From the Pastor - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 8, 2018

From the Pastor - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today’s readings give us a wonderful refresher on the Biblical origins of the Sacrament of Marriage, going all the way back to the second chapter of Genesis in our First Reading, and then reinforced by Jesus in our Gospel Reading from St. Mark.

Perhaps more than any other time in Christianity, marriage and family life are under attack right now. It is vital that we have a proper understanding of the Church’s beautiful and solid teachings in these areas. We call this type of knowledge, “Formation” and it is one of the pillars of a stewardship way of life. Solid formation in the faith not only strengthens us in our own walk with the Lord, but it allows us to pass on this knowledge to others who are thirsting to know the truth about the human person, and it also arms us to defend our beliefs, when necessary.

These readings also invite us to reflect on the reality that we are to be good stewards of the vocation the Lord has entrusted to us. If I am married, do I recognize that my spouse and my marriage are a gift from God that must be nourished, developed and tended? This brings to mind the stewardship aspect of “Time.” After time spent with God, my next priority of time should be for my spouse. Do I realize that at the end of my life I will have to give an account to God for how I cared for the gift of my spouse and marriage?

Pastoral Pondering

Over three years ago now the priests of the parish made a decision that the Sacrament of Penance needed to be made more readily available in the parish. In light of that we decided that in addition to Saturday afternoon and Wednesday evening, we would offer confessions for 30 minutes prior to each Mass.

This has been a tremendous blessing to us as confessors and to the overall spiritual health of the parish. At the same time, it takes a great deal of commitment from the priests of the parish. With this in mind, we need to ask for some assistance and make some changes with the confession schedule.

Normally, the priest celebrating the Mass begins 45 minutes prior to Mass and ends 15 minutes prior to the beginning of Mass. The priest from the preceding Mass assists and, at times, has been in the confessional throughout the succeeding Mass. Moving forward, confessions will only be heard up to 15 minutes after the beginning of Mass when there is a second confessor available. When only one confessor is available, confessions must end by 15 minutes before Mass begins. It is important, therefore, that penitents arrive early so that their confessions may be heard.This is especially important prior to the 8:30 am Mass because the priests have obligations during the time between the 8:30 and 11:15 and we need time to prepare.

Thank you for assisting us with this and cooperating accordingly.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - First Sunday of Advent

By John Putnam • December 2, 2025
Today we begin the beautiful season of Advent — a season of preparation. For what are we preparing? The celebration of the birth of our Savior, and the anticipation of His second coming. These are weighty tasks with eternal consequences. So, let us as Christian stewards make the words of the Prophet Isaiah our motto for the season: “Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways and we may walk in his paths.” In the weeks leading up to Christmas, it seems everywhere we turn we are pushed to spend more, do more, entertain more, and generally rush around at a frantic pace — all to create a “perfect” Christmas day. In contrast to this worldly pressure, the Church’s guidance to use these weeks as a time to focus on our spiritual lives can indeed seem like a mountain climb. But the intentional and wise use of the gift of time is exactly what the Christian steward is called to do, and with even greater intensity during Advent. How can we use our time to prepare for a holy celebration of Jesus’ birth on Dec. 25 and for his second coming at a date we do not know? We can push back against the world’s pressure to have the “perfect Christmas.” Scale back on the material kind of gift-giving, the complicated menus, the unessential trappings of the season so that we have more time for the spiritual preparations: Confession, weekday Mass, adoration, family prayer time, lighting the Advent wreath, acts of kindness. It may feel like a mountain climb, but in the end, we will be prepared to celebrate a truly meaningful Christmas, we will have become more like our Savior, and we will be ready for Him to come again. Let’s go climb the Lord’s mountain! © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 From the Pastor Advent brings a time of new beginning. A new liturgical year is upon us, but it is also a time to prepare our hearts for something – for the coming of the Lord. The first weeks of Advent focus on the Lord’s coming at the end of time, and the latter weeks of Advent focus on preparing to celebrate His coming at the Nativity. Both, however, are interconnected. The first coming of the Lord facilitates His coming into our hearts, which, in the end, facilitates His second coming to judge the living and the dead. The “in between” of these two comings is where time and eternity come together. We are called to live each day in expectation of His coming. We are called to hope for His coming and to expect it even when it seems long delayed. It is in this expectation that we must learn to live our lives. Daily life is messy and unpredictable. We must deal with disappointments, sickness and loss. Yet, we do so as people of hope who know that in these crosses, there lies ultimate joy because of the love of the Father who sent his Son to love us to the end. As we begin a new journey in a new liturgical year, let us do so with joyful expectation. Knowing that the end of the journey, if we are faithful, is paradise.

From the Pastor - Solemnity of Christ the King

By John Putnam • November 21, 2025
On this Feast of Christ the King, our readings show us that we serve the greatest of Kings, who is at the same time the humblest of Kings. Christ is the perfect model of servant leadership. And what an indescribable privilege that He has called us to be servant leaders — stewards in the work of advancing His Kingdom. In our second reading, from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, Paul describes the great power and dignity that characterize Christ the King. “All things were created through him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together.” It makes you want to stand up and cheer. That’s our King! Yet, what a contrasting description of the same King we find in our Gospel passage, from Luke. Now we see our King nailed to the Cross. Everyone from rulers to soldiers, to the criminals on either side of Christ is mocking, sneering, and reviling him. They tauntingly urge him to prove His kingship by coming down from the Cross to end his suffering with a great show of power. “if you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.” But He does not. Amazingly, it is in this moment of seeming-weakness and humiliation, when all appears hopeless and lost, that the full breadth of his greatness as king is displayed. Though all things were created through and for Him — Christ chooses to live entirely for others, for us! What does this mean for us as his followers and stewards of His kingdom? It is precisely that our lives are not about us. They are about Christ and others. And we will advance his kingdom to the extent that we embrace this mindset: my life is not about me; it is about serving the King of kings. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025