From the Pastor - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 4, 2022

Today’s readings challenge us to focus on the “why” of stewardship. Why embrace this challenging way of life when it seems hard enough just to pay the bills, take care of our loved ones, meet the demands of our jobs, and fall into bed at the end of each full day? Because this life is not all there is. We were made for more — for eternal happiness in union with God. While we cannot earn our way into Heaven, what we do now with the life God has given us has eternal consequences. Stewardship living helps us to keep focused on our hoped-for destination in the choices we make each day.



In our Gospel passage from Luke, Christ reminds us very clearly that we were made for more than just this life and that our choices in this life have eternal consequences. In this passage, our Lord corrects some Sadducees for their mistaken notion that there is no resurrection. He instructs that “those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead…can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.


Stewardship is not ultimately about the amount or kind of time, talent, and treasure we offer. It is about the conviction that everything we have is a gift from our loving God whom we can never truly repay and with whom we want to live forever. Revisiting these three aspects of our lives regularly, prayerfully discerning the best use of our gifts, and putting this down in writing clarifies and strengthens our conviction to put God first. It is a clear guide and a powerful aid in living out this conviction in concrete ways day-by-day. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2022.


Pastoral Pondering

I wanted to thank everyone who responded so generous to our blanket and coat drive. Each year, this particular outreach, immediately impacts many of our brothers and sisters who are experiencing a lack of basic necessities. When one has to choose between keeping the heat on or buying a coat for a family member, the choice is a difficult one. Those who contributed have made such struggles much easier for many families. Thanks too to those who have responded to our Thanksgiving food drive. Your efforts will help families to experience thanksgiving in a very concrete way. The Angel Tree efforts are underway to help make Christmas brighter as well. Again, thank you for your tremendous generosity.


As November is ushered in, it is a good time to look for opportunities to step back and take some time to spiritually prepare for Advent and the holidays. Taking time with family and friends to consider God’s blessings and ponder where our life’s path is headed can be tremendously helpful in our spiritual growth. In addition to the various opportunities in the parish, I would also call your attention to FORMED.org, an on-line platform that provides a wealth of opportunities to learn, to grow in faith, and re-kindle the love of God in our hearts. The parish provides a subscription to parishioners who wish to make use of this resource. You simply need to sign up for an account on the website and indicate that you are a parishioner of St. Mark. Enjoy!


From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • August 7, 2026
Stewardship spirituality invites us to surrender control of our lives to God in grateful recognition that everything we have is a gift from Him. Today's readings remind us that God is always in control of His creation and His people. They also reveal what can happen when we fully entrust our lives to Him — in other words, when we embrace the stewardship way of life. When we take our eyes off God, we lose sight of the fact that all is gift. We begin to rely on ourselves instead of trusting in Him, and we fail to make our lives a grateful response to His generosity. Peter experiences this in today's Gospel from Matthew. Jesus sends the disciples ahead of Him by boat. Later that evening, Jesus comes to them, walking on the water, and invites Peter to join Him. Peter steps out of the boat and begins walking toward the Lord. But when he notices the strong wind around him, instead of keeping his eyes on Christ, he begins to sink. Imagine if Peter had never looked away from Jesus. What an extraordinary adventure he would have experienced walking on the water with his Lord. The same is true for us. When we take our eyes off Christ, His countless blessings, and His faithful love for us, we begin to sink as well. But when we embrace the stewardship way of life, loosening our grip on our time, talents, and treasure and placing our trust in God, life becomes a great adventure rooted firmly in the One who never fails us. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026. Pastoral Pondering First of all I want to thank all who participated in our meal packing effort last Friday and Saturday. What a gift it is to be able to come together as a community and unite for the sake of our brothers and sisters in need. These events cannot happen without the efforts of numerous people. To each of you who made it possible, THANK YOU! As we move into August and our lives begin reorienting from lazier summer months towards fall, it is an opportunity to reflect on the blessings that we were afforded to rest, refresh, and renew during these past weeks. Hopefully, family were able to spend some quality time with each other without the demands of school, work and the day to day demands that impact many of us.  For me, I was privileged once again to participate in the Te Deum Peace Pilgrimage to Fatima. This year we were able to invite and sponsor nine (9) seminarians from various dioceses including Charlotte, NC; Charleston, SC; Cleveland, OH; and Youngstown, OH. They along with a wonderful group of non-seminarian pilgrims were able to grow in our love for the Lord and Our Lady. It was a true blessing, and I was so impressed with the seminarians who were a part of our pilgrimage family for our time in Portugal and Spain. Along the same lines, please pray for parishioner Mark Pressley who is entering St. Joseph College Seminary. Mark’s family has been a part of the parish for many years. Keep him and the other nine (9) young men who are beginning their formation this fall.

From the Pastor - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 31, 2026
Today’s readings should inspire the Christian steward with deepened gratitude for our God, who loves us with both fierce and tender love. We must make an intentional response each day, returning love for Love. In our Second Reading from Romans, St. Paul reminds us that nothing and no one can separate us from the love of Christ. No anguish, distress, persecution, famine — and we might add illness, financial hardship, family struggles, or uncertainty about the future — nothing can keep our God from loving us. God holds us securely in the palm of His hand. And yet, this reassurance is only the beginning of God’s gifts to us. Our Gospel from Matthew recounts the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. This miracle foreshadows the gift of the Eucharist, where Christ feeds us not simply with bread, but with His own Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Notice how the Gospel begins. "His heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick." What generous and compassionate love our Lord shows. But even that is not enough for Him. He remains with the people, teaching and ministering to them until evening. When the disciples suggest sending the crowds away to find food, Jesus instead invites them to become part of His plan. He tells them to feed the people, then miraculously multiplies the few loaves and fish they offer. What a privilege it was for the disciples to participate in Christ's work. That same privilege is ours as Christian stewards. Let us respond with grateful hearts to such amazing love. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants,