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  ULTIMATE FRIENDSHIPS One legend of ancient Rome tells the story of the horseman and heroic military figure Marcus Curtius. The story, as it’s often told, suggests a chasm opened in the Roman Forum, the center of economic, social and political activity at the time. Unable to fully close the hazardous opening, concerned citizens sought the wisdom of the city fathers who suggested only Rome’s most precious possession could seal the chasm. Believing the citizenry—especially her courageous soldiers—were Rome’s greatest possession, Marcus Curtius drove his horse directly into the chasm, Read Complete Article »  A Tower View Brutally hot even in the shade, steam rose from the freshly irrigated practice field and the necks and bare heads of more than a few glistening student athletes, all of them exhausted from a week of two-a-day football practices and rigorous… Read Complete Article »  We Just Think It's Impossible In the wake of news that John the Baptist had been beheaded, Jesus “withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.” In that remote place, the Savior turned a time of significant sorrow into an opportunity for transcendent triumph… Read Complete Article »  The Formula at a Different Corner Station The price of crude goes up a few dollars, and the cost of a gallon of gas climbs a few cents. A key public official is kidnapped from the plaza of a Middle Eastern city during an OPEC conference, and the cost of a gallon of gas climbs another … Read Complete Article » |
AUGUST 2008 Volume 5, Issue 8 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: » Ultimate Friendships PRAYER: » A Tower View MINISTRY: » We Just Think It's Impossible FINANCE: » The Formula at a Different Corner Station MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT: » Ministry Spotlight in the Baton Rouge Diocese Catholic Schools of Baton Rouge BACK TO TOP ^  |
ULTIMATE FRIENDSHIPS One legend of ancient Rome tells the story of the horseman and heroic military figure Marcus Curtius. The story, as it’s often told, suggests a chasm opened in the Roman Forum, the center of economic, social and political activity at the time. Unable to fully close the hazardous opening, concerned citizens sought the wisdom of the city fathers who suggested only Rome’s most precious possession could seal the chasm. Believing the citizenry—especially her courageous soldiers—were Rome’s greatest possession, Marcus Curtius drove his horse directly into the chasm, sealing it and preserving the city by sacrificing himself and his steed. The French essayist Montaigne, in his piece entitled An Essay on Friendship, wrote, “In true friendship I give myself to my friend more than I endeavor to attract him to me. I am not only better pleased in doing him service than if he incur benefit upon me, but moreover I would rather he should do himself good than me good.” The late University of Chicago professor Mortimer Adler quoted both of these in his own discussion of friendship and also points to the example of Jesus Christ. We use the term friend pretty loosely. To most people, casual acquaintances, business associates and neighbors are likewise all friends. Jesus used the term much more selectively. “I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.” And, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” His young apostle John understood his meaning, writing the following to Christians in the first century: “The way we came to know love was that He laid down His life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” It is that selfless intent that St. Paul addressed in Romans, chapter 9. “I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kin according to the flesh.” St. John defined true friendship as the relationship shared by those willing to die for each other. The Apostle Paul offered not only to die for his kinsmen but further, to take their eternal punishment by dying in their spiritual stead. That’s true biblical friendship. That is love and an incredible standard of selfless sacrifice. It is precisely the sacrifice Christ made for us, offering himself on our behalf. Perhaps we rarely think of stewardship in terms of our interaction with others, but there are few aspects of life in which selflessness is in greater need or demand. Send Stewardship Today to a Friend |
“We need no wings to go in search of Him, but have only to find a place where we can be alone—and look upon Him present within us.”
~ St. Teresa of Avila ~ |
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IN THIS ISSUE: TOP STORY: » Ultimate Friendships PRAYER: » A Tower View MINISTRY: » We Just Think It's Impossible FINANCE: » The Formula at a Different Corner Station MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT: » Ministry Spotlight in the Baton Rouge Diocese Catholic Schools of Baton Rouge BACK TO TOP ^ |
A TOWER VIEW Brutally hot even in the shade, steam rose from the freshly irrigated practice field and the necks and bare heads of more than a few glistening student athletes, all of them exhausted from a week of two-a-day football practices and rigorous daily squad meetings. Defending champions, the young men included seniors who began to jog before their head coach completed the familiar yell, “Give me fifty,” but also two dozen freshmen who stood for a few seconds, wondering if, in fact, the coach hadn’t possibly said, “Fifteen.” This meeting was the weekly wrap up, the coach outlining a specific set of instructions for separate small groups of position players. He seemed able to isolate the needs of each individual player, many of them playing for him for the first time, and the newcomers were amazed. Headed to the showers, one of them asked a team leader, “How’d he know all that? I didn’t even see him for two days“ “It’s like this every year,” the older student began, “He opens workouts from the tower, and he never misses anything from up there.” Those who’d never attended so large a school were simply unaware of the observations possible from the elevated coach’s tower, and at that point in the preseason, their coach spent much of his time there. He knew their names. He knew their numbers. He knew what they did well, and he knew what they needed to work on. Just because their focus was often on the ground, didn’t mean his focus wasn’t on them. From the vantage of the tower, a football coach misses little. It isn’t surprising. Young climbers see their domains with a fresh perspective ten feet up the backyard live oak, and a homeowner clearing limbs from the roof often pauses to look at the neighborhood with new eyes. Why then would we be surprised at the kingdom perspective of an all-knowing Heavenly Father? The Psalmist notes, “The Lord is on high, but cares for the lowly and knows the proud from afar.” The gaze of Almighty God, always purposeful and ever vigilant, sees every need of the poorest among us, and is mindful of the thoughts and activities of the proud and the haughty as well. God alone knows all these things, and He cares. Aware of that omniscient perspective, the writer of the psalm was grateful God chooses to be present, watching and listening for every call. “The Lord is with me to the end. Lord, your love endures forever.” Send Stewardship Today to a Friend “The substance of the winds is too thin for human eyes, their written language is too difficult for human minds, and their spoken language mostly too faint for the ears.”
~ John Muir ~ |
 Prayers of the Saints: ST. ALPHONSUS LIGUORI (1696 — 1787) Of only modest stature, St. Alphonsus Liguori was a natural leader and commanded the respect of all those who knew him. He was burdened by poor eyesight, but remained a prolific writer until late in years. Few tasks were of greater interest than his hours spent in counsel and the priest’s confessional, but he experienced last rites numerous times himself, so afflicted was he with all manner of diseases and ailments. His was one of the primary moral minds of his day, his vision both a practical view of his culture and a lofty view of God, and yet paralysis left his head cast permanently down, the paradoxical pattern of his life an image in which the mature Alphonsus is often depicted. Proclaimed a Doctor of the Church, he was born near Naples, possessed earned doctorates in both civil and canon law, is known as the founder of the Redemptorist congregation, and is regarded as one of the great missionary and moral thinkers in the history of the Church. A simple prayer is testimony to his personal devotion and humility: “I desire to love You without reserve, and to do all that I know to be pleasing to You. I love Your good pleasure more than all the pleasures of the world. I accept all the troubles that may happen to me, provided I love You, O my God. O my Jesus! That I could die for You, as You did die for me.” “Whoever curses a poor man does an injury to Christ, whose noble image he wears—the image of Him who made Himself poor for us in this world.”
~ St. Francis of Assisi ~ |
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IN THIS ISSUE: TOP STORY: » Ultimate Friendships PRAYER: » A Tower View MINISTRY: » We Just Think It's Impossible FINANCE: » The Formula at a Different Corner Station MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT: » Ministry Spotlight in the Baton Rouge Diocese Catholic Schools of Baton Rouge BACK TO TOP ^ |
WE JUST THINK IT'S IMPOSSIBLE In the wake of news that John the Baptist had been beheaded, Jesus “withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.” In that remote place, the Savior turned a time of significant sorrow into an opportunity for transcendent triumph. As they often did, the crowds found him, many personally sick or seeking Jesus on behalf of others. In St. Matthew’s account, the Great Physician healed sick people until day turned into evening. Their most pressing needs addressed, they remained in his presence, and a remote haven became a crowded, bustling gathering of travelers in need of one of life’s most basic staples—food. His disciples found him too and stated the obvious: “ ‘This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.’ ” It was a reasonable assessment. The disciples could count, and there were thousands present—“five thousand men, not counting women and children.” A vast crowd equal to a university basketball arena at capacity had assembled around Jesus. (The disciples might have enjoyed the possibility of a dozen or more concession stands like those found in a typical arena.) Their food supply was modest at best. “ ‘Five loaves of bread and two fish are all we have here.’ ” Well, Jesus had spent his afternoon and evening miraculously healing dozens and dozens of sick people. For him, five loaves and two fish were worth a dozen concession stands or more. Teachers frequently share the story with Catholic school children because, as St. John recorded, the bread and fish were supplied by a young boy, one willing to give up all he had for others. Five of one and two of the other fed thousands of people. “Looking up to heaven, Jesus said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.” People ate and “were satisfied,” producing “twelve wicker baskets full” of left over fragments. For those raised in the Church, this is a familiar story, but we shouldn’t allow familiarity to diminish any important lessons. Yes, Jesus took a meager measure and blessed it beyond belief. And, he also chose to employ disciples in the process; everyone had a ministry role to fill. We frequently find ourselves saying, “But, this is all I have to offer, or I can only do this small job—this is all I can do.” In the hands of the Master, whatever we can offer is more than enough. There are times when our greatest gift is our willingness to be available, saying ‘yes’ to whatever God might call us to do. He will bless whatever that is because, in his hands, we produce the greatest blessings of ministry and service. Send Stewardship Today to a Friend “Children are always being told to eat more by parents who are always being told to eat less.”
~ Bob Phillips ~ |
 The Beauty of Transformation Parents who have accompanied their children to see WALL-E, the latest summer blockbuster from Pixar, have discovered more than well-crafted entertainment for kids. Responsible environmental care is only one recurring theme involving the sympathetic, tireless and lovable main character. “Wall-e (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) is programmed to clean up the planet one trash cube at a time.” And earth is smothered in trash. Converting mountains of it into small cubes, systematically stacked one at a time, is WALL-E’s task. An admirable responsibility, it is certainly good stewardship to take one person’s trash and convert it into value for another. Often taken for granted, the concepts of conversion and transformation lie at the very heart of the Catholic faith. St. Paul opened the twelfth chapter of his letter to the Romans with these words: “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” The world of theater celebrates a transformation engineered by prop, wardrobe, makeup, and special effects. The Lord specializes in transformations that are neither shallow nor temporary. Unlike carefully arranged mounds of scrap metal, what God changes is transformed into something new. Free of its chrysalis, a butterfly is no longer a caterpillar. Freed of the yoke of this age, those who follow Christ are no longer lost. Not unlike WALL-E, we learn exactly our purpose, our Creator’s will for our lives. |
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IN THIS ISSUE: TOP STORY: » Ultimate Friendships PRAYER: » A Tower View MINISTRY: » We Just Think It's Impossible FINANCE: » The Formula at a Different Corner Station MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT: » Ministry Spotlight in the Baton Rouge Diocese Catholic Schools of Baton Rouge BACK TO TOP ^ |
THE FORMULA AT A DIFFERENT CORNER STATION The price of crude goes up a few dollars, and the cost of a gallon of gas climbs a few cents. A key public official is kidnapped from the plaza of a Middle Eastern city during an OPEC conference, and the cost of a gallon of gas climbs another few cents. During a tense press conference, conversation drifts to storms in the Gulf in this hemisphere and the possibility of additional armed confrontation in the Gulf of another, and the cost of a gallon of gas makes it way a few cents higher still. And travel on a holiday weekend increases demand and prices too. It is difficult for some folk to bridle their cynicism. They suggest the crude in question might, after all, reflect a future barrel whose journey to the pump will only realistically materialize sometime in the future as well. The fuel pumped at the corner station was obviously refined at some point in the past, having been traded at a reduced price per barrel longer ago than that. We know it’s true, but we inevitably accept the basic price configuration—barrel of crude equals gallons of gas—as if it were a mathematical formula printed for quick review on the inside flap of a high school textbook, with no other variables in play. So many of the ways we spend and invest our money include unseen transitions and steps, we tend to forget the prevalence of exchange. A sugar cane farmer knows a great many steps separate him from planting and harvest, but we drive by cane fields and are increasingly insensitive to the many processes that move cane from the field we see waving in the wind to the sugar we stir into our coffee. Everywhere, processes are at work. The cane is no more ready for the Starbucks than the crude is for the Stingray. In the reflective quiet of the Mass, we might pause to consider the relationships that connect our regular offerings and the dozens of ministries and services Parish churches are able to extend to our congregations and communities as a result. The generous variety of vital ministries provided by each Parish in the Diocese is a costly reality made possible by the equally generous gifts of a committed family of parishioners. Does the price of crude affect the cost of gasoline? Of course. Does the generous contribution of a faithful Catholic parishioner affect the quality of ministry and service in the local Parish church? Absolutely. And, because it is God’s pleasure to bless each gift far beyond its basic value, every gift is notable, no matter how generous, no matter how modest. There is a relationship. God uses our offerings to minister to and meet the needs of those we love and others, “for from him and through him and for him are all things.” Price of crude/price of gas. Your earthly contributions/God’s eternal blessing. Send Stewardship Today to a Friend “It is Sunday, mid-morning—Sunday in the living room, Sunday in the kitchen, Sunday in the woodshed, Sunday down the road in the village. I hear the bells, calling me to share God’s grace.”
~ E. B. White ~ |
 Nothing but the Best According to the American Pet Product Manufacturers’ Association, over sixty percent of American households live with at least one pet. The collective cost to care for them is staggering—well over forty billion dollars in total expenditures, a third of it spent on food, and more than a quarter of the total on vet care alone. Research studies indicate pets can be a healthy part of home life, and that’s a good thing as pets can involve quite an investment. News from the world of the super wealthy occasionally incorporates stories concerning those who will their fortunes to surviving pets, and yet, when Paul Mitchell salons decide to market dog care products and Omaha Steaks begins to manufacture gourmet pet foods, the rich likely aren’t the only ones splurging on pet care. Specialty foods are available for puppies and kittens, older animals, pets needing to lose a few pounds, those in need of tartar control, and others who prefer a vegetarian diet. For the most part, domestic animals once ate leftovers and table scraps. Many still do, of course, and it was this commonplace notion that someone used as a parallel when talking once with Jesus. The Lord was approached by a despised foreigner, a needy individual desiring nothing more than spiritual leftovers—scraps that might fall from the table of His blessing; in her case, she hoped for healing for her child. An outcast in her culture, she asked of Jesus only that. “Please, Lord. Even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Jesus answered her prayer and healed her daughter. Nothing God provides is left over. All of it is choice, nothing but the best. “Yes, risk taking is inherently failure-prone. Otherwise, it would be called sure-thing-taking.”
~ Tim McMahon ~ |
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IN THIS ISSUE: TOP STORY: » Ultimate Friendships PRAYER: » A Tower View MINISTRY: » We Just Think It's Impossible FINANCE: » The Formula at a Different Corner Station MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT: » Ministry Spotlight in the Baton Rouge Diocese Catholic Schools of Baton Rouge BACK TO TOP ^ |
MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT: CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OF BATON ROUGE Some of our young people love to hear the words. Others may wish there were a few more weeks of summer vacation, but “it’s that time again.” Between the first and fifteenth of August, thousands of administrators, teachers, office staff, service employees, and students will begin another productive year of instruction and learning through the programs of excellence provided by over thirty schools, located in eight different civil parishes, and all served by the office of the Catholic Schools of Baton Rouge. Their vision is clear. As Catholic Schools’ superintendent, Sr. Mary Michaeline Green, O.P., has written, “Gospel values permeate the curriculum and the school environment. Our students are not only taught about Christ, but they are taught the way to Christ.” Diocesan regional high schools, inter-parochial schools, elementary schools, traditional parochial schools—the many offering education from either Pre-K or kindergarten through eighth grade, as well as a variety of special programs, support award-winning institutions, facilities, faculty and educational initiatives. The stated “mission of the Catholic Schools Office is to enable the continuing development of exemplary elementary and secondary Catholic schools in the Diocese through evangelization, the acquisition of values and the discovery of truth, as well as the attainment of knowledge.” The faithful educators who serve the children and families of the Baton Rouge Diocese have been doing exactly that for generations. For additional information regarding Catholic Schools of Baton Rouge, please visit their informative website at the following address: http://www.csobr.org/ BACK TO TOP ^ |
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