Catholic As A Disciple of Stewardship (OT)

Catholic as a
disciple of
Stewardship
A Stewardship Prayer
Help us Lord,
So that we would hold nothing back,
That no sacrifice would be too great, too costly, or too unthinkable.
Send us, Lord, heroes and heroines of stewardship,
Saints on the journey
Whose walk as disciples
Inspire us to imitate and pattern our own lives after.
Put on our path, Lord, men, women, and children
Who will model for us – for our diocese –
How to live, how to serve,
How to love the Lord with all our hearts.
Let this be our prayer,
Let this be our greatest desire and intention.
stewardship as the grateful
response of a Christian
disciple who recognizes and
receives God’s gifts and
shares these gifts in love of
God and neighbor.
4 important definitions
Stewardship
Steward
Disciple (Catechist)
Evangelization
Stewardship is: the
grateful response of a
Christian disciple who
recognizes and receives
God’s gifts and shares
these gifts in love of God
and neighbor.
A steward is: “One who receives God’s
gifts gratefully, cherishes and tends them
in a responsible and accountable manner,
shares them in justice and love with
others, and returns them with increase
to the Lord.
A disciple is: “One who
responds to Christ’s
call, follows Jesus, and
shapes his or her life in
imitation of Christ’s.”
A disciple is: “One
who responds to
Christ’s call, follows
Jesus, and shapes
his or her life in
imitation of Christ’s.”
Evangelization is: “The
proclamation of Christ
and his Gospel by word
and the testimony of
life, in fulfillment of
Christ’s command
The Textbook of Stewardship-
Holy Scripture
• The sacred synod also earnestly and especially
urges all the Christian faithful…to learn by
frequent reading of the divine Scriptures the
“excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:8).
“For ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of
Christ.” Therefore, they should gladly put
themselves in touch with the sacred text itself
(Dei Verbum, 25)
Foundations of Stewardship in the
Old Testament
• Image of God: Genesis 1:26-31
• Genesis 1:26-31
• New International Version
• 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that
they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock
and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
• 27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
• 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the
earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over
every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Old Testament
• Genesis 1:26-31
• 29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on
the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit
with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all
the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all
the creatures that move along the ground—everything that
has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for
food.” And it was so.
• 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And
there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Old Testament
“God created mankind in his image; in the image of
God he created them” (Gen 1:27).
Old Testament
Out of nothing (ex nihilo) God created everything.
Old Testament
Everything created is a gift.
Old Testament
Pope St. John Paul II writes, “Man appears in creation
as one who has received the world as a gift.”
Old Testament
God’s nature is to give.
Old Testament
Just as it is intrinsic to God’s identity to give, so too,
we who are created “in his image” (v. 27) are called
to give.
Old Testament
Genesis 2:7-24
• 7 Then the LORD God formed a man[a] from the dust of the ground and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
• 8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put
the man he had formed. 9 The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the
ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of
the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
• 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into
four headwaters. 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire
land of Havilah, where there is gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic
resin[b] and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of the second river is the Gihon; it
winds through the entire land of Cush.[c] 14 The name of the third river is the
Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
Old Testament
Genesis 2:7-24
• 11 The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is
gold. 12 (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin [b] and onyx are also there.) 13 The name of
the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. [c] 14 The name of the
third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Ashur. And the fourth river is the
Euphrates.
• 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of
it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the
garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you
eat from it you will certainly die.”
• 18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for
him.”
• 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the
sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man
called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the
birds in the sky and all the wild animals.
Foundations of Stewardship in the Old
Testament
Genesis 2:7-24
• But for Adam[d] no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused
the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one
of the man’s ribs[e] and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then
the LORD God made a woman from the rib[f] he had taken out of the
man, and he brought her to the man.
• 23 The man said,
• “This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
• 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his
wife, and they become one flesh.
Old Testament
• Made for Communion: Genesis 2:7-24
Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the
ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the
man became a living being” (v. 7).
Pope St. John Paul II states that Genesis 2:7-24 is “the
oldest description and record of man’s self understanding.”
Then we see that Adam witnessed God “plant a garden” (v.
8),
(Gen 2:18). Then God gives Adam another task: naming the
animals.
Old Testament
• First-fruits and Interiority: Genesis 4: 3-5
• 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the
fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 And
Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from
some of the firstborn of his
flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his
offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not
look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his
face was downcast.
Old Testament
First, the sacrificial orientation of man is present in his
very nature
Secondly, the passage introduces the deeply biblical
notion of offering the first fruits
Thirdly, the failure to offer worthy sacrifice is an
external manifestation of sin in the heart
Finally, when a sacrificial offering is made in a
righteous manner, it is acceptable to God and leads to
a communion - with the one who offers and God..
Old Testament
• A Response of Gratitude: Genesis 14:1-20
• 14 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar,[a
]
Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and
Tidal king of Goyim, 2 these kings went to war against
Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab
king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim, and the
king of Bela (that is, Zoar). 3 All these latter kings
joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Dead
Sea Valley). 4 For twelve years they had been subject to
Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
Old Testament
• 5 In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings
allied with him went out and defeated the
Rephaites in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham,
the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim 6 and the Horites in
the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paran near the
desert. 7 Then they turned back and went to En
Mishpat (that is, Kadesh), and they conquered the
whole territory of the Amalekites, as well as the
Amorites who were living in Hazezon Tamar.
Old Testament
• 8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of
Admah, the king of Zeboyim and the king of Bela (that is,
Zoar) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley
of Siddim 9 against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of
Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—
four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim was full of
tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled,
some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the
hills. 11 The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and
Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also
carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since he
was living in Sodom.
Old Testament
• 13 A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram
the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of
Mamre the Amorite, a brother[b] of Eshkol and Aner, all of
whom were allied with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that
his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318
trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as
far as Dan. 15 During the night Abram divided his men to
attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as
Hobah, north of Damascus. 16 He recovered all the
goods and brought back his relative Lot and his
possessions, together with the women and the other people.
Old Testament
Old Testament
• 17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the
kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him
in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).
• 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and
wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed
Abram, saying,
• “Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator of heaven and earth.
20
And praise be to God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your hand.”
• Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
Old Testament
Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine He blessed
Abram
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything” (Gen 14: 18-20).
Abram had already won the victory. He did not need to give a tenth
to secure success in battle. Rather, he gave a tenth after his victory.
Furthermore, the giving of Abram’s tithe was in the context of the
offering of bread and wine, a prefigurement of the Eucharist, to
which we will return later
Abram’s tithe was an act of gratitude given in a sacred context or, it
was a “response to the awareness of the deliverance of God.”56
Thus, giving a tithe, is a grateful response; not a forced obligation
Old Testament
• Temple Tithe
To ‘tithe’ means to take a tenth of something.”
The word ‘tithe’ is mentioned thirty-eight times in
the Old Testament.
Old Testament
• Temple Tithe
First, tithing was foremost an act of worship (Deut 12:5-13)
5
But you are to seek the place the LORD your God will
choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for
his dwelling. To that place you must go; 6 there bring your
burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts,
what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings,
and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 7 There, in the
presence of the LORD your God, you and your families
shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your
hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.
Old Testament
• Temple Tithe
First, tithing was foremost an act of worship (Deut 12:5-13)
8
You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they
see fit, 9 since you have not yet reached the resting place and the
inheritance the LORD your God is giving you. 10 But you will
cross the Jordan and settle in the land the LORD your God is
giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all
your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. 11 Then
to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for
his Name—there you are to bring everything I command you:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts,
and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the LORD.
Old Testament
• Temple Tithe
First, tithing was foremost an act of worship (Deut
12:5-13)
12
And there rejoice before the LORD your God—
you, your sons and daughters, your male and female
servants, and the Levites from your towns who have
no allotment or inheritance of their own. 13 Be careful
not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you
please.
Old Testament
• Temple Tithe
Second, tithing was both an obligation and an act of

gratitude
Old Testament
• Temple Tithe
Third, tithing was to be done in a “generous spirit…
of joy” (Sir 35:8, 11)
8
The offering of the righteous enriches the altar,
and its pleasing odor rises before the Most
High.
11
With every gift show a cheerful countenance,
and dedicate your tithes in a spirit of joy.
Old Testament
• Temple Tithe
Fourth, withholding one’s tithe was tantamount to

robbing God
You are robbing me. But you say, ‘How are we
robbing thee?’ In your tithes and offerings. You
are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing
me; the whole nation. Bring the full tithes into
the storehouse, that there may be food in my
house; and thereby put me to the test, says
the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the
windows of heaven for you and pour down for
you and overflowing blessing (Mal 3:8-10).
Old Testament
• Temple Tithe (continuation)
Fifth, not giving one’s tithe leads to a curse (v. 9)
Sixth, whereas giving one’s tithe leads to “overflowing
blessing” (v. 10)
A seventh point is that Levites themselves gave a
“tithe of the tithe” (Num. 18:26)
Finally, it is surprising to note that there were in fact
two tithes annually, and three tithes every few years,
that amounted to twenty or thirty percent of income
respectively (Tobit 1:6-8)
Old Testament
A seventh point is that Levites themselves gave a
“tithe of the tithe” (Num. 18:26)
26
“Speak to the Levites and say to them, ‘When you
receive a tithe from the people of Israel which I give
you as an inheritance, you are to present a tithe of the
tithe as the LORD’s offering.
Old Testament
Finally, it is surprising to note that there were in fact
two tithes annually, and three tithes every few years,
that amounted to twenty or thirty percent of income
respectively (Tobit 1:6-8)
(Tobit 1:6-8)
• 6 I alone would frequently make the pilgrimage to

Jerusalem for the festivals, in accordance with the
everlasting decree prescribed for all Israel. I would
hasten to Jerusalem with the firstfruits of the fields and
the firstborn of the flocks, the tithes of the cattle, and the
first shearings of the sheep. 7 I would present these to the
priests, the sons of Aaron, at the altar. To the Levites who
were ministering at Jerusalem I would likewise give the
tithes of grain, wine, olive oil, pomegranates, figs, and
other fruits. In addition, for six consecutive years I
would prepare a second tithe in money and bring it each
year to disburse in Jerusalem.
(Tobit 1:6-8)
• 8 A third tithe I would distribute among orphans and

widows as well as among the converts who were
dwelling among the Israelites. Every third year
when I brought this third tithe, we would consume it
together in accordance with the decree prescribed in
the law of Moses and with the commands of
Deborah, the mother of my father Tobiel; for when
my father died, I was left an orphan.
Old Testament
• Made for Communion: Genesis 2:7-24
• Temple Tithe

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Catholic as a

Second, tithing was both an obligation and an act of

Fourth, withholding one’s tithe was tantamount to

• 6 I alone would frequently make the pilgrimage to

• 8 A third tithe I would distribute among orphans and

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