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yup. i'm in concord now... just got back from the 5 pm mass.. actually, no. that's not true. i got back about an hour and a half ago... when i got home i heard the answering machine beeping.. and i was like, "look ma, my boyfriend called." (btw... i don't really have one) and she said "who's your boyfriend?" but the thing is.. she didn't say it in a mean or harsh tone look usual.. it was kinda happy and curious... hehe.. so to quote urkel "i'm running you down babyyyyyy.... i'm runnin' you dooooooooooooown." lol!!! yup... looks like things might be changing around here!!!! lol....... *wishful thinking*
anyway... i ran upstairs to my room in my church clothes.. man i looked so old. really business like... thank goodness for removable shoulder pads, haha! and i didn't really feel like changing cuz i felt oddly free (i feel that way a lot after mass.. idk what it is, but i'm usually kinda spacy when i get home from church events) and so danced in my room and in the computer room to some re-mix of a slow jam that i don't know the name of. i was just being all stupid and girly and just dancing.. jamie said i was a freak and my dad was mocking me, but who cares. it was fun. haha... i don't even know what the heck i was doing... dance dance dance! DANCE!
later i had dinner, and did some family bonding over the beginning of a lifetime movie. yeah.. i love lifetime movies! but they are just SO predictable... SO PREDICTABLE!
anyhoo...
tonight my family did a post-homily homily on stewardship... we just talked about what we do and why we do it and what it means to us.
we got a round of applause and a lot of good feedback! it was kinda fun... deacon jim asked me if i had written my portion and upon replying, "yes", he went on to say that i had a talent for it... yay! that made me feel really good...
this is what i said tonight:
The first three things that come to my mind when I think of stewardship are time, talent, and treasure. These are the words that have been emphasized by my teachers and mentors all my life, that have been seen flying over the entrance of our parish every month, and that have been heard in songs during mass.
We can emphasize and see and hear all we want, but if we don’t take these three things to heart, stewardship means nothing. Stewardship is action – an actual giving of your time; sharing of your talent; offering of your treasure. It’s a way of living.
Since Kindergarten, I’ve been encouraged to be a steward. St. Agnes School invites their students to get involved from the beginning. At every mass, I’d see Sr. Rita Francis leading the congregation in singing. I’d see older kids lectoring or ushering. I witnessed truly Christian attitudes every day, and every week each class nominated a “peacemaker”. Memories of those weekly assemblies, monthly liturgies, and numerous service activities during my elementary school days propelled me to take the initiative in continuing my stewardship life at Carondelet High School and at UC Berkeley.
After 15 years at this parish, I can gladly say that I’ve been a student, a children’s choir member, a dancer, a cantor, an adult choir member, a youth leader, a cheerleading coach, a lector, and a Eucharistic minister. I never really questioned why I got so involved, although many of my friends wondered why I was so passionate about being an active parishioner. They’d say, “that’s for adults…”, but who’s to say what I can or can’t do. I’ve always felt that this was God’s calling for me. Who am I to say to God, “No, I think I’ll just leave that for the adults to take care of”. I want to take control of my spirituality and my faith life. I want to be a positive force in the community. I want to be all that I can be for my Lord, because He has given me so much already.
I love St. Agnes Parish. It has become my second home – my home away from home. You are my family and as family we have an obligation to ourselves and to each other to sustain it and help it thrive. Stewardship is a call to family.
yeah... i think i wanna change things for tomorrow... i don't think i could repeat myself at the 4 other masses tomorrow.. i need to talk about new things.. change things here and there.. cut. paste. edit. yeah.... i'm workin on it.
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posted by Rita at 
