Anak at Katiwala:

1. Anak at Katiwala: Our Dignity and Grace as Christian Stewards 5-7 May 2010

2. Parable of the Faithful Servants: Mt 24, 42-51 At that time Jesus said, “Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into.

3. “So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. ‘Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.

4. “But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is long delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, the servant's master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

6. II. Gospel Points A. From the Gospel according to St. Matthew we learn that stewardship is about being “put in charge.” B. In Filipino there is a close link between the words “katiwala” & “pamamahala”

7. C. Steward is “katiwala” while Stewardship is “pamamahala” D. The parable above teaches us that the katiwala is the one chosen by the master to be in charge of “food distribution in the proper time.”

8. E. At first, “being in charge” may seem to be only about material goods like food, time and property; in reality, however, being put in charge also bears the responsibility of taking care of ones “fellow servants from the same household.”

9. F. Stewardship is also about ordered relationship with our fellow human beings. It is not only about property or any inanimate or even unfeeling objects; stewardship is also about harmonious or peaceful relations with our neighbor.

10. G. Above all, however, being “put in charge” means pananagutan before the master who chose the steward and gave him his trust. Hence we say in Filipino, “may pananagutan tayo sa Diyos !” Lastly, accountability determines our ultimate destiny.

11. III. Context of the Gospel Proclamation: Situationer Social Weather Survey of our country fielded last 19-22 June 2009 indicates a 3 points rise from the last 47% (estimated 8.7 million) self-rated poverty rate; so the current figure regarding poverty is pegged on 50% (estimated 9.3 million), that is, half of the country’s families consider themselves poor. The figure in Manila is 42% while the rural settings reflect a sharp rise in percentage of self reported poverty rate.

12. This means that 1 out of every two Filipino families consider themselves poor. In the Archdiocese of Manila, this means 2 out of every five families consider themselves poor. Given these realities of poverty, hunger and death in our country, we carry with us the concern of the onslaught of climate change that periodically costs lives both in the urban and rural communities.

13. The combined wrath of Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng alone gives out figures of around 670 deaths. All the more the concretization of our lovefor the poor is daily called into realization. The heart of the problem as we discern today amidst the realities of our nation has to do with responsible and Christian Stewardship. Stewardship is a call of the times and is a Christian response rooted in the Gospel and the Teachings of the Catholic Church.

14. IV. What is Christian Stewardship? Stewardship is the Christian response to discipleship in Jesus Christ. A steward is one who receives God’s gifts gratefully, tends them in a responsible and accountable manner, shares them in justice and love of others and returns them with increase to the Lord. (Stewardship: A Disciple’s Response, NCCB – USCC)

15. V. Stewardship and our Christian Commitments

16. a. stewards of ourselves God created us in his own image and his creating action is a gift that is being given to us [Gen 2, 26-28]. The very first meaning of stewardship has to do with the responsibility given by God with regard to who we are and what we make of ourselves before him [CCC 355].

17. We are stewards of ourselves. “God entrusted us to ourselves.” Even before we are aware of our humanity and what it means to be human, we are already enjoying the truth of our being human persons. Even before we ask about our gender, whether we are male or female, we already are given a specific gender to live and be joyful about. And even before we inquire about who we are, we find that we have already been gifted with a specific Identity.

18. Who are you? …if you want to identify me, ask me not where I live. or what I like to eat, or how I comb my hair but ask me what I am living for, in detail, and ask me what I think is keeping me from living fully for the thing I want to live for… Thomas Merton

19. b. stewardship of our neighbor We are human beings; creatures oriented towards our neighbor. This is clearly illustrated in the truth of our gender, male and female, we are created as a complement of one another; finding a suitable companion with each other [ Gen 2, 23-24].

20. we are stewards of our neighbor personal fullness can only be found with others[Pope John Paul 2, Gratissimam Sane, 11; GS 35]. ecology of human relationships: we are also accountable to our fellow human beings[Pope Benedict 16, Caritas in Veritate, 51]

21. Love fully and faithfully expressed in the family or domestic church, is a special incarnation of stewardship towards our neighbor. Husbands and wives are stewards one unto another, and parents naturally are not “owners” of their children but are stewards of them in loving care and parenting [CCC 2201; 2204; 2221].

22. death in the family God you have dealt very mysteriously with us. We have been passing through deep waters, our feet were well-nigh gone. But though you slay us, yet will we trust in you… They are gone from us… You have reclaimed the lent jewels. Yet, O Lord, shall I not thank you now?… I thank you for the blessing of the last ten years, and for all the sweet memories of these lives… Archibald Campbell Tait

23. c. stewardship of the church The spiritual and material heritage of the church are entrusted to us as her faithful members[CCC 1476-77; 1 Pt 2, 5]. Christians, baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity, are accountable to the church who accepted them in faith and trust[Eph 2, 19-20].

24. we are stewards of the church Confession, done before a duly ordained representative (priest or bishop), is very important for Catholics because for us reconciliation with God includes reconciliation with the Church [CCC 980, 1440, 1486].

25. we are stewards of the church Our salvation is paradoxically communal in the same way that it is personal. This means that we look forward to the salvations of God’s people (or his church) as much as we speak about the salvation of each and every faithful separately [There are no private sins]

26. d. Stewardship of the poor The Christian Steward is compelled to follow God’s example in giving preference for the poor[OA, 23; PCP 312] “The poor are the true treasure of the church,” [Deacon & Martyr Lawrence of Rome] The common good dictates that more attention be given to the less fortunate members of society[Pope John 23, PT 56]

27. we are stewards of the poor “We as a church indeed opt for all men, women and children of the world but above all, preferentially we opt like Jesus for the ‘little ones,’ the poor and marginalized of our societies.”[PCP 312; SRS 39; PP 47]

28. how to be stewards of the poor We want to place special emphasis on being with rather than doing for. We want our presence among the poor to be one of sharing with them, of accompaniment, of walking together along the same path. In so far as possible, we want to feel what they have felt, suffer as they have, share the same hopes and aspirations, see the world through their eyes. We ourselves would like to become one with the poor and oppressed peoples so that, all together, we can begin the search for a new lifeJesuit refugee service

29. e. stewardship of the country “love of one’s nation is a special embodiment of charity,” St. Thomas Aquinas Issues about justice, liberation, development and peace are concerns both for the country and the church[EN 31; GS 76]

30. we are stewards of our country Pope Paul VI called on Christians to bring the Good News in all strata of life; this of course includes ensuring that our citizenship as Filipinos is made Christian [EN 18] The May 2010 elections bear with it a specific Christian call to be responsible citizens

31. f. stewardship of creation God’s faithful have always been tasked with care for his creation [Wis 9, 3; Gen 2, 15; 19-20] Man, created in the image of his Creator, is most himself in his good works, loving deeds and care for all of creation, [Gen 1, 28-29].

32. we are stewards of creation Care for all creation is the responsibility of every faithful for the just benefit of himself and his neighbor; and our neighbor justly includes the next generations of human beings,[CCC 2402; GS 69].

33. A stream flows Whispering inside me Deep within me it says Come to the Father St Ignatius of Antioch

34. g. stewardship of our relationship with God Ultimately and most wondrously, the faithful is also a steward of his relationship with God. This is the depth and wonder of our Christian identity as baptized in God’s name

35. we are stewards of God’s friendship with us God freely chose to love us and save us through his Son; and yet, he also grants to us the dignity of being his friends in his waiting for our response and our cooperation with his saving grace[CCC 2021-22].

36. stewards of God’s friendship Our relationship with God conditions and determines all the other stewardships & commitments above. The depth of who we are as creatures can only be found in an honest relationship with God. “God hopes in us…” Bp. Luis Antonio Tagle

37. Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, what you know that breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything…Pedro Arrupe

38. VI. Conclusion Anak at Katiwala: Our Dignity and Grace as Christian Stewards 5-7 May 2010

39. The word “Father” makes me sure of one thing: I do not come from myself; I am a child. I am tempted at first to protest against this reminder as the prodigal son did. I want to be “of age,” “emancipated,” my own master. But then I ask myself: What is the alternative for me – or for any person – if I no longer have a Father, if I have left my state as child definitively behind me? What have I gained thereby? Am I really free?

40. I am free only when there is someone who loves and whose love is strong. [I am free only because I am made free through love]. Ultimately, then, I have no alternative but to return and say “Father,” and in that way to gain access to freedom by acknowledging the truth about myself. Then my glance falls on him who, his whole life long, identified himself as a child, as Son, and who, precisely as child and Son, was one with God himself: Jesus Christ.

41. When I say “Father,” the word automatically calls up the word “our.” When I speak to God, I cannot address him solely as “Father.” When I say “Father,” I must include the “we” of all his children. But the opposite is also true: when I say “Father” I know that I have entered the company of all the children of God and that they are at my side. Consequently, talking with God does not distract me from my responsibility for the earth and for all mankind; it gives it to me anew. In the light of prayer, I can venture to accept it. His Holiness Pope Benedict 16 Co-Workers in the Truth

42. Thank You and see you on May 5-7, 2010 Pope Benedict Summer Festival of Catechesis & Christian Formation Yuchengco Hall, De La Salle University