From the Pastor - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 26, 2022

Today’s readings remind us of a chief virtue that characterizes the Christian steward: humility. This is a virtue that is widely thought of as a form of self-abasement. That understanding, however, is off the mark. Humility is simply the awareness of who (and Whose) we truly are. 


On one hand, we are children of the Most High God who loved us into existence and who, by virtue of our Baptism, have the Holy Trinity dwelling within us. On the other hand, we are children who are completely dependent on God for our existence and for every breath we take. Our Lord speaks of true humility in our Gospel passage from Luke, telling the parable of the guests invited to a wedding banquet and instructing us not to seek a place of honor at the banquet table, lest a more distinguished guest arrives and we are asked to move to a lower place.


Jesus has much more in mind here than an etiquette lesson. He is reminding us that all glory belongs to God. The visual image He offers in having to slink down to a lower seat at the table points out how silly we are when we forget to give God the credit for our blessings and talents.


On the other hand, when we live in humility — recognizing that all we have is a gift from God and using those gifts to serve Him and others — then God “exalts” us by filling us with even more of Himself and His grace.


Jesus goes on to encourage us to serve and share our blessings with people facing circumstances that would make it impossible for them to offer us any worldly advantage or prestige — “the poor, the crippled, the lame.”


Our attitude and how we serve and share should be centered on true humility — recognizing that we are all “little” ones in the eyes of God. We are all His children; brothers and sisters invited to our Father’s heavenly banquet.

© Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2022


Pastoral Pondering

I am generally not a negative person. I try to see “the glass half full” when at all possible. On the other hand, I think we all have to be realistic about the world around us. With that being said, in a recent anonymous email that was forwarded to me, a complaint was lodged that our homilies here, among other things, tend to paint the world as bad…even though “real persecution of Christians is happening in places such as China or the Middle East, not in the United States.” In all candor, if I receive an unsigned letter or an anonymous email, I have no use for it. In this case though, in light of some current events, I decided to do so. If people have issues or concerns, then I am always happy to discuss them face to face. I may or may not agree with those concerns, but I will be respectful and listen. That, however, is only possible, when the one concerned has enough integrity to actually share them.


Now, I agree that Christians are not being beheaded by Isis or some other terror group here in the USA, but there are some indications that things are not as “rosy” as some might think. For example, since May of 2020, there have been over 200 attacks on U.S. Catholic Churches. Some of these were graffiti or destruction of a statue but others included arson and the complete destruction of a church building. Of these 200, 70 occurred following the illegal release of the Supreme Court’s draft of the Dobbs decision that returned the

matter of abortion to the states.


More recently, last Sunday, the vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Atlantic published an article which claimed that the rosary is an “extremist symbol.” Because of the backlash that followed the release of the article, the publishers of the Atlantic changed the title three times; finally settling on How Extremist Gun Culture is Trying to Co-Opt the Rosary.


The article itself is, to say the least, a poor example of journalism, if it even can be called that. The author, Dan Panneton, attempts, and rather poorly at that, to connect violent terrorism with those who pray the rosary. To be sure, we Catholics do use words such as “spiritual warfare” and “battle,” but, as anyone familiar with the Scriptures or Church teaching knows, those descriptions are dealing with spiritual realities. And, as far as I can tell, I have heard no stories of rosary toting nuns firebombing abortion clinics or fanatical friars attempting to lead angry mobs in violent attacks on Catholic dissidents or secularists.


Finally, yes, Christians in Sudan, the Middle East, and China are often the victims of terrible violence. We as Catholics who still have Constitutional rights, should speak up and oppose this violence and do what we can to assist the victims. Nonetheless, we must not stick

our heads in the sand and fail to see that anti-Catholic sentiment and violence have been increasing right here in the U.S. In our particular area, we have been spared some of the more egregious acts, but unless we are vigilant, we should not be surprised when we are not.  Regardless, we are all called to the same response. We are called to be holy; to work on our own spiritual health and well-being while at the same time striving to allow the Truth of Christ to inform the culture around us. And one of the ways to do that, is to pray the spiritual weapon that Our Lady has given us and saints have recommended over the centuries, the Most Holy Rosary.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Ascension of the Lord

By John Putnam • May 15, 2026
Today we celebrate the great feast of the Ascension of our Lord — that moment when Jesus, 40 days after His Resurrection, was lifted up into heaven as the apostles looked on. It must have been an extraordinary sight. But the first reading tells us they were not meant to stand there for long. “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky?” In other words — don’t just stand there. Do something. This is a message for us as Christian stewards. We have been given every grace and blessing — through the Mass and the sacraments, through the Word of God, and through the gifts of our time, talent, and treasure. We are not meant to simply receive these gifts. We are meant to use them — in gratitude to the One who gave them. Like the apostles, we are called “to be [His] witnesses… to the ends of the earth.” And we do this not by our own strength, but through the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026 Pastoral Pondering Just War Theory: The Catholic Moral Framework for Armed Conflict Just War Theory is one of the most important and carefully developed areas of Catholic moral theology. It does not glorify war — quite the opposite. The Catechism begins its section on war with a solemn reminder that "the fifth commandment forbids the intentional destruction of human life," and because of the evils and injustices that accompany all war, the Church insistently urges everyone to prayer and action so that God may free us from the ancient bondage of war. And yet, while war always involves evils, sometimes the choice not to engage in war can be an even greater evil — and this is the theory behind the Church's teaching that a nation *can* wage a just war. Historical Roots The theory of when and how war can be morally justified goes back at least to the pre-Christian Roman orator Cicero, and was taken up by St. Ambrose, then systematically developed by St. Augustine. Augustine's account was later refined by St. Thomas Aquinas, whose rendering was normative for Catholic theorists from the Middle Ages onward. The Second Vatican Council re-presented the classical account, placing much greater emphasis on the avoidance of war and offering a forceful condemnation of weapons of mass destruction. The current Catechism (CCC 2307–2317) develops this by conceiving war as a means of legitimate societal self-defense. Two Dimensions of Justice in War The Catholic Church distinguishes between two types of justice concerning war: jus ad bellum (justice before the war) and jus in bello (justice during the war). Most discussion focuses on jus ad bellum — the four conditions inherited from St. Augustine that determine whether going to war is justified. Jus in bello refers to how the war is actually conducted once it has begun. It is entirely possible for a country to fight a war that meets the jus ad bellum conditions for being just, and yet to fight that war *unjustly* — by targeting innocent civilians or dropping bombs indiscriminately. The Four Conditions for a Just War (CCC 2309) As long as the danger of war persists and no international authority has sufficient power to prevent it, governments cannot be denied the right of lawful self-defense once all peace efforts have failed. The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require that all four of the following be met simultaneously : 1. The damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or community of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain . 2. All other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective . 3. There must be serious prospects of success . 4. The use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. These are hard conditions to fulfill, and with good reason — the Church teaches that war should always be the last resort. Justice During War (Jus in Bello) Even in a just war, moral law does not evaporate on the battlefield. The Church and human reason both assert the permanent validity of the moral law during armed conflict — "the mere fact that war has regrettably broken out does not mean that everything becomes licit between the warring parties." Noncombatants, wounded soldiers, and prisoners must be respected and treated humanely. Actions deliberately contrary to the law of nations are crimes, as are the orders that command them. Blind obedience does not excuse those who carry them out. The extermination of a people, nation, or ethnic minority must be condemned as a mortal sin — and one is morally bound to resist orders that command genocide. As the Catechism states clearly: "Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and man, which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation." Catholics in the Armed Forces A Catholic who serves in the armed forces must discern the morality of any conflict. If ordered to commit an intrinsically evil act — such as the direct killing of an unarmed civilian or the torture of a prisoner of war — a Catholic soldier must *refuse* that order, even if it is legal and even if punishment results. The Challenge of Modern Warfare Pope John Paul II suggested that the threshold for a just war has been raised very high by the existence of weapons of mass destruction. Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) went even further, asking "whether as things stand, with new weapons that cause destruction that goes well beyond the groups involved in the fight, it is still licit to allow that a 'just war' might exist."  Just War Theory is not a loophole for violence — it is a moral fence around it. The presumption always begins with peace. War is a tragic concession to human sinfulness, never a first resort, and always bound by the permanent demands of justice and human dignity.

From the Pastor - Sixth Sunday of Easter

By Lauren Rupar • May 15, 2026
On this sixth Sunday of Easter, our readings remind us that God must come first in our lives, and that love of God is shown through concrete actions — this is precisely why the stewardship way of life is so necessary. Our second reading, from St. Peter, challenges us to “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.” In other words, we are to put Christ above all else. His role is not only as Savior — as essential as that is — but as Lord of our lives. As His disciples, we are called to place Him at the center of everything — our time, our talent, and our treasure. The beauty of the stewardship way of life is that it gives us a concrete way to live this out. It allows us to demonstrate that Christ truly is Lord of our lives, because love is not merely a feeling. “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me,” Jesus tells us in our Gospel from John. True love is an act of the will. It requires obedience, humility, and deep trust in God. But the reward is extraordinary. Christ tells us, “Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Could there be anything more fulfilling than living in such a way that the God of the universe reveals Himself more fully to us? © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026 Pastoral Pondering Lately, with various discussions in the news, particularly with regard to a recent perceived back and forth between the Holy Father and President Trump, the issue of Catholic teaching and the authority of that teaching has come up. Hence, I thought it might be helpful to outline the levels of magisterial teaching in an effort to help folks navigate the different types of teaching along with the required response to each level. Summary: Levels of Magisterial Teaching The Catholic Church teaches with Christ’s authority through the Magisterium , but not all teachings carry the same weight or demand the same level of assent. Understanding these distinctions helps Catholics know how to respond faithfully to Church teaching. 1. Solemn Definitions (Extraordinary Magisterium) These are infallible dogmas formally defined by an ecumenical council or by the pope speaking ex cathedra. They concern truths revealed by God (e.g., the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption). Required response : The assent of faith. Denial is heresy. 2. Ordinary Universal Magisterium Teachings consistently and universally held by the bishops in communion with the pope, even without a formal definition. When universal agreement is clear, these teachings are also infallible (e.g., the intrinsic evil of abortion, male-only priesthood). Required response : The assent of faith. Denial is heresy. 3. Definitive Teachings (Non‑Revealed but Certain) Teachings proposed definitively because they are necessary to safeguard or explain divine revelation, even if not themselves formally revealed (e.g., canonizations, invalidity of Anglican orders). Required response: Definitive assent. Denial is grave error, though not heresy. 4. Authoritative but Non‑Definitive Teaching Non‑infallible teachings of the pope or bishops, such as many encyclicals or pastoral directives. Required response : Religious submission of intellect and will — a sincere openness and respect, not casual dismissal. 5. Prudential Judgments and Pastoral Applications Concrete applications of moral principles to specific situations (e.g., policy approaches in economics or immigration). Required response: Respectful consideration. Legitimate disagreement is possible. Why this matters : Recognizing these levels avoids two extremes—treating all Church teaching as optional opinion (laxism) or treating every Church statement as infallible dogma (rigorism). The Church teaches as a structured, living authority guided by the Holy Spirit, calling for responses proportionate to the level of teaching involved.