From the Pastor - 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 11, 2021

As we enter back into Ordinary Time, our readings today remind us that heaven is our true home and that we cannot make it there without God’s assistance.

 

In our First Reading, the prophet Ezekiel foretells the coming of the Kingdom of God. We can see that Jesus is the cedar that will become refuge for all people. He will humble the proud, lift up the lowly and produce good fruit in the weakened. It is God who does the wondrous works.

 

We often go through life wanting to be in control. We try to solve all our problems, as we think, "I can do it myself." We cling to our own ideas by putting certain events, future plans or even day-to-day moments into a perfect little box, "This is the way I want it." We can even push back in moments of suffering by trying to find every possible way to get out of it. We are "in control."

 

Imagine what life would be like if we surrendered a little more. It is easier said than done — but, oh, how freeing it would be. What if we opened our clenched hands to God and said, “Thy will be done”? We would become free from attachment and more blessed than we could ever imagine.

 

Only God can do all that He promised in our First Reading. We need Him. All we need to do is surrender. To help us on this journey of total surrender, try starting each day with a prayer of surrender, “Lord, I give You this day and all that You have in store for me, my family and friends.” With the guidance of the Lord, surely we will make it home to heaven.

 

Pastoral Pondering – As the basis of our discussions of what characterizes a practicing Catholic, I will be using the Precepts of the Church; trying to address one precept each week. Before moving on to our precept for the week, though, I would like to provide some updates.

 

Staffing – As I indicated a few weeks back, three of our employees, Emily Hogan, Karen Kramer, and Beth Zuhosky,  are leaving their present positions at St. Mark. Emily and Karen have been working with our Middle School Youth, and Beth has been our Stewardship director. Each in her own way has been a tremendous blessing to the parish and to our engagement and success over the last few years. We have been looking at the best way to fill these positions and perhaps do some restructuring to better meet our present needs. As these things are finalized, they will be announced. We are also awaiting the final decisions regarding clergy assignments. Recent events may alter what we at first expected.

 

Rectory Plans – As anyone who has tried to build something recently knows, the costs associated with building supplies has been severely impacted by inflation along with supply and demand. This reality made our plans for renovation untenable since the projected costs increased by 75% at the highest estimation. We are cramped for space with clergy and seminarians. I decided to take a chance and see if anything meeting our parameters might be on the market. One house showed up and after looking at it and speaking with the Diocese, we have made an offer which has been accepted. If all goes well, the closing should be at the end of the month. Long rage plans would be to look at possibly selling the Ranson Road property and utilizing the present rectory for meetings and classes as Ranson Road is used presently. There would also be nothing preventing, when the market settles down, to look at moving forward with the onsite rectory and selling the purchased house.

 

Catechesis – In continuing our catechesis on what is required for a “practicing” Catholic, I will begin looking at the precepts and continue with consideration of the Eucharist from last week. First, it might be helpful to recall what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about precepts in general:

 

The precepts of the Church are set in the context of a moral life bound to and nourished by liturgical life. The obligatory character of these positive laws decreed by the pastoral authorities is meant to guarantee to the faithful the very necessary minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the growth of love of God and neighbor (CCC, 2041).

 

The first precept reads: You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor.

 

As we have already said, the Eucharist is at the center of ecclesiastical life. Hence, it makes perfect sense that coming together as the People of God on the Lord’s day and those days of special significance would be essential. This precept calls us to sanctify the day as we commemorate the Resurrection of the Lord. In the first place, we assist at Mass and allow this day not to be simply part of the weekend, but a day set aside for God and family (see CCC, 2042).

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 25, 2025
In our Gospel reading from Luke, some disciples of Jesus ask our Lord to teach them how to pray. Jesus instantly offers them the beautiful prayer which we, of course, call the Our Father. The Our Father is truly a steward’s prayer. In it, we call upon God in an intimate way, as Father. We ask that His will be done (not ours!) and that His kingdom come (not ours!). In other words, we remember that He is our Creator, everything is His, and our focus in life should be on His priorities, not our own. Then we ask Him to supply our needs (to give our daily bread), forgive our sins, and protect us from evil. That is, we proclaim our complete trust in His provision for us and mercy towards us. We, too, commit to extending mercy ourselves (as we forgive those who sin against us.) As we pray the words of the Our Father, we recognize this basic truth about ourselves and God: God is our Father, and we are beloved and infinitely blessed to be His children. This is the basis of a stewardship way of life. At the end of the Gospel passage, Jesus encourages us to pursue a relationship with the Father: Ask Him, seek Him, knock on His door! He can hardly wait to bless us, HIs children. Remember that this week, then go, be a blessing to others! Stewardship is just that simple. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering  Last week I was listening to an episode of the Conor Gallagher Podcast, in which the author, Paul Zucarelli, was being interviewed. I found it extremely interesting and thought provoking, so I thought I would provide a summary of his book this week. Faith Understood: An Ordinary Man’s Journey to the Presence of God by Paul Zucarelli is a memoir recounting the author’s near-death experience and its profound impact on his life and faith. Zucarelli, a successful businessman and CPA, died of sudden cardiac death on Pentecost Sunday in 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona, and was revived after two hours through what he attributes to intercessory prayer and divine intervention. During this experience, he describes encountering a heavenly realm, witnessing a radiant light filled with warmth and love, and hearing a divine voice assuring him of safety, which left him with no fear of death or desire to return to his body. The book goes beyond the near-death account, focusing on Zucarelli’s spiritual transformation and renewed commitment to living for God. It emphasizes themes of faith, hope, and love, illustrating how God uses trials to draw people closer to Him. Zucarelli shares how this event deepened his Christian faith, leading him and his wife, Beth, to dedicate their lives to evangelization, sharing their testimony across the United States. The narrative includes reflections on scripture, personal vulnerability, and five life lessons outlined in Chapter Nine, which readers found universally compelling and timeless. While some reviewers wished for more detailed descriptions of the heavenly experience, the book is praised for its authenticity, inspiring both believers and non-believers to explore God’s presence and the power of prayer. Proceeds from the book support a charitable foundation, reflecting Zucarelli’s mission of altruism. What I found most compelling about the podcast was the author’s sense of peace about how God has been working in his life since his near-death experiences. His story, which is deeply informed by his Catholic faith, shows the transforming power of God’s love in the midst of life’s trials and tribulations.

From the Pastor - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 18, 2025
In today’s Gospel reading from St. Luke, we receive a reminder about the proper use of the gift of time, a fundamental aspect of a stewardship way of life. Our passage highlights one of the most famous dinner parties ever thrown, recalling the day that Martha and Mary hosted our Lord in their home. We are told that Martha, as a good steward, welcomes Christ in but then becomes “burdened with much serving” while her sister and fellow hostess chooses to simply sit with Jesus, listening to Him speak. Martha becomes indignant at Mary’s behavior and complains to Jesus, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” But Jesus, in His infinite wisdom, refuses to get pulled into this sisterly spat. Instead, He offers Martha a fresh way to look at the situation. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing.” What is that one thing? It is to put Jesus first in our lives and above all other things; to “sit at his feet” and listen as Mary did, giving Him the priority of our time no matter how busy we think we are. When we truly commit to putting Christ first in our daily lives through a regular time of prayer and frequent participation in the sacraments, we will find that all our other concerns become less pressing, less overwhelming. Why is this so? Because the time we invest in our relationship with God saturates all aspects of our lives with His grace. And because God cannot be outdone in generosity. He will abundantly reward any sacrifice we make to spend time with Him. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering In the Catholic tradition, prayer is a foundational practice, understood as a personal and communal relationship with God. It’s seen as a dialogue, not a monologue, where the individual lifts their heart and mind to God, seeking communion, guidance, and alignment with His will. Below is a concise overview of the Catholic understanding of prayer, grounded in Church teaching and tradition: Definition and Purpose : The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2559) defines prayer as “the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.” It’s an act of love, trust, and dependence on God, fostering a covenant relationship. Prayer’s primary aim is communion with God, aligning human will with divine will, as modeled by Jesus in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). Types of Prayer (CCC 2626-2643): Adoration : Worshipping God for His infinite goodness and majesty (e.g., Eucharistic adoration). Petition : Asking for personal needs or forgiveness, acknowledging human dependence on God. Intercession : Praying for others, reflecting charity and solidarity (e.g., praying for the living and the dead). Thanksgiving : Expressing gratitude for God’s gifts, as seen in the Eucharist (“thanksgiving” in Greek). Praise : Glorifying God for who He is, beyond what He does. Forms of Prayer : Vocal Prayer : Spoken prayers, like the Rosary, Our Father, or Hail Mary, engaging both body and soul. Meditative Prayer : Reflecting on Scripture or sacred mysteries (e.g., Lectio Divina or meditating on the Rosary’s mysteries). Contemplative Prayer : A silent, loving gaze toward God, seeking deeper union, as taught by saints like Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross. Theological Foundations : Prayer is rooted in the Trinity: Catholics pray to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit (CCC 2655). Jesus is the model of prayer, seen in His constant communion with the Father (e.g., John 17). The Holy Spirit inspires and sustains prayer (Romans 8:26). Mary and the saints are intercessors, not mediators, whose prayers join ours to God (CCC 2673-2679). Role in Catholic Life : Prayer is essential for salvation, as it nurtures faith, hope, and charity (CCC 2558). It’s a daily obligation, often through practices like morning/evening prayers, Mass, or the Liturgy of the Hours. The Eucharist, as the “source and summit” of Christian life (CCC 1324), is the highest form of prayer, uniting believers with Christ’s sacrifice. Prayer strengthens against temptation and fosters virtues, as seen in the lives of saints like Thérèse of Lisieux, who called prayer “a surge of the heart.” Practical Expressions : Liturgy : The Mass and sacraments are communal prayers, uniting the Church on earth and in heaven. Devotions : Practices like the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, or novenas deepen personal devotion. Spontaneous Prayer : Heartfelt, unscripted prayer is encouraged alongside structured forms. Challenges and Growth : Catholics are taught to persevere in prayer despite distractions or dryness, trusting God’s presence (CCC 2729-2733). Prayer requires humility and openness, as St. Augustine said: “Man is a beggar before God.” Supporting Evidence : The Catechism (Part Four, CCC 2558-2865) provides a comprehensive guide to prayer, emphasizing its centrality. Vatican II’s Sacrosanctum Concilium highlights liturgy as the primary expression of prayer, uniting the Church. Saints’ writings, like St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises, offer practical methods for deepening prayer. For further exploration, consult the Catechism of the Catholic Church or resources from the Vatican (vatican.va). Prayer, in Catholicism, is not just a practice but a way of life, drawing believers into God’s love and mission.