Stewardship

A month or so ago, our parish family collected toys, school supplies, and shoes for Iraqi children.

One of our parishioners has a brother serving in Iraq and we sent the items to him. He distributed them to the local schools, hospitals, and quite often, during patrols.

You see, American soldiers come in contact with Iraqis all the time; many times children are simply walking aimlessly around the countryside. So our soldiers visit with them, and when they have items on hand, distribute a soccer ball or doll to brighten the day of such children.

What a shame these sorts of stories are no’t highlighted in the mass media. The gift of hope is the greatest thing that can be given to such little ones.

These children have known little other than war and the horrors of a ruthless dictatorship their entire young lives.

What a precious opportunity it is for American soldiers to brighten their day with a simple toy.

Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called children of God.

Catholic Charities is consistently among the most efficient charities in our nation. As expected, they are coordinating various actions to assist the thousands who have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Many people think only of the short-term needs, food, water, medicine, clothing & shelter. In addition to those immediate needs, Catholic Charities will also assist people with re-building housing, finding employment and re-establishing their lives.

You can help with the effort in three ways:

1. Most Catholic parishes will be having a special collection this Sunday — simply bring a check with you to Mass
2. Donate directly to Catholic Charities USA online securely here
3. Send a donation by snail-mail to:

Catholic Charities USA
2005 Hurricane Relief Fund
PO Box 25168
Alexandria, VA 22313-9788

Thank you for your generosity in helping those who have been hurt so deeply by this ravenous storm. It’s important to remember that Americans are by far the most generous people in the world — we give more to charity, both in terms of monies & volunteerism.

This is a moment for us to demonstrate our love for one another, even in the midst of so much devastation. God bless you all!

It’s odd how a change in aspiration makes all the difference in the world.

Yesterday was a really long day for me. I arrived at work at 7:30am and decided not to return home at 4:00pm, when I usually leave.

You see, I had a meeting scheduled in my office for 7:00pm, and I thought I would just stay at work and clean up a number of items on my desk, etc.

So I happily chipped away at a number of things until 7, met with the Stewardship Committee until about 9:30pm, and then headed for home.

But this long day was a satisfying one. I’ve worked many long days, in fact when I worked at the phone company I worked a lot of days like this; but never with the sense of accomplishment that I have working for the Church.

I left a career in corporate America because I was sick of two things:

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>The methods used to accomplish things were often Dilbert-like

<!–[if !supportLists]–>· <!–[endif]–>The foolishness of making a wasteful, greedy company richer, despite it’s incompetence is just crazy

It’s not that way working here at St. Gerald. We see the fruit of our labor – oftentimes right away. We have a much needed addition to our school being built right now. And as I visit the job site each day, I’m reminded of what a little change in perspective can do – it makes the long days enjoyable, and the end result is very rewarding.

God bless you all for bringing about the Kingdom – in whatever way you can!