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.

Often, we are afraid to be Christians, to take the words of Jesus literally and follow him. His demands are not small—he demands everything. We are called to love our enemies, take up our cross, and become the servant of all. This can be a daunting and even frightening task. Following Jesus authentically means letting go of not only our possessions but, perhaps more challengingly, our egos. We fear that living as Christ teaches might leave us vulnerable. We worry that others will take advantage of our mercy and compassion, that we will be misunderstood or even abandoned by those closest to us. And yes, we know that we will suffer.

NB: This reflection was given on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

Introduction

Today, we celebrate a great feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and as with all of her feast days, I find myself reflecting on the integrity of the Christian life—how Christianity is not something we can neatly compartmentalize but rather must encompass every aspect of who we are. This is something that is easy for us to forget. We know, of course, that our faith is not something we put on just for Sundays and then set aside for the rest of the week, but it can still be easy to lose sight of how much Christ seeks to transform us, how much he desires to touch and sanctify every single part of our lives.