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From the Pastor – 4th Sunday of Easter

May 13, 2019

From the Pastor – 4 th Sunday of Easter

Throughout the Easter season, our readings have given us glimpses into the life of the newborn Church and the bold witness of the early disciples in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ to all who would listen. These disciples were the first to live a stewardship way of life and their example is as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago.

In the First Reading, from the Acts of the Apostles, we catch up with Paul and Barnabas in Antioch. While they certainly have some success in reaching many people there with the message of salvation, others are downright infuriated by their words and send them packing. Yet, we read that “the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” Overall, it seems as if Paul and Barnabas had failed in Antioch. But this seeing failure has not robbed them of their joy.  What’s more, they are filled to the brim with the abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit. How is this possible?

It is only possible because Paul and Barnabas saw themselves as nothing more and nothing less than stewards of Christ and His Good News. This realization brought them freedom —  to offer themselves and their lives to others for the sake of the Gospel. The “results” of their efforts were up to God.

This Spirit-filled, joy-filled life is available to all of us, all these years later. It can be achieved when we recognize, like Paul and Barnabas, that all we have and all we are is a gift from God, meant to be shared with others for His glory. Of course, living as God’s stewards does not mean a life of ease or a life free of sacrifice. Sometimes the steward’s life involves great challenges, requiring all the strength and love one has to give. But in the end there is simply no more satisfying way to live.

Pastoral Pondering

I want to congratulate our second graders who received their First Holy Communion yesterday. Our final of three celebrations will be held next Saturday morning. Special thanks goes to Mary Anne Pape, our catechists, St. Mark Second Grade Teachers, and our parents who do so much to prepare our children and make these celebrations possible. First Communion is one of my favorite celebrations during the year because I am always renewed in my own faith when I see the love and devotion that these children have.

Matters of Faith — Last week I addressed some issues surrounding infertility. This week I will again turn to the National Catholic Bioethics center to look at another important moral issue, the end of life. All of us have or will face issues regarding the end of life. These times can be stressful and quite difficult. At the same time, unless there is some preparation, we may be called upon to make serious decisions very quickly. The following information is taken from the resources page of the National Catholic Bioethics Center (ncbcenter.org).

Catholic moral teaching arises from the Catholic understanding of the human person. Specifically, we believe that the human person, made in the image and likeness of God, has inherent worth, intrinsic value. Because of that we reverence the human person from the moment of conception to natural death. The NCBC identifies the following topics for consideration regarding the end of life: the redemptive nature of suffering, the important difference between morally obligatory and optional means of conserving one’s life, the moral and legal status of Advanced Medical Directives and Durable Power of Attorney, and the spread of euthanasia advocacy in America today.

It is a normal human response to want to avoid suffering. Yet, we know in every day life, that suffering comes. Whether it comes to the athlete who pushes himself or herself on the athletic field, someone recovering from the effects of surgery or someone dealing with the natural aches and pains of the aging process, every one of us will experience physical suffering in some way.

For the Christian our understanding of suffering must always be seen through the lens of the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. The Heavenly Father did not will suffering to be a part of the human experience. That came into reality because of the sin of Adam and Eve, but the Father allowed the reality of suffering to become salvific in the offering of His Son, Jesus Christ. Because of this, we can unite ourselves and our suffering to the Cross of Jesus Christ. In doing so, we assist with the work of salvation for the entire world. As St. Paul says, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church…(Col. 1:24 RSV). Hence, as Catholics, we are called to freely embrace a share in the sufferings of Christ in reparation for our own sins and for the sins of the world.

In considering obligatory and optional means, the main consideration is that we may never directly take innocent human life, including our own. The distinction that is often made in this regard is what is required or ordinary and what is not required or extraordinary. Many years ago Pope Pius XII indicated that we are bound “to use only ordinary means — according to the circumstances of persons, places, times and culture —that is to say, means that do not involve any grave burden for oneself or another. A stricter obligation would be too burdensome for most people and would render the attainment of the higher, more important good too difficult. Life, health, all temporal activities are in fact subordinated to spiritual ends.”

Even though the advances in medical science has made this determination more difficult, we can say that when a medical procedure has little home of improving the health of the person or, because of various factors, is overly burdensome, then it can be legitimately refused. It is important to seek moral guidance from priests and others who have expertise in moral theology and medical ethics in addition to the advice of physicians and health care workers. In order to make such decisions, all pertinent information needs to be available and provided to the patient. Normal care, including nutrition and hydration, are in general morally obligatory; unless it can be shown that doing so would cause harm to the patient.

Advanced Medical Directives and a Durable Power of Attorney are very useful in preparing for the inevitability of these difficult situations. In general the directives should “focus on goals rather than specific medical procedures”. Care has to be taken in their preparation, however, to insure they reflect and expressive of Catholic values and faith. The durable POA is the most useful because you entrust these decisions to someone that knows who you are, what you believe, and how you want these matters handled.

Finally, there has been a move for some time to promote and expand the use of euthanasia around the world. In some places, it has already been very much operative. Pope St. John Paul II defines euthanasia as “an action or omission which of itself and by intention causes death, with the purpose of eliminating all suffering.” The names of Terri Schiavo, Charlie Gard and others come to mind. As more and more government entities embrace these practices, it becomes even more important to be clear about your desires concerning the end of life. It’s something that you should consider now, so that you can be prepared tomorrow.

Please know that the priests and deacons of the parish are happy to be of assistance to you in discussing these matters. As noted above the NCBC has a wealth of information that is easily accessible and understandable concerning these and other important moral issues.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Sixth Sunday of Easter

By John Putnam • 03 May, 2024
Our readings today call us to love as Christ loves. In our Gospel, Jesus says, “Love one another as I have loved you.” The ways Jesus has loved us and continues to love us are endless. We are called to imitate this love. And He tells us the greatest way to do this when He said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” It is difficult to live that out in our humanity. Yet, it is made much easier when we faithfully love Christ. The fact of the matter is, as our love for Christ increases, so too does our capacity to love others. There are countless moments when we can do just that — for instance, waking up Saturday morning to attend daily Mass instead of sleeping in, or talking to God in the car on the way to work instead of listening to music. These are simple ways to express our love for the Lord by laying down our lives for Him. The more we find ways to love the Lord, the more we will find it easier to put aside our selfishness and serve others. Christ’s command to love others may seem daunting. Yet, Christ would never ask something of us that we cannot live out. All we need to do is take baby steps. Ask yourself, "How can I better love Jesus right now?" for it is in loving Christ that we will better love others, and it is in loving others that we love Christ Himself. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2024 Pastoral Pondering  Last week I had the opportunity of spending the afternoon with my childhood pastor, the Reverend Fred Thompson. He served as the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Newton, NC for over 30 years. He is now 91 years old and continues to live a fairly independent life. We lost touch when my family moved from Newton to Hickory as I began grammar school but reconnected during my undergraduate studies at Lenoir-Rhyne College. We have stayed in touch since then. Such connections from the past are very important. At least in my case, Fred knew things about my parents and my adoption that I never did, and he is always happy to share a story or two. I bring this up because memory, what we refer to in the Mass as anamnesis, is essential not only to our faith but to society as a whole. Our collective memory is important. Significant events of the past are passed on from one generation to the next, and we hopefully learn from our mistakes so that we don’t repeat them. In the Catholic context, we are being obedient to Christ’s command at the Last Supper, do this in memory of me.” And it is through that remembrance that we cannot the past with the present and look with hope to the future – Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. This is why Sacred Tradition is so very important to our understanding of the Faith. That which is handed over (traditio) is essential because it forms the framework upon which the Church travels throughout the centuries. The same is true in families. In the past multiple generations would live together or in close proximity to each other. Children learned about life from a variety of family members with varying degrees of lived experience and a wealth of memory. With our society becoming more transitory and human interaction being impoverished by the reality of technology, families need to be very intentional about connecting with the past. It helps us all understand who we are, why we are here and for what we were made.

From the Pastor - Fifth Sunday of Easter

By John Putnam • 26 Apr, 2024
Our readings today teach us what it means to bear fruit as disciples of Christ. We hear in each of our readings that it is from the Lord that good effects will be produced in our lives. In our first reading, we hear about disciples who were preaching the Good News and defending the faith. The work they were doing was “with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.” It was not their work alone, but the work of God. We must ask ourselves, ‘how is God bearing fruit in my life?’ and ‘have I invited the Holy Spirit to work in me?’ The more we try to produce good effects in our lives, the more we will become disappointed if all we are relying on is our own efforts. It is only by inviting the Holy Spirit into our everyday moments that we will see goodness poured out. Jesus clearly tells us how to do this in our Gospel. He says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.” We can remain in Christ by staying faithful to His commandments and frequently receiving the sacraments. And our day-to-day moments should be a reflection of those commitments. That could mean opening our day with a prayer of thanksgiving, smiling at those we see on the street, asking God for help as we begin our workday, praising God in moments of trial, taking time to listen to our spouse after a long day. To remain in Christ means, in all that we do, we do it with the Lord. When we live a life like that — as a branch never separated from its vine — God will produce bountiful fruit in our lives. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2024 Pastoral Pondering I have had a few folks interested in what exactly occurs when a diocese received a new bishop, so I thought I would outline the process a bit for a contribution to your knowledge of Catholic trivia. Before a new bishop can be appointed, the diocese in question has to be vacant. A vacancy occurs through death, retirement, resignation or removal. In our case, Bishop Jugis submitted his resignation based on his deteriorating health, one of the reasons that a bishop can ask to be relieved of the administration of a diocese. Once the Holy Father accepts the resignation, the See becomes vacant. During the interim or sede vacante (vacant seat) period, the diocese needs to have someone to keep things going. This is done by either a priest, who is appointed administrator or by a bishop, who is known as an apostolic administrator. In our case Bishop Jugis continues as the apostolic administrator. Since his successor has already been named, Bishop Jugis can help prepare for the new bishop’s transition. As soon as a see is vacated, several offices and one advisory body cease to function. Any vicars general or episcopal vicars lose their office and the Presbyteral Council ceases until reconstituted by the new bishop. Both the Judicial Vicar and the Chief Financial Office of the diocese continue in office to insure the ongoing functions of their offices. Bishop Jugis, as Apostolic Administrator, has asked those priests who were serving as his vicar general and episcopal vicars to continue performing their functions in the interim. When the new Bishop is installed, he can reappoint the vicars or appoint others to take their places. If a priest is appointed as the new bishop, he must be ordained a bishop before he can assume the office. Once ordained, a ceremony occurs, usually a Mass, during which the newly ordained bishop takes possession of the diocese and assumed the full pastoral care of the Diocese. Hence, Bishop-elect Martin will be ordained on May 29 th and then will take possession of the Diocese on the following day.  A lot of work can be done to prepare for the new bishop’s arrival prior to his coming. Nonetheless, the first few weeks of his administration will be taken up with settling into his new position and getting his bearings. This is very similar to a new pastor coming to a parish; albeit, on a larger scale. During these early days of the new administration, the new bishop decides on vicar appointments and reconstitutes the Presbyteral Council and makes any other decisions that he deems appropriate for pastoral care. Often new bishops spend a good bit of time visiting the new parishes of the new Diocese to get to know his priests and meet his people. In Bishop-elect Martin’s case, he will be ordaining transitional deacons on the Saturday following his own ordination and then ordaining priests two weeks later, so he will indeed “hit the ground running”. Keep him in your prayers.
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