Catholic Stewardship During Recession...

Whether or not the American government has called our current economic environment a recession or not is of little matter. The reality is that many American families are feeling a serious crunch on their day-to-day finances. From mortgages to higher food prices to soaring gas prices some families may already be living penny-to-penny.

Now, I am not a financial expert so I am not going to pretend to offer suggestions on how to best manage your financial affairs in light of the economy.

However, I do want to reflect on one question. What does this mean in the context of Stewardship?

Well, stewardship means the same thing in lean times as it does any other time. We are called, by baptism and by the Eucharist we share, to be good stewards of our many gifts. Regardless of the national economic situation, we are still gifted.

God doesn't change with the economy. This can be of great comfort to us. God is a constant presence and stability in a rapidly changing world. However, this also calls us to a certain response that to many is counter-cultural.

Pennies pinched, we are still called to give of our precious time, our talents, and even our financial resources. We do not do so out of obligation, but out of gratitude. Stewardship "is what we do after we say we believe."

Remember though, stewardship should not be limited to giving money to church or charity. Certainly sacrificial giving is an important biblical principle of stewardship, but we are called to go deeper than that. We are called to be stewards of many gardens including our relationships, our emotions, our bodies, our cities, and our decisions, to name a few.

So when you are looking at the falling markets and you are running on your last gallon of gas remember that stewardship is a way of daily life and not just something you do on Sunday.

Consider the following ideas that are not only budget-friendly, but great ways of practicing stewardship.

• Ask someone to teach you how to change your own oil. Not only will you be drawing on their God-given gifts, but you will be saving yourself car maintainence costs.
• If you have infants in the house, consider taking an extra hour or two to cook down and puree your own baby food. Use an ice cube tray to store and freeze. This is a great way to save money as well as care for your baby's health and the environment.
• Recycling doesn't always mean using the bin. Use cardboard boxes for craft projects and plastic containers for storage. When donating your used items to thrift stores, take time to look for yourself. Do you need a new sweater? It might not have that "new store smell" but a quick wash with your next load of laundry and it will certainly do the trick and keep your pennies pinched.
• Consolidate your errands. This might require a little bit of convenience sacrifice on your part, but it is a great way to save money on gas, conserve fuel for our environment and use your time wisely.
• Consult a faith-based financial planner or system. One great Catholic resource is "7 Steps to Becoming Financially Free" by Phil Lenahan. Invite God to be a part of your financial needs. Remember, all you have was given to you by God, who better to consult?

Need more ideas? Need some help planning for the present or the future? Contact your parish. They are some of the best resources for ideas and they can potentially connect you with someone who has a financial planning background.