From the Pastor - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 14, 2023

In today’s Gospel from Matthew, our Lord shares the Parable of the Sower who scatters seed on many different kinds of land. This is a wonderful analogy for the stewardship way of life, demonstrating the slow and steady, yet powerful effect this lifestyle will have on those who fully embrace it.


In this parable, some of the seeds land on a path where birds carry them off before they can begin to take root. Other seeds land on rocky ground with little soil. As soon as things begin to heat up, they get scorched and die. Then there are seeds that land on soil cluttered with thorns which choke the seeds just as they are beginning to grow strong.


Finally, there are seeds that land on deep and healthy soil. These seeds produce abundant fruit.


This is where the stewardship way of life comes in. When we give the best of our time, talent and treasure to serve God and others, we create lives filled with that rare “good soil” needed for the Kingdom of God to thrive.


How does this happen? Stewardship living removes the “rocks” of mistrust from our lives as we develop an unshakeable faith that God will always provide for our needs. It clears away the “thorns” of worldly ambition that make us self-centered, fill us with needless anxiety and stifle our focus on God. Stewardship living requires a deep reliance on the Word of God and the sacraments which continuously nourish and fertilize the soil of our lives.


Let us deepen our commitment to this way of life, allowing the Sower to do His work in us, slowly and steadily. The Master Gardner will surely produce miraculous fruits through us. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2023


Pastoral Pondering

This past week, the parish welcomed Father Chinonso Nnebe Agumadu. He’s decided to go by “Father Chinonso” to make everyone’s life easier 😊. We also bid a fond farewell to Father Yumo. Keep him in your prayers as he begins his new assignment, and thank you for being so gracious and welcoming to him during his service at St. Mark. He shared with me before he left that this assignment has been the best part of his priesthood. I did remind him that he will always have a home here.


I will be leaving for Fatima this coming Wednesday. As in the past, I am happy to take petitions over for anyone who would like me to do so. They would just need to be turned into the office by the close of day on Tuesday. This will be the first time I have been able to go back since before COVID.


I wanted to return briefly once again to the Eucharistic revival. Back in 2021 before the plan for the revival was approved by the United States Bishops, one of their number, Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, KY, criticized the plan openly. In an essay printed in Commonweal magazine, Bishop Stowe opined: “It does not strike me as coincidental that much of the Eucharistic Revival focuses on eucharistic adoration, passive in nature, and so offers an easy alternative to the active engagement of walking together synodally.” The intimation is that such a revival, which came about due to the lack of belief in the reality of the Holy Eucharist, needs to be more focused on social outreach and community engagement.


In truth, one should flow out of the other. We cannot be a Eucharistic people who know, love, and adore our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, if we do not also allow that love and devotion to overflow into our outreach to the poor and marginalized. It’s not an either/or but a both/and situation. This is why the conclusion of Holy Mass reminds us to go on mission. The Mass is ended, go! What we are to go out and do is evangelize and be the hands, feet and voice of the Lord in a needy world.



In the same essay, Bishop Stowe cited Pope St. John XXIII as a model for the Church today. One Twitter follower in commenting on this, shared one of the Good Pope John’s statements about the Eucharist: “When Eucharistic fervor is attenuated or extinguished, then it is very difficult for men to understand each other, love grows cold, sin invades minds and hearts.” If we don’t believe in the God who gives us Himself in the Eucharist, then we certainly will not be inspired to go out and look for Him in our brothers and sisters who suffer.


From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Palm Sunday

By John Putnam • March 27, 2026
We begin this Holy Week with the reading of the Lord’s Passion from the Gospel of Matthew. It is fitting that during this week we intensely focus our minds and hearts on the steps of our Savior as He laid down His very life for us. But let us also examine the seemingly small acts of stewardship by some who encountered Jesus during this most eventful week. One occurred when Jesus gave instructions about the room where He would celebrate the Passover. Jesus said, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him…” ‘In your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.’” While we do not know this man’s name, we do know he agreed to this request — he shared the material gift of his home and the gift of hospitality. Because of his good stewardship, his own home became the site of the institution of the Eucharist! There was also Simon the Cyrenian, who offered the gift of his physical strength, helping the Lord to carry His Cross. Consider, too, the actions of Joseph of Arimathea — he generously shared a material gift of the tomb that was his, and he gave the gift of service to our Lord by giving Him a proper burial. Then there were the "two Marys” who gave Jesus the gift of their time. Keeping watch in tender vigil after His death, they “remained sitting there, facing the tomb.” Each of these were simple acts of good stewardship, yet God used them in mighty ways. God invites each of us, too, to cooperate with Him in small ways through the sharing of our time, talent, and material gifts. Small gifts can become mighty deeds when placed in God’s service. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026. Pastoral Pondering  Recently, a new translation of The Order of the Anointing of the Sick and of Their Pastoral Care was released by the USCCB. In keeping with our review over the last two weeks, I think it would be good to have a reminder about when it is proper to ask to receive this wonderful sacrament of healing. The following is adapted from an article by Father Dylan Shrader, an edited version of which appeared in the journal of the Society for Catholic Liturgy Antiphon 16, no. 1 (2012):52-61. Anointing of the Sick Before Surgery: When and Why? Many Catholics wonder: “Can I receive Anointing of the Sick just because I’m having surgery?” It’s a common question in parishes. Some assume that any procedure requiring general anesthesia carries enough risk to qualify for the sacrament. Fr. Dylan Schrader’s clear article (published in Antiphon, 2012) shows why this view, though well-meaning, does not match Church teaching. The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is not a “good-luck charm” against surgical complications. It is a healing sacrament Christ gave specifically for those who are already suffering a dangerous bodily infirmity —a serious illness, injury, or the frailty of old age that puts them in danger of death right now. Scripture (James 5:14) and the Councils of Florence and Trent are unmistakable: this sacrament is for the sick, not for anyone facing an external danger (battle, travel, or upcoming surgery) if they are otherwise healthy. The Church’s official Ritual says anointing can be given before surgery—but only when “a dangerous illness is the cause of the surgery itself.” The Catechism echoes this: it is “fitting” to receive Anointing before a serious operation for those who already qualify because of their illness. The point is pastoral wisdom, not a new rule: if someone is already sick enough to need anointing, it’s better to receive the sacrament before the added stress of surgery than to risk delaying it or missing it entirely. The special grace of Anointing does not “wear off.” Once received with faith, it lasts throughout the entire period of that same infirmity, giving strength, peace, union with Christ’s suffering, forgiveness of sins (if needed), and even possible physical healing. It can be repeated only if the person recovers and then falls seriously ill again, or if the same illness becomes markedly worse. Practical Guidance for Parishioners - If your surgery is because of a serious illness or injury (e.g., cancer surgery, heart procedure, complications from an accident), ask your priest about Anointing beforehand. He will gladly celebrate it. - If your procedure is elective, precautionary, or cosmetic (wisdom teeth removal with no infection, knee replacement for a stable condition, organ donation, etc.), you are not yet a candidate for Anointing. The Church offers beautiful alternatives: the blessing of the sick, prayers from the Book of Blessings, or simply the sacraments of Penance and Eucharist. - Always prepare spiritually with Confession and Holy Communion. These are available to everyone, healthy or ill. Priests are happy to explain the sacrament and resolve any doubt in favor of celebrating it when the criteria are met. The goal is never to withhold grace but to honor the beautiful purpose Christ gave this sacrament: to strengthen us precisely in the suffering we already carry. Christ instituted Anointing of the Sick so that, in our weakness, we might be united to His Passion and receive every grace we need to bear illness as Christians. When we understand its true purpose, we receive it with greater faith—and experience its full power. If you or a loved one faces serious illness, don’t wait. Call your priest today. The Church wants you to have this sacrament at the right time, for the right reason, and with full confidence in Christ’s healing love.

From the Pastor - 5th Sunday in Lent

By John Putnam • March 20, 2026
At this point in our Lenten journey, it is tempting to grow weary of the spiritual disciplines we have taken on. Today’s readings inspire us to remain faithful, in grateful response to a God who loves us so much. In our first reading, the prophet Ezekiel speaks God’s own words to us. “I will put my spirit in you that you may live… I have promised and I will do it, says the Lord.” Our God wants to be so closely united to us that we are one with Him. And He has promised He will do it. But only if we make room for Him by making Him THE priority of our lives. Putting God first is a grateful response that is very pleasing to Him. How can we do this? Our second reading, from Romans, tells us. “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh… you are in the spirit if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.” The disciplines of Lent and a stewardship way of life are wonderful gifts that free us from too great an attachment to “the flesh.” The sacrifices we make as Christian stewards are not meant to restrict our freedom and joy. Quite the contrary. They are tools to help us find the real freedom and joy that only come when we make room in our lives for God. As we journey closer to the Passion of our Lord, let us intensify our Lenten resolutions and our stewardship way of life, inviting the Holy Spirit to take over more and more of our lives. By Easter, we will be freer to rejoice in Him and truly pleasing to God. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026. Pastoral Pondering On September 29, 1916, the Angel of Peace appeared to the three shepherd children in Fatima. During this encounter, the Angel shared with the children the following prayer: "Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I adore thee profoundly, and I offer Thee the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the same son Jesus Christ, present in the Tabernacles of the world, in reparation for all the sacrileges, outrages, and indifferences by which He Himself is offended. And by the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners." In keeping with the theme that I began last week, about reviewing the basics, I thought it might be useful to address the importance of Eucharistic reverence and devotion. In the prayer given by the Angel, sacrileges, outrages and indifferences are specifically mentioned. Perhaps looking at each of these is a helpful way to address this.