by Bill Maloney
When we speak of stewardship, most people tend to think the church is about to ask you for a gift. A gift of treasure, to be more specific. Or, the church might ask you to share a talent you have been blessed with, such as leading a parish organization, participating in music ministry or teaching a religious education course.
Thankfully, being a good steward goes much deeper than this. More than anything else, God wants our time. God wants us to spend time with him in prayer. He wants us to know him and know that with him all things are possible.
Spending time with Our Lord is the best way for each of us to give him thanks for all he has done for us. It is stewardship at its core. We have heard for years — time, talent and treasure. It is not a coincidence that time is first on this list.
Recently, I heard Archbishop Naumann say when speaking about our Catholic schools that teaching our children to build their relationship with the Lord through prayer is our greatest gift. That relationship is just the thing that is going to help us through the obstacles of life.
I also heard a priest talk about how God writes straight with crooked lines. His point was that even through the crooked obstacles of life, with God at our side the path will be made straight.
For me, making time for prayer is challenging — not because I don’t have time, but honestly, I don’t always make it a priority. Making time for prayer is a commitment. As I reflect on my prayer life, I think about all the things to which I am committed. Some are good, like Sunday Mass and saying a prayer before a meal. On the not so good side, I don’t miss watching a Chiefs game or other big sporting event or checking in on my fantasy baseball team. But I do skip the rosary some mornings.
There are many opportunities for us to pray, such as daily Mass, eucharistic adoration, praying the rosary and meditation with the Holy Family School of Faith, and many other devotionals that are offered at parishes each week. I am always impressed and in awe of the people who are so committed to their prayer life. It’s time to commit to this most important part of living a stewardship way of life.
Once again, Archbishop Naumann is inviting the faithful of the archdiocese to submit prayer requests. He will keep these requests in his personal chapel and offer Masses for these intentions throughout the next year. You can submit your intentions on our website at: https://archkck.org/prayerintention/.
