Dear friends,

I continue to be amazed at the results of the 50th Anniversary Celebration, both financial and social.  I should have mentioned last week that in addition to the $90,000 that was realized from our celebration, someone donated an additional $10,000 to the Mission in the Turks and Caicos Islands, restricted to a non-sectarian cause.  The parish in Provo, Our Lady of Divine Providence, supports the needy through a fund called the Bethlehem Fund, something like our Sister Lucy Fund.  Anyone in need, regardless of their religion, can come to the parish seeking help and receive it through this fund.  So the $10,000 was already wired into that fund.  But, I am sure that this gift comes through awareness raised because of our celebration and so could be considered a result of that celebration.

Likewise, I am amazed at the buzz created by the celebration itself.  In so many ways it has stirred excitement in and enthusiasm for our parish as a community and a family that is filled with life, ready to meet all the challenges that our world can throw at us.  We are and will be ready for them.

I share with you my conviction that we have grown as a community, in our prayer life, in the monetary resources we are able to use and share for the building of the Kingdom of God, in the ministries in which and through which we do both of these, in our love for each other and our joy in the faith in Jesus Christ that binds us together; and we have grown this way because of STEWARDSHIP.  It simply means that so many have come to understand the call of the Lord to more powerfully witness to Him and to realize that we are all responsible for the growth of His Kingdom.  And this understanding is a natural thing, not something we struggle to remember but something that now is a part of yourselves.  Over these last years, hundreds, thousands have come forward to offer their gifts of time, talent and treasure, whether they identified it as such or not.  Our celebration of two weeks ago was clear and convincing evidence of this. 

But at times, it is good to focus on Stewardship so we don’t lose the momentum that it brings to the Parish.  This week in our Stewardship Renewal we focus on the Stewardship of Talent.  Almost a month ago we heard some very moving stories of how fellow parishioners have used their gifts of talent to help make our parish a better place.  God has given each of us so much, so many gifts.  When we are honest with ourselves, and not being prideful, we can identify some of those gifts and talents.  Those who are good cooks know it and enjoy their labors.  Those who are good public speakers enjoy standing before audiences, whether in Dad’s Night, or Jamboree, or other productions or public events.  Our young people who are good musicians enjoy playing in the high school marching band or the symphony band.  Men and women who are skilled with their hands enjoy all sorts of projects around the house.  We know how we have been gifted and we gravitate to activities in which we can use those gifts, and even sometimes “show them off.” 

The Stewardship of Talent invites us to ask ourselves if we use those same talents for the building of the Kingdom?  God doesn’t invite us to struggle as we build His Kingdom, but to use what He has already given us, what we’re good at, what we enjoy and use it for the spiritual, as well as for the natural.

God Bless,
Fr. Ron