From the Pastor - 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 10, 2026

Today’s readings call us to tackle the challenging issues of fear and trust — two concepts that must be confronted and dealt with by all of us who wish to live the stewardship way of life.

The Lord knows that facing down our fears and choosing to trust Him with all areas of our lives is an ongoing challenge for us. He is generous with reassurances to us throughout the Scriptures. Today’s Gospel passage from Matthew is a case in point. In the span of eight verses, Jesus addresses the topic of fear four times.

•   “Fear no one.”
•   “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”
•   “Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body.”
•   “So do not be afraid.”

And the reassurance continues. “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted.” Notice that Jesus says, “your Father” in describing God’s intimate knowledge and tender care for each one of us. He is truly “Abba,” our Dad, Who knows us inside and out.

With that, let us all breathe a huge sigh of relief. All is well. Our Father knows us through and through, sent His Son to save us, and will always take care of us.

Let’s stop wasting any more time with fear. Instead, let’s put all our energy, all our time, our talents, and our treasure into trusting this great and loving God, using all that we are and all that He has given us to bring Him glory. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026.


Pastoral Pondering

In a discussion that I was having with some friends recently, the question arose why intercessory prayer was important because God knows everything. In other words, why bother if we can’t really change His mind. It was a good discussion, and I hope the following is a help if you have had that question as well.

The question assumes a kind of tension: if God already knows what He will do, why ask? But this frames prayer as if it were a negotiation with a reluctant bureaucrat. That misunderstands both God and prayer entirely. Hence, first point to be made is that the end on intercessory prayer is not to change God – it is to change us and to participate in Him.

1. God Works Through Secondary Causes — Including Your Prayer

God is the First Cause of all things, but He has chosen to govern the world through secondary causes — human acts, natural processes, and yes, prayer. The question is not why we pray if God is sovereign, but precisely because He is sovereign — and because He works out His sovereign will frequently through secondary causation.

In other words, your prayer is not competing with God's will. In many cases, it is part of God's will — the very instrument through which He has chosen to dispense certain graces.


St. Thomas Aquinas puts it plainly in the Summa Theologica: "God bestows many things on us out of His liberality, even without our asking for them: but that He wishes to bestow certain things on us at our asking, is for the sake of our good, namely, that we may acquire confidence in having recourse to God."

So some graces are reserved — held by God, waiting for the asking. It is a graced moment from God to be asked to pray for another — a sign of His love that He wants us to participate in His immense work of redemption, making some part of His plan dependent on our prayers.


2. Intercessory Prayer Is an Act of Love — a Spiritual Work of Mercy

There are many ways to love one's neighbor, but intercessory prayer — praying on behalf of other people — is one of the most powerful. Praying for the living and the dead is one of the Spiritual Works of Mercy.


Through intercessory prayer, we bring someone else's needs before God, trusting God to take care of others, whether they are loved ones, friends, enemies, or total strangers. This is love made active — a concrete participation in the life of the Body of Christ.


3. Prayer Invites Grace Without Violating Freedom

Prayer invites God's grace into a situation, which can influence hearts without compelling them. For example, praying for someone's conversion, as St. Monica did for St. Augustine, may lead to a change of heart over time. St. Monica prayed for decades, and her son — who became one of the greatest Doctors of the Church — was the fruit. God never violated Augustine's will. He opened doors. Grace moved. Augustine chose.


4. Scripture Shows God Responds to Intercession

The New Testament makes this viscerally concrete: we see the effectiveness of intercessory prayer in Acts, when King Herod had the Apostle James killed, then ordered Peter arrested under heavy guard — but "prayer by the church was fervently being made to God on his behalf," and God sent an angel to release Peter and lead him out of prison. The early Church prayed. Peter walked free.


5. The Deepest End: Union with God Himself

The Church teaches that prayer is not just a request for favors but a means of growing closer to God. Intercessory prayer, at its summit, is not primarily about outcomes. It is about conforming the soul to the heart of Christ, who is Himself the eternal Intercessor (cf. Hebrews 7:25). When one intercedes, one enters into the very priestly act of Jesus — standing before the Father on behalf of others.

Prayer becomes a way to participate in God's work, not to dictate it.


In Summary:

The end of intercessory prayer is not to bend God's arm — it is to:

  • Participate in the providential plan God has lovingly prepared
  • Exercise the spiritual authority granted to us as sons and daughters of God
  • Love our neighbor concretely through the most potent force available
  • Grow in humility and dependence on God as the Author of every good
  • Unite ourselves to Christ the eternal High Priest



The God who knows all things from eternity also knew — and willed — that your prayer would be part of the story. That is not a limitation of His omnipotence. It is a staggering expression of His love.


St. Monica prayed for seventeen years before her son knelt at the baptismal font. What if she had stopped at year sixteen — reasoning that God's will was already settled?

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.