From the Pastor - First Sunday of Advent

December 4, 2017

From the Pastor - First Sunday of Advent

Today, the First Sunday of Advent, marks not just the beginning of our preparation for Christmas, but also the beginning a new liturgical Church year for us as Catholics. Advent extends over the next four Sundays, literally culminating on Christmas Eve this year. The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word Adventus, which means “coming.” Like Lent this is a preparatory season, one that has us looking forward and waiting for something greater.

We are aware that the One Who is coming is Christ, but that means more than just Christ’s birth at Christmas. It also means the coming of Christ into our lives through grace and the sacraments of Holy Communion and reconciliation. However, its ultimate meaning has to do with preparing for Christ’s second coming. In that regard in past few weeks our readings from Holy Scripture have very much centered on being prepared for that final coming. Today’s readings continue that theme.

We hear readings from Isaiah often at this time of year because that prophet foretold in such accurate detail the coming of the Messiah, of Christ. In addition, there is a certain poetry to the way Isaiah writes. The closing of our First Reading is “Yet, O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands.” What an eloquent statement about Who God is, and who we are as well! However, even if we understand that we are God’s creation, as is everything, for God to truly form us we must be open to Him and to His direction and guidance.

Advent is a time for us to develop our relationship with God so we are the “work of His hands.” There is a clear explanation in this reading that one of the great obstacles to God being an intimate part of our lives is our sinfulness. This is a time when it is important to address that obstacle, to reconcile with God, and with many others in our lives perhaps, so that we can indeed be prepared and fulfill God’s wishes for us.

St. Paul opens today’s Second Reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians by greeting them with “Brothers and sisters: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” St. Paul uses the phrase “grace to you and peace” five other times in his letters in the New Testament. Grace is always first and peace second, because grace is the source of peace. Without grace there can be no peace. Referring to “the Lord Jesus Christ” is also quite typical of Paul’s perspective. In fact, he uses that term almost twenty times in this letter alone.

Immediately after his greeting Paul writes, “I give thanks to my God always on your account…” This is a time of year when we need to focus on our blessings and approach God with the same sense of gratitude Paul always displays. Gratitude, as we know, is at the heart of a stewardship way of life, a Christian way of life. This is a time of year when we need to express that gratitude with a renewed sense of spirituality and a commitment to making changes in our lives that really do prepare us for the coming of Christ.

It is well to understand that the Corinthian church had many problems, and Paul was well aware of that. Nevertheless, Paul is confident that there are solutions to all of these. Why? Because “God is faithful.” Paul has a trust in God and he urges the Corinthians to have that same trust. This Advent time of year is a time when we need to place our trust in the Lord as well.

The Gospel Reading from St. Mark opens with “Be watchful! Be alert!” This is the same message we have heard over and over in recent weeks. We do not know, cannot know, when Jesus is coming or when our own lives will end. There are two ways to look at that: the cynical way is “I don’t know so it really does not matter.” This Advent season is a time when we should come to grips with the reality that it does matter. As Jesus reminds us, we need to be alert, eager, and ready for His coming. But we tend to put that preparedness off, which is the human way we often respond. Now is the time for each of us to commit ourselves to getting prepared by embracing the many opportunities afforded us during Advent and then Christmas.

The Lord says “It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work.” Jesus is the “man traveling” and we are His “servants.” He has left us with His house (the Church entrusted to each of us); His authority (authority always involves responsibility); and our own work (we are not responsible for someone else’s work, but we certainly are for our own). Advent is a time to pray and to respond to what Christ has left us — our Church, our responsibilities, and our own individual callings.

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From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Third Sunday of Easter

By John Putnam • May 2, 2025
In today’s Gospel, we find the Apostles dejected and discouraged following the death of our Lord. Poor Peter decides to throw in the towel on the whole disciple thing and go back to his old way of life, declaring, “I’m going fishing.” Upon hearing this, the other disciples follow him. How easy it is for all of us to backslide on changes we have made in our lives, especially when it comes to our spiritual lives. But look how Jesus treats the disciples during their “backslide.” He is right there with them in the midst of it, already waiting for them on the shore when they come back from their unsuccessful return to the fishing business (after abandoning their mission as disciples). Our Lord greets them tenderly, gives them some fishing pointers, and then prepares their breakfast. How gracious He is to them! He is just as gracious today. When we find ourselves “out at sea” — discouraged by our failures or for squandering the gifts God has given us, or simply by a lack of progress in our faith life, Jesus is with us! He is calling to us from the shore to come back to Him without shame or embarrassment, but with hope-filled trust in His steadfast love. He never tires of offering “do-overs” if we just keep returning to Him. This constant process of turning back to the Lord, of reevaluating our goals and priorities as we aim for Heaven, is the essence of a stewardship way of life. Let us take heart as we continue our journey today, secure in the knowledge that Jesus is beside us every step of the way. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering The process of electing a new Pope is one that has marked and impacted history for centuries. It is still a process, despite movies and books concerning the process, that is surrounded by some mystery. Once the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church declares that the Pope is dead, a whole set of processes are set in motion. While the daily work of the Holy See continues, there can be no innovations. The task of preparing for the funeral of the deceased pope and preparing for the coming conclave is entrusted to the Cardinal Camerlengo (Kevin Cardinal Farrell) under the guidance of the body of cardinals. All cardinals, regardless of age, can participate in the various consultations that occur prior to the conclave. Only those cardinals who are less than 80 years of age can actually participate in the conclave and choose the next pope. The voting cardinals are sworn to secrecy and are locked into the Sistine chapel where four votes can occur each day. A two-thirds majority of the cardinal-electors is required for a new pope to be chosen. If a ballot is indecisive, the ballots are burned, and black smoke is released from the chapel. When a pope is elected, the ballots are burned, and white smoke is released. When a new pope is chosen, he has to accept his election and, if he accepts, choose his pontifical name. He then changes into papal garb and is presented from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.  As we await the Papal election, please continue to pray for the Church and the cardinal-electors. Their task is a heavy responsibility. Our union with them in prayer will assist them to be attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and carry out their task with fidelity and determination.

From the Pastor - Divine Mercy Sunday

By John Putnam • April 25, 2025
Today, the Second Sunday of Easter, is Divine Mercy Sunday. Our Gospel reading from St. John is often called the story of “Doubting Thomas” but the passage involves so much more than the encounter with the skeptical apostle. It is rich with lessons of Christ’s mercy to all, including an encouraging word from our Lord especially for us, His modern-day disciples. While Thomas traditionally takes all the bad rap for his doubts, we see that none of the Apostles were at their best when Christ first appeared to them after His resurrection. They were actually in hiding, cowering behind a locked door, paralyzed by fear and doubt. But Jesus appeared right in their midst in spite of the lock on the door. Was it to rebuke them for their lack of faith? Quite the contrary. He comes on a mission of mercy. He comes to offer them peace and the restoration of their relationship with Him. And even more, He commissions them to become ministers of His mercy, by giving them authority to forgive sins. At that moment Christ gives to all of us the supreme gift of mercy — the sacrament of Reconciliation. What a precious and powerful gift! This Sunday is a perfect time to reflect on how well we make use of this gift. Do we really appreciate its healing power? Could we become better stewards of this gift by going to Confession more often? We must also reflect on how well we extend mercy to others as Jesus did to Thomas that day. Let’s commit ourselves to becoming faithful disciples and stewards of Christ’s mercy. We will be those very ones to whom Jesus gave a “shout out” during His encounter with Thomas: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” — in His merciful love. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering The mercy of God is at the very heart of the Catholic faith. It's not just one of God's many attributes — it is His very essence revealed in love . As Pope Francis often reminds us, “The name of God is mercy.” In Scripture, we see God's mercy from the very beginning. After the fall of Adam and Eve, though justice demanded consequence, God clothed them and promised a Savior. Time and again, throughout the Old Testament, we see Israel turning away from God — and yet, He never stops reaching out with compassion, calling His people back to Himself. That mercy takes on flesh in the New Testament — in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the face of the Father’s mercy. He dines with sinners, touches the untouchable, forgives the unforgivable. Think of the woman caught in adultery: “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more.” Or the prodigal son - who finds not punishment upon return, but a father running to embrace him.  In the Catholic Church, mercy is not just a concept — it is sacramental. We encounter the mercy of God tangibly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There, in the confessional, we do not meet a harsh judge, but Christ the Good Shepherd, lifting us up and carrying us back home. No sin is too great. No past too far gone. St. Faustina, the apostle of Divine Mercy, reminds us that God’s mercy is an “ocean” — and we are just little drops. But mercy isn’t meant to stop with us. It flows through us. As we receive God's mercy, we're called to be merciful: to forgive, to withhold judgment, to show compassion to the poor, the suffering, the lonely. The Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy are concrete ways Catholics live this out. So, when we speak of mercy, we speak of the very Gospel. God, rich in mercy, reaches into our brokenness, and instead of turning away, He embraces it, transforms it, and redeems it. With the death of Pope Francis, the Church enters a period of transition. The Pope’s legacy is one of concern for the poor and those on the margins. His writing and teaching often focused on the immense mercy of God and his love of the Gospel. Our task is to follow his example and strive each day to allow Gospel joy to guide us and lead us to bring Christ to the world. Let us also pray for the Universal Church, the cardinal-electors who have the immense responsibility of selecting a new successor to St. Peter, and for all of us that we may come together as a Church family and ask God to bless us with a new shepherd.
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