From the Pastor – Second Sunday of Advent

December 8, 2019

From the Pastor – Second Sunday of Advent

On this Second Sunday of Advent, our second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans encourages us to focus our Advent preparations in this way: “Welcome one another, then, as Christ welcomed you, for the glory of God.” And how does Christ welcome us? With unconditional love.

This is the essence of Christian hospitality, a vital aspect of stewardship living. Fully embraced, it has the power to transform our lives and the lives of those who experience it through us.

The practice of Christian hospitality is also a way for us stewards to answer the call of John the Baptist, in our Gospel passage from Matthew. His words apply just as much to us today as they did to the people awaiting the Savior’s arrival. John says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” And he recalls the words of the prophet Isaiah, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” There is a definite connection between repentance and effective hospitality.

How can we make repentance a regular part of our everyday lives? We can make an “examination of conscience” a daily part of our prayers, thanking God for the times we said “yes” to Him, and asking forgiveness for the times we chose our own will. We can, and should, go to Confession this Advent. We can reach out to a family member or friend where there is distance or discord and make peace.

As we “straighten the paths” of our own hearts and minds, we become more hospitable people, better stewards of God’s grace and mercy, far more open and ready to invite others into our lives, homes, and parish. This is preparation fitting for our merciful Savior. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants

Pastoral Pondering

Advent as we know is about preparation on multiple levels. We often get bogged down in our “earthly” preparations of the season. We must never forget, however, that we should always be preparing for the coming of the Lord; whether that is when He comes at the end of time or when our time comes beforehand.

This weekend, our bulletin focus is on the Christian obligation of sharing. St. Mark is a tremendously generous community. Whether it is collecting food for Thanksgiving, collecting coats and blankets for distribution or responding to the needs of those on our Angel Trees, many take the slogan of “Share Our Gifts” very seriously and put that into practice every day.

At its foundation, sharing our gifts, means giving out of love for God and a recognition of the blessings He has given us. Traditionally this return to God has been called a tithe. The biblical tithe is based on the tenth that Abraham offered to the king-priest, Melchizedek in Genesis 14:20 and the example of the widow who gave of her substance in Mark 12:41-44 and Luke 21:1-4. It is never to be seen as a burden but as a joy and a natural expression of who we are and what we believe as members of the Family of God.

Over the last several years, the parish has made a concerted effort to become a tithing parish. This past year we have contributed over $700k to various charities and community apostolates. These efforts are only possible when they are corporal expressions of all of the individuals who make up the parish family. God has blessed us, and I ask for your continued support of St Mark and our efforts to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.

From the Pastor

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.

From the Pastor - Easter Sunday

By John Putnam • April 20, 2025
He is risen! He is truly risen! This is what the celebration of Easter is all about — the truth that Jesus was crucified for our sins and three days later rose from the dead, conquering death once and for all. We know it’s true, but this Easter Sunday, let’s ask ourselves if we live as if it’s true. Do we live as witnesses to the glorious reality of the Resurrection? A witness, of course, is one with first-hand knowledge. Our readings today focus not only on the Resurrection itself, but also on those who were witnesses to it. In the Gospel, St. John describes the very first witnesses to the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene, John (“the disciple whom Jesus loved”), and Peter. Each had an individual “experience” of the empty tomb. Each went up close to see for themselves what Jesus’ love had accomplished. How can we as Christian stewards all these years later see for ourselves and so become His witnesses? We “see for ourselves” when we prayerfully read the Scriptures knowing they are a living love letter from God with a message to each one of us. We “see for ourselves” each time we receive the precious Body and Blood of our Lord in the Eucharist. We “see for ourselves” when we experience His personal and healing power in our hearts during Reconciliation. We “see for ourselves” when we pour out our lives in loving service to those around us and experience the deep satisfaction that only comes when we are imitating our Savior. This Easter, resolve to live as if the saving power of the Resurrection is true. Experience Jesus for yourself every day from now on. You will be a powerful witness to the truth that He is risen! He is truly risen! © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering From an ancient Holy Saturday homily: "What is happening? Today there is a great silence over the earth, a great silence, and stillness, a great silence because the King sleeps; the earth was in terror and was still, because God slept in the flesh and raised up those who were sleeping from the ages. God has died in the flesh, and the underworld has trembled. Truly he goes to seek out our first parent like a lost sheep; he wishes to visit those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He goes to free the prisoner Adam and his fellow-prisoner Eve from their pains, he who is God, and Adam's son. The Lord goes in to them holding his victorious weapon, his cross. When Adam, the first created man, sees him, he strikes his breast in terror and calls out to all: 'My Lord be with you all.' And Christ in reply says to Adam: ‘And with your spirit.’ And grasping his hand he raises him up, saying: ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light. ‘I am your God, who for your sake became your son, who for you and your descendants now speak and command with authority those in prison: Come forth, and those in darkness: Have light, and those who sleep: Rise. ‘I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man, work of my hands, arise, you who were fashioned in my image. Rise, let us go hence; for you in me and I in you, together we are one undivided person. ‘For you, I your God became your son; for you, I the Master took on your form; that of slave; for you, I who am above the heavens came on earth and under the earth; for you, man, I became as a man without help, free among the dead; for you, who left a garden, I was handed over to Jews from a garden and crucified in a garden. ‘Look at the spittle on my face, which I received because of you, in order to restore you to that first divine inbreathing at creation. See the blows on my cheeks, which I accepted in order to refashion your distorted form to my own image. 'See the scourging of my back, which I accepted in order to disperse the load of your sins which was laid upon your back. See my hands nailed to the tree for a good purpose, for you, who stretched out your hand to the tree for an evil one. `I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side, for you, who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side healed the pain of your side; my sleep will release you from your sleep in Hades; my sword has checked the sword which was turned against you. ‘But arise, let us go hence. The enemy brought you out of the land of paradise; I will reinstate you, no longer in paradise, but on the throne of heaven. I denied you the tree of life, which was a figure, but now I myself am united to you, I who am life. I posted the cherubim to guard you as they would slaves; now I make the cherubim worship you as they would God.  "The cherubim throne has been prepared, the bearers are ready and waiting, the bridal chamber is in order, the food is provided, the everlasting houses and rooms are in readiness; the treasures of good things have been opened; the kingdom of heaven has been prepared before the ages."
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