From the Pastor - 4th Sunday of Lent

March 17, 2023

Today’s readings on this fourth Sunday of Lent are filled with contrasting images — God’s vision versus human vision, the light of Christ versus the darkness of sin, spiritual blindness versus spiritual sightedness. Embracing a stewardship way of life can free us from spiritual blindness, allow us to see as God sees, and help us to reflect the light of Christ’s love in the way we live our daily lives.


Our Second Reading, from Ephesians, begins, “… You were once in darkness but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.” Because of our Baptism, we have the “light” of the Blessed Trinity dwelling within us. In the difficulties and messiness of daily life, it’s easy to forget this glorious truth about ourselves. It can also be difficult to determine whether we truly are living in a way that reflects Christ’s light. 


The stewardship way of life, with its emphasis on the rightly ordered use of the gifts of time, talent, and treasure, gives us a guide we can consult on a daily basis to help ensure that we really are living as “children of the light.”


In our Gospel passage from John, Christ restores sight to a man born blind. The man says that Christ “opened my eyes.” These Lenten days are an excellent time for us to ask Jesus to open our eyes, too. Let us ask Him to show us where we may be suffering from spiritual blindness, perhaps even in subtle ways in our use — or misuse — of time, talent, and treasure.

As we continue on our Lenten journey, let’s intensify our efforts in any of these areas where we have become a little blinded so that by Easter, we are truly living as children of the light.

© Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2023


Pastoral Pondering

This week we will be having our hybrid Lenten mission. We are fortunate this weekend to welcome Father Kevin Barret. Father is the chaplain for the Apostolate for Family Consecration. I met Father during my visits to Catholic Family Land over the past couple of years. He is a priest who loves Our Lord, Our Lady, and has a commitment to developing Holy Families in the heart of the Church. I am appreciative for his willingness to join us and offer his time for the families of our parish. On Monday evening, we will be celebrating the Solemnity of St. Joseph, and on Tuesday, we will have another night on the family. I encourage you to take advantage of these enrichment opportunities.



I appreciate those of you who have already responded to this year’s Diocesan Support Appeal. The DSA supports the charitable and vocational programs of the Diocese. All of these funds go to make a concrete difference in the lives of the people we serve. At St. Mark the DSA supports our seminarians, the efforts of Catholic Charities, our educational ministries, our permanent deacons and much more. My hope is to have a significant participation rate this year. We, of course, need to meet our goals, but getting everyone involved is tremendously important.

 

 

 


From the Pastor

By John Putnam June 27, 2025
During June, we have celebrated key moments in the life of the Church — Pentecost, the Most Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi — culminating today with the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Though very different men, they are united in faith, mission, and martyrdom, and the Church has honored them together since the third century. St. Peter, the first Pope, was chosen by Christ as the rock on which the Church would be built. The Catechism tells us that because of the faith he professed, Peter remains the “unshakeable rock of the Church.” Despite his human weaknesses, Peter's loyalty, repentance, and leadership make him a powerful model of stewardship. St. Paul, once a persecutor of Christians, became one of the Church’s greatest evangelists. In today’s second reading, Paul reflects on his mission, saying, “I have finished the race… the crown of righteousness awaits me.” The Greek word he used for “crown” — stephanos — refers to a victor’s crown, not a royal one, showing his view of faith as a race well-run for the sake of Christ. Though they were martyred separately, tradition holds that Peter and Paul were in Rome at the same time, and their shared witness and sacrifice tie them closely together in Church history. They embody two vital aspects of stewardship — Peter in his faith and leadership, and Paul in his zeal and wisdom. As stewards, we are called to follow their example — to build the Church through our commitment, to overcome our failures through God’s mercy, and to proclaim the Gospel with courage. Like Peter and Paul, we are invited to give all we have for the sake of Christ and His Church. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering  This Solemnity marks the beginning of summer vacation in Rome. The Holy Father will be traveling to Castelgandolfo for some time away from the heat of Rome. For the rest of us, the weeks of summer are in full swing, and as we move into July this week, I hope that families have an opportunity to spend some time in rest and relaxation. Spending time with family, friends, and the Lord, are among the best things that we can do with our “down time”. Leisure is essential to a well-lived life, but it has to be understood properly in the context of the Christian life. Anthony Esolen’s Leisure: The Basis of Culture is a contemporary reflection and expansion on the classic work of the same name by Josef Pieper. Esolen argues that modern society has lost its understanding of true leisure, mistaking it for mere idleness or entertainment. In contrast, he defines leisure as a contemplative, receptive state that allows individuals to encounter truth, beauty, and God. True leisure, according to the author, distinguishes leisure from passive consumption or busyness. True leisure is rooted in wonder, worship and reflection – activities that are ends in themselves, not means to productivity. He critiques how modern life has turned all human activity into something utilitarian. Education, art and even religion are often reduced to tools for social mobility or economic growth, rather than pursued for their intrinsic value. Esolen emphasizes that leisure finds its highest expression in worship and liturgy. Time spent in contemplation of the divine is the deepest form of leisure, because it directs the soul toward eternal realities. He draws on classical and Christian sources to affirm that man is not simply a worker or consumer but is made for contemplation and communion. In the end, he calls for a return to genuine leisure as the only path to restoring culture, education, and the dignity of the human spirit. The author argues that without true leisure, civilization cannot thrive, because it loses contact with what is eternal and meaningful. Leisure, rightly understood, is not a break from life – it is at the heart of what makes life worth living.
By John Putnam June 20, 2025
Today we observe the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. This beautiful feast celebrates the gift of the Eucharist, which the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches is the source and summit of our Christian faith. “For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ Himself” (CCC paragraph 1324). The very word, Eucharist, means “thanksgiving” or “gratitude” and so this feast is especially meaningful to all of us who are striving to live as grateful stewards of all God’s blessings to us. Surely the Eucharist is the greatest of all blessings because it is not only from God, the Eucharist, is God — the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Today’s second reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians reminds us of the depths of love our Lord has shown us in the gift of the Eucharist, recalling Christ’s words at the very first Eucharistic celebration. “The Lord Jesus… took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you.’” In that moment, and at every celebration of the Mass thereafter, Jesus gives us His very self in an act of complete humility and perfect love. How can we possibly show our gratitude for such a sublime gift? We can receive the gift of the Eucharist with the greatest possible reverence and love. And, following our Lord’s example, we can give ourselves generously to others in the week ahead. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ naturally follows the Solemnities of Pentecost and the Holy Trinity. Each of those celebrations highlight a profound experience of God. The Eucharist invites us into the very life of God which is the Holy Trinity. We are nourished by the Lord to sustain us as we strive to run the race and fight the good fight. The Church in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of Vatican II describes the Eucharist as the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows… At times perhaps we allow our assistance and participation at Mass and reception of the Eucharist to become habitual or common place. Such an attitude should always be avoided since it diminishes the centrality that the Eucharist is to play in each of our lives. Nonetheless, it is a common pitfall that many of us fall into. There are a number of ways in which we can help ourselves to avoid falling into that trap. First and foremost, we should prepare ourselves for participation at Mass. This can be accomplished in a number of ways but especially by taking some time to read and reflect on the Scriptures before we arrive at the church. Arriving early at Mass so that we can actually spend some time in prayer, quieting our hearts and minds before the celebration begins is also helpful. Outside of Mass, we can make spiritual Communions and make visits to the Blessed Sacrament. These moments of grace can also inspire us to live more authentically Christian lives by our concern for and service to the poor. Serving our neighbor and loving the neighbor as we love ourselves is a true expression of our love for God.  I also want to offer a word of thanks to all those who assisted with the diaconate and priestly ordinations the previous two Saturdays. A great deal of work goes into these events, and the St. Mark staff and volunteers always “step up” to do their part. We as a parish are honored to host these important Diocesan events and appreciate all of those who contribute to their success.
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