From the Pastor – Feast of Christ the King

November 24, 2019

From the Pastor – Feast of Christ the King

On this Feast of Christ the King, our readings show us that we serve the greatest of Kings, who is at the same time the humblest of Kings. Christ is the perfect model of servant leadership. And it is an indescribable privilege that He has called us to be servant leaders — stewards in the work of advancing His Kingdom.

In our second reading, from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, Paul describes the great power and dignity that characterize Christ the King. “All things were created through him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together.” It makes you want to stand up and cheer. That’s our King!

Yet, what a contrasting description of the same King we find in our Gospel passage, from Luke. Now, we see our King nailed to the Cross. Everyone from rulers, to soldiers, to the criminals on either side of Christ is mocking Him. They tauntingly urge Him to prove His kingship by coming down from the Cross to end His suffering with a great show of power. “if you are the King of the Jews, save yourself.”

But He does not. Amazingly, it is in this moment of seeming weakness that the full breadth of His greatness as king is displayed. Though all things were created through and for Him — Christ chooses to live entirely for others, for us!

What does this mean for us as His followers and stewards of His kingdom? Precisely that our lives are not about us. They are about Christ and others. And we will advance his kingdom to the extent that we embrace this mindset: my life is not about me; it is about serving the King of kings.

Pastoral Pondering

Beginnings and endings are a normal part of our earthly lives. The Liturgical cycle reflects this in the Church’s liturgical calendar. Each year the Church invites us to re-live salvation history so that we might recognize that it is our history as well. The Solemnity of Jesus Christ, Universal King, reminds us where our lives should be directed.

Our earthly lives as Christians is to be guided by a sincere desire to be with the Lord for all eternity. Yet, this desire can easily be side-tracked by the challenges of life. Recently, I was invited to have dinner with Justin Fatica who is the founder of Hard as Nails, a ministry of evangelization and discipleship. Justin has spent his adult life witnessing to the Gospel of Christ and assisting countless souls to realize how much they are loved by God.

In our discussion, Justin made the point that there is a lot of pain in the world. This is certainly something that I have seen in my own ministry. People are hurting on many levels in our very chaotic world. And the reality, even though much of the world does not want to accept it, is that the only solution to our present travails is a greater devotion and fidelity to Jesus Christ.

Jesus reveals Himself as the Way, the Truth and the Life in John’s gospel. Only when we recognize Him in this way and willing submit our lives to His kingship will we find a way to face the darkness and pain of our lives and transform it. As we come to the end of the liturgical year and prepare for the beginning of another, let us each and all commit ourselves to following Christ and allowing Him to be the true Lord of our lives.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • August 7, 2026
Stewardship spirituality invites us to surrender control of our lives to God in grateful recognition that everything we have is a gift from Him. Today's readings remind us that God is always in control of His creation and His people. They also reveal what can happen when we fully entrust our lives to Him — in other words, when we embrace the stewardship way of life. When we take our eyes off God, we lose sight of the fact that all is gift. We begin to rely on ourselves instead of trusting in Him, and we fail to make our lives a grateful response to His generosity. Peter experiences this in today's Gospel from Matthew. Jesus sends the disciples ahead of Him by boat. Later that evening, Jesus comes to them, walking on the water, and invites Peter to join Him. Peter steps out of the boat and begins walking toward the Lord. But when he notices the strong wind around him, instead of keeping his eyes on Christ, he begins to sink. Imagine if Peter had never looked away from Jesus. What an extraordinary adventure he would have experienced walking on the water with his Lord. The same is true for us. When we take our eyes off Christ, His countless blessings, and His faithful love for us, we begin to sink as well. But when we embrace the stewardship way of life, loosening our grip on our time, talents, and treasure and placing our trust in God, life becomes a great adventure rooted firmly in the One who never fails us. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026. Pastoral Pondering First of all I want to thank all who participated in our meal packing effort last Friday and Saturday. What a gift it is to be able to come together as a community and unite for the sake of our brothers and sisters in need. These events cannot happen without the efforts of numerous people. To each of you who made it possible, THANK YOU! As we move into August and our lives begin reorienting from lazier summer months towards fall, it is an opportunity to reflect on the blessings that we were afforded to rest, refresh, and renew during these past weeks. Hopefully, family were able to spend some quality time with each other without the demands of school, work and the day to day demands that impact many of us.  For me, I was privileged once again to participate in the Te Deum Peace Pilgrimage to Fatima. This year we were able to invite and sponsor nine (9) seminarians from various dioceses including Charlotte, NC; Charleston, SC; Cleveland, OH; and Youngstown, OH. They along with a wonderful group of non-seminarian pilgrims were able to grow in our love for the Lord and Our Lady. It was a true blessing, and I was so impressed with the seminarians who were a part of our pilgrimage family for our time in Portugal and Spain. Along the same lines, please pray for parishioner Mark Pressley who is entering St. Joseph College Seminary. Mark’s family has been a part of the parish for many years. Keep him and the other nine (9) young men who are beginning their formation this fall.

From the Pastor - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 31, 2026
Today’s readings should inspire the Christian steward with deepened gratitude for our God, who loves us with both fierce and tender love. We must make an intentional response each day, returning love for Love. In our Second Reading from Romans, St. Paul reminds us that nothing and no one can separate us from the love of Christ. No anguish, distress, persecution, famine — and we might add illness, financial hardship, family struggles, or uncertainty about the future — nothing can keep our God from loving us. God holds us securely in the palm of His hand. And yet, this reassurance is only the beginning of God’s gifts to us. Our Gospel from Matthew recounts the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. This miracle foreshadows the gift of the Eucharist, where Christ feeds us not simply with bread, but with His own Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Notice how the Gospel begins. "His heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick." What generous and compassionate love our Lord shows. But even that is not enough for Him. He remains with the people, teaching and ministering to them until evening. When the disciples suggest sending the crowds away to find food, Jesus instead invites them to become part of His plan. He tells them to feed the people, then miraculously multiplies the few loaves and fish they offer. What a privilege it was for the disciples to participate in Christ's work. That same privilege is ours as Christian stewards. Let us respond with grateful hearts to such amazing love. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants,