In partnership with St. Thomas More Parish, Denver, Colorado, the stewardship program is a key offering of the Socio-Pastoral Institute to the dioceses, congregations and parishes it accompanies in the journey to become “a community of disciples, a Church of the Poor.”
What is stewardship or Buhay Katiwala? Below is a concept paper prepared by SPI to clarify what we mean by stewardship.
Buhay Katiwala
Responding to the Signs of the Times
Our world today is besieged by a myriad of issues from global warming, poverty, corruption, breakdown of families, war and terrorism, human trafficking, etc. – all of which are threats to human life and dignity and the integrity of creation. In the center of the crisis is the gross misreading of who we are. We think we stand separate from others and the rest of creation. This is where unscrupulous actions to take advantage of others and the natural world for one’s selfish gain spring forth.
Jesus calls us to respond to these issues and intervene so that all may experience fullness of life, especially the poorest of the poor and the rest of creation.
SPI believes that real solutions to the problems of our times demand not only our best socio-economic-political thinking but also a realization that the human person is both “integral and in solidarity” with everyone and everything in this world. Without this awareness as an orienting principle, we will not be able to respond to the challenges skillfully.
SPI believes that spirituality of stewardship together with a resolute commitment to the Kingdom of God provide the necessary grounding for responding competently to the “signs of the times” in a manner that brings fullness of life to all starting with the poor.
What is Spirituality of Stewardship or Buhay Katiwala?
Spirituality of Stewardship or buhay katiwala is the way of life of a disciple or follower of Jesus. SPI uses 2 signposts as guides in our journey to become authentic Jesus followers.
The first signpost of a Buhay Katiwala: Connectedness to Abba
A good steward has a “puso sa pusong ugnayan” (heart to heart relationship) with the source of all life, Abba our father. We are connected because we are made in the image of God and responsible for all of creation – this is our common heritage and identity.
Because we are “kawangis ng Diyos at katiwala” (made in the image of God and His steward) our lives vibrate with the 4 core values of identity (kawangis ng Panginoon) gratitude (pasasalamat, utang na loob), trust (pagtititwala, mapagkakatiwalaan) and love ( pagmamahal sa kapwa at kalikasaan, pag-ibig na mapagpalaya.)
A good steward, therefore, is one who has a “puso sa pusong ugnayan sa Diyos.” She honors and nurtures this relationship by receiving all of God’s gifts gratefully and she shares the gifts in justice and love to all, especially to the poorest of the poor.
The second signpost of a Buhay Katiwala: Life poured out for the Kingdom
A good steward heeds Jesus’ call to prepare for the coming of the kingdom which is a new world order marked by justice peace and integrity of creation. We must remember that the Kingdom is more than a call to a new inner, more pious life – it is a demand to transform the world.
Buhay Katiwala is therefore characterized by a vibrant personal faith or experience of Jesus that is expressed as a radical love for God and others – especially the poorest of the poor – that transforms human persons, communities and the world.
What are the various Stewardship Programs?
There are many possible Church programs that live out stewardship through the sharing of our time, talent and treasure. These programs include but are not limited to Stewardship of Prayer or Pananampalataya; Stewardship of Treasure or Yaman; Stewardship of Earth or Kalikasan; Stewardship of Talent or Husay/Talino, etc.
It is, however, important that these programs include the active and creative participation of the poor if we are to move closer to the realization of PCP II’s vision of the Philippine Church as a “community of disciples, a Church of the Poor.”
How are Stewardship or Buhay Katiwala, Church of the Poor and the Kingdom related?
As good stewards, we must help build the Church of the Poor which is a herald and the midwife of the Kingdom of God.
Our purposeful commitment to the Kingdom of God demands socio-economic-political and cultural work to bring total reversal to the values, paradigms and standards of the world as we know it. It demands that we participate in a spiritual and social revolution that takes us from the rule of greed, ego and power to dominate others to love, service and solidarity. In other words, kingdom work demands that we transform societies so that all our brothers and sisters are able to realize fullness of life and that the integrity of creation is upheld.
Building the Church of the Poor is vital because we are not going to be able to transform the world via prophetic political witness if our own Church is riddled with unjust relations and structures. It is hypocritical to be prophetic if our own house is not in order. The Church of the Poor is, therefore, a pilot project of the new world order that is in accordance with God’s dream for humanity and all of creation, a preview or revelation of things to come. The Church of the Poor is called to be now what the world is called to be ultimately – an alternative community living a new way of life demonstrating the values of the Kingdom.
Building the Church of the Poor is therefore an important element in the good stewards’ mission to bring this broken world closer to the Kingdom of God.
In Mk 1`:14-15, Mt 6:9ff, Rev 21:1-5, the evangelists are in unison to write the phrase ” the coming (down) of the Kingdom (new heaven/holy city)”. Obviously, the Kingdom is coming; it is not to be build on earth. We do not build the Kingdom of God on earth. It has to come: a gift. Temporarily, its foretastes of the here-and-now are manifested in the healing of the sick, presence of food, joys and laughter, housing for the poor, availability of jobs, justice and freedom from oppression and poverty.etc.
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