Parish Stewardship Weekend calls us to reflect on what it means to give—not just with our hands or our wallets, but with our hearts. We see authentic, Christian generosity in the story of Bartimaeus, a blind man sitting by the roadside, crying out to Jesus as he passes by. Though people around Bartimaeus try to silence him, Jesus hears his voice, calls him forward, and restores his sight. What unfolds in this encounter offers us a beautiful image of God’s love.
Because at the heart of Jesus’ response to Bartimaeus is love. Jesus does not just meet Bartimaeus’ need; Jesus sees him, calls him forward, and offers him healing and restoration. The generosity of Christ is not transactional—it is boundless. Jesus loves generously, not only giving when asked but also blessing us in ways we do not even know how to request.
This is what Christian stewardship is really about: imitating the generosity of Jesus. Stewardship is not simply about giving a certain percentage of what we have to the Church or to those in need. It is about cultivating the heart of Christ within us. As we draw closer to Jesus, our lives begin to reflect his love. When we give—whether time, talent, or treasure—we do so as a way of aligning our hearts with the heart of Christ. Stewardship becomes a movement toward God, a transformation that shapes us more and more into his image.
The Gospel also reminds us that giving, like faith, begins with trust and prayer. Bartimaeus trusted that Jesus could help him, and he had the courage to cry out, even when others tried to silence him. Likewise, if we want to grow in generosity, we must first begin by seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit in prayer. It is through prayer that we learn to trust God’s providence and allow him to work through us.
In so many ways, God’s generosity is far greater than just meeting individual needs—he offers us his very life. God not only answers our prayers but also gives us the gift of the world itself: creation, relationships, and opportunities to know his love more deeply. The Christian life, then, is not just about responding to needs but about living with a spirit of generosity, rooted in the knowledge that everything we have, everything we might become, is a gift from God.
This is why our giving is not about a specific number or percentage. It is about reflecting the heart of Jesus—a heart that gives without measure. Stewardship is the ongoing conversion of our hearts, moving us toward God, just as Bartimaeus was called forward by Jesus and followed him on the way.
On this Stewardship Weekend, I invite you to consider how you are being called to respond to God’s generous love. How is he asking you to imitate the heart of Christ in your giving? Let us pray for the courage of Bartimaeus, who trusted in Jesus and sprang forward without hesitation. And let us also pray that our giving, in whatever form, might be an expression of God’s love alive in us, transforming our hearts into the heart of Christ.