From the Pastor - 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 16, 2017

From the Pastor - 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 10/15/17

Today’s Gospel from the Book of Matthew again includes parables. We have been hearing the Lord share parables with us throughout our readings in recent weeks. Interestingly Matthew contains 23 parables (or teachings classified as parables), while Luke has 28. Mark has only nine, and John has none.

The first parable we hear today is called The Parable of the Wedding Feast. In this story shared by Jesus for our benefit a king is hosting a wedding feast for his son. He sends out invitations and people ignore them or choose not to respond. It may seem somewhat remarkable to us that people turn down an invitation to a royal wedding feast.

Yet, the Lord invites us to join Him on a regular basis through Holy Scripture and the Sacraments. Many ignore the invitation, and in most cases are, not even aware of the fact they have received it. Those who read this are aware of the invitation. The question is “How do we respond?”

What do we do after we attend a Holy Mass? What is our reaction to the reception of Christ’s incredible gift in the Eucharist? We may not make light of it like some of the people in the parable, but if we merely go our separate ways, and do not strive to be active disciples, we are basically doing the same thing as those Jesus describes in this parable. In one of his first appearances Pope Francis declared, “Go make disciples of all nations.” We cannot make disciples unless we are ourselves disciples.

Pastoral Pondering

By this point we have touched on a variety of comments gleaned from the parish survey. Continuing to address the feedback from the survey overall is the task of the Pastoral Council as they formulate our Parish Pastoral Plan. Part of that process is communicating with the parishioners regarding the survey results and how those results are being addressed overall. As topics or concerns are presented to me, I will certainly address them as best I can in the limited space available here. If you have items of concern or things that you believe should be addressed in some way, please make use of your Pastoral Council members.

There are two Councils that each parish is required to have in the Diocese of Charlotte, the Pastoral Council and the Finance Council. Both are advisory bodies that assist the pastor in carrying out his role as shepherd of the flock, each according to its own area of expertise. I am very proud to say that both of these bodies work very well at St. Mark.

I am indebted to all of the parishioners that offer themselves in service to the parish in this way. They serve faithfully and often quietly behind the scenes. Their wise counsel, however, is invaluable to me and a great benefit to the Parish. I want to publicly thank Dennis Kazmierczak who has served as the chairman of the Finance Council throughout my time here at St. Mark. Dennis has completed his term on the Finance Council and Mike Buttner has accepted the role of chair. Please join me in thanking Dennis for his generous service and Mike for his willingness to take on this new role. In the coming weeks, I hope to provide brief bios of various volunteer and staff so that the wider parish can get to know them better.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Third Sunday of Easter

By John Putnam • May 2, 2025
In today’s Gospel, we find the Apostles dejected and discouraged following the death of our Lord. Poor Peter decides to throw in the towel on the whole disciple thing and go back to his old way of life, declaring, “I’m going fishing.” Upon hearing this, the other disciples follow him. How easy it is for all of us to backslide on changes we have made in our lives, especially when it comes to our spiritual lives. But look how Jesus treats the disciples during their “backslide.” He is right there with them in the midst of it, already waiting for them on the shore when they come back from their unsuccessful return to the fishing business (after abandoning their mission as disciples). Our Lord greets them tenderly, gives them some fishing pointers, and then prepares their breakfast. How gracious He is to them! He is just as gracious today. When we find ourselves “out at sea” — discouraged by our failures or for squandering the gifts God has given us, or simply by a lack of progress in our faith life, Jesus is with us! He is calling to us from the shore to come back to Him without shame or embarrassment, but with hope-filled trust in His steadfast love. He never tires of offering “do-overs” if we just keep returning to Him. This constant process of turning back to the Lord, of reevaluating our goals and priorities as we aim for Heaven, is the essence of a stewardship way of life. Let us take heart as we continue our journey today, secure in the knowledge that Jesus is beside us every step of the way. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering The process of electing a new Pope is one that has marked and impacted history for centuries. It is still a process, despite movies and books concerning the process, that is surrounded by some mystery. Once the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church declares that the Pope is dead, a whole set of processes are set in motion. While the daily work of the Holy See continues, there can be no innovations. The task of preparing for the funeral of the deceased pope and preparing for the coming conclave is entrusted to the Cardinal Camerlengo (Kevin Cardinal Farrell) under the guidance of the body of cardinals. All cardinals, regardless of age, can participate in the various consultations that occur prior to the conclave. Only those cardinals who are less than 80 years of age can actually participate in the conclave and choose the next pope. The voting cardinals are sworn to secrecy and are locked into the Sistine chapel where four votes can occur each day. A two-thirds majority of the cardinal-electors is required for a new pope to be chosen. If a ballot is indecisive, the ballots are burned, and black smoke is released from the chapel. When a pope is elected, the ballots are burned, and white smoke is released. When a new pope is chosen, he has to accept his election and, if he accepts, choose his pontifical name. He then changes into papal garb and is presented from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.  As we await the Papal election, please continue to pray for the Church and the cardinal-electors. Their task is a heavy responsibility. Our union with them in prayer will assist them to be attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and carry out their task with fidelity and determination.

From the Pastor - Divine Mercy Sunday

By John Putnam • April 25, 2025
Today, the Second Sunday of Easter, is Divine Mercy Sunday. Our Gospel reading from St. John is often called the story of “Doubting Thomas” but the passage involves so much more than the encounter with the skeptical apostle. It is rich with lessons of Christ’s mercy to all, including an encouraging word from our Lord especially for us, His modern-day disciples. While Thomas traditionally takes all the bad rap for his doubts, we see that none of the Apostles were at their best when Christ first appeared to them after His resurrection. They were actually in hiding, cowering behind a locked door, paralyzed by fear and doubt. But Jesus appeared right in their midst in spite of the lock on the door. Was it to rebuke them for their lack of faith? Quite the contrary. He comes on a mission of mercy. He comes to offer them peace and the restoration of their relationship with Him. And even more, He commissions them to become ministers of His mercy, by giving them authority to forgive sins. At that moment Christ gives to all of us the supreme gift of mercy — the sacrament of Reconciliation. What a precious and powerful gift! This Sunday is a perfect time to reflect on how well we make use of this gift. Do we really appreciate its healing power? Could we become better stewards of this gift by going to Confession more often? We must also reflect on how well we extend mercy to others as Jesus did to Thomas that day. Let’s commit ourselves to becoming faithful disciples and stewards of Christ’s mercy. We will be those very ones to whom Jesus gave a “shout out” during His encounter with Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” — in His merciful love. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering The mercy of God is at the very heart of the Catholic faith. It's not just one of God's many attributes — it is His very essence revealed in love . As Pope Francis often reminds us, “The name of God is mercy.” In Scripture, we see God's mercy from the very beginning. After the fall of Adam and Eve, though justice demanded consequence, God clothed them and promised a Savior. Time and again, throughout the Old Testament, we see Israel turning away from God — and yet, He never stops reaching out with compassion, calling His people back to Himself. That mercy takes on flesh in the New Testament — in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the face of the Father’s mercy. He dines with sinners, touches the untouchable, forgives the unforgivable. Think of the woman caught in adultery: “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.” Or the prodigal son - who finds not punishment upon return, but a father running to embrace him.  In the Catholic Church, mercy is not just a concept — it is sacramental. We encounter the mercy of God tangibly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There, in the confessional, we do not meet a harsh judge, but Christ the Good Shepherd, lifting us up and carrying us back home. No sin is too great. No past too far gone. St. Faustina, the apostle of Divine Mercy, reminds us that God’s mercy is an “ocean” — and we are just little drops. But mercy isn’t meant to stop with us. It flows through us. As we receive God's mercy, we're called to be merciful: to forgive, to withhold judgment, to show compassion to the poor, the suffering, the lonely. The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy are concrete ways Catholics live this out. So, when we speak of mercy, we speak of the very Gospel. God, rich in mercy, reaches into our brokenness, and instead of turning away, He embraces it, transforms it, and redeems it. With the death of Pope Francis, the Church enters a period of transition. The Pope’s legacy is one of concern for the poor and those on the margins. His writing and teaching often focused on the immense mercy of God and his love of the Gospel. Our task is to follow his example and strive each day to allow Gospel joy to guide us and lead us to bring Christ to the world. Let us also pray for the Universal Church, the cardinal-electors who have the immense responsibility of selecting a new successor to St. Peter, and for all of us that we may come together as a Church family and ask God to bless us with a new shepherd.
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