From the Pastor – 2nd Sunday of Advent

December 10, 2018

From the Pastor – 2 nd Sunday of Advent

The readings for the Second Week of Advent offer both encouragement and challenge as we reflect and prepare for the two “comings” of Christ — His coming as a baby on the great feast of Christmas, and the anticipation of His second coming at the end of time.

Our First Reading, from Baruch, is a wonderful reminder that God has triumphed over sin and death and that we — His faithful disciples — will live in the light of His glory one day. Until He comes again, we must remain faithful to Him as true disciples and good stewards of all the gifts He has given us.

While it can be tempting to give in to the materialism and calls for self-indulgence that surround us, (ironically more than ever at this time of year), this reading calls us back to the spiritual reality that this life is passing and that we are made for eternal life with God. We are called to prepare for eternal life by the way that we use our time, our talents and our treasure now.

The Gospel reading from Luke shows us how personal and detailed is God’s love for humanity as He prepared the way for Christ’s coming among us. We are told the precise time, place and person, John the Baptist, He appointed to announce the arrival of our Savior.

John tells us how to celebrate to the fullest this first “coming” on the feast of Christmas and how to prepare for the second coming — through repentance.

This Advent, let’s turn away from any bad habits or sin that may have crept in to our lives and turn our hearts and minds back to Christ. This is what the stewardship way of life is all about —moving closer ever closer in relationship with Christ and imitation of Him, ready to celebrate His birth, with eyes fixed on eternal life with Him.

Pastoral Pondering

As we move into December, in addition to thinking about Christmas, folks also begin thinking about the educational path for their children. Some high school students have already applied for early college acceptance, the Catholic schools begin accepting online applications this month, and home schools and faith formation begin considering curricula and programming for the coming year. I thought this would be a good time to write about the importance of Catholic education in an increasingly secular society.

In the geographical boundaries of St. Mark parish, Catholic education occurs in any number of ways. We have two regional Catholic schools (St. Mark and Christ the King), we have a large homeschool cooperative, and we have our Faith Formation and Youth Ministry programs. In addition to these, some of our parishioners avail themselves of offerings outside the parish in other MACS schools, in homeschool offerings in other parishes, and in various on-line offerings.

The pastor, and really the parish as a whole, has various obligations and responsibilities with regard to Catholic education and formation in all of its forms, and these must be taken seriously as being part and parcel of the mission of the Church. The very nature and purpose of Catholic education in all of its forms is revealed to us by the Lord who instructed His apostles to “go…and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to carry out everything I have commanded” (cf. Mt. 28:18-20). Because of this, it is essential to understand that Catholic education cannot exist apart from Catholic life and practice. Catholic education begins in the home, the domestic church, but the institutions of the Church have a serious obligation to assist Catholic parents by insuring that our schools, faith formation programs and homeschool collaboration is imbued with an evangelical spirit that can help “restore the conviction that human beings can grasp the truth of things, and in grasping that truth can know their duties to God, to themselves and their neighbors” (see John Paul, II, Ad limina address to US Bishops of Region IV, 1988).

As a pastor, I support Catholic education in all its forms. Even as adults, we should never tire of learning about and growing in our Faith. If you are a parent considering your child’s education, I encourage you to seriously consider the benefits of Catholic education. The parishes of the Diocese make great financial sacrifices in support of the various educational efforts. Our Catholic schools because of their historical importance to the Church in this country have pride of place and should always be considered as a viable option for any Catholic family. Often times parents realize the financial sacrifice that is required and dismiss Catholic education as an option. However, there are significant funds available to assist every Catholic child who desires to obtain a Catholic education.

Our public schools, while in some cases offering a rigorous academic program, are often forced to teach and embrace cultural currents that are diametrically opposed to Catholic teaching. They have sadly, on many fronts, become institutions of indoctrination rather than education. This makes the task of our Faith Formation programs even more challenging and highlights why our Catholic schools and homeschools are so important to the continuation of the faith.

Please pray for all of our educational endeavors that they might be fruitful and effective in proclaiming Christ Jesus, who is Emmanuel, God with us.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • September 26, 2025
We have all been given great power by God in the form of Time, Talents, and Treasure. Today’s readings remind us that this power is meant to be used for great good. And that failure to do so has eternal consequences. We see the urgency for us to put our powers to good use in today’s Gospel passage from Luke. Our Lord tells the rather chilling parable of the rich man who ignored poor Lazarus during their lifetimes. At the moment of the rich man’s death, he goes down to the netherworld, while Lazarus is taken to the eternal joy and comfort in the bosom of Abraham. The rich man keenly regrets his indifference towards the needs of Lazarus, but it is too late for regret. His choices have played out, and now the rich man will face the consequences of his failure to use the gifts God gave him. Pursuit of God’s kingdom and care for the poor are not trifling matters. Our Lord makes this clear to us over and over in the Scriptures and the constant teachings of our 2,000-year-old Church. We are free to ignore these teachings and live instead for ourselves. But there will be tragic results for us in the end. And, because we are made for eternity, living selfishly on this earth doesn’t really bring us true happiness anyway. So how can we use our great powers for great good? By embracing stewardship way of life. By putting God first in all areas of our lives — in the way we spend our time, the ways we share our talents, the ways we give of our financial resources. Stewardship living calls us out of our comfort zone and into commitment to the Lord and the things that matter to Him. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering Even though this year is not a presidential or mid-term election, local elections are quite important, and we often don’t take them as seriously as we should. This year we have two parishioners running for office, Dan Boone is running for town council, and Bill Fountain is running for school board. To some these positions may seem insignificant, but it is at the local level that we, as Catholics, can have the greatest impact. I thought it might be helpful then to give a reminder of the duties of Catholics in political life. The Church teaches that lay Catholics bear primary responsibility for temporal affairs, including politics, as an extension of baptismal vocation (CCC 1913). Key duties include:  Forming Conscience : Study Church teachings to discern moral priorities; avoid reducing faith to single issues but prioritize intrinsic evils like abortion. Active Involvemen t: Vote informatively, run for office, join parties or advocacy groups, and dialogue with officials to apply Gospel values. Pope Francis stated, "A good Catholic meddles in politics," offering the best of oneself to help leaders govern justly. Non-Partisan Advocacy : The Church engages issues (e.g., life, family, peace) but avoids partisanship to focus on principles. Parishes can host voter education but not endorse candidates. For Public Officials : Catholic politicians must align actions with Church moral teachings; supporting grave evils like abortion risks scandal and cooperation in evil. Separation of church and state protects, rather than hinders, faith-based action in public life. Challenges and Encouragement In polarized environments, Catholics may feel disenfranchised, but the Church calls for renewed engagement to transform society incrementally toward justice. Resources like the USCCB's Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (updated periodically) guide voters on applying Catholic Social Teaching. Ultimately, political action flows from love of neighbor, proving faith through works (James 2:14–17).

From the Pastor - 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • September 19, 2025
After today’s readings, we can’t say we have not been warned about the dangers of mixed-up priorities. God’s Word is so very clear today on the necessity of putting Him first in all areas of our lives. We see this in the First Reading from Amos. The Lord has harsh words for those who would take advantage of the poor and whose priorities are not aligned with God’s In the Second Reading from St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, Paul gives us the antidote to the self-centeredness condemned in our First Reading. The antidote is to imitate Christ, “who gave Himself as a ransom for all.” Rather than thinking of Himself and how to “get ahead,” Christ gave Himself away — completely — for our sake. That is how we are to live. In our Gospel passage from Luke, the Lord shows us how to bridge the gap between worldly thinking and priorities and eternal thinking and priorities. Jesus tells the parable of the corrupt but clever steward who is about to be fired when the master discovers the steward has been squandering his property. Realizing his imminent unemployed status, the clever steward reaches out to the various debtors of his master to wheel and deal with them, making friends who would look out for him when he became jobless. What if we put that kind of effort into our own tasks as good stewards of all God’s gifts to us? Into our ministries, into the ways we could make more time for prayer as individuals, as couples, as families, and as a parish? What if we got as creative as the “bad steward” in the use of our finances so that we could give more generously to the poor and the advancement of God’s kingdom on the earth? That’s our lesson and our challenge. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025. Pastoral Pondering I am writing this in the aftermath of the assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah. It was a sad day for the country, and we should certainly pray for Charlie’s family, especially his wife, Erika, and their two children. Certainly, the assassination itself was horrifying, but what the act represented was perhaps worse, the attempt to destroy respectful debate in a constitutional republic that values freedom of speech and the free exchange of ideas. I watched many of Charlie Kirk’s campus visits, and I always found him to be challenging but respectful. He intentionally wanted to listen to and dialogue with those who disagreed with him. Sadly, an assassin’s bullet silenced his efforts. From a Catholic viewpoint, debate and dialogue are not merely intellectual exercises but essential expressions of Christian charity, truth-seeking, and evangelization. The Church teaches that engaging others in conversation—especially on matters of faith, morality, or social issues—must always be rooted in love, humility, and respect for the dignity of the human person, as every individual is made in God's image (Genesis 1:27). This approach transforms potential conflict into an opportunity for mutual growth, reconciliation, and the proclamation of the Gospel. As Pope Francis emphasizes in Laudato Si', the Church encourages "honest debate" among experts while "respecting divergent views," recognizing that genuine solutions emerge from dialogue, not domination. The Church identified key reasons for this emphasis drawn from Scripture, Church teaching and tradition. 1. Rooted in Christ’s Command to Love and Speak Truth in Charity Catholic teaching holds that respectful debate reflects Jesus' model of engaging opponents with compassion, even amid disagreement. In the Gospels, Christ debates Pharisees and Sadducees not to "win" arguments but to reveal truth mercifully (e.g., Matthew 22:15-46). St. Paul echoes this in Ephesians 4:15: "Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." Harsh or condescending rhetoric, by contrast, risks sinning against charity, which the Catechism describes as the "bond of perfection" (CCC 1827). This is why Catholic apologists like those at Catholic Answers stress cultivating a "calm and friendly manner" in debates, warning against becoming "debate junkies" who prioritize controversy over spiritual health. A morbid craving for disputes, Paul warns, breeds "envy, dissension, slander" (1 Timothy 6:4-5). Respectful engagement, therefore, safeguards the debater's soul while inviting others to Christ. 2. Promotes Unity and Ecumenism in a Divided World The Church views dialogue as a path to unity, fulfilling Christ's prayer "that they may all be one" (John 17:21). In an era of polarization—whether over politics, immigration, or theology—respectful debate counters division by fostering understanding. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' president, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, recently urged promoting "the importance of dialogue [and] respect for the other" amid U.S. political tensions, linking it to the defense of human dignity from conception to natural death. Similarly, Pope John Paul II's message for the 2001 World Day of Peace calls for "dialogue between cultures" that overcomes "ethnocentric selfishness" through mutual respect, building a "civilization of love." Ecumenically, this means avoiding misrepresentations, such as falsely accusing Catholics of "worshiping" Mary or saints—instead of veneration—or dismissing Tradition outright. The Catechism (CCC 821) encourages such respectful exchanges to bridge divides, as seen in interfaith colloquia hosted by the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, where Pope Francis stresses seeing the "other" not as a threat but as a "gift" for growth. 3. Essential for Evangelization and Proclaiming the Gospel Debate, when respectful, is a form of dialogue and proclamation, as outlined in the 1991 Vatican document of the same name. It allows Catholics to share the faith persuasively without coercion, respecting freedom of conscience. The Church has a long history of public disputations, from medieval scholastic debates to modern apologetics, but always under safeguards: priests may not initiate challenges, and discussions require episcopal approval to ensure reverence for sacred mysteries (Catholic Encyclopedia on Religious Discussions). In practice, this means prioritizing witness over victory. As one Catholic writer notes, debates with atheists often fail because "faith... is the belief in a thing for which there is no evidence," so the best "win" is living virtuously as a testimony to Christ. Recent examples include calls for Christians to lead "respectful debate" on issues like immigration, modeling Gospel civility in public discourse. 4. Guards Against Sin and Builds a Culture of Life Unrespectful debate erodes human dignity, a core Catholic principle. It can devolve into personal attacks, violating the Fifth Commandment's call to honor others (CCC 2262-2268). Pope Francis warns in addresses on interreligious dialogue that polarized discussions risk becoming "polemical and inconclusive" without trust and shared vision. Instead, respectful exchange upholds the "sanctity of human life," opposing atrocities and promoting harmony across religions, ethnicities, and cultures. In apologetics, this translates to avoiding condescension or assuming bad faith, as both Catholics and Protestants seek to follow Christ. Debates on topics like sin, evolution, or authority should seek common ground—e.g., natural moral law binding all—while humbly acknowledging limits.  In summary, respectful debate is vital in Catholic thought because it mirrors Christ's merciful truth-telling, advances unity, and evangelizes without compromising dignity. As Vatican teachings repeatedly affirm, it requires "respect for differences" and a commitment to our shared "common home." In a noisy world, Catholics are called to be voices of dialogue, proving the Gospel's power through love, not force. For deeper reading, explore Laudato Si' or the Catechism's sections on charity and dialogue.