One of the characteristics of Everyday Stewardship is to be committed — to persevere daily in a way of life acknowledging that everything belongs to God. I know, I know. Easier said than done.

Just ask Zebedee. It’s quite an image we get from the Gospel, after all. “So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.” There was Zebedee, about his business, mending nets with his two sons, who were undoubtedly his best workers, they had to have been more dedicated than the hired men, who worked for wages rather than for family. And in an instant off they go, following this strange man.

Our faith is not just about ideas. It’s really about having an encounter with God and, in particular, the Risen Christ! Once we give ourselves over to the notion of God’s presence, we have to train ourselves to listen for God’s voice and be attentive to God’s call. Having companions on our faith journeys is so incredibly important as they can help us fine-tune our listening skills and discern God’s voice from others we may be hearing. Faith is all about having these profound encounters not only with God but with our brothers and sisters, and creation itself. Anyone or anything that is alive with God’s presence becomes an occasion for God to speak and call us to deeper graces and experiences. “Come, and you will see.”

When God Whispers:

“You don’t need to shout. My hearing works just fine.”

Are you a parent that has used that one on your kids? I’m not sure at what age they realize that the volume of their voice doesn’t correlate to the likelihood of receiving a favorable reply it might be sometime in the teenage years, when the talking slows down altogether.

If you’re on social media, you have probably seen a meme going around that features this quote: “God has a plan for your life. The enemy has a plan for your life. Be ready for both. Just be wise enough to know which one to battle and which one to embrace.”

There were certainly two competing plans for the Magi: God’s and Herod’s. And, wise as they supposedly were, it wasn’t entirely easy for the Magi to discern which was which.

After all, Herod posed as a friend. He offered the Magi hospitality and kindness. Though the Gospel doesn’t say so, he probably flattered them and appealed to every moral weakness he could observe in them. In his palace, they must have felt great physical comfort rest and tables of plenty on what was an otherwise long and treacherous journey.

Sometimes you have something to share with people that causes you to well up inside with excitement to the point of going crazy. A pregnancy test, a pay raise, a college acceptance, and wedding engagement are all examples of moments in life when we might be bursting at the seams to tell somebody the good news. When we finally get the chance to tell somebody, joy just seems to flow through us with ease. We literally want the entire world to share in our jubilation.

When was the last time you shared with a friend or loved one how much your faith in Jesus means to you? You don't feel the same motivation to share? Are you not overwhelmed with a desire to spread the good news?

Don't feel bad. You are not alone. As Christians, we often fail to grasp the powerful implications of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. We can become complacent and lose sight of what matters the most. That is when sharing with others about our faith seems uncomfortable.

It would be kind of awesome to be a king or queen! Absolute rule, untold wealth, and people answering your every beck and call are things that wouldn’t be half bad. Of course, I would be a benevolent monarch, and I would hope that all my subjects would love me. They could cheer me as I came out of the palace, and I think my popularity ratings in the polls would be through the roof. But if they weren’t, that would be fine, too, because I would rule the kingdom. And that means no throwing me out of office. Talk about job security! As great as that sounds, the King of kings could have had all that as well, but instead, he chose quite a different path. He gave up absolute rule so all his subjects could have the free will to choose to follow him. He gave up untold wealth so he could be treated like a common criminal and receive a death sentence. He gave up having servants at his disposal so he could be the servant of all his subjects himself. Yes, he was the King of kings, but he was nothing like a typical king. As much as I think it would be great to be a king myself, I would rather emulate this King instead. Who would you rather be like? You could have it all or choose to give away everything. You could choose a path of luxury or a path of trial. You could be respected by many or find yourself in a culture that increasingly finds you objectionable. Who would you rather be like? Do you arrive at an answer quickly, or do you need some time to think about it?

Formation is the product of education and practice. It’s an on-going cycle of applied learning. Without practice, it’s simply facts or knowledge. Without education action is often, and even most likely, misdirected and ineffective. The result of good formation is increased awareness. The old adage “The more you know, the more you know how little you know:” fits. Consider this as you read the question below

I think it's natural for every generation to assume that walking the straight and narrow is harder for them than their predecessors. I honestly don't know if that's the case, but I do know that even with the challenges we have today, there are many technological advantages that can, and do, make our daily walk easier; that can make our formation easier and more fruitful. I'm going to share a couple of my favorites. Do you have your own favorites? Let me know.

I often lead group prayer with similar words: "Give us the wisdom to know Your will for our lives and the courage to follow it as we seek to make our community a clearer reflection of the Kingdom of God." The words acknowledge that we need to be about God's will, not our own, and in that journey, we will bear greater witness to the transforming power of Jesus Christ.

We talk about how we are called to live a stewardship way of life and that we have been given many good gifts, but it is never truly about us. We are never the main thing. In the same manner, it is never really about our parish. Our combined stewardship may lead to many fruits, like an increased offertory or more vibrancy in parish life. However, it is always about the Kingdom of God and the King, Jesus Christ.

In our lives, many of us have somehow bought into the notion that there is so much in the world that can take us away from God. We believe that worldly values, immorality, or evil itself can take us away from God's love and protection. But there are few greater lies than this. The reality is that if we find ourselves far away from God, the only force that carried us away was our own choices.

In John's Gospel, Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me...No one can take them out of my hand." Yes, we are tempted at every side, but no temptation can take us away from him. Unfortunately, sometimes after initial choices, we find ourselves in addiction or dependency, making our reconciliation with God impossible without the help of friends and loved ones. But make no mistake, no one or nothing can take those who are His sheep away from God.

I am struck by how Jesus addresses the disciples in the 21st chapter of John. They have been fishing all night, and when the dawn comes, Jesus asks, "Children, have you caught anything to eat?" They hadn't caught a thing, so he tells them what to do to finally fill their nets. These children thought they knew best, but they couldn't get the job done until they listened to Jesus. Like a child who needs a parent, these early followers of Jesus were learning that real maturity of faith requires trusting in and listening to the Teacher.

The purpose of Sacred Scripture is in part to teach us about the faith, to provide to us what the Church calls "divine revelation." Our Second Reading from the Book of Revelation provides insights of which we need to be aware. The name of this Book – Revelation – is derived from the very first words of the Book, which are "The revelation of Jesus Christ…"

Written in Greek, the word translated as "revelation" is apokalypsis, meaning "unveiling" or indeed "revelation." As indicated in today's reading this book is written by "John…on the island called Patmos." Our Catholic tradition tells us that this is John the Apostle, although scholars sometimes disagree with that assessment and conclusion. We do nonetheless know what and where Patmos is.