My Church
A STEWARDSHIP PRAYER
My church is composed of people like me.
I help make it what it is.
It will be friendly, if I am.
Its pews will be filled, if I help fill them.
It will do great work, if I work.
It will make generous donations to many causes,
if I am a generous giver.
It will bring other people into its worship and fellowship,
if I invite and bring them.
It will be a church of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and faith, and a church with a noble spirit,
if I, who help make it what it is,
am filled with these same things.
Therefore, with the help of God,
I shall dedicate myself to the task of BEING
all the things I want my church to be.
Stewardship of Treasure
For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
---Matthew 6:21
Why do we share our TREASURE?
Our money and possessions— our treasure are gifts from God that we are asked to care for and generously share. It is essential to share our money and material possessions for two reasons: first, all the good things that God made, including money, are meant to be shared, and second, each of us needs to give. We need to give our money to individuals and families in need, the Church, and other worthwhile charitable organizations because giving money is good for the soul and because we need to return thanks to a loving God for our many blessings.
The need to GIVE is indisputable.
While our parish has many particular needs for which funds must be raised, we must reflect that stewardship differs from fund-raising. Stewardship is rooted in one real need – the need to give. Our gratitude can quickly become a matter of words unless we return to the Lord, the giver of all gifts, a truly grateful share of our time, talent, and treasure.
When Jesus saw the widow putting her “two pennies” in the Temple treasury, He told His disciples, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. They all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living” (Mk. 12:43-44). And that is what God expects from us.
How do I set a Stewardship of Treasure GOAL?
We often hear the Biblical reference that tithing consists of 10% of our income. Indeed, that is the ultimate goal and a wonderful one.
Most of us start below that and keep increasing our giving little by little. All are encouraged to give proportionately to our income and blessings and move up to and beyond 10%. The most crucial point is to SET A GOAL and WORK TOWARD IT.
Suggested stewardship
Minuimun of (1 hour of weekly pay) or up to 5% to St Monica and up to 5% to organizations & charities that God calls you to support
PERSPECTIVE: First Fruits vs. What do I have left to give?
Five percent may seem like a large allocation. However, we must remember our parish is a community that helps carry out Christ’s mission. Plan your pledge— for Sacrificial Giving from your first fruits.
Consider giving one hour of your wage a week. In that same way, you can consider giving one hour of your talent each week or 1 hour of prayer, or spiritual reading, listening to a podcast from a religious leader, or watching a video that helps you learn more about the faith.
Saint Monica Catholic Church supports over XX ministries that outreach to the needy and help bring people closer to God— this is where you would give one hour of your talent each week.
Our Church provides a space and support for praying, receiving sacraments, evangelizing, spiritual learning, catechesis, ministering to others, and gathering in community with each other. This requires payment of the same expenses that a home or business incurs— mortgage, insurance, utilities, maintenance, and the like. It requires paying for the expertise of lay leaders who run the Church’s day-to-day operations and the priests who celebrate the sacraments with us so that together we can carry out the CHURCH mission— sharing the Good News and helping our brothers and sisters in need.
Learn more about how Saint Monica Catholic Church has fulfilled the mission given to us over the years.
Annual Reports
PRAYERFULLY consider your GIFTS of TREASURE
Almighty God, we thank you for all the gifts You have given us: our lives, our loved ones, all that we have, and all that we are. Most of all, we thank You for Jesus, your Son, and our Redeemer, who came among us to show us the way to eternal life. Jesus was the perfect steward of your gifts, showing that complete trust in You is necessary and that giving of self is the essential part of following Him. May the offerings of our time, talents, and material resources be made in the same spirit of sacrifice that Jesus taught us by His life and death for us. Amen.
Stewardship Prayer