my God,’ Solomon responded, ‘You have made me, your servant, king to succeed my father David; but I am a mere youth, not knowing at all how to act. I serve you in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a people so vast that it cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong. For who is able to govern this vast people of yours?’ ” Contestants on the old Family Feud television game show might holler, “Good answer! Good answer!” God certainly thought so. “The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request. So God said to him: ‘Because you have asked for this—not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of your enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right—I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you, there will come no one to equal you.’” Solomon stood alone. No one as wise before him, and no one as wise since. And all for the purpose of serving and serving well. “Give your servant an understanding heart.” We honor Solomon’s intellect and note his wisdom. Each time we do, perhaps we should also consider the context of his request. He saw the responsibility that lay before him and knew God alone possessed so limitless a storehouse of wisdom. Knowing right from wrong—every single time—would be the greatest gift. As we serve others, we might pray for a seasoning of the same: the ability to honor God and serve his people well—through the sensitivity of spiritual discernment and wisdom, knowing what is truly right and best. Send Stewardship Today to a Friend “Among all human pursuits, the pursuit of wisdom is more perfect, more noble, more useful, and more full of joy.”
~ St. Thomas Aquinas ~ |
 A Yoke of Encouragement and Refreshment The average Catholic adult in most of our parish churches is a married parent who shares the privilege of raising a family and holding down a job. And the typical local parishioner’s areas of required interest somewhat resemble that of a government’s cabinet offices: health and human services, education, transportation, and more. No wonder most of us are tired and weary. The perils of overwork and fatigue limit our commitments to family, church and community, stripping us of the joy we know we’re supposed to feel. Many are pretty burdened by it all. That was never God’s intent, and Jesus lovingly spoke to the issue. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Too many of us are trying to run this race on our own. That was never God’s intent either. Like first century beasts of burden, we slip on a yoke of a primitive design, saddling ourselves with too much work and too little benefit. It is rather for us to take on a yoke that is shared by the Savior. He walks beside us, at times fully carrying the loads we’ve assumed, always loving, always teaching, forever providing rest and refreshment, even in the ministries and responsibilities before us. Maybe especially then. |
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IN THIS ISSUE: TOP STORY: » Another Old Thing is New Again PRAYER: » We Gather Together and Pray for His Peace MINISTRY: » If You Could Make a Single Wish FINANCE: » There is Only One True Supplier MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT: » Ministry Spotlight in the Baton Rouge Diocese Office of Vocations and Seminarians BACK TO TOP ^ |
THERE IS ONLY ONE TRUE SUPPLIER Nineteenth century American industrialist Andrew Carnegie not only made a fortune, he gave much of it away, and he credited his success to insight and hard work. “The average person puts only 25 percent of his energy and ability into his work. The world takes off its hat to those who put in more than 50 percent of their capacity, and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100 percent.” When asked the nature of his success, the co-founder of Holiday Inns, Kemmons Wilson, wryly noted, “I make it a point to put in a good half day of work every day. Sometimes it’s the first twelve hours, sometimes it’s the second.” Movie producer Samuel Goldwyn was fond of saying, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” Thomas Edison poetically explained the importance of hard work this way: “His genius he was quite content in one brief sentence to define: Of inspiration one percent, of perspiration, ninety-nine.” Hard work does help define the most successful among us. Comedian Mike Myers has wisely suggested that the single greatest difference between him and his funnier friends was his unwillingness to quit. He stayed the course, developing material long after his friends had given up comedy for something else. What we often forget, though, is the set of contributions made by the Master Architect in each of our lives. An industrious farmer understands the relationship between hard work and God’s provision all too well. In Psalm 65, David stated it clearly: “You visit the earth and water it, make it abundantly fertile. God’s stream is filled with water; with it you supply the world with grain. With showers you keep the ground soft, blessing its young sprouts.” And, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reminded us that God’s blessing extends to those who acknowledge him as God, but also to those who choose not to: “He makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” A good mind is a gift from God. So are two good hands. So is vision. And so is the blessing of having been born at a time and in a place that not only rewards hard work but provides ample opportunity to pursue innumerable possibilities for success of all kinds. Sure, success—and that includes financial success—comes to those willing to work for it. God, though, is the one who opens doors, for he is the one who designed the original templates, created the initial blueprints, and formed the building blocks of all that is. The wise recognize his contributions and are suitably humble. The work of the Lord is all-encompassing and always a blessing to those who acknowledge him. Send Stewardship Today to a Friend “He has much who needs least. Don’t create necessities for yourself.”
~ St. Josemaria Escriva ~ |
 The Culture of Pearls For generations, Polynesian pearl divers have risked their lives to harvest one of creation’s true natural treasures. At one time, ancestors of today’s brilliant swimmers actually attached heavy weights to their bodies, fighting their own natural buoyancy and lowering themselves as much as two hundred feet to retrieve pearls hidden within bi-valve oysters and mussels. Today, pearl farmers much more often insert small objects inside mollusks to purposefully initiate the natural process in the development of cultured pearls. In many instances, however, retrieving them still involves a role for the pearl diver. The pearls they collect are worthy of the great prices they bring, not only because of their inherent natural value, but also as a result of the life-threatening cost to those who rescue them from the sea floor. Pearls have long been treasured, and Jesus spoke of them to illustrate the great value of the kingdom of God. His words are recorded in the Gospel of St. Matthew, chapter 13: “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.” The kingdom of heaven, like the search for fine pearls, yields obvious and inherent value—much greater than anything even remotely comparable, but most valuable because of the great sacrifice that secured its welcome. “There is no fruit which is not bitter before it is ripe.”
~ Publilius Syrus ~ |
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IN THIS ISSUE: TOP STORY: » Another Old Thing is New Again PRAYER: » We Gather Together and Pray for His Peace MINISTRY: » If You Could Make a Single Wish FINANCE: » There is Only One True Supplier MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT: » Ministry Spotlight in the Baton Rouge Diocese Office of Vocations and Seminarians BACK TO TOP ^ |
MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT: OFFICE OF VOCATIONS AND SEMINARIANS In less than thirty days, the Baton Rouge Diocese just celebrated several services of special note. First, in a Priesthood Ordination Mass on May 31, Fr. Jamin David, Fr. Andrew Merrick and Fr. Paul Yi were ordained to the priesthood.  On June 8, Fr. Henry Vavasseur was justly honored with a special anniversary Mass celebrating fifty years as a priest. Mark Beard and Paul Gros were ordained into the transitional diaconate on June 21, and the entire Diocese celebrated Bishop Muench’s fortieth year in the priesthood on Sunday, June 29, a fitting conclusion to an eventful month. Though much of the religious reporting in recent years has noted low numbers of seminarians and a shortage of priests, our Diocese has much for which to be grateful, having ordained eight priests in little more than a calendar year.
The privilege of serving God as a priest acknowledges the commitments of individuals, of families, and of parish churches. A man responds to the call of God, encouraged by his family and nurtured by his home parish, a gift of a worshiping community to the life of the Church and on behalf of thousands of parishioners whose lives will be enriched by the ministry of each one who answers God’s call to the priesthood. Certainly, those in seminary preparation—and those prayerfully considering joining them—all deserve our prayers. They warrant our financial support as well, a truly wonderful opportunity to take part in their preparation in a practical way. Your prayers and your financial gifts are excellent extensions of your stewardship of support. For additional information regarding the vital Office of Vocations, please contact Fr. Matt Lorrain, Director of Vocations. His contact information and current (as well as archived) copies of the Vocations newsletter, are available through the following link: http://www.diobr.org/vocations/vocations.htm BACK TO TOP ^ |
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