Recently, a friend asked me to define stewardship in simple terms. He said he's been hearing the word frequently, but is still confused about its meaning. I informed him that to begin defining stewardship, you have to start with the concept of ownership. An owner is someone who has a valid legal claim to something (a home, a car, a work of art). The owner has exclusive rights to his property; it belongs to him and him alone.

A steward has no legal claim to the property he or she cares for. A steward works on behalf of someone else - the owner. A steward may be a manager, a supervisor or an administrator who is responsible for the property of another. A good steward is someone who cares for the property as if it were his own. A lousy steward is one who either does not respect the owner's property or who fails to yield the results an owner expects from efficient management.

These basic dictionary definitions of ownership and stewardship take on a deeper meaning when they are seen through the eyes of Christian faith. When God is recognized as the true and rightful owner of all creation, then all of us who are God's children take on the spiritual and moral obligations of stewards. We become God's agents - people who care for (but do not own in any exclusive sense) the gifts, talents, and resources we have been given by a gracious God.

Yes, we have worked hard and we have earned the material things that we call our own. But, deep down, we people of faith know that our talents, our possessions, our time and even our money do not really belong to us. They are God's property that has been generously entrusted to our care and for which we will be held responsible.

What are the characteristics of a Christian steward? The bishops of the United States have defined the good steward as someone who is grateful for God's gifts, generous in sharing these gifts with others, accountable for his or her use of God's gifts, and willing to return them to God with increase. A Christian steward is a disciple of Jesus - someone who recognizes, as Jesus did, that everything good comes to us from the Father to be cherished and cared for lovingly and to be shared generously.

What is stewardship - simply? It's taking care of (and sharing) the gifts and talents God has given us - not for the sake of an earthly (or heavenly) reward, but out of gratitude for the blessings we have received from a generous and loving God.

Dan Conway, president of Dallas-based RSI Catholic Services Group, is a frequent author and speaker on the subject of stewardship. His latest book is titled "Stewards of Joy: Taking Care of and Sharing the Gift of Faith."