For those who exercise good stewardship of their Catholic faith, this April is the happiest, most joyful of months for it ushers in the great Easter season – a season of profound hope and joy.
During the Easter season, which extends 50 days, from the Easter Vigil Mass of Saturday evening, April 8 to the Vigil Mass of Pentecost Sunday, on Saturday evening, May 27, Christian stewards are exhorted to celebrate and be joyful, for our Savior is with us.
In his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”), Pope Francis revealed that the best way to live out the joy of Easter is to become a genuine family of faith, an “evangelizing Church that comes out of herself.” He urged Catholics around the world to contemplate the mind of Jesus Christ and what it means to be the “light of Christ.” From there, Francis believed a spirituality of missionary discipleship could be cultivated that would “help the Church get out of herself “ and reach out to those who live in darkness.
At the Easter Vigil, all the great symbols are there: darkness, light, fire, water. The Vigil begins in darkness; not a darkness to be ignored, but a darkness in which we realize where we would be without the light of Christ, a darkness that reveals much about our world, our own sinfulness, the darkness that sometimes envelopes our own lives and even shrouds our own hearts. But then, the great fire of the Vigil is lit, a fire which consumes the darkness, and the procession into the church reminds us of the light and strength provided by the community of the faithful and the saving light of Christ. Indeed, Saint Paul maintains that we are stewards of this great light. We remember the waters of baptism during the Vigil as we renew our baptismal vows. The Vigil also brings into our community those newly baptized who proceed joyfully with us into April. As Christ’s disciples who exercise stewardship of Jesus’ teachings, come into the glory of this April, join with those apostles whose hearts were on fire, and contemplate the words of the risen Lord: “Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Matt. 5:16). For good stewards of their faith, this charge should be enough to bring hope and joy. Indeed, April is the most glorious of months. Christ is risen! Alleluia!

1. Participate in the three liturgies of the Easter Triduum at your parish, i.e. Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday.
2. Write a note of encouragement and prayer to someone entering the Church.
3. Make a blood donation.
4. Join or start a Bible study group.
5. Keep the Sabbath holy. Make a pledge not to work on Sunday.
6. Plan an outing with your family.
7. Re-examine your commitment to the parish’s offertory collection.
8. Introduce yourself to a fellow parishioner with whom you are unfamiliar.
9. Celebrate Earth Day 2023 by prayer and commitment to curb pollution.
10. Help a neighbor who is physically unable to clean their yard.
11. Invite someone to attend Easter Mass or another weekend liturgy with you.
12. Don’t text when you drive.
13. Reduce your stress by getting outside and getting some exercise.
14. Make contact with a relative you haven’t seen in a long time.
15. Take time to pray each day.
16. Treat your family or loved one to a day at the museum.
17. Volunteer to participate in a community cleanup effort.
18. Make a gift to your diocesan annual appeal.
19. Plant flowers, shrubs or trees in a park or other location.
20. Donate gently used clothing.

We are at the doorsteps of Holy Week where we
remember Christ’s passion. Jesus humbled himself and
let go of everything, emptying himself for us. During
this time of Lent, how have we joined the Lord? Has our
prayer, penitential practices and almsgiving moved us
to humble ourselves before the Lord? Have we let go of
things that keep us from being authentic stewards for
Christ Jesus? How have we “emptied” ourselves so that
when we do approach the table of the Lord, we can be
nourished by His body and blood? As disciples of the
Lord Jesus and stewards of His gift of faith, it is time to
evaluate our lives under the cross.

Jesus called to his friend from the dead, “Lazarus, come
out!” It is the same call our Lord makes to us unceasingly:
“Come out!” Jesus calls us from our tomb of doubt and
unbelief, from the darkness of our fear and anxieties; from
the depths of our weaknesses and lack of hope. Christian
stewards pray for an open heart so that they may hear the
voice of the Lord, heed the continuous call to come away
from their former way of living and reprioritize their lives
in the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Do we believe
Christ has the power to transform our lives? Do we take
time to listen for his call?

Saint Patrick, the “apostle to Ireland,” is one of the world’s most famous and
celebrated saints. His missionary zeal arguably matched that of Saint Paul,
whose missionary activities, though oftentimes a severe struggle, remained
in the territories governed by Roman law. Saint Patrick, however, was the
first recorded Christian missionary to evangelize beyond the bounds of
Roman rule and into the darkness of what was then considered the end of
the earth.
“Patricius” was born in Roman Britain around 385. His father was a
public official and church deacon. He was kidnapped by Irish slave traders
while in his mid-teens and forced into slavery; herding sheep on remote
Irish hillsides under harsh conditions. Spending most of his time in solitude,
he grew to trust in God and embrace a life of prayer. After six years, he
made a dangerous and harrowing escape over land and sea that finally
resulted in a return to his parents. They found him, at age 22, a serious
visionary who sought holiness and friendship with Christ.
Patrick entered the priesthood, and in time, was sent to evangelize the
Irish. He was appointed the bishop of Ireland in 435 and established his see
at Armagh in the north.
The Irish were known to be wild, unrestrained and corrupt. But
Patrick’s success in making converts to Christianity was nothing less than
astonishing, even to him. He traveled to most parts of Ireland, winning
the hearts of the Celtic people by his deep faith, humility, simplicity and
pastoral care. He took great measures to incorporate pagan rituals into
his teachings on Christianity. Since the ancient Celts honored their gods
with fire, Patrick used bonfires to celebrate Easter; and he placed the sun,
a powerful Celtic symbol, around the Christian cross to create the now
familiar Celtic cross.
Patrick’s profound witness to the Gospel eventually brought an end to
human sacrifices, trafficking of women, and slavery in general. He is the
first person in recorded history to publicly oppose slavery; a protest that
would not be taken up again for another millennium.
His writings reveal a keen understanding of stewardship as well. He
wrote that whatever good he had been able to accomplish on behalf of the
Lord, in his “meager, unlearned, and sinful state … has been a gift from God.”
Over the centuries, Irish immigrants would spread their devotion to Saint
Patrick as they established the Catholic faith around the world. He is thought
to have died on March 17, 461, the date which became his feast day.

When we look at the three traditional “disciplines” of Lent, prayer, fasting and
almsgiving, we know that almsgiving gets the least attention. Yet, the Bible
places emphasis firmly on almsgiving:
Prayer and fasting are good, but better than either is almsgiving
accompanied by righteousness … It is better to give alms than to store up gold;
for almsgiving saves one from death and expiates every sin. Those who regularly
give alms shall enjoy a full life (Tobit 12:8-9).
A central part of our faith is the practice of almsgiving. It is a practice
described in our Catholic Catechism thusly:
The foundational call of Christians to charity is a frequent theme of the
Gospels. During Lent, we are asked to focus more intently on “almsgiving,”
which means donating money or goods to the poor and performing other acts
of charity. As one of the three pillars of Lenten practice, almsgiving is “a witness
to fraternal charity” and “a work of justice pleasing to God.” (Catechism of the
Catholic Church, no. 2462).
To be a Christian steward includes having compassion towards others,
especially the most vulnerable in our society. Almsgiving is an act where we
imitate the love and mercy that God has for these people by providing for their
most basic and fundamental needs.
Almsgiving is also an expression of our gratitude for all that God has
given us, and a realization that as a member of a community of faith, it is
never just about “me and God.” It is fundamental to being a good steward of
our community. For disciples of the Lord, almsgiving means much more than
simply throwing a little change in the poor box. It is an attitude of generosity. It
challenges us to examine how we are using our time, abilities, and money to
better the lives of those around us. It urges us to share what we have been given
by God with others in love and justice. It reminds us that Jesus blesses those who
seek to be “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3).
Almsgiving opens our hearts to the realization that God blesses us through
those we serve. We see God in the life of Jesus, and we see Jesus in all those who
are in need of our care. Look around, see those who are in need, and ask God to
take away those obstacles and distractions that keep us from being generous with
them. In turn, we will receive God’s blessing in ways we cannot even imagine.