From the Pastor – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 6, 2020

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From the Pastor – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time


Wisdom is a central theme in our readings today. It is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, key to living the stewardship way of life in our complex world. As Christian stewards, we should rely on this gift and ask the Holy Spirit to increase it within us.


Jesus teaches the importance of wisdom in our Gospel passage from Matthew. He tells the parable of ten virgins awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom who will welcome them in to the wedding feast. Five of the virgins were foolish and five were wise. The foolish virgins failed to bring oil along with their lamps when they went to meet the bridegroom. The wise ones, however, had prepared and brought sufficient oil to keep their lamps lit when the bridegroom came. The foolish virgins, caught off guard, ran off to buy more oil, but they were too late. The door to the wedding feast was locked to them. Jesus cautions, “Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”


The stewardship way of life — with its daily and weekly commitments to giving God the best of our Time, Talents and Treasure — is the “oil” that we keep with us at all times. When we have this plan in place and we rely deeply on the Holy Spirit to guide us through the twists and turns of each day, we are free, we are ready to answer the Bridegroom when He calls us. We live in wisdom. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants 2020


Pastoral Pondering

For the last couple of weeks, questions have been raised regarding remarks released via video by Pope Francis regarding civil unions for same sex couples. These comments have caused wonderment not only among Catholics but among Christians in general; even garnering a public rebuke by the Reverend Franklin Graham. Because of this I thought it prudent to offer some explanation that might be of assistance in dealing with this particular matter. In looking for a concise explanation, a parishioner shared with me a document written by Father Dave Heney of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles (www.daveheney.com). I found it to be a concise response, and I am happy to share it with you.


Recent Statements from the Pope on civil unions by Fr. Dave Heney

There has been some misunderstanding about the Pope’s recent comments about homosexual children within families and about homosexual adults living in a committed but chaste relationship.


He actually said nothing new. In fact, Pope Benedict said these same ideas almost 20 years ago in a more formal document in 2003. Pope Francis made some casual remarks over several years that were recently combined together for a new documentary movie. Casual remarks are often misunderstood when taken out of their original context …and then always by the news media!


This is what the Pope said about homosexual children within a family: “They have a right to be a part of their family. They’re children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out, or be made miserable because of it.”

Children may arrive in the world and grow up with various issues, some physical, some mental, and some moral. Just as Jesus came to save all people through love, families should also strive to love all their children and help them to grow physically, mentally, and morally to become the person God wants them to be. We believe that same sex attraction is a disorder only in the common sense that it is not the normal order, as our many-million-year history as a human species affirms. Same sex attraction is not a sin, only the behavior of simulating intercourse outside of marriage.


There is nothing new here. After all, everyone no matter who they are is called to refrain from sexual intercourse outside of marriage. The Church never condones bad moral behavior but also does everything it can to help the person through love repent and change for the better.


The Pope affirms that marriage is always and only between one man and one woman, and that intercourse only belongs within that relationship. He has not changed our view of marriage at all. The Pope also affirms that in no way can our faith acknowledge homosexual behavior or marriage as it is contrary to all of scripture, the words of Jesus, and thousands of years of church teaching that have been faithful to His words.


See my articles: Same Sex Couples & Marriage, and A Non-Religious View of Same Sex Couples & Marriage, at our parish site at stbrunochurch.org or my website, daveheney.com.


This is what the Pope said about same-sex couples: “What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that." The pope recognizes that married couples also enjoy many legal benefits from their relationship, such as inheritance laws, hospital visitation rights, tax laws, health insurance benefits, surviving partner inheritance benefits, medical decision-making, and funeral decision-making. The pope simply affirmed that any two people can use the laws of their state or country to enter into a legal contract to ensure as many of those of helpful benefits as they can, independent of acknowledging any marriage. Our Catholic faith has no problem with these kinds of simple legal agreements.

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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