From the Pastor - 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

February 11, 2022

Today’s readings speak of an essential quality for the Christian steward — hope. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1817).” In many ways, this is the very definition of a stewardship way of life — focusing on eternity as we live our daily lives and relying on God to provide for our needs and satisfy our deepest longings for meaning and happiness right now. 

In today’s Gospel from Luke, Jesus describes the true richness of life that is possible for those of us who are willing to live as his hope-filled disciples. We are all familiar with this passage in which Jesus reveals the Beatitudes: blessed are the poor; they have the kingdom of God. Blessed are those now hungry because they will be satisfied. Blessed are those who weep because they will laugh. Blessed are those who are hated, excluded, and insulted because they are disciples of Jesus; they will be greatly rewarded in heaven. Jesus is describing here the character of one who is living a life of hope – the life of a Christian steward whose trust is firmly rooted in God and who is focused on others and eternity. It is not always an easy life, but it is a deeply meaningful life and one that leads to eternal reward. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2022


Pastoral Pondering – I love the writing of G.K. Chesterton. The most recent issue of The Chesterton Review was dedicated to Father Stanley Jaki, a priest and physicist who was also devoted to GKC. In fact, he wrote a book entitled, Chesterton: Seer of Science in 1986. In reading some of the essays, I was moved to write a few reflections here in light of what we have all experienced since the beginning of 2020.


Over the course of the pandemic, if we have heard it once, we have heard it a thousand time, that we should “follow the science”. On the surface, of course, this is not bad advice; however, when examined a bit more critically and closely, such a slogan can become a form of idolatry. This can only be avoided when we actually follow a truly scientific way of thinking; meaning, not simply accepting things at face value and not being afraid to question particular conclusions in order to seek a deeper understanding of the truth by challenging, questioning, looking at other possibilities, and searching for a deeper awareness of reality. This is certainly what I was taught to do in my undergraduate studies in the natural sciences in biology.


This approach, historically, is rooted in a philosophical understanding of the world along with a true humility that recognizes that there is more going on around us than we can know or comprehend. In many respects this was Chesterton’s approach to life. GKC was certainly not a scientist by training. He was a writer, a journalist, and a philosopher. “Following the science” would have been offensive to Chesterton because he recognized the imperfect nature of the natural sciences and the danger of following the science devolving into scientism which basically argues that science is the only answer to reality.


With that in mind, the slogan, “follow the science” appears to demand that we suspend the use of critical inquiry when we need it the most, and in some arenas require not thinking but blind obedience to the will of those in power. If we truly want to follow the science, however, we must continue to question, test, and challenge because we recognize that science, as it presently exists, does not have all of the answers. True science is open to being proven wrong. In his book, Orthodoxy, Chesterton notes that “Complete self-confidence is not merely a sin. Complete self-confidence is a weakness.”


We have seen this play out in any number of ways in connection with the responses to COVID both here and throughout the world. As new studies and new information come out, many have asserted that the cure seems to be worse than the disease. While every level of society has been impacted in some way, it seems that our children have been especially burdened. The scientific data indicates that the childhood demographic is the least likely to spread or to have serious complications from COVID. Nonetheless, they are often the ones who suffer the most from masking, isolation (whether at home or being segregated due to vaccination status), on-line learning and the constant fear-mongering on much of mainstream and social media. The resulting fear and anxiety have proven to be far worse than the disease itself. We have a long way to go before all of the ramifications become apparent. One child who was playing outside while wearing a mask indicated that if he didn’t wear a mask, he might “kill grandma”. It is so very sad that those entrusted with leadership and the common good would spread such a message when it is simply not true. We all have friends and relatives who might be particularly susceptible to airborne pathogens. My own nephew, whom I love like a son, was born with cystic fibrosis. With that in mind, we all take special precautions on his behalf, but he is not living with constant fear and anxiety. He takes each day as a gift, does what he knows he needs to do to protect himself, and entrusts the rest to God’s providence.


When all of this began, none of us really knew what was ahead of us. As time has gone on, however, it has become apparent that COVID, like other viruses, is not going away. It is going to be something that we have to live with. Certainly, particular demographics with higher risks need to be especially careful and cautious, but with significant vaccinations and natural immunity, much of society is in a much better position to live with this new reality than we were back at the beginning. We have to realize that the promotion of fear and a “one size fits all” response to this disease is polarizing families, dividing communities and destroying civil society at large. It is wrong and we should do what we can to stop it.


First and foremost, we need to be people of faith who renounce the spirit of Fear that has been running rampant through society. We need to demand transparency from our elected and public health officials by having honest conversations about what has worked and what has failed. AND we need to trust that God is still in charge.


My favorite quote of St. Teresa of Avila, the Nada te turbe, is apropos here:


Let nothing disturb you,

Let nothing frighten you,

All things pass away:

God never changes.

Patience obtains all things.

He who has God

Finds he lacks nothing;

God alone suffices.


From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • October 3, 2025
Our readings today show us that living a stewardship way of life, that is, a life focused on serving God and His Kingdom, is not easy. They also show us that our lives belong to God, not to us, and that God will indeed bring about the fulfillment of His kingdom., We just need to have faith that He can do it and commit to our small part in His grand design. This is both our privilege and responsibility as Christian stewards. Jesus makes this privilege and responsibility clear in today’s Gospel passage from Luke. When the apostles as the Lord to increase their faith, He tells them that even a mustard-seed sized faith is all that is needed to move mountains (because it is God who does the heavy lifting). We need to only take the tiniest step forward, and He will do the rest. But living our lives in His service is also very much our responsibility, as Jesus explains through the parable of the unprofitable servant later in the passage. Our Lord describes a scene in which a servant has just come from tending to the master’s affairs and asks whether it would be reasonable for the master to begin waiting on the servant. Of course, it would not be reasonable! The servant would be expected to continue to serve his master until he has completed the work the master has given him that day. Jesus says that we should have the same attitude before God. The time, talents, and treasure entrusted to us are all God’s. Our very lives belong to Him. Whatever we do on God’s behalf with our lives and our gifts is simply our God-given responsibility. The stewardship way of life makes the privilege and responsibility of serving Christ and His kingdom a reality. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering  As we move into autumnal colors, with shorter days and cooling weather, the late weeks of the liturgical year always provide us with an opportunity to reflect on faith and life. It is also that time of the calendar year when we start thinking about those who are less fortunate among us. In the coming weeks, we have a number of efforts to assist the least of our brethren with life’s basic needs including the coat drive, thanksgiving food drive and the Christmas giving effort (formerly known as the Angel Tree ©). There are no shortage of demands placed on all of us these days, but the spiritual and corporal works of mercy remain the bedrock of our Catholic lives. Thank you in advance for responding with a generous heart.

From the Pastor - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • September 26, 2025
We have all been given great power by God in the form of Time, Talents, and Treasure. Today’s readings remind us that this power is meant to be used for great good. And that failure to do so has eternal consequences. We see the urgency for us to put our powers to good use in today’s Gospel passage from Luke. Our Lord tells the rather chilling parable of the rich man who ignored poor Lazarus during their lifetimes. At the moment of the rich man’s death, he goes down to the netherworld, while Lazarus is taken to the eternal joy and comfort in the bosom of Abraham. The rich man keenly regrets his indifference towards the needs of Lazarus, but it is too late for regret. His choices have played out, and now the rich man will face the consequences of his failure to use the gifts God gave him. Pursuit of God’s kingdom and care for the poor are not trifling matters. Our Lord makes this clear to us over and over in the Scriptures and the constant teachings of our 2,000-year-old Church. We are free to ignore these teachings and live instead for ourselves. But there will be tragic results for us in the end. And, because we are made for eternity, living selfishly on this earth doesn’t really bring us true happiness anyway. So how can we use our great powers for great good? By embracing stewardship way of life. By putting God first in all areas of our lives — in the way we spend our time, the ways we share our talents, the ways we give of our financial resources. Stewardship living calls us out of our comfort zone and into commitment to the Lord and the things that matter to Him. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering Even though this year is not a presidential or mid-term election, local elections are quite important, and we often don’t take them as seriously as we should. This year we have two parishioners running for office, Dan Boone is running for town council, and Bill Fountain is running for school board. To some these positions may seem insignificant, but it is at the local level that we, as Catholics, can have the greatest impact. I thought it might be helpful then to give a reminder of the duties of Catholics in political life. The Church teaches that lay Catholics bear primary responsibility for temporal affairs, including politics, as an extension of baptismal vocation (CCC 1913). Key duties include:  Forming Conscience : Study Church teachings to discern moral priorities; avoid reducing faith to single issues but prioritize intrinsic evils like abortion. Active Involvemen t: Vote informatively, run for office, join parties or advocacy groups, and dialogue with officials to apply Gospel values. Pope Francis stated, "A good Catholic meddles in politics," offering the best of oneself to help leaders govern justly. Non-Partisan Advocacy : The Church engages issues (e.g., life, family, peace) but avoids partisanship to focus on principles. Parishes can host voter education but not endorse candidates. For Public Officials : Catholic politicians must align actions with Church moral teachings; supporting grave evils like abortion risks scandal and cooperation in evil. Separation of church and state protects, rather than hinders, faith-based action in public life. Challenges and Encouragement In polarized environments, Catholics may feel disenfranchised, but the Church calls for renewed engagement to transform society incrementally toward justice. Resources like the USCCB's Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship (updated periodically) guide voters on applying Catholic Social Teaching. Ultimately, political action flows from love of neighbor, proving faith through works (James 2:14–17).