From the Pastor - 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 23, 2024

Our readings offer us examples of how we should be living, and they present us with an opportunity to make a radical change in our lives.

 

In our first reading, Joshua tells the leaders of the Israelites to decide as to who they shall serve in this life. As he presents them with this choice, he boldly states, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Who or what does your household serve? Whether you are a household of one or twelve, now is the time to decide, ‘will we serve the Lord?’

 

We are constantly bombarded with endless distractions around us. It can be very easy to serve other ‘gods’ in our lives. For instance, putting technology (phone, internet, TV), kids’ extracurricular activities, our jobs, or our social lives before the Lord. We also might be putting these things above our loved ones, and if we are doing that, then we are putting them above our relationship with God.

 

With this in mind, we must strive each day to intentionally live as disciples of Christ. It starts with commitment — incorporating personal daily prayer and increasing that prayer week by week, incorporating prayer into our marriages and families, frequenting the sacraments, and serving others. Through this time with the Lord and service to those around us, He will reveal to us where to go next.

 

Reflect on how you may not be putting God first in your life and decide to respond like the Israelites, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord for the service of other gods… Therefore, we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.” © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2024

 

Pastoral Pondering

This Friday begins our annual Eucharistic Congress. This year’s congress has significance on a number of levels. First, we are in the follow-up phase of the National Eucharistic Revival. While we have been “ahead of the game” in the Diocese of Charlotte for over two decades, recommitting ourselves to a deep love and devotion for the Eucharist should always be important to us. Secondly, this is the first Congress for our Bishop, Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv. This is an opportunity for our Diocesan Church to show the Bishop who we are and how we live our faith.



This year our Friday program is especially organized for Youth and Young Adults, but that there will still be something for everyone. Sarah Kroger, who came to the parish earlier this year, will have a kick-off concert at 5:15. On Saturday our Eucharistic procession through the streets of Charlotte begins our day followed by speakers, opportunities for prayer and confession and culminating in Holy Mass with Bishop Martin at 4:15 p.m. This is our annual Catholic Homecoming, and I hope you will plan to join us at the Charlotte Convention Center. For detailed information about the event please visit www.goeucharist.com.

 

As this is a presidential election year, I have had a few questions about what our Catholic obligations are in terms of participating in political life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes:

 

Submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one’s country…[and further on]… Christians] reside in their own nations, but as resident aliens. They participate in all things as citizens and endure all things as foreigners.…They obey the established laws, and their way of life surpasses the laws.…So noble is the position to which God has assigned them that they are not allowed to desert it. (#2240)


In other words, we have an obligation to be politically active. We are obligated to exercise the rights so as to form a more Christ-centered society. Christians are not to “sit on the sidelines”. We are to be engaged and involved. In Fratelli Tutti (no. 66), Poper Francis notes:

 

Let us look to the example of the Good Samaritan. Jesus’ parable summons us to rediscover our vocation as citizens of our respective nations and of the entire world, builders of a new social bond. This summons is ever new, yet it is grounded in a fundamental law of our being: we are called to direct society to the pursuit of the common good and, with this purpose in mind, to persevere in consolidating its political and social order, its fabric of relations, its human goals.

 

We do all of this by, as St. Paul says, putting on the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) and approaching political concerns and issues with our faith guiding us and always seeing these matters through the lens of human dignity. Of course, we cannot exercise this important obligation if we are not registered to vote and engaged in public dialogue. Early voting in North Carolina begins on Thursday, October 17, 2024 and ends on Saturday, November 2, 2024. If you are not registered, you can find the application via the NCDMV website: https://payments.ncdot.gov/. I have asked the Knights of Columbus to assist with voter registration as a part of our efforts to support patriotism and Catholic action in the public square. Patriotism is one of their historic values, and I am appreciative of their willingness to support the effort.

 


 

From the Pastor

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,

From the Pastor - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 31, 2026
The stewardship way of life could be described as a daily pursuit of the Kingdom of Heaven. In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus uses a series of parables to help us understand the incomparable value of that Kingdom. First, He reminds us that living for Him and for His Kingdom will require sacrifice. Yet the joy that comes from following Christ makes any sacrifice worthwhile. Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” He then compares the Kingdom to “a merchant searching for fine pearls." When the merchant finds a pearl of great price, he gladly sells everything he has to obtain it. In both parables, the Kingdom is something precious that must be sought and recognized. We must intentionally look for it amid the distractions and noise of the world. Yet Jesus also reminds us that the Kingdom is meant for everyone. He compares it to a net cast into the sea that gathers fish of every kind. At the same time, He reminds us that each of us will one day be judged. The angels “will separate the wicked from the righteous.” It is a powerful reminder that our choices matter. Let us pray for the wisdom to recognize the Kingdom of Heaven in our midst and to pursue it above all else. There is no greater treasure, and no greater source of joy, than a life lived as a faithful disciple of Jesus. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026. Pastoral Pondering I enjoy books generally. I like to hold them, look at them and, of course, read them. I also enjoy audiobooks because they are a good way to pass the time with all the driving that I do. I like a wide variety of books, but I generally try to avoid things that are strictly political. Hence, I was a little hesitant when the book Communion by J.D. Vance was recommended to me. However, what I discovered is that it is an excellent read and has nothing to do with politics. Rather, it is the story of the Vice President’s return to the Christian faith that eventually resulted in his becoming Catholic. I suppose “conversion” stories attract me because of my own background. And while I did not grow up in Ohio coal country as he did, there are many similarities to his family, described in Hillbilly Elegy, and my dad’s family from the mountains of North Carolina. This particular book, in some ways, is a sequel to Hillbilly . It discusses his chaotic childhood and exposure to Baptist and Pentecostal churches, his drift into atheism as a young adult, following the death of his grandmother, and his gradual return to faith which culminated in his conversion to Catholicism in 2019. The title refers to the Eucharist, and the author explores what it means to be Christian across life stages – as a child, young man, husband, father and public figure – while reflecting on the role of religion in public life and American society.  This memoir mixes spiritual autobiography with broader commentary on faith, politics, family values, and societal problems. While some have criticized it as more of a cultural manifesto, I appreciated the honest assessment of one man’s journey from his childhood faith to an adult faith which led to full communion with the Catholic Church. Granted, it may not be to everyone’s liking, but it shouldn’t be dismissed simply because the author is the current Vice President. I enjoyed it, and if you want something to pass a lazy summer afternoon, I’d recommend it.