Stewardship Reflection for the Presentation of the Lord

Stewardship is about deep transformation. It is about getting people excited to offer their time, talent and treasure to make parishes — and the archdiocese as a whole — more vibrant.

But sometimes we have problems thinking about stewardship. To help with this, the Office of Formation for Discipleship has created a resource with stewardship reflections. The resource provides a stewardship reflection every week based on that weekend’s readings. You can find documents with reflections for lectionary cycles A, B and C here (we are currently in year A). Both long and short reflections are provided for parishes that would like to include these in their bulletin.

Labouring for the Steward’s Great Reward

Readings

• 1st Reading: Malachi 3.1-4
• 2nd Reading: Heb 2.10-11, 13b-18++
• Gospel: Luke 2.22-40 – The Presentation of the Lord

Reflection

This Sunday we celebrate the feast of the Presentation of the Lord. We reflect on Joseph and Mary taking the child Jesus up to the temple and the prophet Simeon taking the child into his arms. Simeon was an elderly prophet in Jerusalem to whom it had been revealed that “he would not see death before he had seen the Christ” (Luke 2: 26). After labouring in the temple for his entire life, Simeon was rewarded with the gift of beholding Christ with his own eyes.

The reward of Simeon is the reward awaiting all of Christ’s faithful stewards. The reward of beholding Him with utter joy and peace in Heaven. The USCCB write in their Pastoral Letter on Stewardship, “What is the reward to which good stewards can look forward? The answer is perfect fulfillment in God’s Kingdom.” It is in God’s Kingdom that we will enjoy the beatific vision for all eternity.

So when the commitment to our life of stewardship becomes difficult and we’re tempted to despair, let us remember the reward of Simeon that awaits the faithful steward. This remembrance should help us increase our labours of love for God and the Church for we know that we are not doing it for any other purpose than unity with God for all eternity. This is the goal of our Christian lives.

Summary

After labouring in the temple for his entire life, Simeon was rewarded with the gift of beholding Christ with his own eyes. The reward of Simeon is the reward awaiting all of Christ’s faithful stewards. So when the commitment to our life of stewardship becomes difficult and we’re tempted to despair, let us remember the reward that awaits us of beholding Him with utter joy and peace in Heaven.