By Beth Yeakel, Director
Foundation Services

Take a few moments in these waning days of Lent to visit the Vatican website and read Pope Benedict’s message for Lent 2008. In his message, the Holy Father focuses on almsgiving and he presents us with both a challenge and a vision for living our lives as Catholic Christians in the 21st century.

He writes, “Almsgiving, according to the Gospel, is not mere philanthropy: Rather it is a concrete expression of charity, a theological virtue that demands interior conversion to love of God and neighbor, in imitation of Jesus Christ, who, dying on the cross, gave His entire self for us.”

In looking forward to the Easter glory we’ll soon celebrate, I want to offer a challenge: What if, instead of breathing a sigh of relief that this year’s Lenten practices and sacrifices are over, we took a deep breath and chose to make a Lenten practice permanent.

Examine your life: Is there a practice of prayer, fasting or almsgiving that has impacted you in a profound way? What if you continued to observe that ritual during the Easter season and perhaps, even into the ordinary days of summer and fall?

An integral part of stewardship is the recognition that all that we have, all that we are and all that we do are gifts from God. Mature stewards offer back from the first fruits of these gifts.

What if we took a little more time (just a few minutes) each day to pray for our families, our friends, our Church, our co-workers – especially someone with whom you struggle!

What if we continued our fasts into Easter and the treasure and/or time saved could be given to encourage and strengthen those less fortunate than ourselves? What if we maintained our almsgiving throughout the year – sharing our talents, our treasure and/or our time to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger and visit the sick or imprisoned? Have a blessed and holy Easter season.

Visit http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/lent/index_en.htm for the Holy Father’s Lenten message.

Stewardship Tip: Creative Almsgiving

Just as prayer and fasting require individual expression by the participant, so too does almsgiving. The Diocese of Helena, blessed by an abundance of generous people, benefits both directly and indirectly by the creative almsgiving of the faithful.

The diversity of gifts offered – a grand piano, a car, household items and art – and the way in which they are given – a Christmas gift to parents redirected to educate four students at the Guatemala Mission and two sides of beef, delivered to the chancery door, ready for a summertime barbecue – testify to parishioners’ ingenuity.

Interested in creative almsgiving? Start by contacting your parish to find out if they have a wish list of needs already in place. Then, don’t be shy – express your individuality with creative almsgiving!


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 24, No. 3, March 21, 2008.