This past week, I was able to indulge in two of my favorite pastimes: gardening and reading. My favorite literary genres are non-fiction, specifically books about history, as well as historical fiction. I enjoy learning what life was like in the past and how people lived. It also gives me pause to think about what life might be like 100 years from now. What advances in technology will people be experiencing, and what values and traditions will carry on?
The week prior to vacation, St. Michael’s School participated in its annual Thanksgiving food drive, and our school families generously contributed over 4,000 items for Catholic Charities to be distributed to local families in need. From the cans and boxes we collected, students were tasked to build a “Canstruction” before the food was prayed over and blessed by our pastor. This year we created the word “STEWARDSHIP.” The definition of stewardship is: “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.” Students learned that, as a part of our Catholic faith, we are asked to be good stewards of God’s creation and focus on a cause or purpose beyond our own needs.
The bible is filled with examples of stewardship. Adam and Eve were the first stewards. God makes man in His own image and then He “let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” Joseph was responsible for ensuring enough food was stored during the seven years of good crops prior to seven years of famine, saving countless lives in the process. King David unified Israel under a single leader and established the city of Jerusalem as its capital and religious center. Nineteen generations later, Jesus was descended from David’s bloodline.
In more recent history, we have been blessed with wonderful examples of stewardship – people who looked beyond their own needs and toward a greater and long-lasting cause. In particular, we are grateful to our predecessors who understood and believed in the value of Catholic education as a means of ensuring that children would uphold and carry on the traditions of our faith. In the 19th century, St. John Neumann founded the first Catholic Diocesan school system, and in Poway, in 1964, Monsignor Michael Coughlan, together with the Sisters of St. Clare and later the Sisters of Mercy, as well as numerous dedicated parishioners, established St. Michael’s School to continue this important cause. It is unlikely that they would have undertaken such a monumental challenge and achieved such success without great passion and joy. Their vision and their dedication laid the foundation for a school of excellence, and we are blessed and thankful for their gift to us.
Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, and we are each given the opportunity to be good stewards and make a difference – one that will extend beyond our immediate needs and time. Whether you choose St. Michael’s School as the recipient of your donation, or another worthy cause, your gift will make a profound impact for future generations. In 100 years, those who succeed us will be grateful.
In Mission,
Kathy
