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 - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • November 6, 2026
Wisdom is at the heart of today's readings. It is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and an essential gift for living the stewardship way of life. As Christian stewards, we should continually ask the Holy Spirit to deepen this gift within us. In today's Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the 10 virgins waiting for the bridegroom. Five are wise, and five are foolish. The wise virgins prepare ahead of time, bringing enough oil to keep their lamps burning. The foolish ones fail to prepare and are caught off guard when the bridegroom arrives. Jesus concludes with this reminder: "Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour." Stewardship helps us live with that same spirit of readiness. When we seek the Lord each day through prayer, the sacraments, and the faithful use of the gifts He has entrusted to us, we keep our hearts prepared to meet Him whenever He calls. That is the wisdom Christ desires for each of us. © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026 Pastoral Pondering - Rooting Out Anger Few things disturb the peace of a home, a parish, or a soul as quickly as anger. A sharp word at the dinner table, a resentful silence after Mass, a flash of irritation in traffic-each seems small in the moment, yet the Fathers of the Church warn us that anger is a deadly poison. St. John Cassian, the great monastic teacher whose writings shaped Western spirituality, dedicated an entire book of his Institutes to this vice. His counsel is bracing and practical for us today. Cassian insists that anger must be "utterly rooted out from the inmost corners of our soul." As long as it remains, it blinds the eye of the heart. We lose right judgment, the capacity for true counsel, and even the ability to pray. "The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God" (James 1:20). Whether the provocation seems just or unjust makes little difference: anger covers the eyes of the soul like a plate of gold or lead- the value of the metal does not restore sight. He rejects the common excuse that we may be angry with those who do wrong, or that Scripture's language of God's "anger" justifies our own passion. God is free from all disturbance; the biblical language of divine anger is metaphorical, pointing to His just judgment, not to a human emotion we may imitate. To use it as permission for our own resentment is, Cassian says, to draw from the Scriptures an occasion of sin rather than a remedy of holiness. There is, however, one legitimate use of the energy of anger: we may and should be indignant against the evil thoughts and disordered desires that rise within our own hearts. When we are ashamed of what we would never say or do before others, yet find it stirring inside, we are to rage against that disorder, trembling before the all-seeing eye of God. In this sense the psalmist's "Be angry and sin not" (Psalm 4:4) and St. Paul's citation of it (Ephesians 4:26) are understood: be angry with your own faults, lest the Sun of Righteousness set upon a darkened mind and the devil be given place. Cassian's remedies are simple and severe. First, make a firm resolution never to be angry at all-neither for good reasons nor bad. The moment the passion enters, discernment is lost and the soul can no longer be a temple of the Holy Spirit. Second, never attempt to pray while angry; such prayer is obstinate rebellion. Third, keep daily before your eyes the uncertainty of life and the certainty of judgment. All our other efforts- Mass, fasting, works of charity- profit nothing if anger and hatred alone bring us to eternal punishment. Practically, this means catching the first interior movement of irritation and turning it at once into sorrow for our own impatience. It means refusing to nurse the grievance past sunset, seeking reconciliation before the next Holy Communion, and enlarging the heart with patience so that the "waves of anger" are received and dissipated rather than confined and intensified. Peace, Cassian reminds us, does not depend on the conduct of others; it lies in our own control. In the confessional and in the daily struggle of parish life, I see how often this vice wounds families and friendships. Let us ask the Lord, who is meek and humble of heart, to give us the grace to root it out. May the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and our parish. In other news, due to an unexpected leave, I have been appointed as Vicar General and Chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte by Bishop Martin. While this appointment is expected to be temporary, during the interim, it will make my ability to take appointments rather limited. Please be patient with the office staff as they try to accommodate those needs along with my additional responsibilities.

From the Pastor - All Saints Day

By John Putnam • October 30, 2026
On this Solemnity of All Saints, we have the profound joy of celebrating our brothers and sisters in Christ, the saints. This is an especially meaningful feast for us as Christian stewards. At Baptism, each of us receives the call to holiness and discipleship. In other words, we are all called to become saints. Holiness is not reserved for a select few. It is God's desire for every one of His children. The stewardship way of life helps us answer that call each day. In today's Gospel from Matthew, Jesus gives us the Beatitudes. They reveal the qualities that mark the lives of His disciples and point us toward authentic holiness. As we continue striving to live as faithful stewards, the Beatitudes provide a faithful measure of our growth in Christ. The "blessed" that Jesus describes are not different categories of people who make it to heaven. Rather, they reveal the character of those who belong to Him - the poor in spirit, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers, and all who remain faithful in the midst of trials. None of us can live this way on our own. But as beloved children of God, we receive the grace we need through prayer, the sacraments, and a life centered on Christ. May the example of the saints inspire us to persevere in our own call to holiness, trusting that one day we will join them in the everlasting joy of heaven. © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026 Pastoral Pondering October brought us the Church's renewed attention to mental health. Pope Leo XIV has asked us this month to pray that our communities become places where those who carry unseen burdens find welcome, dignity, and hope- not judgment or silence. Many of those burdens are carried by women and girls. Some have lived through abuse, assault, or trauma that few around them even know about. Recent headlines, including those from Cornell University, have reminded the whole country how widespread these wounds are and how alone many survivors feel. Regardless of the outcome and veracity of the Cornell case, these types of cases exist closer to home. Women in our own parish and community often suffer quietly, unsure where to turn or whether anyone will truly understand. There is help, and there is hope. Healed and Restored, the local Catholic ministry founded by our own parishioner Elza Spaedy, exists precisely for this purpose. Through counseling, workshops, spiritual mentoring, retreats, and a supportive community, it walks with women and girls who have experienced abuse, assault, domestic violence, trafficking, or other trauma. Rooted in faith, it helps them encounter the Divine Physician who alone can restore what has been broken and discover that their wounds do not define them. Many of the women who have walked this path have found real freedom and a renewed sense of their dignity as daughters of God. If you are carrying a wound like this, or if you know someone who is, I encourage you to reach out. Information is available at healedandrestored.org. And if you simply want to stand with those who are hurting, please keep them in your prayers. Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer is to notice, to listen without fear, and to point someone toward the healing Christ offers. May the Lord who binds up the brokenhearted make our parish a place of true restoration.