I am glad to be back home to Vegas. Thank you for all your prayers and support. I look forward to seeing your joyful faces, and more so, your generous hearts as we launch our Catholic Stewardship Appeal this weekend.
Today’s Gospel is providential, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” The ‘poor in spirit’ are blessed not because they lack, but because they trust. And because they trust God, they give.
To be poor in spirit is to know that everything we have comes from God and returns to God. When we understand this, generosity stops being a burden and becomes a joy. Those who are poor in spirit do not cling tightly to possessions. They know that security does not come from what we hold, but from Whom we belong to.
St. Paul tells us today that God chose what is weak and lowly in the eyes of the world. The poor in spirit are free from pride. They are free from fear. And because they are free, they can give. Giving is not about how much we have. It is about how much we trust.
Stewardship is a spiritual attitude. The Catholic Stewardship Appeal is not simply about funding programs. It is about forming hearts. A steward says: “Lord, everything I have is yours.” “Show me how to use it for your glory.” “Teach me to give with love.”
The poor in spirit give because they know God will provide. They believe the Kingdom grows when gifts are shared. Giving builds the Kingdom of God. Through our giving, the Church is able to: train future priests, teach the faith to our children, reach the poor and forgotten, bring Christ’s presence to places of pain and hope. When we give, we participate in something greater than ourselves. We extend the Beatitudes into real lives.
As we launch this year’s Catholic Stewardship Appeal 2026, I personally invite every parishioner to participate. It is not about “How much must I give?” But “How is God calling me to give?” The poor in spirit give willingly, joyfully, and sacrificially, because they know the Kingdom already belongs to them. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Blessed because they trust God. Blessed because they give. Blessed because, in giving, they already live in the Kingdom of heaven. May the Lord make our hearts poor in spirit and rich in generosity.
God is Good, All the Time!
Father Tony Udoh, MSP
Pastor of Holy Family
