From the Pastor - First Sunday of Lent

March 7, 2025

Today’s readings exhort us Christian disciples to form ourselves — mind and heart — in imitation of Christ so we can better reflect His goodness in our daily lives.


The first reading from Sirach offers timeless counsel: “the fruit of a tree shows the care it has had: so too does one’s speech disclose the bent of one’s mind. Praise no one before he speaks.” Jesus uses the very same analogy in today’s Gospel reading from Luke: “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit.”


Everything we have is a gift from God to be used for His honor and glory. This includes the gift of speech and, even more broadly, all forms of modern-day communication — email, text, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and the rest. What comes forth from our mouths, or keyboard, or phone, reflects what is in our minds and hearts. Our ability to communicate with each other is itself a gift which we must steward well.


In the same Gospel passage, Jesus reminds us, “No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher.” The more time we spend with Jesus, our teacher, through regular prayer and a strong sacramental life, the more we will become like Him. Then all that we do and say (and tweet and post) will bring others to closer to Him. This is the life’s work of the Christian steward. It is privileged work indeed. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025


Pastoral Pondering

If I had to give this post a name, it would be Of Hosts and Hymnals. The reason for that name will become clear in a moment.


Most Catholics have some degree of awareness that the Most Holy Eucharist is central to our Catholic faith. The Church, in fact, describes the Eucharist as the source and summit of our faith. The Eucharist is the saving flow from the temple described to Ezekiel from which all the treasures of the sacramental life flow and the ultimate goal of every faithful Christian life. Nonetheless, at times, we all need to be reminded of this awe-inspiring reality. As human beings, familiarity can breed contempt, and we can allow Holy Mass, and even reception of Holy Communion, to become habitual and common place. In so doing, we run the risk of stripping the Most Holy Sacrament of its sublime reality.


Recently, a parishioner discovered a presumably consecrated Host stuck between two pages of a hymnal. While this is certainly shocking and scandalous, I don’t share it with you to cause shock and scandal but to remind us all of the need to be vigilant. We first need to guard ourselves so that we never become indifferent to what occurs at Holy Mass, and second, always insure that we show the Eucharist the proper reverence and respect that is right and just. We do ask our ushers and security volunteers to be mindful of the importance of insuring that communicants receive and consume the Host, but they, along with both the ordinary and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, cannot observe everything. Hence, it is always a good idea for all of us to be mindful.

My hope and prayer is that such sacrilege only occurred due to ignorance rather than malice. On any given Sunday, those who have no experience of the Mass find themselves here for one reason or another. This is even more the case at funerals and weddings during the week. If we invite non-Catholic friends (or non-practicing Catholics) to Mass, and we certainly should, it is incumbent upon us to make sure that they understand the norms for the Reception of Holy Communion. These norms are usually published each week in the bulletin. Along the same lines, it is always appropriate, if you see someone who appears confused, uncertain, or is walking away with a host, to lovingly speak to them and help them in the moment.


A few reminders might also be helpful:

  1. Reception of Holy Communion is reserved to practicing Catholics who are properly disposed and in a state of grace. On a practical level this means he or she is not conscious of mortal sin and has been actively practicing the faith through participation at Mass and in the sacramental life of the Church.
  2. When approaching to receive Holy Communion, the communicant may receive on the tongue or on the hand. Those who choose to receive on the hand should make a sign of reverence (normally a bow) and consume the Host before walking away from the minister.
  3. Those choosing to receive on the hand must have both hands free. The Host is never taken from the minister. It is always received. Hence, for those who do not have the use of both hands, for whatever reason, should receive on the tongue. All ministers of Holy Communion are instructed to follow this norm. This protects the host from falling.
  4. Following the reception of Holy Communion, it is proper to return to the pew and offer a prayer of thanksgiving. Leaving Mass immediately after reception is not only disrespectful but can be sinful if it is done without necessity. After all Judas Iscariot was only apostle to leave the Last Supper early, and we know how that ended up.


Being conscious of these simple norms and aware of the great gift that we have in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, will not only help to protect and preserve the Blessed Sacrament but will also help each of us have a more fruitful reception of the Sacrament and benefit more fully from this sublime gift that the Lord provides for us.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 11, 2025
In today’s Gospel passage, from Luke, we read the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan. Here, Jesus teaches us in rich detail what stewardship in action looks like. In fact, this parable could just as accurately be called the parable of the Good Steward. The first thing we note about the Good Samaritan is that he is aware of the needs of those around him and responds generously. While the priest and Levi brush right past the man on the side of the road, the Samaritan is watching for those who might be in need. He has a hospitable way of looking at the world around him and so he is able to “see” in a way that the others did not, and he was “moved with compassion at the sight” of the man. Next, we see the Good Samaritan spring into action to serve this man, setting aside his own schedule and plans to meet his needs. He does not just give the man a few dollars or offer quick words of encouragement from across the road. He goes right up to the man. He cleans and bandages his wounds. He puts the man on his own animal and brings him to an inn where he can heal. He ensures the innkeeper would continue to look after him, and he commits to re-turning to the man on his way back. That is how we live out God’s commandments. That is true hospitality and service.  That is how a good steward springs into action when he comes upon a neighbor in need. And Jesus says to each of us personally, just as He did in today’s Gospel, “Go and do likewise.” ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering I want to welcome Father Christopher Angermeyer to St. Mark as Parochial Vicar. As many of you know, Father was ordained in June. After completing his undergraduate studies at Belmont Abbey and St. Joseph College Seminary. He completed his theological studies and priestly formation at Mount St. Mary’s in Cincinnati. His home parish was St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlotte. We are happy to have Father Angermeyer with us. I know you will do your part to make him feel welcomed here at St. Mark. I will be away for the next couple of weeks on pilgrimage with a group of seminarians and faithful. Please know that the parish will be in my prayers, and I take all of your intentions with me to the Shrine of Our Lady.

From the Pastor - 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 7, 2025
In today’s Gospel passage, from Luke, we find our Lord appointing disciples to go out and prepare others to receive His invitation into the Kingdom of God. Every verse has something to say about the way a Christian steward should approach others. Let’s consider at least one of the coaching tips Christ gives. “The Lord appointed seventy-two others whom He sent out ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place He intended to visit.” In His wisdom, Christ sent His disciples out not as individuals but in pairs, as teams. This approach to evangelization certainly provided practical advantages. The disciples could lean on each other for mutual support and encouragement, helping each other to stay on task and to put their heads together to pray and problem-solve. This teamwork approach is just as relevant to us modern-day Christian stewards. It takes courage and commitment to go out and invite others into the Christian life. We need to work together to do it well. But there is also symbolic importance to working in teams. It points to the reality that when we invite others to embrace the Good News of the Gospel, we are not merely inviting them into a belief system, but into a relationship with Christ and through that relationship, into Christ’s family — our fellow Christian disciples near and far. Our parish is our immediate spiritual family in this extended worldwide fold. We are not meant to live as isolated individuals within the parish any more than we are meant to live in isolation within our families. We are meant to be a community. That is why it is so important for us to foster a vibrant, supportive, welcoming parish life. This is why we emphasize hospitality as one of the pillars of stewardship. It is not enough just to point others to Christ; we must invite them to join us in community with Him; we must offer a place and mission for them in the Church and within our parish family. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering As you know, during the last weekend of May (5/31-6/1), we had our final push for our Growing Home Campaign. I wanted to give everyone a final update as we conclude our fundraising period. During that weekend’s presentation, I asked everyone to help us close the $325,000 gap to meet our $9.7 M goal. As we close this portion of the campaign, I am happy to report that we have reached $10.5 million in pledges and gifts, exceeding our goal by $800,000! I am continuously amazed by the giving spirit that pervades our parish. Your generosity is a tangible expression of your commitment to our amazing parish. The funds raised over the goal and any funds raised going forward will help us to address the ever-increasing cost of construction and reduce the loan amount that will be required to complete the overall project. As noted earlier this year, the Rectory project has started and is projected to take about 12 months to complete. Our hope and plan is to break ground on the Monsignor Bellow Center and Adoration Chapel next summer or early Fall. Words alone never seem adequate to express the gratitude that I have in my heart for all of you who have participated in and supported this monumental effort. Both the financial support and the support with time and talent have been tremendous and for that, I want to offer a heartfelt “THANK YOU!”. May God bless each of you for your generosity in helping us grow our home here at St. Mark.
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