As one of the co-founders of Catholic Stewardship Consultants — an organization committed to developing disciples of Christ through the practice of stewardship at parishes across the United States — Lisa McArdle has been having conversations on the topic of stewardship with people all over the country for close to 25 years. As a mother of five daughters ranging in age from 10 to 24 — and now a “Mimi” to her first grandchild — Lisa has experienced firsthand both the challenges and rewards of family life. In her book, Stewardship Starts at Home, Lisa highlights the spiritual transformation that takes place when we make stewardship central to our family life. “We’re all called to live as stewards,” Lisa says. “It’s not just for saints or pastors or Pope Francis." Stewardship doesn’t just begin and end in our parish families, either — it really begins at home in our domestic churches. Ultimately, that is where it is taught and resonates the most.”

As a busy mother, Lisa knows that it is not always easy to carve out the time for a retreat. Often, however, that is the very reason we should make the effort to do so! “Families are so busy now that we don’t know how to stop,” she says. “Learning to be still and finding out what God is calling us to is so important, and to be centered in our faith is now more essential than ever. A priest once told me that we were created as human beings, not ‘human doings,’ and yet we’re so busy doing that we never stop to reflect. It’s really a gift to stop and make sure we’re on the path where God wants us.”

“I encourage people to look at how they spend time with their families and what decisions they are making as a family of stewards,” she says. “God has given us all talents. Whether you are washing dishes, changing a diaper, cheering for your son at baseball games, caring for a parent — all of these things are important.”

“I think that learning more about discipleship will transform hearts and transform lives,” Lisa says. “In turn, strengthening families will strengthen the parish. I think of the words of St. Teresa of Calcutta — ‘If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.’ It sounds so simple, but it’s so profound. If we all did that, it would have a ripple effect and the world would be so much better.”

24,718 words/168 pages