From the Pastor - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 29, 2025
Today’s readings remind us of a chief virtue that characterizes the Christian steward: humility. This is a virtue that is widely thought of as a form of self-abasement. That understanding, however, is off the mark. Humility is simply the awareness of who (and Whose) we truly are.
On one hand, we are children of the Most High God who loved us into existence and who, by virtue of our Baptism, have the Holy Trinity dwelling within us. On the other hand, we are children who are completely dependent on God for our existence and for every breath we take.
Our Lord speaks of true humility in our Gospel passage from Luke, telling the parable of the guests invited to a wedding banquet and instructing us not to seek a place of honor at the banquet table, lest a more distinguished guest arrives and we are asked to move to a lower place.
Jesus has much more in mind here than an etiquette lesson. He is reminding us that all glory belongs to God. The visual image He offers in having to slink down to a lower seat at the table points out how silly we are when we forget to give God the credit for our blessings and talents.
On the other hand, when we live in humility — recognizing that all we have is a gift from God and using those gifts to serve Him and others — then God “exalts” us by filling us with even more of Himself and His grace.
Jesus goes on to encourage us to serve and share our blessings with people facing circumstances that would make it impossible for them to offer us any worldly advantage or prestige — “the poor, the crippled, the lame.”
Our attitude and how we serve and share should be centered on true humility — recognizing that we are all “little” ones in the eyes of God. We are all His children; brothers and sisters invited to our Father’s heavenly banquet. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025
Pastoral Pondering
In the last couple of weeks, I have heard various news stories regarding a push to legalize marijuana nationally. I thought, in light of that, it might be helpful to review Catholic teaching. In Catholic thought, the morality of marijuana use is evaluated through the lens of natural law, Church teaching, and principles of human dignity, reason, and stewardship of the body. While the Catholic Church does not have an explicit, definitive teaching on recreational marijuana use, its moral framework provides guidance based on related principles, particularly from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) and papal statements.
Key Principles:
- Respect for Human Dignity and the Body: The Church teaches that the human body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and must be cared for responsibly. Actions that impair the body or mind without sufficient reason are considered morally problematic (CCC 2288-2291).
- Use of Substances and Reason: The Catechism addresses the use of drugs, stating: “The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense” (CCC 2291). This suggests that recreational use of substances like marijuana, which can impair reason, judgment, and health, is generally viewed as morally wrong unless justified by medical necessity.
- Moderation and Prudence: Catholic moral theology emphasizes the virtue of temperance, which governs the use of pleasurable things. Any substance use that leads to loss of self-control or addiction is contrary to this virtue.
- Intention and Context: The morality of an act depends on its object, intention, and circumstances (CCC 1750-1756). Using marijuana for medical purposes, under professional guidance and with legal approval, may be permissible if it alleviates serious suffering and does not lead to abuse. Recreational use, however, is often seen as problematic because it typically seeks intoxication or escape, which can undermine human flourishing.
- Obedience to Just Laws: Catholics are called to respect legitimate civil authority (CCC 2238-2243). If marijuana use is illegal in a given jurisdiction, using it recreationally would generally be considered sinful, as it violates just laws meant to protect the common good. Where marijuana is legal, the moral question shifts to its effects on health, reason, and responsibility.
Application to Marijuana:
- Medical Use: If marijuana is prescribed by a competent medical authority for a serious condition (e.g., chronic pain, epilepsy), its use could be morally permissible, provided it is used responsibly and does not lead to dependency or impairment that harms one’s duties to God, self, or others.
- Recreational Use: Recreational marijuana use is generally viewed as morally problematic in Catholic thought, especially if it impairs reason, leads to addiction, or harms physical or mental health. The Church’s emphasis on sobriety and the proper use of human faculties suggests that using marijuana to achieve intoxication or euphoria is contrary to human dignity.
- Cultural and Social Considerations: Some Catholic theologians note that moderate use in a legal, controlled context (e.g., akin to moderate alcohol consumption) might not always constitute a grave sin, depending on the circumstances. However, the potential for abuse, addiction, and harm to self or others makes recreational use a serious moral concern.
Papal and Magisterial Guidance:
- Pope Francis has spoken against the legalization of recreational drugs, including marijuana, stating in 2014: “Drug addiction is an evil, and with evil there can be no yielding or compromise.” He emphasized the harm of drugs to individuals and society, particularly youth.
- The Catechism’s broad condemnation of non-therapeutic drug use (CCC 2291) is often interpreted to include recreational marijuana, though it does not explicitly name it.
Practical Considerations:
- Discernment: Catholics are encouraged to discern their intentions and the effects of marijuana use. If it leads to escapism, neglect of responsibilities, or harm to relationships, it would be considered sinful.
- Addiction Risk: Marijuana’s potential for dependency raises concerns, as addiction undermines freedom and responsibility.
- Social Justice: The Church also considers the societal impact, such as the exploitation in the drug trade or the normalization of substance use in ways that harm vulnerable populations.
Conclusion:
In Catholic moral theology, marijuana use is permissible only for legitimate medical purposes under strict conditions. Recreational use is generally considered immoral due to its potential to impair reason, harm health, and violate the virtue of temperance. Catholics are called to exercise prudence, respect civil laws, and prioritize their responsibilities to God and others. For specific guidance, consultation with a priest or moral theologian is recommended, as individual circumstances can influence moral judgments.
From the Pastor
This reflection pertains to the regular readings for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. We have been given so many gifts and blessings by our Heavenly Father. Yet, in our fallen state it is all too easy to take them for granted. Our readings today teach us that we must live with an intentional awareness of our many blessings and use them gratefully to glorify God. In our Gospel passage from Matthew, Jesus uses the image of a vineyard to teach the importance of using our blessings well. He tells the story of a landowner who plants a vineyard and leases it to tenants before he goes on a journey. Instead of tending the vineyard, the tenants mistreat the servants in the vineyard and even the son of the landowner, whom they kill. When the landowner realizes what the tenants have done, he puts them to death and leases his vineyard to tenants who “will give him the produce at the proper times.” By Baptism, we have received the gift of salvation and membership in the Kingdom of God — we are now “tenants” called to work in the “vineyard” and produce fruit for its owner, our Heavenly Father. Jesus makes it clear that if we squander the gift of salvation, we will lose it. It is a sobering truth. So, let us use our intellect to think on these gifts throughout the day and resolve to use all our gifts for God’s glory. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026 Pastoral Pondering Why St. Francis still matters to the Church On October 4 the Church honors St. Francis of Assisi, one of the most beloved and most demanding saints in our history. He is not merely a garden statue or a gentle friend of animals. Francis is a living reminder of what the Gospel looks like when it is taken at its word. Born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone around 1181 in Assisi, he was the son of a wealthy cloth merchant. After a brief taste of knighthood and a season of pleasure, he heard Christ speak from the crucifix of San Damiano: “Francis, go and rebuild my house, which, as you see, is falling into ruin.” He took those words first as a command to repair a crumbling chapel. The Lord meant something larger: the renewal of the Church herself. What Francis restored in the Church Poverty as freedom. Francis stripped himself of inheritance, status, and even the clothes on his back. He called Lady Poverty his bride. That was not a romantic gesture. It was a protest against a Church and a society grown comfortable. Every generation of Catholics needs that protest. When we confuse the Gospel with respectability, Francis stands at the door of the Church and asks whether we still believe that Christ is enough. The crucified Christ at the center. In 1224, two years before his death, Francis received the stigmata on Mount La Verna—the wounds of Christ marked in his own flesh. The Church has always taught that holiness is configuration to Jesus crucified and risen. Francis made that teaching visible. He did not invent devotion to the Passion; he embodied it so completely that the Church could not look away. A family of religious life. From one poor man came the Friars Minor, the Poor Clares with St. Clare, and the Secular Franciscans for men and women living in the world. That threefold family still serves the Church on every continent: preaching, serving the poor, praying, and keeping the memory of the Gospel simple. When we speak of “Franciscan” today—whether a friar, a sister, or a parishioner in the Secular Order—we are naming a way of belonging to Christ that the Church has never outgrown. Creation as gift, not possession. The Canticle of the Creatures—“Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth”—is not nature poetry. It is theology. Francis saw every creature as a brother or sister because all things come from the same Father. Pope Francis took that insight into Laudato Si’. Care for our common home is not an optional hobby for Catholics. It is part of the same conversion that led Francis to kiss the leper and to call the wolf of Gubbio his brother. Peace that costs something. In 1219 Francis crossed battle lines during the Fifth Crusade and stood before Sultan al-Kamil. He did not win a treaty. He witnessed to a Lord who is Peace. The Church still needs disciples willing to speak of Christ without hatred and without watering Him down. Francis did both. Why this matters here St. Francis matters to the life of the Church because he keeps returning us to the essentials: Christ poor and crucified, the Church always in need of reform, the poor as our brothers and sisters, creation as a hymn of praise, and joy that does not depend on having more. He is not a saint for specialists. He is a saint for anyone who has grown tired of a faith that costs nothing. As we keep his memorial, I invite you to do one Franciscan thing that is within reach: give something away that you do not need; speak peace where there is friction in your home; spend a few minutes outdoors thanking God for what you did not make; or pray before the crucifix and ask, as Francis did, to know Jesus and to make Him known. The little poor man of Assisi still rebuilds the Church—one converted heart at a time. May he rebuild ours.
This reflection pertains to the regular readings for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. We have been given so many gifts and blessings by our Heavenly Father. Yet, in our fallen state it is all too easy to take them for granted. Our readings today teach us that we must live with an intentional awareness of our many blessings and use them gratefully to glorify God. In our Gospel passage from Matthew, Jesus uses the image of a vineyard to teach the importance of using our blessings well. He tells the story of a landowner who plants a vineyard and leases it to tenants before he goes on a journey. Instead of tending the vineyard, the tenants mistreat the servants in the vineyard and even the son of the landowner, whom they kill. When the landowner realizes what the tenants have done, he puts them to death and leases his vineyard to tenants who “will give him the produce at the proper times.” By Baptism, we have received the gift of salvation and membership in the Kingdom of God — we are now “tenants” called to work in the “vineyard” and produce fruit for its owner, our Heavenly Father. Jesus makes it clear that if we squander the gift of salvation, we will lose it. It is a sobering truth. So, let us use our intellect to think on these gifts throughout the day and resolve to use all our gifts for God’s glory. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026 Pastoral Pondering Why St. Francis still matters to the Church On October 4 the Church honors St. Francis of Assisi, one of the most beloved and most demanding saints in our history. He is not merely a garden statue or a gentle friend of animals. Francis is a living reminder of what the Gospel looks like when it is taken at its word. Born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone around 1181 in Assisi, he was the son of a wealthy cloth merchant. After a brief taste of knighthood and a season of pleasure, he heard Christ speak from the crucifix of San Damiano: “Francis, go and rebuild my house, which, as you see, is falling into ruin.” He took those words first as a command to repair a crumbling chapel. The Lord meant something larger: the renewal of the Church herself. What Francis restored in the Church Poverty as freedom. Francis stripped himself of inheritance, status, and even the clothes on his back. He called Lady Poverty his bride. That was not a romantic gesture. It was a protest against a Church and a society grown comfortable. Every generation of Catholics needs that protest. When we confuse the Gospel with respectability, Francis stands at the door of the Church and asks whether we still believe that Christ is enough. The crucified Christ at the center. In 1224, two years before his death, Francis received the stigmata on Mount La Verna—the wounds of Christ marked in his own flesh. The Church has always taught that holiness is configuration to Jesus crucified and risen. Francis made that teaching visible. He did not invent devotion to the Passion; he embodied it so completely that the Church could not look away. A family of religious life. From one poor man came the Friars Minor, the Poor Clares with St. Clare, and the Secular Franciscans for men and women living in the world. That threefold family still serves the Church on every continent: preaching, serving the poor, praying, and keeping the memory of the Gospel simple. When we speak of “Franciscan” today—whether a friar, a sister, or a parishioner in the Secular Order—we are naming a way of belonging to Christ that the Church has never outgrown. Creation as gift, not possession. The Canticle of the Creatures—“Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Mother Earth”—is not nature poetry. It is theology. Francis saw every creature as a brother or sister because all things come from the same Father. Pope Francis took that insight into Laudato Si’. Care for our common home is not an optional hobby for Catholics. It is part of the same conversion that led Francis to kiss the leper and to call the wolf of Gubbio his brother. Peace that costs something. In 1219 Francis crossed battle lines during the Fifth Crusade and stood before Sultan al-Kamil. He did not win a treaty. He witnessed to a Lord who is Peace. The Church still needs disciples willing to speak of Christ without hatred and without watering Him down. Francis did both. Why this matters here St. Francis matters to the life of the Church because he keeps returning us to the essentials: Christ poor and crucified, the Church always in need of reform, the poor as our brothers and sisters, creation as a hymn of praise, and joy that does not depend on having more. He is not a saint for specialists. He is a saint for anyone who has grown tired of a faith that costs nothing. As we keep his memorial, I invite you to do one Franciscan thing that is within reach: give something away that you do not need; speak peace where there is friction in your home; spend a few minutes outdoors thanking God for what you did not make; or pray before the crucifix and ask, as Francis did, to know Jesus and to make Him known. The little poor man of Assisi still rebuilds the Church—one converted heart at a time. May he rebuild ours.