Conversion & Knowing & Obeying leads to Proclaiming…your Hope!

This Sunday’s readings provide us with a unique opportunity to explore a most meaningful way to stewardship. Conversion – Knowing – Obeying – Proclaiming. Beginning with Peter’s speech, he invites people to repent and turn to God (Acts 3:19). This is a call to conversion, a call to see life anew. Stewardship likewise begins with a change of heart and mind. Stewardship inspires us to look at all that we are and everything we have through new lenses. It all comes from and belongs to God. Conversion like this leads to a greater desire to know God and his will. We seek what God wants, to know how he wants us to use and share our gifts. The gift of life itself and our faith. What about our relationships and the gift of each day? Our talents and abilities; our individual opportunities; and all the material goods that we have.  How does God want us to steward it all? Seeking God’s will and being obedient to it is the way to stewardship that has impact! Impact in our own lives and those around us.

Seeking God’s will and being obedient to it is the way to stewardship that has impact!

A person can be sure that you know God by the example of your life. To know God is to obey his commandments. Knowing him also means to be in relationship with him that involves intimacy and experience. The deeper our relationship with Jesus the stronger our desire to be obedient – to be the best stewards and disciples we can be! Born out of our love for Jesus, our obedience never feels legalistic or burdensome. The opposite is true, it is freeing and rewarding. Obedience in stewarding God’s gifts as he wants is always joyful!

Finally, in the Gospel Jesus commissions us to “proclaim in his name to all nations” (Luke 25:47). Conversion – knowing – obeying – these all instill in us a compelling desire to proclaim. The Church encourages us in our call as lay faithful to proclaim. “The laity likewise share in the priestly, prophetic, and royal office of Christ and have their own share in the mission” (Vatican II Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity).

We are stewards of the gift of faith that we have received.

In what ways are you joyfully proclaiming the hope that you have in the resurrection to the people you meet every day?