“Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” LUKE 12:15
The Gospel message is contrary to modern culture that continually tries to convince us that our joy comes from the material things we possess. That the more we acquire, the happier we will be. Jesus shows us that our true joy comes from our invisible” gifts like love, mercy, and forgiveness. True joy comes from “emptying” ourselves, giving of ourselves rather than always taking. We are called not to hoard but to share. True joy comes from living a grateful and generous lifestyle; become more “God-centered” and less “self-centered.

“Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” LUKE 11:9 - Jesus assures us that if we ask, God will take care of what we need. The problem is that our culture often confuses what we really need with what we simply want. The truth is that many of us need very little. However, we usually want so much more! Stewardship is simply being grateful for all that we are and all that we have been given, and generously sharing all of our God-given gifts with others. Gratitude and generosity are gifts that opens doors to new relationships with others and with God.

"…I am a minister in accordance with God’s stewardship given to me to bring to completion for you the word of God.”
COLOSSIANS 1:25 - We are all called to evangelize – to convert individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel. Our faith is more attractive to others by our actions than by our words alone. We may not be called to evangelize like St. Paul, but we should look for opportunities to share our faith through our actions and words, especially with those closest to us, like our family, friends, and neighbors. Pray for the courage to joyfully Express your faith the next time the opportunity arises.

“Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’” LUKE 10:37 - This was Jesus’ command at the end of the Good Samaritan story. Did you know that the Samaritans and Jews despised each other? The moral of the story is to love our neighbor. That means loving someone you may not know, or someone that looks different than you, or someone that has different beliefs than you, or someone that you don’t like. All without expecting anything in return.