Church of the Incarnation
Stewardship
Time, Talent, and Treasure — a spiritual practice of returning to God the gifts we’ve been given.
The Spirituality of Stewardship
A journey of prayer and discernment
Stewardship is a spiritual exercise that we make through prayer and discernment, asking the Holy Spirit to share God’s will for us in using our time, talent, and treasure for His good.
This process starts with prayer, then leads to a “spiritual inventory” of what we each have received from God, are receiving, and will receive.
Central to our human and Christian vocations, as well as to the unique vocation each one of us receives from God, is that we be good stewards of the gifts we possess. God gives us this divine-human workshop, this world and Church of ours. The Spirit shows us the way. Stewardship is a part of that journey.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Watch
The Spirituality of Stewardship
Archbishop Paul J. Etienne of the Archdiocese of Seattle reflects on what it means to live as a steward of God’s gifts.
Presented in English with Spanish subtitles.
Three Gifts, One Calling
Time. Talent. Treasure.
Three ways we return to God what He has first given us.
Time
Given to God
We use our time to give due worship to God through prayer, through Mass attendance, through experiencing the Sacraments, through spiritual reading, and through bible study to grow in our faith in recognizing that God is our Creator. We use our time here on this Earth to come to better know our God and become more like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Talent
Given to Others
Each of us is given unique gifts, or talents, by the Holy Spirit to build up the Kingdom of God in bringing others to come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. This might be teaching religious education, adult faith formation, pastoral care, food pantry, prayer shawls, social justice, or any number of other ways available to us in our parish and in our community to use our talents to serve others.
Treasure
Given Back
We recognize that everything we have is a gift from God—our families, our homes, our cars, our jobs, our income, our parish. We use our treasure to help our sisters and brothers who are in need, to support the day-to-day operation of the parish, and to maintain our spiritual home as a worthy place of worship.
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Scripture on Stewardship
The call to stewardship runs through the whole of Scripture.
“Riches and glory are from you, and you have dominion over all. In your hand are power and might; it is yours to give greatness and strength to all.”
1 Chronicles 29:12
“The earth is the LORD’s and all it holds, the world and those who dwell in it.”
Psalm 24:1
“Honor the LORD with your wealth, with first fruits of all your produce; Then will your barns be filled with plenty, with new wine your vats will overflow.”
Proverbs 3:9–10
“Precious treasure and oil are in the house of the wise, but the fool consumes them.”
Proverbs 21:20
“His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’”
Matthew 25:21
“For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
Matthew 25:29
“Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Now it is of course required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.”
1 Corinthians 4:1–2
“Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
2 Corinthians 9:6–7
“Whatever you do, do from the heart, as for the Lord and not for others, knowing that you will receive from the Lord the due payment of the inheritance; be slaves of the Lord Christ.”
Colossians 3:23–24
“And whoever does not provide for relatives and especially family members has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
1 Timothy 5:8
“As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
1 Peter 4:10
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers: all good giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no alteration or shadow caused by change.”
James 1:16–17