Dear Friends in Christ,

Though summer traces can still be felt on the odd day, there are a subtle edge to the air and coolness to the evenings that hearkens the arrival of autumn.  October brings with it two particular feasts which I have always thought appropriate for the season.  The first celebrates St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animal lovers.  The second celebrates St. Luke the Evangelist and physician.  Both of these commemorations acknowledge the interplay and interdependence between humanity and the rest of creation. 

Animals serve not only as companions but are integral to our agricultural economy along and health care system (guide dogs for example).  St. Luke was a physician, which means he was aware of the role nature plays in the medicines we use and have developed.  Today we understand more how bacteria interact with the body as well as the energies of the earth, other people and so forth.  The world and its resources are necessary for our existence and so these two feasts recall our sacred obligation to be stewards of all that God has given us.

And speaking of being stewards, the autumn also brings with it our first of a yearly stewardship campaign.  The focus of which is to become reacquainted with the divine calling that is inherent within the practice of being stewards.  That calling is summed up in God’s call to Israel to give the first fruits of the harvest to God.  How we give our time, talent and especially our treasure is indicative of not just how much we value the parish we attend and its various ministries, but fundamentally it indicates how much we value God himself!  This is especially true in today’s world wherein a dollar figure is indicative of one’s commitment. 

The message of God to Israel in Deuteronomy is that being a Christian is much more than just showing up Sunday morning.  This doesn’t satisfy the gospel call to grow in holiness nor does it allow for a deepening of faith.  God deserves and demands more than the energy and money we have left over at the end of the day. 

What Christians are called to is sacrificial, proportional giving.  To live this out of this theology of stewardship is to make a statement about our belief in God’s faithfulness to us; the grace he has first showered upon us.  Without this spiritual practice parishes and souls wither and die for they fail to grasp what total dependence upon God really means; choosing instead to store up treasures on earth which rust and decay rather that experience the generosity of God present at all times, even in economic distress.

Safety is found not in the treasures we hide away, but in living generously as Jesus told the rich young man, “Go, sell your possessions and then come, follow me.”   True fulfillment of the spirit is to be found in living sacrificially – when we can truly detach ourselves from what we have by offering it to God for the work of his kingdom – both through the parish and through charities – this is what it means to live the words we pray in the Eucharist, “...and we offer our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, to you, Lord of all....” 

Fr. Rylan+

Feast of St. Matthew the Evangelist