From the Pastor – 4th Week of Advent

December 24, 2018

From the Pastor – 4th Week of Advent

St. Alphonsus explains that St. Elizabeth knew what we should know: Whenever Mary comes, she brings her Son.

Jesus was the fruit of Mary, as St. Elizabeth told her: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Lk 1:42). Whoever, then, desires the fruit must go to the tree; whoever desires Jesus must go to Mary; and whoever finds Mary will most certainly find Jesus.

St. Elizabeth saw that the most Blessed Virgin had come to visit her in her own house. Not knowing how to thank her, and filled with humility, she exclaimed: “And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Lk 1:43).

But we may ask how this could be. Didn’t St. Elizabeth already know that not only Mary, but also Jesus, had entered her house? Why then does she say that she is unworthy to receive the mother, and not rather that she is unworthy to receive the Son, who had come to visit her?

The reason is this: The saint knew full well that when Mary comes, she brings Jesus. So it was sufficient to thank the mother without naming the Son.

“She is like ships of the merchant; she brings her bread from afar” (see Prv 31:14). Mary was this fortunate ship that brought us Jesus Christ from heaven, who is the living Bread that comes down from heaven to give us eternal life, as he himself says: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live forever” (Jn 6:51). —St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary

Pastoral Pondering

Over the past year the other priests and I have become accustomed to bird watching as we sit at the kitchen table. We have bird feeders and a fountain that the birds (and squirrels) enjoy immensely. As I am writing this, a cardinal is feeding as the sleet continues to fall (early bulletin deadlines required that I write this on the Second Sunday of Advent in the midst of the winter snowstorm). To see the brightness of the red cardinal against the backdrop of the white snow is a reminder of God’s goodness to us. In the midst of the world’s bleakness, the brightness of the Father’s glory shows forth.

It’s a wonderful analogy to use with the coming of Jesus, whether at his coming in the womb of Our Lady to Elizabeth, His coming into the world at His birth in Bethlehem, or His coming every time we celebrate Holy Mass. Jesus comes to dispel our darkness. He comes to bring the very Light of God into our heart and soul. Our task, of course, is to let Him do so by saying with Mary “Fiat”, let it be done to me.

As we prepare for the celebration of His birth, please know that your priests pray for you every day. Our prayer is that every member of the parish, priests and people alike, might be open to the Light of Christ and welcome Him when He comes.

Last week someone asked if, from time to time, I would recommend a book for spiritual reading and enrichment. With that in mind, I would recommend Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary by Dr. Brant Pitre. He does a great job of pulling the Scriptures together and helping his readers understand the richness of the Church’s understanding of Our Lady.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 11, 2025
In today’s Gospel passage, from Luke, we read the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan. Here, Jesus teaches us in rich detail what stewardship in action looks like. In fact, this parable could just as accurately be called the parable of the Good Steward. The first thing we note about the Good Samaritan is that he is aware of the needs of those around him and responds generously. While the priest and Levi brush right past the man on the side of the road, the Samaritan is watching for those who might be in need. He has a hospitable way of looking at the world around him and so he is able to “see” in a way that the others did not, and he was “moved with compassion at the sight” of the man. Next, we see the Good Samaritan spring into action to serve this man, setting aside his own schedule and plans to meet his needs. He does not just give the man a few dollars or offer quick words of encouragement from across the road. He goes right up to the man. He cleans and bandages his wounds. He puts the man on his own animal and brings him to an inn where he can heal. He ensures the innkeeper would continue to look after him, and he commits to re-turning to the man on his way back. That is how we live out God’s commandments. That is true hospitality and service.  That is how a good steward springs into action when he comes upon a neighbor in need. And Jesus says to each of us personally, just as He did in today’s Gospel, “Go and do likewise.” ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering I want to welcome Father Christopher Angermeyer to St. Mark as Parochial Vicar. As many of you know, Father was ordained in June. After completing his undergraduate studies at Belmont Abbey and St. Joseph College Seminary. He completed his theological studies and priestly formation at Mount St. Mary’s in Cincinnati. His home parish was St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlotte. We are happy to have Father Angermeyer with us. I know you will do your part to make him feel welcomed here at St. Mark. I will be away for the next couple of weeks on pilgrimage with a group of seminarians and faithful. Please know that the parish will be in my prayers, and I take all of your intentions with me to the Shrine of Our Lady.

From the Pastor - 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 7, 2025
In today’s Gospel passage, from Luke, we find our Lord appointing disciples to go out and prepare others to receive His invitation into the Kingdom of God. Every verse has something to say about the way a Christian steward should approach others. Let’s consider at least one of the coaching tips Christ gives. “The Lord appointed seventy-two others whom He sent out ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place He intended to visit.” In His wisdom, Christ sent His disciples out not as individuals but in pairs, as teams. This approach to evangelization certainly provided practical advantages. The disciples could lean on each other for mutual support and encouragement, helping each other to stay on task and to put their heads together to pray and problem-solve. This teamwork approach is just as relevant to us modern-day Christian stewards. It takes courage and commitment to go out and invite others into the Christian life. We need to work together to do it well. But there is also symbolic importance to working in teams. It points to the reality that when we invite others to embrace the Good News of the Gospel, we are not merely inviting them into a belief system, but into a relationship with Christ and through that relationship, into Christ’s family — our fellow Christian disciples near and far. Our parish is our immediate spiritual family in this extended worldwide fold. We are not meant to live as isolated individuals within the parish any more than we are meant to live in isolation within our families. We are meant to be a community. That is why it is so important for us to foster a vibrant, supportive, welcoming parish life. This is why we emphasize hospitality as one of the pillars of stewardship. It is not enough just to point others to Christ; we must invite them to join us in community with Him; we must offer a place and mission for them in the Church and within our parish family. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering As you know, during the last weekend of May (5/31-6/1), we had our final push for our Growing Home Campaign. I wanted to give everyone a final update as we conclude our fundraising period. During that weekend’s presentation, I asked everyone to help us close the $325,000 gap to meet our $9.7 M goal. As we close this portion of the campaign, I am happy to report that we have reached $10.5 million in pledges and gifts, exceeding our goal by $800,000! I am continuously amazed by the giving spirit that pervades our parish. Your generosity is a tangible expression of your commitment to our amazing parish. The funds raised over the goal and any funds raised going forward will help us to address the ever-increasing cost of construction and reduce the loan amount that will be required to complete the overall project. As noted earlier this year, the Rectory project has started and is projected to take about 12 months to complete. Our hope and plan is to break ground on the Monsignor Bellow Center and Adoration Chapel next summer or early Fall. Words alone never seem adequate to express the gratitude that I have in my heart for all of you who have participated in and supported this monumental effort. Both the financial support and the support with time and talent have been tremendous and for that, I want to offer a heartfelt “THANK YOU!”. May God bless each of you for your generosity in helping us grow our home here at St. Mark.
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