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 - Baptism of the Lord

By John Putnam • January 9, 2026
Today marks the close of the Christmas season, but before we return to Ordinary Time, we have one more great feast to celebrate — The Baptism of the Lord. Today’s feast is a perfect opportunity to consider the privileges and responsibilities we all share as Christian stewards by virtue of our own Baptism. At the moment of our Baptism, we became adopted sons and daughters of God, members of his holy, Catholic Church. Though we may not have realized it, the moment of our Baptism is also the moment we become Christian stewards, disciples of Jesus Christ, tasked with the work of following in His footsteps day by day and sharing the Gospel message with all those around us. In our second reading from the Acts of the Apostles, St. Peter gives us a glimpse of the person of Jesus we should imitate. “He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” We must live our lives like Jesus, seeking to do good to everyone we encounter; not just those in our inner circle of family and friends, but everyone in our community since the Father loves us all and Jesus sought out everyone with His saving message. In the Gospel passage from Matthew, we see yet another aspect of Jesus in action, this time as he humbly stands before John to be baptized by him. What humility and what willingness to unite Himself to us our Lord demonstrates by this act. We can do no less as we live out our daily lives as his disciples. And when we do strive with all our might to live out our Baptismal call to Christian stewardship, we will experience the deep honor of knowing that we, too, are God’s “beloved” sons and daughters “with whom He is well-pleased.” © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering As many of you know, on December 17 Bishop Martin issued a pastoral letter concerning the reception of Holy Communion. In that letter, he directed that non-fixed altar rails and kneelers be removed no later than January 16. I want to acknowledge, very simply and honestly, that this has been difficult for many in our parish. I feel that weight as well. I love St. Mark, and I am grateful for the reverence and devotion so many of you show toward the Holy Eucharist. I do not take lightly the concerns, questions, or disappointment this has raised. I am also aware that some of the faithful have made use of the appropriate channels within the Church to petition for clarification or reconsideration, and those processes may continue. At the same time, as your pastor, I am entrusted with leading this parish in fidelity to the Church and her discipline in those matters that do not contradict Catholic law. While there are sincere and thoughtful discussions about posture for receiving Holy Communion, the current liturgical discipline in the United States indicates that Communion is ordinarily received standing, whether on the tongue or in the hand. It is important to state clearly that the right of an individual communicant to kneel remains fully intact, and no one may ever be denied Holy Communion for choosing to do so. Therefore, unless a suspensive decision is issued by the Bishop or by the Dicastery for Divine Worship, we will comply with the directive and remove the kneelers from around the sanctuary. To assist with the reverent and timely distribution of Holy Communion, we will also increase the number of Communion stations. I know this change will be challenging for some. It is not something I approach lightly. My hope is that we can carry this moment together, offering whatever frustration or sorrow we may feel as a personal sacrifice, united to Christ present in the Eucharist. Crosses come in many forms, and how we bear them matters greatly. Let us remain united in prayer and charity, so that anger, bitterness, or division never take root at St. Mark. The weight of the Bishop’s office is a heavy one. I pray for Bishop Martin daily, and I ask that you do the same. Bishop’s office is a heavy one. I pray for him everyday, and I hope that you will as well.  On a happier note, as we come to the end of the Christmas season, I want to thank everyone who dropped off Christmas greetings and goodies. Your kindness is very much appreciated.

From the Pastor - Epiphany

By John Putnam • January 2, 2026
Today we celebrate the Epiphany — the manifestation of Christ to the world. The stewardship way of life is nothing other than a grateful response to God’s countless manifestations in our lives, and a commitment to make His love manifest to others through the sharing of our gifts. St. Paul reminds us in Ephesians that the grace given to him was “for your benefit.” Every gift we have received is meant to benefit others and give glory to God. The Magi show us how to live this out: Worship is their highest priority.They travel far, ask openly, and refuse to let anything stop them from honoring the newborn King. Is Sunday Mass the non-negotiable center of our week? 2. They are watchful. “We saw his star at its rising.” Good stewards stay alert to God’s presence and gifts in daily life. 3. They persevere through difficulty. Herod deceives, dangers threaten, yet God guides and protects them. Our stewardship journey will have twists, but God is faithful. 4. They are overjoyed True stewards radiate the deep, lasting joy that only comes from encountering Christ. 5. They prostrate and open their treasures. Overwhelmed with awe, they give totally of themselves and their gifts — the perfect act of worship. This year, let us rejoice in every manifestation of God in our lives, stay watchful for His star, and open our own treasures — our time, talent, and treasure — in generous gratitude to our King.  Come, let us adore Him — and then go and make Him known.