From the Pastor - Most Holy Trinity

June 16, 2019

From the Pastor - Most Holy Trinity

Today we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity. This feast is rather unique in that it honors a doctrine rather than an event. What we are commemorating today is a central reality of our Christian faith, that God is Trinitarian in nature — three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit — in one God.

The Church calls this truth a mystery, as indeed it is. It is not a mystery in the sense that it is a question that must be answered, but rather in the sense that the depths of this truth are far beyond our human comprehension. Some have said that “mystery” in this context is “not a wall to run up against but an ocean in which to swim.”

Contemplating the “ocean depths” of this mystery can make us humans feel so small, and make almighty God seem so far from us. Yet nothing could be further from the truth as today’s readings demonstrate.

The first reading, from Proverbs, says that God, “found delight in the human race.” The greatness of God in no way puts Him at a distance from us. In fact, one of the facets of the Trinitarian nature that we can understand is that God is, by nature, relational. So it makes sense that He would delight in being in relationship with us whom He made in His own image and likeness.

In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us that not only does God delight in us, but He is intimately connected to us. “The love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Not only does God permit us to draw near to Him, but He also wants to live in the very depths of our being and in all the intimate details of our lives if we will let Him.

Finally, in the Gospel from St. John, we learn that God holds back nothing of Himself from us. Jesus tells His disciples (this includes us!) that the Holy Spirit “will take from what is mine and declare it to you. Everything the Father has is mine.” Thus we find ourselves drawn right into the midst of this Trinitarian love. In fact, if the mystery of Holy Trinity is an ocean in which to swim, the “water” that makes up that ocean is love.

What, then, should be the response of the Christian steward to this sublime mystery? All we can do is worship and offer our lives back to God in total gratitude for calling us to live in the richness of such unfathomable love. This week, let’s re-invite God into the midst of our lives and make sure the way we spend our time and energy each day shows Him our profound gratitude for His many gifts to us, but above all the gift of Himself in the Trinity — Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Pastoral Pondering

On this feast of the Holy Trinity, I thought it wise to take up some teaching on the reception of Holy Communion. There continues to be some confusion at receiving Communion “at the rail,” but as it becomes customary, and as we continue catechesis, it should become easier.

Some have asked about distribution of the Precious Blood at the Mass. We discontinued the practice at the 11:15 a.m. Mass some time ago due to the large number of people at the Mass and then during flu season withdrew it at all Masses. Since that time, we have entered into a period of reflection about what the Church teaches about the distribution of Holy Communion, and how we can insure that we are in conformity with what the Church expects. While the practice of distributing under both species has become widespread in the United States over the last 39 years, when one reviews the liturgical documents, it is clear that this was never the expectation.

The General Instruction to the Roman Missal (GIRM, 14) notes: “… the Council gave permission for the reception on occasion of Communion under both kinds, because this clearer form of the sacramental sign offers a particular opportunity for understanding more deeply the mystery in which the faithful participate.” The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (55) states: “The dogmatic principles which were laid down by the Council of Trent remaining intact (the fullness of Christ is present in both species, and the distribution of the Sacred Host is the norm of law), communion under both kinds may be granted when the bishops think fit, not only to clerics and religious, but also to the laity, in cases to be determined by the Apostolic See, as, for instance, to the newly ordained in the Mass of their sacred ordination, to the newly professed in the Mass of their religious profession, and to the newly baptized in the Mass which follows their baptism.” Hence, it’s clear that the documents do not foresee the chalices being distributed at every Mass.

Moreover, Redemptionis sacramentum (101) notes: “In order for Holy Communion under both kinds to be administered to the lay members of Christ’s faithful, due consideration should be given to the circumstances, as judged first of all by the diocesan Bishop. It is to be completely excluded where even a small danger exists of the sacred species being profaned.” In our reflections and consideration, there have been multiple times when spills of the Precious Blood have occurred, folks have spilled on their clothes, etc. While these instances cannot be completely avoided, they should be avoided as much as possible. The reality is, it is very difficult to distribute when there are a large number of communicants. Nonetheless, there are times when it is appropriate, and, following appropriate catechesis, both species should be distributed. Examples would be first Communion, sacraments of initiation, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, and nuptial Masses.

The focus of the Church, and our desire should be, to reverently receive our Blessed Lord in the Most Holy Sacrament. Offering the Precious Blood on distinctive, special occasions will encourage all of us to much more fervently and appreciatively approach Communion under both species when it is permitted and the proper catechesis rouses our hearts to appreciate the fuller form.

 

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • November 13, 2026
Today's readings remind us that one day each of us will give an account for the gifts God has entrusted to us, including the gift of time itself. In today's Gospel, Jesus tells the familiar parable of the talents. Before leaving on a journey, a wealthy man entrusts portions of his wealth to three servants according to their abilities. Two of the servants immediately put those gifts to work and are rewarded for their faithfulness. The third, acting out of fear, buries what was entrusted to him and returns only what he had received. The tragedy is not that the servant lacked ability. It is that he failed to recognize the privilege he had been given. His master invited him to share in his work, but fear kept him from responding. God extends that same invitation to us. He entrusts each of us with unique gifts and invites us to use them for His glory and for the good of others. May we live each day so that, when our work is finished, we too may hear those joyful words: "Well done, my good and faithful servant... Come, share your master's joy." © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026 Pastoral Pondering As we approach the end of the liturgical year and prepare for the beginning of Advent, we are provided with a good opportunity to look back over our year of faith and ask ourselves, "How am I doing?" For most of us, we can find a landscape of positives and negatives, and that is OK. You might say that there is no surprise there because that is simply part of life. Our task, of course, is to always look for ways to grow in holiness and grow our relationship with the Lord. This point is always brought home to me when I attend a funeral, especially the funeral of a priest, which I did earlier today. The priest in question, Father Edward Sheridan, was my pastor at St. Aloysius in Hickory when I was in high school. He was also one of the priests who helped build up the newly formed Diocese of Charlotte in the 1970s. Fr. Ed loved people and always tried to be a source of encouragement to me and others. As I reminisced at this morning's funeral, the thought came that death is the great equalizer. Regardless of who we are, what we have, or where we have come from, we are all going to die. This life is transitory, so we need to be ready. Certainly, the Scriptures that we will hear over the coming weeks will try to impress that reality upon us. As we encounter God's Word and that particular message, let each of us ask for the wisdom to see what we need to see to make next year more fruitful and Spirit-filled, as well as asking the Lord to give us the courage to strive to do even better in the coming year.

From the Pastor - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • November 6, 2026
Wisdom is at the heart of today's readings. It is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and an essential gift for living the stewardship way of life. As Christian stewards, we should continually ask the Holy Spirit to deepen this gift within us. In today's Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the 10 virgins waiting for the bridegroom. Five are wise, and five are foolish. The wise virgins prepare ahead of time, bringing enough oil to keep their lamps burning. The foolish ones fail to prepare and are caught off guard when the bridegroom arrives. Jesus concludes with this reminder: "Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour." Stewardship helps us live with that same spirit of readiness. When we seek the Lord each day through prayer, the sacraments, and the faithful use of the gifts He has entrusted to us, we keep our hearts prepared to meet Him whenever He calls. That is the wisdom Christ desires for each of us. © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026 Pastoral Pondering - Rooting Out Anger Few things disturb the peace of a home, a parish, or a soul as quickly as anger. A sharp word at the dinner table, a resentful silence after Mass, a flash of irritation in traffic-each seems small in the moment, yet the Fathers of the Church warn us that anger is a deadly poison. St. John Cassian, the great monastic teacher whose writings shaped Western spirituality, dedicated an entire book of his Institutes to this vice. His counsel is bracing and practical for us today. Cassian insists that anger must be "utterly rooted out from the inmost corners of our soul." As long as it remains, it blinds the eye of the heart. We lose right judgment, the capacity for true counsel, and even the ability to pray. "The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God" (James 1:20). Whether the provocation seems just or unjust makes little difference: anger covers the eyes of the soul like a plate of gold or lead- the value of the metal does not restore sight. He rejects the common excuse that we may be angry with those who do wrong, or that Scripture's language of God's "anger" justifies our own passion. God is free from all disturbance; the biblical language of divine anger is metaphorical, pointing to His just judgment, not to a human emotion we may imitate. To use it as permission for our own resentment is, Cassian says, to draw from the Scriptures an occasion of sin rather than a remedy of holiness. There is, however, one legitimate use of the energy of anger: we may and should be indignant against the evil thoughts and disordered desires that rise within our own hearts. When we are ashamed of what we would never say or do before others, yet find it stirring inside, we are to rage against that disorder, trembling before the all-seeing eye of God. In this sense the psalmist's "Be angry and sin not" (Psalm 4:4) and St. Paul's citation of it (Ephesians 4:26) are understood: be angry with your own faults, lest the Sun of Righteousness set upon a darkened mind and the devil be given place. Cassian's remedies are simple and severe. First, make a firm resolution never to be angry at all-neither for good reasons nor bad. The moment the passion enters, discernment is lost and the soul can no longer be a temple of the Holy Spirit. Second, never attempt to pray while angry; such prayer is obstinate rebellion. Third, keep daily before your eyes the uncertainty of life and the certainty of judgment. All our other efforts- Mass, fasting, works of charity- profit nothing if anger and hatred alone bring us to eternal punishment. Practically, this means catching the first interior movement of irritation and turning it at once into sorrow for our own impatience. It means refusing to nurse the grievance past sunset, seeking reconciliation before the next Holy Communion, and enlarging the heart with patience so that the "waves of anger" are received and dissipated rather than confined and intensified. Peace, Cassian reminds us, does not depend on the conduct of others; it lies in our own control. In the confessional and in the daily struggle of parish life, I see how often this vice wounds families and friendships. Let us ask the Lord, who is meek and humble of heart, to give us the grace to root it out. May the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and our parish. In other news, due to an unexpected leave, I have been appointed as Vicar General and Chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte by Bishop Martin. While this appointment is expected to be temporary, during the interim, it will make my ability to take appointments rather limited. Please be patient with the office staff as they try to accommodate those needs along with my additional responsibilities.