St. Joseph Parish invited all parish members to participate in a Stewardship Fair on Sunday, January 8.  Parish members we encouraged to sign a large banner reading "We Are Family" that was designed by the St. Joseph School Sixth grade class.  This was to promote the idea that all parish members are a part of our family and families work together for the benefit of all members.  Everyone than filed into the Parish Hall where they updated their registration forms.  They were then invited to browse displays hosted by the various organizations of the parish.  These displays explained the mission and activities of the organizations.  Participating parish members were given a chance to win one of three gift certificates given away in a drawing and were treated to cookies and punch.  This Stewardship fair is part of a month long Stewardship campaign designed to bring awareness to the act of giving time, talent and treasure to the parish. To view more pictures go to the multimedia tab, click St. Joseph and the album titled Stewardship fair.

THEY

“They cleaned up the park.” “They put out fresh bread.” “They fixed the elevator.” Behind every “they” is a real person, who expended effort to do something in our world. Whether a woman, man, or young person, “they” may have been discontented and miserable, or happy and fulfilled, when they helped to produce a warm jacket, a box of cereal, or a bottle of shampoo. Look at any ordinary object and consider how many people it took to make it. A pencil began as a tree someone planted. Someone else cut the tree down; others hauled it away and more cut it to size, added the lead and eraser, packaged it, shipped it, and put it on the store shelves. “They” are constantly busy, millions of “them,” ensuring that we have the things we need, from the electricity that powers our homes to the food we buy at the grocery store. “They” may never get a proper thank-you, because there is no real opportunity for us to say it directly. But even when we open our eyes to the multitude of “theys” in our lives, we are just looking at the tip of the iceberg. Every “they” is ultimately a smaller version of God. God is not the farmer harvesting the wheat or rice that will eventually find its way to our tables. Instead, God is the provider of the soil, the sun, and the rainfall that make sure the seedlings grow into a delicious, nutritious food. God made the farmer, and keeps his heart beating to perform his daily tasks. God is the essential “behind the scenes” person, the real presence behind every “they.” God is behind everything in the entire universe. And when we finally find God, our lives become transformed with true gratitude.

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Living Stewardship Now:  Offer simple words of thanks to anyone who does a service for you.  Nothing is too unimportant to acknowledge.  No one is unimportant enough to be overlooked.