From the Pastor – First Sunday of Lent

February 19, 2018

From the Pastor – First Sunday of Lent

It seems fitting that our readings on this First Sunday of Lent begin with the Old Testament Book of Genesis. The book was first called “Genesis” — ΓΕΝΕΣΙΣ — in the Greek Septuagint translation, as it presents both the origin of the world and mankind, and in particular, the Hebrew people. The book in Hebrew was known by its opening expression, “In the beginning.”

In today’s particular reading from Genesis 9, we hear of God’s relationship with Noah and his family. God says, “I am now establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you.” God goes on to say, “I set my bow (rainbow) in the clouds to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in the clouds, I will recall the covenant I have made between me and you and all living beings.”

As is often the case, we have lost sight of the significance of the rainbow in relation to our faith. Yet it is biblically confirmed as a sign from God. Some live in areas where rainbows are common, and others in areas where they are rare. Regardless, there is something divine about a rainbow. When you look up in the sky and see a multi-colored arc looking back at you, you should be filled with wonder. It is a reminder that we live in a world of wonder, of beauty, of adventure. A rainbow should give us hope that life really isn’t just about death and taxes, but much, much more. It is a clue to the meaning of the universe and where we stand within it.

Pastoral Pondering

Lent, as we all know, focuses on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. One of the traditional ways that many participate in almsgiving is through Operation Rice Bowl. It is a convenient way to translate our fasting into action by placing the money we would have spent on food in the rice bowl for the poor. The Rice Bowl project is sponsored by Catholic Relief Services (CRS). Sadly, over the past few years, questions have been raised about both Catholic Relief Services and the Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) regarding some of the organizations which they have funded, some of whom support policies in opposition to Catholic teaching, especially the promotion of abortion and contraception. Because of this, many Catholics are hesitant to support the efforts of these two organizations. With this in mind, the monies collected this year from Operation Rice Bowl will be used to directly benefit charitable food distribution in our community, both locally and in the Diocese. In this way, we can enter into the Lenten season and know that our efforts are in harmony with Catholic teaching and practice.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Seventh Sunday of Easter

By John Putnam • May 30, 2025
On this Feast of the Ascension, we celebrate Christ’s triumphant return to the Father after perfectly accomplishing His mission on earth. But we also can also view this Feast as a celebration of the “launch day” of our commissioning as Christ’s disciples. Today’s Gospel draws our attention to the clear instructions that Jesus gave His disciples (and to us) just before ascending to the Father: “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things." Embracing a stewardship way of life, with its emphasis on the use of time, talent and treasure, helps us to live in such a way that our very lives speak as a witness of the Good News of the Gospel. While we take time to reflect and renew our commitments in these three areas annually as a parish family, it is of great benefit to take some time individually throughout the year to take stock of the commitments we have made — looking at both our strengths and our need for continued growth in each area. On this Feast of our "launch day," take some time to celebrate your victories as Christ’s disciples and renew your commitment to remain faithful to Him and the unique mission He has entrusted to you! © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering In Matthew 28:20 Jesus reminds the apostles, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” I have always taken great strength and consolation from these words. They are foreshadowed in the Old Testament in Isaiah 41:20: “Fear not for I am with you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous hand.” These are words from a God who loves us and who desires our good. A God who desires to make His dwelling with us and to inspire us to live lives worthy of Himself. They are words that help us prepare ourselves to celebrate Pentecost and to be open to the work of the Holy Spirit in us and among us.  Next Saturday evening, we will celebrate the Rite of Confirmation and Reception into Full Communion with our candidates who have been participating in the OCIA process. Please keep them in your prayers and help them find their place within our parish community. In the morning next Saturday, we are privileged to host the diaconate ordination for seven of our diocesan seminarians. As noted previously, one of them, Michael Lugo, will be with us for the summer. This parish is phenomenal in helping these young men find their “ministerial feet” so to speak. And we always welcome the opportunity to be blessed with their enthusiasm and energy. Finally, the Diocese has approved our moving into the construction phase for the rectory project. The prep work has already been done, and the actual building phase should begin in the next few weeks. This weekend, we are making a final push to reach our campaign goal. If you have not done so, we need your help and participation. The goal is doable and, together we can accomplish much. Assuming our fundraising keeps apace our hope is to begin the main-campus project next summer. Between now and then we will be doing some evaluations and, where necessary, value engineering to help us stay on track with the plan.

From the Pastor - Sixth Sunday of Easter

By John Putnam • May 30, 2025
The concept of hospitality is fundamental to a stewardship way of life. When we envision hospitality, we naturally think of offering a sincere and warm welcome — to those new to our parish, for instance. We picture inviting them in and making them feel at home and at ease in our presence, communicating to them that they are highly valued. Today’s Gospel reading from John invites us to think of hospitality in a slightly different way. In it, we hear Jesus speaking this to his disciples: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” Jesus is asking that we permit the Blessed Trinity to come and dwell within us. This is a stunning request. It tells us that our first and most privileged form of hospitality should be directed towards God Himself. How does one show hospitality to God? How do we make God “at home and at ease” within us? How can we communicate to God that He is “highly valued” by us? Jesus tells us how: we are to keep His word, to follow HIs teachings. To keep His word, we must know His word. This takes discipline and effort on our part. We must make the study of Scripture and Church teaching a priority in our daily lives. If we want our parish to be a place of genuine Christian hospitality, we must be sure that our own hearts are hospitable dwelling places for the Blessed Trinity. Then our smiles and words, our greetings and ministries will radiate with the warmth of God’s love. And our parish family will become at least a little bit like Heaven on earth. This is the simplicity and glory of a stewardship way of life . © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025
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