From the Parochial Vicar - August 26, 2018

August 27, 2018

From the Parochial Vicar - August 26, 2018

This weekend is Ministry Selection Weekend, and I hope that you are taking the opportunity to stop in at the parish hall after Mass to see a showcase of our ministries, apostolates, and outreach groups. As a large parish that continues to grow, the opportunities to connect, grow, serve, and share at Saint Mark continue to multiply. After taking the last three weeks to highlight the importance of youth and young adult ministry in our parish, I close this series of Pastoral Ponderings by taking a look at the “how” of youth ministry.

As children grow, they are nurtured and taught in ways that allow them to mature as a person, their intellect being a crucial part. As children, we learn principles and rudiments that correspond to reality and assist us in expressing truths about God and his creation. Later on, in late childhood and early teen years, we begin to put principles together and draw connections between the knowledge that we have acquired. We can even see how principles relate to each other. Finally, in our teen years, we begin to think critically and create. With a firm grasp of principles, we begin to form solid opinions and judgments that are grounded upon a relationship with reality. Of course, this is the most natural way to learn, and we could spend days discussing how well our different educational institutions respond to the natural capacity that man has to know.

Directly related to learning and knowing is teaching. The Church takes on this role in a distinguished way by the very fact that our Lord filled her with the Holy Spirit to guide her in all truth. In Latin, munus docendi (teaching office) refers to the ecclesial task of leading the faithful to the light and truth of the Gospel. This word for teaching ( docere ) can also be translated as “leading.” And the Latin word for learning is discere , which is from whence English derives the word “disciple,” or follower. Christ and his Church leads, and we follow.

Under our faith formation offices fall three ways in which we lead our youth. The first way is through Children’s Faith Formation (K-5, as well as classes for older children who have not yet been baptized). For children who are not receiving religious instruction in Catholic school or a homeschool curriculum, Children’s Faith Formation teaches the basics of our faith, fundamental prayers, and the Holy Word and Tradition of the Church. This corresponds to the first principles of knowledge of Christ and his Church. Our catechists follow a pedagogy that introduces children to the essential points of God’s mysteries.

The second way we lead our youth to love of Christ is through Middle School Youth Ministry. As our middle schoolers are beginning to apply the teachings of Christ to their lives and ask more serious questions about the will of God in their life, the Edge Core Team members help lead through discussion how to tap in to the great gifts the Lord bestows upon them and their families. It goes deeper than strict catechesis or book learning in order to accompany them into the ways of holiness and salvation.

The third way pertains particularly to high school students, who are served by our Life Teen program. This program is similar to Edge insofar as our Life Teen Core members continue to accompany our youth on a journey of faith in and love of Jesus. However, since our high school teens are critically thinking about the present moment and their futures and trying to navigate the application of their faith knowledge to living it out in the world, there are opportunities for creatively engaging in their formation. High school students have a wonderful depth to their desire to love, care, and apply themselves. Therefore, the “Life Nights” allow them to gather and receive guidance through the lens of faith on how to navigate friendships, relationships, difficult Church teachings, and the like.

Bridging the gap from middle school to high school, our Fraternus and Fidelis programs are ways for young men (brothers) to be mentored in virtue by Catholic men ( captains ), and young women (sisters) to be mentored by Catholic women ( ladies ). They form young disciples intent on doing good and living as intentional witnesses to God’s glory in their life. The brothers and sisters from Fraternus and Fidelis challenge each other weekly in concrete and palpable ways to live virtuously at home and away.

I offer you an invitation today. Help us change lives. Help us lead lives. Help us transform lives. Actually, that is incorrect. Help Jesus change lives. Help Jesus lead lives. Help Jesus transform lives. This weekend at ministry selection, go find out more about our youth programs. Pray about becoming a catechist or assistant (Children’s Faith Formation), a Core Team member (Edge and Life Teen), or a Captain/Lady (Fraternus/Fidelis). I think you have got more to offer than you might admit. All that Jesus needs is a trusting, “Yes.” That’s all that one young girl had to say to God in order for our salvation to come. I invite you to say, “Yes.”

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 31, 2026
Today’s readings should inspire the Christian steward with deepened gratitude for our God, who loves us with both fierce and tender love. We must make an intentional response each day, returning love for Love. In our Second Reading from Romans, St. Paul reminds us that nothing and no one can separate us from the love of Christ. No anguish, distress, persecution, famine — and we might add illness, financial hardship, family struggles, or uncertainty about the future — nothing can keep our God from loving us. God holds us securely in the palm of His hand. And yet, this reassurance is only the beginning of God’s gifts to us. Our Gospel from Matthew recounts the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. This miracle foreshadows the gift of the Eucharist, where Christ feeds us not simply with bread, but with His own Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Notice how the Gospel begins. "His heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick." What generous and compassionate love our Lord shows. But even that is not enough for Him. He remains with the people, teaching and ministering to them until evening. When the disciples suggest sending the crowds away to find food, Jesus instead invites them to become part of His plan. He tells them to feed the people, then miraculously multiplies the few loaves and fish they offer. What a privilege it was for the disciples to participate in Christ's work. That same privilege is ours as Christian stewards. Let us respond with grateful hearts to such amazing love. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants,

From the Pastor - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 31, 2026
The stewardship way of life could be described as a daily pursuit of the Kingdom of Heaven. In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus uses a series of parables to help us understand the incomparable value of that Kingdom. First, He reminds us that living for Him and for His Kingdom will require sacrifice. Yet the joy that comes from following Christ makes any sacrifice worthwhile. Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” He then compares the Kingdom to “a merchant searching for fine pearls." When the merchant finds a pearl of great price, he gladly sells everything he has to obtain it. In both parables, the Kingdom is something precious that must be sought and recognized. We must intentionally look for it amid the distractions and noise of the world. Yet Jesus also reminds us that the Kingdom is meant for everyone. He compares it to a net cast into the sea that gathers fish of every kind. At the same time, He reminds us that each of us will one day be judged. The angels “will separate the wicked from the righteous.” It is a powerful reminder that our choices matter. Let us pray for the wisdom to recognize the Kingdom of Heaven in our midst and to pursue it above all else. There is no greater treasure, and no greater source of joy, than a life lived as a faithful disciple of Jesus. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026. Pastoral Pondering I enjoy books generally. I like to hold them, look at them and, of course, read them. I also enjoy audiobooks because they are a good way to pass the time with all the driving that I do. I like a wide variety of books, but I generally try to avoid things that are strictly political. Hence, I was a little hesitant when the book Communion by J.D. Vance was recommended to me. However, what I discovered is that it is an excellent read and has nothing to do with politics. Rather, it is the story of the Vice President’s return to the Christian faith that eventually resulted in his becoming Catholic. I suppose “conversion” stories attract me because of my own background. And while I did not grow up in Ohio coal country as he did, there are many similarities to his family, described in Hillbilly Elegy, and my dad’s family from the mountains of North Carolina. This particular book, in some ways, is a sequel to Hillbilly . It discusses his chaotic childhood and exposure to Baptist and Pentecostal churches, his drift into atheism as a young adult, following the death of his grandmother, and his gradual return to faith which culminated in his conversion to Catholicism in 2019. The title refers to the Eucharist, and the author explores what it means to be Christian across life stages – as a child, young man, husband, father and public figure – while reflecting on the role of religion in public life and American society.  This memoir mixes spiritual autobiography with broader commentary on faith, politics, family values, and societal problems. While some have criticized it as more of a cultural manifesto, I appreciated the honest assessment of one man’s journey from his childhood faith to an adult faith which led to full communion with the Catholic Church. Granted, it may not be to everyone’s liking, but it shouldn’t be dismissed simply because the author is the current Vice President. I enjoyed it, and if you want something to pass a lazy summer afternoon, I’d recommend it.