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From the Pastor -The Ascension of the Lord

Jun 02, 2019

From the Pastor -The Ascension of the Lord

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!

Pastoral Pondering

Stained Glass Windows – Several folks have asked when all of the windows will be installed and in what order. I would expect all of them would be installed by Christmas They are being created based on when they were sponsored. As of this writing, seven windows have been installed. The remaining windows are scheduled to be installed in the following order: Carrying of the Cross, Institution of the Eucharist, the Resurrection, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, the Visitation, the Annunciation, the Proclamation of the Kingdom, the Transfiguration, the Assumption, the Crowning with Thorns, the Old Testament (Moses and the Law), the Baptism, the Coronation of Mary, the Scourging at the Pillar, and the New Testament (Catholic Church).

Matters of Faith — One would, in general, be told to avoid a field containing land mines. However, if the goal of life is on the other side of the field, what is one supposed to do? One would have to get across that field! I have had a number of parents ask be about the morality of video games, especially Fortnite. In all honesty, my video playing days ended with Donkey Kong, Mario Brothers, and Pac Man. Nevertheless, we do believe in moral principles that can be used to evaluate any human behavior or activity.

Recently, I came across a very good article by John Horvat II. He is the author of Return to Order which was recently published. The article appeared in the May 16, 2019 internet release from Crisis Magazine ( crisismagazine.com ). Mr. Horvat is a very good writer, and he makes some very salient points that deserve consideration, not only about Fortnite but about any number of cultural fads and trends that, from a moral perspective, we often ignore.

The author asks three fundamental moral questions: “Is Fortnite sinful? Does it lead to sinful acts? Can playing it be sinful?” In responding to these questions, Horvat notes that “the best way to judge Fortnite is to analyze its bad effects.” According to Northwestern Medicine (nm.org), the bad effects include: 1. Gaming can be addictive, 2. Gaming can lead to relationship problems, 3. Gaming may reduce time spent on physical activity, and 4. Live chat features can expose kids to negative socialization and allow them to be victimized by strangers over the internet. The same website identified two positive effects: 1) enhancing creativity, and 2) improving social skills.

Anecdotally, the bad effects, according to Horvat, result in various behaviors including: “children (especially boys) not sleeping due to playing the game. Players isolate themselves and often become rude, violent and uncharitable. Some gain weight for lack of exercise, others lose weight due to refusing to eat because of intense game playing. Some steal money to pay for the game’s accessories. The stress on families is severe as gamers lose interest in family affairs, disobey parents and create conflicts.”

One can say clearly, that these bad effects involve sin in one form or another. Hence, the evaluation of the moral appropriateness of playing Fortnite or any other game would be whether or not they result in behaviors that offend God by acting contrary to the order that He put in society. While not sinful in itself, the game itself is designed to psychologically captivate players. It convinces players that they were close to victory, and a win is eminent. They didn’t lose, but they “almost won”. This same logic contributes to gambling addictions. Players lose control of moderation, which can lead to sloth and gluttony.

In discussions with our Middle Schoolers, we have also discovered that bullying through live chat and in person are prevalent among our own children at St. Mark. Most of our Middle Schoolers are playing Fortnite, especially the boys, and when, during Edge, they anonymously wrote down bullying comments they’ve received or have said to another, a large number of them shared bullying others and/or being bullied about their Fortnite abilities.

One could also consider the amount of violence, the portals or associated websites of some games that connect with or provide access to pornography or other sinful material. We are all called to be people of virtue, because the virtues provide the antidote to the seven deadly sins. Lest we forget what they are, the seven deadly sins include: pride, anger, avarice, lust, gluttony, sloth, and envy. The seven virtues that are set forth to counteract the deadly are: humility, patience, charity, chastity, temperance, diligence, and kindness. One can find any number of listings, but the conclusion is clear, we need to be virtuous to avoid sin.

Hence, whether it is Fortnite, Social Media, or any other type of activity, most of which are not sinful in themselves, parents and those who take their place, should always evaluate how the activity in question impacts the person’s ability to love God and love their neighbor. Does this or that help the child to become more loving, more Godly and more other-centered or does it lead to the opposite. Is it a good use of time? Parents can (and probably should) make use of parental controls and monitor who their children are connecting with over gaming and social media platforms. Vigilance in our technological society is always necessary. There is a lot in the world that can be beneficial to be sure, but there are also many things that can be detrimental. For the disciple of Christ, we must always evaluate what we say and do against who we are before God and who we are called to be before our fellow human beings.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Sixth Sunday of Easter

By John Putnam • 03 May, 2024
Our readings today call us to love as Christ loves. In our Gospel, Jesus says, “Love one another as I have loved you.” The ways Jesus has loved us and continues to love us are endless. We are called to imitate this love. And He tells us the greatest way to do this when He said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” It is difficult to live that out in our humanity. Yet, it is made much easier when we faithfully love Christ. The fact of the matter is, as our love for Christ increases, so too does our capacity to love others. There are countless moments when we can do just that — for instance, waking up Saturday morning to attend daily Mass instead of sleeping in, or talking to God in the car on the way to work instead of listening to music. These are simple ways to express our love for the Lord by laying down our lives for Him. The more we find ways to love the Lord, the more we will find it easier to put aside our selfishness and serve others. Christ’s command to love others may seem daunting. Yet, Christ would never ask something of us that we cannot live out. All we need to do is take baby steps. Ask yourself, "How can I better love Jesus right now?" for it is in loving Christ that we will better love others, and it is in loving others that we love Christ Himself. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2024 Pastoral Pondering  Last week I had the opportunity of spending the afternoon with my childhood pastor, the Reverend Fred Thompson. He served as the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Newton, NC for over 30 years. He is now 91 years old and continues to live a fairly independent life. We lost touch when my family moved from Newton to Hickory as I began grammar school but reconnected during my undergraduate studies at Lenoir-Rhyne College. We have stayed in touch since then. Such connections from the past are very important. At least in my case, Fred knew things about my parents and my adoption that I never did, and he is always happy to share a story or two. I bring this up because memory, what we refer to in the Mass as anamnesis, is essential not only to our faith but to society as a whole. Our collective memory is important. Significant events of the past are passed on from one generation to the next, and we hopefully learn from our mistakes so that we don’t repeat them. In the Catholic context, we are being obedient to Christ’s command at the Last Supper, do this in memory of me.” And it is through that remembrance that we cannot the past with the present and look with hope to the future – Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. This is why Sacred Tradition is so very important to our understanding of the Faith. That which is handed over (traditio) is essential because it forms the framework upon which the Church travels throughout the centuries. The same is true in families. In the past multiple generations would live together or in close proximity to each other. Children learned about life from a variety of family members with varying degrees of lived experience and a wealth of memory. With our society becoming more transitory and human interaction being impoverished by the reality of technology, families need to be very intentional about connecting with the past. It helps us all understand who we are, why we are here and for what we were made.

From the Pastor - Fifth Sunday of Easter

By John Putnam • 26 Apr, 2024
Our readings today teach us what it means to bear fruit as disciples of Christ. We hear in each of our readings that it is from the Lord that good effects will be produced in our lives. In our first reading, we hear about disciples who were preaching the Good News and defending the faith. The work they were doing was “with the consolation of the Holy Spirit.” It was not their work alone, but the work of God. We must ask ourselves, ‘how is God bearing fruit in my life?’ and ‘have I invited the Holy Spirit to work in me?’ The more we try to produce good effects in our lives, the more we will become disappointed if all we are relying on is our own efforts. It is only by inviting the Holy Spirit into our everyday moments that we will see goodness poured out. Jesus clearly tells us how to do this in our Gospel. He says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.” We can remain in Christ by staying faithful to His commandments and frequently receiving the sacraments. And our day-to-day moments should be a reflection of those commitments. That could mean opening our day with a prayer of thanksgiving, smiling at those we see on the street, asking God for help as we begin our workday, praising God in moments of trial, taking time to listen to our spouse after a long day. To remain in Christ means, in all that we do, we do it with the Lord. When we live a life like that — as a branch never separated from its vine — God will produce bountiful fruit in our lives. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2024 Pastoral Pondering I have had a few folks interested in what exactly occurs when a diocese received a new bishop, so I thought I would outline the process a bit for a contribution to your knowledge of Catholic trivia. Before a new bishop can be appointed, the diocese in question has to be vacant. A vacancy occurs through death, retirement, resignation or removal. In our case, Bishop Jugis submitted his resignation based on his deteriorating health, one of the reasons that a bishop can ask to be relieved of the administration of a diocese. Once the Holy Father accepts the resignation, the See becomes vacant. During the interim or sede vacante (vacant seat) period, the diocese needs to have someone to keep things going. This is done by either a priest, who is appointed administrator or by a bishop, who is known as an apostolic administrator. In our case Bishop Jugis continues as the apostolic administrator. Since his successor has already been named, Bishop Jugis can help prepare for the new bishop’s transition. As soon as a see is vacated, several offices and one advisory body cease to function. Any vicars general or episcopal vicars lose their office and the Presbyteral Council ceases until reconstituted by the new bishop. Both the Judicial Vicar and the Chief Financial Office of the diocese continue in office to insure the ongoing functions of their offices. Bishop Jugis, as Apostolic Administrator, has asked those priests who were serving as his vicar general and episcopal vicars to continue performing their functions in the interim. When the new Bishop is installed, he can reappoint the vicars or appoint others to take their places. If a priest is appointed as the new bishop, he must be ordained a bishop before he can assume the office. Once ordained, a ceremony occurs, usually a Mass, during which the newly ordained bishop takes possession of the diocese and assumed the full pastoral care of the Diocese. Hence, Bishop-elect Martin will be ordained on May 29 th and then will take possession of the Diocese on the following day.  A lot of work can be done to prepare for the new bishop’s arrival prior to his coming. Nonetheless, the first few weeks of his administration will be taken up with settling into his new position and getting his bearings. This is very similar to a new pastor coming to a parish; albeit, on a larger scale. During these early days of the new administration, the new bishop decides on vicar appointments and reconstitutes the Presbyteral Council and makes any other decisions that he deems appropriate for pastoral care. Often new bishops spend a good bit of time visiting the new parishes of the new Diocese to get to know his priests and meet his people. In Bishop-elect Martin’s case, he will be ordaining transitional deacons on the Saturday following his own ordination and then ordaining priests two weeks later, so he will indeed “hit the ground running”. Keep him in your prayers.
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