From the Pastor - 3rd Sunday of Lent

March 10, 2023

Today’s readings on this third Sunday of Lent present us with the theme of “thirst” and show us that a stewardship way of life can both satisfy our spiritual thirst for Christ and help us to satisfy Christ’s thirst for souls.


Our first reading, from the book of Exodus, begins with the words, “In their thirst for water, the people grumbled against Moses.” What little faith and lack of trust they show after all God has done to free them from slavery. But Moses cried out to God for help, and sure enough, God provided generously to satisfy their thirst. He continues to provide generously for us these many centuries later.


Our Gospel passage from John recounts the life-changing encounter Christ has with the Samaritan woman at the well beginning with His words to her, “Give me a drink.” Then, He adds, “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”


Christ is speaking the very same words to us today. These two verses encapsulate the call to stewardship. Christ asks us to “give him a drink” by sharing what we have with Him and with others for His sake. Yet, it is Christ Himself who provides the water — the living water that is His grace.


God has chosen to include us in His plan for bringing all people to salvation through Him. We live out our part in His plan through a stewardship way of life. This Lent, let us resolve to respond to His call with passion and commitment. Let us do our part to quench His thirst. © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2023


Pastoral Pondering

As Lent continues, we continue to be invited more deeply in our meditation upon the central themes of His life and ministry. Prayer, Penance and Almsgiving (works of charity), are recurring themes in the life of Christ and the Disciples. Hopefully, by now, we have all decided upon and put into practice our Lenten practices. Each of the pillars should be included in order to make good use of this Liturgical season. Oftentimes, we begin Lent and try to do too much. Even with good intentions, this often leads to failure as Lent goes along. It is far better to focus on smaller things that can be undertaken and brought to a happy conclusion. Mother Teresa is credited for saying “Do small things with great love.” This should be the mandate that we embrace during Lent. What we do and what we give up will certainly vary from person to person, but if all we do is done with sincere love for God and neighbor, great fruit will indeed be realized throughout the Lenten journey.


What’s going on with the Church? This question has been posed to me over and over during the course of the past several weeks. Some asked the question because of concerns about path of synodality that is taking place in Germany. Others have asked due to some public statements of bishops and cardinals. Some have asked due to recent measures to restrict the Traditional Latin Mass by the Holy See. I will respond to each briefly and generally.


In terms of the Traditional Latin Mass, the Holy Father and the Cardinal Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship have over the past 18 months or so made moves to severely restrict access to the Mass celebrated according to the Missale Romanum of 1962. Most recently, Cardinal Roche has clarified that any dispensation concerning the TLM is reserved to the Holy See, specifically to his dicastery. Even though these matters are still under consideration in many dioceses, including our own, I would expect that in the not too distant future, that the TLM will no longer be celebrated at St. Mark. With that being said, every bishop has an obligation to offer pastoral care and solicitude to those devoted to this liturgical form. I certainly have no reason to doubt that Bishop Jugis takes this responsibility most seriously.


The German Synodal Way and some of the points that the German church has espoused during the course of many months are problematic on many levels. The various dicasteries of the Holy See have indicated their concern as well, and even Pope Francis has publicly indicated that some of the positions espoused by the Synodal way in Germany are not in harmony with Catholic teaching. Yet, at least publicly, there does not seem to have been any effort to call the German church back to obedience and fidelity. This is indeed a cause for concern and a matter which we should include in our daily prayers. Finally, in recent weeks, some Church leaders have made statements that appear to be inconsistent with settled Catholic teaching with regard to the Eucharist. Thankfully, there have also been responses from others, especially Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, IL, that have addressed such errors in light of Church law and teaching. There have, to some degree, always been bishops who have engaged in teaching contrary to the faith. In fact, most of the matters resolved by the early councils of the Church, arose because of such erroneous teaching. Unfortunately, today, unlike the first centuries of the Church, erroneous positions are easily spread and popularized by the secular media due to the availability of immediate communication methods. Nevertheless, pastors and those entrusted with Church leadership have to clearly proclaim the teachings of the Church unambiguously so that scandal and confusion can be avoided. Again, let’s make sure we are praying.



In the end, it is Christ’s Church, and He is in charge. We know the “gates of hell” will not prevail, but there is no scriptural promise that we can avoid the battles along the way. Trust in the Lord and be at peace.


From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • January 16, 2026
Today’s readings provide clear and inspiring reminders of the most fundamental aspect of our identity — that of servants of our most high and holy God, His modern-day disciples, and stewards. John the Baptist recognized the holiness of Jesus and the response due to Him when he encountered Christ in person on the day they met at the Jordan River. His response, which we read in our Gospel passage from St. John was, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world… He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’” What a powerful description of our Lord and the place He should rightfully have in each of our lives. He is truly our Savior, the only one who can free us from our sinfulness. We are utterly and completely dependent on His power, love, and mercy. Therefore, He truly does “rank ahead” of us; he deserves to be first, above all other priorities and plans in our lives. Let us examine our daily lives and encourage our children to do the same. Does the way I spend my time reflect that God comes first? Do prayer and weekly Mass, regular confession, and time with my family “rank ahead” of everything else on my calendar? Do I use my talents, skills, and energy to serve my family, parish and community in thanksgiving and recognition that God’s kingdom ranks ahead of any other goals or ambitions? Do I spend my money and use my material possessions to glorify God? Challenge questions, to be sure. But questions worthy of our high calling as Christian stewards offered a glorious mission in service of our Lord and His kingdom. What will our response be? © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering As I write this, I am just getting back from the Holy Land Pilgrimage with more than 20 of our seminarians. Spending the Octave of Christmas and celebrating the New Year in the Holy Land was very special and being with such a close-knit group was especially heartening. One of the questions that was posed before the pilgrimage began was, “Father, is it safe to go over there?” I can say without a doubt that it is safe to visit the Holy Land. We had no issues. What was sad was to see the Christian community suffering because of the lack of tourists. If you have the opportunity to go to the Holy Land, especially with Christopher Cross, I encourage you to go. The next scheduled trip is in March with Father Martinez. There are still slots available. We began the New Year on the Mount of Beatitudes with Mass and Holy Hour. One of the seminarians noted that it was amazing to the sermon of the Lord in the very place where He gave it while He was there on the altar in the monstrance. Another highlight was having two Masses in the Holy Sepulcher itself. Because of the size of the tomb, many in the group had to participate from the anteroom. One of the seminarians noted that it touched him deeply when the priest came out of the tomb to distribute Communion. “Literally, the Lord was coming out of the Tomb to give Himself to us.” For me personally, the Mass that we celebrated in Bethlehem in the Church of the Nativity complex was very moving. We celebrated Mass in the Chapel of St. Helena on the Feast of St. John the Apostle, just a short walk away from the grotto of the Nativity. The seminarians provided the music for the Mass, and it was “otherworldly”. I could feel the Lord’s presence and was overwhelmed with the reality that we were celebrating Christmas where Christmas was first celebrated. I have no doubt that the experience will impact the life and ministry of each of the seminarians who participated, especially those preparing for priestly or diaconal ordination this coming May. One cannot walk where Jesus walked without leaving with a new appreciation of all that He did for us.  Finally, thank you to all who made this pilgrimage possible. Through your kindness, you have enriched these men and helped them grow in their knowledge and love of Jesus Christ.

From the Pastor - Baptism of the Lord

By John Putnam • January 9, 2026
Today marks the close of the Christmas season, but before we return to Ordinary Time, we have one more great feast to celebrate — The Baptism of the Lord. Today’s feast is a perfect opportunity to consider the privileges and responsibilities we all share as Christian stewards by virtue of our own Baptism. At the moment of our Baptism, we became adopted sons and daughters of God, members of his holy, Catholic Church. Though we may not have realized it, the moment of our Baptism is also the moment we become Christian stewards, disciples of Jesus Christ, tasked with the work of following in His footsteps day by day and sharing the Gospel message with all those around us. In our second reading from the Acts of the Apostles, St. Peter gives us a glimpse of the person of Jesus we should imitate. “He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” We must live our lives like Jesus, seeking to do good to everyone we encounter; not just those in our inner circle of family and friends, but everyone in our community since the Father loves us all and Jesus sought out everyone with His saving message. In the Gospel passage from Matthew, we see yet another aspect of Jesus in action, this time as he humbly stands before John to be baptized by him. What humility and what willingness to unite Himself to us our Lord demonstrates by this act. We can do no less as we live out our daily lives as his disciples. And when we do strive with all our might to live out our Baptismal call to Christian stewardship, we will experience the deep honor of knowing that we, too, are God’s “beloved” sons and daughters “with whom He is well-pleased.” © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering As many of you know, on December 17 Bishop Martin issued a pastoral letter concerning the reception of Holy Communion. In that letter, he directed that non-fixed altar rails and kneelers be removed no later than January 16. I want to acknowledge, very simply and honestly, that this has been difficult for many in our parish. I feel that weight as well. I love St. Mark, and I am grateful for the reverence and devotion so many of you show toward the Holy Eucharist. I do not take lightly the concerns, questions, or disappointment this has raised. I am also aware that some of the faithful have made use of the appropriate channels within the Church to petition for clarification or reconsideration, and those processes may continue. At the same time, as your pastor, I am entrusted with leading this parish in fidelity to the Church and her discipline in those matters that do not contradict Catholic law. While there are sincere and thoughtful discussions about posture for receiving Holy Communion, the current liturgical discipline in the United States indicates that Communion is ordinarily received standing, whether on the tongue or in the hand. It is important to state clearly that the right of an individual communicant to kneel remains fully intact, and no one may ever be denied Holy Communion for choosing to do so. Therefore, unless a suspensive decision is issued by the Bishop or by the Dicastery for Divine Worship, we will comply with the directive and remove the kneelers from around the sanctuary. To assist with the reverent and timely distribution of Holy Communion, we will also increase the number of Communion stations. I know this change will be challenging for some. It is not something I approach lightly. My hope is that we can carry this moment together, offering whatever frustration or sorrow we may feel as a personal sacrifice, united to Christ present in the Eucharist. Crosses come in many forms, and how we bear them matters greatly. Let us remain united in prayer and charity, so that anger, bitterness, or division never take root at St. Mark. The weight of the Bishop’s office is a heavy one. I pray for Bishop Martin daily, and I ask that you do the same. Bishop’s office is a heavy one. I pray for him everyday, and I hope that you will as well.  On a happier note, as we come to the end of the Christmas season, I want to thank everyone who dropped off Christmas greetings and goodies. Your kindness is very much appreciated.