From the Pastor - Fourth Sunday of Lent

March 12, 2021

Our readings today identify the most unlikely individuals for the most extraordinary tasks. These individuals are examples to us in our lives. 

In our First Reading, the Lord appoints Samuel to declare the next king of Israel. The Lord’s words to Samuel about who should become king cut right to the heart of what matters in God’s eyes, “man sees the appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart.” We often embrace the misconception that things like status and appearance are what carry importance in life. Yet, God clearly states that it is what is in our hearts that matters most. So how do we cultivate hearts worthy of God? It starts in prayer — giving God undivided attention each day. Through this time set aside for our Lord, He will work on our hearts so that they will become more like His.
 
Our Gospel resounds what was proclaimed in our First Reading, “not as man sees does God see.” Jesus heals a blind man who people assumed was born blind as a punishment from sin. Yet, Jesus says, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him.” 

Jesus often worked through the most vulnerable people to show His greatest works. Like the blind man, we must recognize our need for healing and give God the authority to work through us. 

During these final weeks of Lent, let us ponder God’s words, “not as man sees does God see.” May we become dependent on our Lord so that He might work through us and transform us. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2021

 

Pastoral Pondering

 

For the past several weeks I have been dealing with obstacles to the spiritual life, those activities and practices that have been shown to open one to spiritual oppression. Today I want to speak about more common sources of spiritual issues that can benefit from some process of spiritual healing.

 

As I have said previously, and as St. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12: For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. This struggle is common to all of the human family and, more often than not, occurs in every day temptations. These temptations are the lowest (and most common) works of Satan and his fallen angels. Fighting against temptations in our daily lives through prayer, penance and works of charity helps to build virtue in us and makes us more receptive to God’s grace. The converse is also true. Regularly giving into temptation, through a habitual sin, for example, increases our capacity for vice and hinders or cuts off the work of grace in our souls.

 

For sins that become habituated in our lives, it is often helpful to participate in some type of interior healing process. When such sins approach a level of addiction, counseling and even some type of 12-step program might also be in order. Each situation generally requires discernment in order to determine the best course of action. Obviously, confession is essential but when a particular sin keeps occurring over and over again, without any indication of improvement, it could be a form of diabolical oppression. The evil one, while he cannot read our minds, is able to use particular temptations, to target our weak points. The most common examples of this occur in the area of purity, especially with pornography and masturbation. However, it is certainly not limited to this one area of vice.

 

Admitting that we are not capable of overcoming the spiritual obstacle on our own is the first step to healing and conversion. All of the priests at St. Mark are familiar with the spiritual healing process. The one we most commonly use involves the use of the rosary over a period of time and concludes with a session of healing and deliverance using Neil Lozano’s methods in Unbound. In some cases, something more is required, and we deal with those cases as they come our way.

 

The most important thing to remember is that God desires healing and liberation for each of us. These things are allowed at times to lead us to a greater dependence on God and growth in holiness. Our goal and desire as followers of Christ should always be to attain the highest level of holiness and freedom so that we can serve Him more faithfully and hope for the glories of heaven. Don’t be afraid to reach out. God loves you and so do we.

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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