Joppa Stewardship Leaders
Joseph Daniel Potvin, Ottawa, ON
Bulletin Stewardship Reflections for March 5th to March 26th, 2017
March 5th – 1st Sunday of Lent
In falling to the devil’s temptation Adam and Eve went against God’s divine plan for humankind. Not content with being created in the image of God they sought equality with God. The spirituality of stewardship gives us the strength to resist any temptation to think that our accomplishments, abilities, opportunities, health, relationships, and even our financial blessings, are of our own doing. We can find many rewards in daily life by acknowledging that all of our gifts come from, and belong to, God. Rewards like peace of mind, hope, and confidence are just the tip of the iceberg. Stewardship inspires us to use and share our gifts in a manner that recognizes that God is first in our life. Stewardship is a central part of God’s divine plan for us.
Copyright © 2017, by Joseph Daniel Potvin, Joppa Stewardship Leaders, Ottawa
March 12th – 2nd Sunday of Lent
Stewardship is a way of life that has its beginning in a new way of seeing who we are and all that we possess. The disciples were blessed to see Jesus in a new and glorious way in today’s account of our Lord’s Transfiguration. When we are open to seeing God’s glory all around us amongst our daily busyness we can be filled with wonder and awe – life is truly a wondrous gift from God! Our hearts and minds are transformed and we are inspired to be a good steward of it all. Let Jesus reveal himself to you this Lent in a new and wondrous way so that your discipleship and stewardship may be even more joyful and fruitful.
Copyright © 2017, by Joseph Daniel Potvin, Joppa Stewardship Leaders, Ottawa
March 19th – 3rd Sunday of Lent
In today’s Gospel, the Samaritan woman allows herself to experience a life-changing encounter with Jesus. As she conversed with Jesus her understanding of who he was grew, and this inspired her to want to bring others to also know Him. The more we come to know Jesus the more we desire to share the joy that we have discovered in knowing and following Him. Prayer and fasting are ways in which we can all deepen our relationship with Jesus. Sacrificial almsgiving closes the gap between what we are comfortable in giving and what God calls us to give and thus strengthens our trust in God because we trust that He will always provide for our needs. And, when we give in gratitude for all that God has given us, and not merely out of a sense of obligation or duty, we grow in our relationship with Him. We do well to invest a generous portion of our time in growing in our faith this Lent by allowing ourselves to truly encounter Christ and accept our mission to be stewards of the Good News.
Copyright © 2017, by Joseph Daniel Potvin, Joppa Stewardship Leaders, Ottawa
March 26th – 4th Sunday of Lent
Stewardship is a call to collaborate with God. In baptism we are anointed and called. We are called to be a light, as St. Paul says in today’s second reading, “Live as children of the light”. How is God calling you? What are the gifts He has given you to respond to this call? Spending some quiet time in prayer with God each day is the best way to discern His plan and purpose for our lives. Each of us can be a light in our own unique way. Finding that way in the busyness of life requires that we be good stewards of our time and make time to hear God’s voice. God always provides what we need to be a light, provided we do our part and are good stewards of the gifts He has given us to be that light.
Copyright © 2017, by Joseph Daniel Potvin, Joppa Stewardship Leaders, Ottawa
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