From the Pastor - 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

February 5, 2018

From the Pastor – 5 th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The fact that today’s Gospel from Mark makes reference to Jesus curing Peter’s mother-in-law would seem to point to the fact that Peter was married. However, the majority of scholars are of the opinion that the wife may have died before Peter was called by Jesus as an Apostle. In fact, there are many misconceptions about St. Peter. For one, although often portrayed as much older, he was probably younger than Jesus. In fact, all 12 Apostles were most likely younger than Jesus.

Also, Peter is often presented in paintings and movies and books as being a very old man, but historians have also concluded that Peter was martyred in Rome when he was about 66 years old. He was never the old, old man in his 80’s we see quite often.

All of that is secondary to a simple statement in today’s Gospel about the mother-in-law. Specifically, St. Mark writes, “He (Jesus) approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them.” St. Matthew reveals this same fact in his Gospel (Matthew 8:15), and he writes, “He (Jesus) touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve Him.”

The message for us is very basic. Peter’s mother-in-law responded to Jesus the same way we should when Jesus blesses us. She responded to the Lord and immediately served Him out of gratitude. That should be our motivation, and action, as well.

Pastoral Pondering

In case anyone has not noticed, Cold and Flu season is in full swing. What we’ve noticed of late is a hesitation to receive from the chalices at Mass (significant amounts of Precious Blood left over) and even a hesitation to share the sign of peace. Obviously, we all need to be conscious of not spreading germs. In the interest of helping with this, we are discontinuing the distribution of Precious Blood this weekend and will continue that until after Easter (April 1). Also, please be respectful of those who do not wish to shake hands. We can still express a sign of peace in other ways, e.g. turning towards a person and saying, “peace be with you” without touching. The Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa’s sisters) bow towards one another (in traditional Indian fashion). The point is just be aware of this concern and be respectful of the valid concerns of your brothers and sisters.

Lent is a little more than two weeks away. Ash Wednesday is on February 14 th (celebrate Valentine’s day the weekend before!). It is a good time to begin planning how you will make good use of this holy season. On the first Friday of Lent (February 16) we will once again host The Vigil Project here at the parish. They will be in the Kerin Center from 7-9 pm and it will be a wonderful evening of music, prayer and fellowship. It will be a great opportunity to put us into the proper “Lenten frame of mind.”

Finally, please know that Father Becker, Father Carter, and I pray for you and your intentions daily. If we can be of assistance in any way, please don’t hesitate to let us know and please keep us in your prayers as well.

Blessings,

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.
More Posts