From the Pastor - 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 29, 2023

As Christian stewards we are called to a high and holy standard — living as Christ’s disciples every day and with every person the Lord places in our path. But we can move towards this goal in “baby steps.”


Jesus demonstrates this comforting truth through the parable He tells in today’s Gospel from Matthew. It is the story of two sons whose father instructs them to go out and work in his vineyard that day. While the second son agrees to his father’s request, he does not follow through — he fails to obey the father’s will. The first son tells his father, “no.” At least he is honest! And in the end, he reconsiders and obeys his father.


The first son’s honest, less-than-perfect response is consoling to us Christian stewards. Haven’t we all felt this way at times when God’s will for us seems to be just too hard? 


We can be honest with God at these times. He knows our thoughts already, after all. But when we stayed engaged in a real relationship with Him, even if it’s just to say, “I don’t think I can, Lord,” He will supply us with just the grace we need to change our minds and do what He is asking us to do.


We can even take a step backward from time to time because our Father is merciful and kind. What matters is that we keep baby stepping along, assured of the grace we need to imitate the actions and attitudes of Christ more closely. This is the beauty of the stewardship way of life. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2023.


Pastoral Pondering

I want to thank the deacons for providing opportunities for prayer and worship this week as we priests are on our annual retreat with the Bishop. Keep them in your prayers as well as they prepare for their annual retreat later this month.


A couple of weeks back I wrote about the various prophecies concerning the Warning and the Three Days of Darkness. A few folks have asked me to follow up with some further information and clarification. The first thing that needs to be said is that these events arise from private revelation. Public revelation ended with the death of the last apostle, St. John. Private revelations are defined by the Catechism of the Catholic Church as follows: Revelations made in the course of history which do not add to or form part of the deposit of faith, but rather may help people live out their faith more fully. Some of these private revelations have been recognized by the authority of the Church, which cannot accept so-called “revelations of faith” that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of Christ confided to his Church.


Certainly, some of these, especially those connected with Marian apparitions such as Lourdes and Fatima, have been declared “worthy of belief” by Church authority, but they are not binding on the faithful in terms of adherence or belief.


So, what about our current topic? Due to social media, just about anything can be presented as the Gospel truth. So, we must always be skeptical and prudent in evaluating prophecies and extraordinary teaching. We are not called to be “chasers” of supernatural miracles and prophetic utterances. We experience a miracle every time we go to Mass. Nonetheless, some of these private revelations can be beneficial and helpful to our spiritual growth and development. We just have to be discerning in making sure that any of these that we encounter “check out” in terms of their harmony with the Teachings of the Church.


With all that being said, there is no official Church teaching regarding the veracity of these claims. What we can say unequivocally is that we know, according to Scripture, that the Lord will indeed come again to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire. This phrasing is the traditional conclusion of blessings but is rooted in the Creed and various passages from the Bible (see Acts 10:42; 2 Tim. 4:1; and 1 Pet. 4:5). We also know that Jesus reminds us that we are to always be ready because He will come like a thief in the night (Mt. 24:43; see also 1 Thes. 5).


Part of these particular prophecies note that the only light that will be available is from the light of blessed candles, and I’ve been asked whether or not folks should obtain these. Regardless of the veracity of the prophecies of the warning that the days of darkness, having blessed sacramentals in the house is never a bad thing. Burning a blessed candle has an impact on demons, so it’s never a bad idea to have a few on hand. General preparedness from the unexpected is a good idea as well. As COVID showed us, one never knows when there will be a shortage of water, food staples, or even toilet paper!


Catholic Church. (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd Ed., p. 895). United States Catholic Conference.

 

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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