From the Pastor - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 16, 2021

Today’s readings remind us of how our God is compassionate and passionately loves us.

 

“Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the Lord.” Our First Reading from the prophet Jeremiah addresses false prophets who had misled God’s people away from the Lord. The Lord declares that He will restore His people by bringing back those who have gone astray and providing for them new shepherds so that they will “no longer fear and tremble.”

 

This reading portrays God’s infinite care and concern for our lives. We can see that God is the one who loved us first. Oftentimes, we are like the people who are blind to His goodness and enticed by sin — something we think will make us happy but does not. God is the one who constantly pursues us and gives us opportunities to say "yes" to Him. He wants to win us back, and ultimately, He will make us happy.

 

So, we must ask ourselves, who or what is blinding us or leading us away from our ultimate happiness? Stop for a moment and name that thing — money, status, a person, career, laziness, addiction, self-image, health, etc. — that could be leading you away from a full and happy relationship with God.

 

As Christian disciples, deep down we really know that our true happiness is God. So, what are we waiting for? Take the leap of faith and allow yourself to radically love God in return.

 

As we begin this new week, let us name the things in our lives that are robbing us of our ultimate happiness, work to let go of them and let us strive to make Jesus our true shepherd by seeking Him in our daily lives. (©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2021)

 

Pastoral Pondering

 

First, I want to welcome Father Matthew Bean and Father Michael Carlson to St. Mark. We are glad that you are here and that you will be working with us in the parish. Second, I want to thank all of those who assisted with the organization and execution of our Welcome Back events last weekend. These opportunities to come together as a parish family are essential to the spiritual health and well-being of St. Mark, and they cannot occur without all of our wonderful volunteers and staff members.

 

Let’s continue with our catechesis on the Precepts of the Church. The 5th precept states: You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church”. Concretely this means that the faithful are obliged to assist with the material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability. It is given greater explanation in the Code of Canon Law: can. 222 §1 The Christian faithful are obliged to assist with the needs of the Church so that the Church has what is necessary for divine worship, for the works of the apostolate and of charity, and for the decent support of ministers. §2 They are also obliged to promote social justice and, mindful of the precept of the Lord, to assist the poor from their own resources.

 

It is clear that our Catholic faith teaches with baptism comes certain rights and obligations. The laity have a right to access the sacraments and draw from the spiritual bounty of the Church. They have a right to make known their needs to their pastors. At the same time, they are obliged to engage in the apostolate of the Church, especially in those areas where their own influence is greater than the Church influence. Moreover, in order for the Church to perform those specific duties entrusted to her by Christ the Lord, she requires the necessary resources to support, maintain and carry out those activities that are specifically the Church’s responsibility, most especially the celebration of the sacraments and the proclamation of the Word of God. Finally, both the Church and her members have the responsibility of exercising the works of charity and seeking to be mindful of the poor and humble.

 

Fulfilling the obligation laid out in the 5th precept is often presented under the broad heading of Stewardship; the sharing of time, talent and treasure; or, as we like to say at St. Mark, grow in Christ, serve one another, share our gifts, and connect in faith. These mandates are fulfilled in different ways based on the specific situation of the individual, but they are common to all in fulfilling the 5th precept of the Church.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 11, 2025
In today’s Gospel passage, from Luke, we read the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan. Here, Jesus teaches us in rich detail what stewardship in action looks like. In fact, this parable could just as accurately be called the parable of the Good Steward. The first thing we note about the Good Samaritan is that he is aware of the needs of those around him and responds generously. While the priest and Levi brush right past the man on the side of the road, the Samaritan is watching for those who might be in need. He has a hospitable way of looking at the world around him and so he is able to “see” in a way that the others did not, and he was “moved with compassion at the sight” of the man. Next, we see the Good Samaritan spring into action to serve this man, setting aside his own schedule and plans to meet his needs. He does not just give the man a few dollars or offer quick words of encouragement from across the road. He goes right up to the man. He cleans and bandages his wounds. He puts the man on his own animal and brings him to an inn where he can heal. He ensures the innkeeper would continue to look after him, and he commits to re-turning to the man on his way back. That is how we live out God’s commandments. That is true hospitality and service.  That is how a good steward springs into action when he comes upon a neighbor in need. And Jesus says to each of us personally, just as He did in today’s Gospel, “Go and do likewise.” ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering I want to welcome Father Christopher Angermeyer to St. Mark as Parochial Vicar. As many of you know, Father was ordained in June. After completing his undergraduate studies at Belmont Abbey and St. Joseph College Seminary. He completed his theological studies and priestly formation at Mount St. Mary’s in Cincinnati. His home parish was St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlotte. We are happy to have Father Angermeyer with us. I know you will do your part to make him feel welcomed here at St. Mark. I will be away for the next couple of weeks on pilgrimage with a group of seminarians and faithful. Please know that the parish will be in my prayers, and I take all of your intentions with me to the Shrine of Our Lady.

From the Pastor - 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 7, 2025
In today’s Gospel passage, from Luke, we find our Lord appointing disciples to go out and prepare others to receive His invitation into the Kingdom of God. Every verse has something to say about the way a Christian steward should approach others. Let’s consider at least one of the coaching tips Christ gives. “The Lord appointed seventy-two others whom He sent out ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place He intended to visit.” In His wisdom, Christ sent His disciples out not as individuals but in pairs, as teams. This approach to evangelization certainly provided practical advantages. The disciples could lean on each other for mutual support and encouragement, helping each other to stay on task and to put their heads together to pray and problem-solve. This teamwork approach is just as relevant to us modern-day Christian stewards. It takes courage and commitment to go out and invite others into the Christian life. We need to work together to do it well. But there is also symbolic importance to working in teams. It points to the reality that when we invite others to embrace the Good News of the Gospel, we are not merely inviting them into a belief system, but into a relationship with Christ and through that relationship, into Christ’s family — our fellow Christian disciples near and far. Our parish is our immediate spiritual family in this extended worldwide fold. We are not meant to live as isolated individuals within the parish any more than we are meant to live in isolation within our families. We are meant to be a community. That is why it is so important for us to foster a vibrant, supportive, welcoming parish life. This is why we emphasize hospitality as one of the pillars of stewardship. It is not enough just to point others to Christ; we must invite them to join us in community with Him; we must offer a place and mission for them in the Church and within our parish family. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering As you know, during the last weekend of May (5/31-6/1), we had our final push for our Growing Home Campaign. I wanted to give everyone a final update as we conclude our fundraising period. During that weekend’s presentation, I asked everyone to help us close the $325,000 gap to meet our $9.7 M goal. As we close this portion of the campaign, I am happy to report that we have reached $10.5 million in pledges and gifts, exceeding our goal by $800,000! I am continuously amazed by the giving spirit that pervades our parish. Your generosity is a tangible expression of your commitment to our amazing parish. The funds raised over the goal and any funds raised going forward will help us to address the ever-increasing cost of construction and reduce the loan amount that will be required to complete the overall project. As noted earlier this year, the Rectory project has started and is projected to take about 12 months to complete. Our hope and plan is to break ground on the Monsignor Bellow Center and Adoration Chapel next summer or early Fall. Words alone never seem adequate to express the gratitude that I have in my heart for all of you who have participated in and supported this monumental effort. Both the financial support and the support with time and talent have been tremendous and for that, I want to offer a heartfelt “THANK YOU!”. May God bless each of you for your generosity in helping us grow our home here at St. Mark.
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