From the Pastor - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 1, 2023

Let’s be honest. If we are striving to live the stewardship way of life, it’s not going to be easy. Dying to self and living for Christ and others is tough. It’s the work of a lifetime. But in the end, it’s the only work that really matters and the only life that truly satisfies.

Our Gospel passage, from Matthew, reflects this challenging reality. Jesus tells His disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” This sounds harsh. Why would anyone want to do this?


Our Lord has the answer, of course. “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

It’s all about love. Jesus loved (and loves) us totally, giving us all of Himself on the Cross, in His Word, and in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist.


And so, we must choose — love of self, or love of God and others — which is tough, but fulfilling and leads to the eternal reward of heaven. Jesus promises that He “will come with his angels in his Father’s glory and then he will repay all according to his conduct.”

Let us make the tough choice to lose our life for Christ’s sake in grateful response to His love. Honestly, what better life could there be? © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2023


Pastoral Pondering

In trying to address topics related to the Eucharist, I thought it would be a good time to touch on marriage and the Eucharist; especially in dealing with irregular marriages that impact the reception of Communion and Penance.


First, it is important to affirm that marriage is a great good and is important to the life of the Church! This is not simply a Church teaching but one that is rooted in revealed Divine law both in Genesis 2:24 and by the Lord Jesus Himself in Matthew 19:6.

“Therefore, a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.”


Second, the Church, in being obedient to Christ, upholds marriage as a permanent, faithful and fruitful covenant relationship in which the spouses form a partnership of the whole of life (consortium totius vitae). As paragraph 1614 of the Catechism states:

“In his preaching Jesus unequivocally taught the original meaning of the union of man and woman as the Creator willed it from the beginning: permission given by Moses to divorce one’s wife was a concession to the hardness of hearts. The matrimonial union of man and woman is indissoluble: God himself has determined it: “what therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”

Considering this teaching, the Church has been clear that no authority on earth can break an indissoluble marriage. In our fallen world, this may seem unreasonable, but we do trust in the grace of the sacrament (which exists between a baptized man and a baptized woman). Spousal love is sacrificial love. For this reason, marriage is recognized as an earthly example of Christ’s love for His bride, the Church.


What then do we do when marriages fail? In many, if not most, places in the world today, couples have recourse to civil divorce, even though such recourse is not recognized by the supreme authority of the Church. In these cases, the situation and circumstances of everyone must be considered. For centuries and even now, the Church has recognized that situations arise when spouses, for any number of reasons, can no longer live together. They continue to be husband and wife, but without the common life that is normal for marriage. In a sense, this is analogous to the situation of those who have had recourse to civil divorce. Assuming that they remain in the state of grace, living separately and singly does not separate one from the sacramental life of the Church.


As sometimes happens, often out of a lack of understanding or knowledge, following a civil divorce it happens that some attempt a subsequent marital union. Turning back to the teaching of Jesus in Mark 10:11-12, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” The Catechism paragraph 1650 lays this out as follows:


[T]he Church maintains that a new union cannot be recognized as valid, if the first marriage was. If the divorced are remarried civilly, they find themselves in a situation that objectively contravenes God’s law. Consequently, they cannot receive Eucharistic communion as long as this situation persists. For the same reason, they cannot exercise certain ecclesial responsibilities. Reconciliation through the sacrament of Penance can be granted only to those who have repented for having violated the sign of the covenant and of fidelity to Christ, and who are committed to living in complete continence.


The Catechism goes on to make clear that, while full participation in the Church’s sacramental life may not be possible, the Church does not consider these individuals excommunicated. They are not separated from the Church and are called to participate in the Church’s life to the extent that they are able, including listening to God’s Word, attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and persevere in performing the spiritual and corporal works of mercy as well as bringing up their children in the Faith (See Familiaris Consortio, 84 & CCC, 1650).



Those who find themselves in this situation also have recourse to the Tribunals of the Church and can avail themselves of the various processes of examining whether the first union was indeed marriage as marriage is understood by the Church. In those cases where the evidence proves that not to be the case, the parties are then allowed to contract marriage anew. If you or someone you know needs the ministry of the Tribunal, please reach out to one of the priests or deacon

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Epiphany

By John Putnam • January 2, 2026
Today we celebrate the Epiphany — the manifestation of Christ to the world. The stewardship way of life is nothing other than a grateful response to God’s countless manifestations in our lives, and a commitment to make His love manifest to others through the sharing of our gifts. St. Paul reminds us in Ephesians that the grace given to him was “for your benefit.” Every gift we have received is meant to benefit others and give glory to God. The Magi show us how to live this out: Worship is their highest priority.They travel far, ask openly, and refuse to let anything stop them from honoring the newborn King. Is Sunday Mass the non-negotiable center of our week? 2. They are watchful. “We saw his star at its rising.” Good stewards stay alert to God’s presence and gifts in daily life. 3. They persevere through difficulty. Herod deceives, dangers threaten, yet God guides and protects them. Our stewardship journey will have twists, but God is faithful. 4. They are overjoyed True stewards radiate the deep, lasting joy that only comes from encountering Christ. 5. They prostrate and open their treasures. Overwhelmed with awe, they give totally of themselves and their gifts — the perfect act of worship. This year, let us rejoice in every manifestation of God in our lives, stay watchful for His star, and open our own treasures — our time, talent, and treasure — in generous gratitude to our King.  Come, let us adore Him — and then go and make Him known.

From the Pastor - Feast of the Holy Family

By John Putnam • December 30, 2025
Today, as we continue our celebration of the Christmas season, we focus our attention in a special way on the Holy Family. This is a great time to thank God for the gift of family life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the family as the “domestic church,” so today’s feast is also a fitting time to consider the importance of the virtue of hospitality — a fundamental aspect of the stewardship way of life — within the context of our domestic churches. Why is hospitality so important to a stewardship way of life, beginning with family life? Well, we can hardly expect our family members to pray together, study their faith, and serve others if we have a home where we are disconnected from each other or the atmosphere is stressful and tense. Of course there will be moments like this. But we must be intentional in creating homes where everyone feels cherished, accepted and important. We want our homes to be the place where we can get recharged and filled up to go out and bring love to everyone we encounter outside our home. Today’s first and second readings are full of practical wisdom on how to create an atmosphere of true hospitality within our homes. Our first reading, from the Book of Sirach, speaks of the blessings that will come when children give honor to their parents — both young children who respect the authority of their mothers and fathers, and adult children who lovingly care for older parents. These are the actions and attitudes that create an atmosphere of respect, tenderness and unity in the family; all key elements of hospitality. Our second reading, from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, gives still more specific instructions on fostering hospitality within our homes. Paul reminds us of our great dignity as “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved.” This applies to every member of the family, from youngest to oldest and all those in between. In the daily drudge of family life it is important to remember that each one of us is cherished by God. We are not just fathers, mothers, children, grandparents; we are all also brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul’s instruction to “put on” compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and forbearance towards each other is the best possible formula for family hospitality. Paul is reminding us that (especially in the messiness of family life) we won’t always feel the feelings of compassion, kindness, and so forth. What can we do? We can “put them on” — we can act in ways that a compassionate, kind, humble person would act. This will create a transformative atmosphere of hospitality within the home that will spill out in the family’s interactions with those outside the home. Of course, this is not easy to do. But we can turn to the Holy Family for help. Lest we think that the Holy Family is somehow unable to sympathize with our struggles, we see in our Gospel passage from Matthew that this Family was certainly not free from trials and stress; quite the contrary. The very life of the newborn Jesus was threatened by Herod’s extreme jealousy such that the family had to flee suddenly into a foreign land for protection until Herod’s death. Yet Mary and Joseph remained united and ever obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit for direction. Who better to turn to for help and inspiration for our own families? Happy feast day to all families living a stewardship way of life! © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering As we come to the end of the calendar year, it is popular to make resolutions for the New Year. Often these resolutions are short-lived and don’t come to much. Hence, I thought I would offer a Catholic take on New Year’s resolutions to offer some helps as we move into 2026. A good Catholic approach to New Year’s resolutions roots them in conversion of heart , growth in holiness , and cooperation with God’s grace , rather than mere self-improvement or willpower. Here’s how faithful Catholics typically frame them well: 1. Begin with Prayer and Discernment - Don’t just pick popular goals (lose weight, read more, save money). Spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament or during a holy hour asking: “Lord, what do You want to change in me this year? Where am I resisting Your grace?” - Consider making a short retreat (even one day) or going to Confession before January 1st to get a clear look at your soul. 2. Focus on the Theological Virtues and the Cardinal Virtues Instead of generic goals, resolve to grow in: -Faith→ Daily mental prayer (15–20 minutes), reading Scripture or the Catechism, attending an extra weekday Mass. -Hope→ Practicing gratitude, spiritual reading about heaven and the saints, trusting God in areas of anxiety. -Charity→ Concrete acts of mercy (visiting the lonely, tithing consistently, forgiving a specific person). -Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance→ Pick one capital sin you struggle with (e.g., gluttony, anger, sloth) and work on the opposing virtue. 3. Make Resolutions Small, Specific, and Sustainable. Catholics who succeed usually choose 1–3 concrete, measurable goals tied to grace: - Pray a decade of the Rosary every night before bed. - Go to Confession every month (or every two weeks). - Fast on bread and water every Friday (or give up snacks between meals). - Read 5–10 minutes of the lives of the saints daily. - Perform one hidden act of charity each day without telling anyone. 4. Attach Resolutions to the Liturgical Year Align goals with seasons instead of the secular calendar: - Advent → deeper prayer and detachment. - Lent → penance and almsgiving. - Easter → joy and evangelization. This keeps resolutions from being a one-time January push. 5. Use the Sacraments as the Engine, Not Willpower The best Catholic resolutions assume: - Frequent Confession (grace to overcome habitual sins). - Daily or at least Sunday Mass + (worthy Communion). - Regular spiritual direction or at least an accountability partner in the faith. 6. Embrace the “Do-Over” Mentality In Catholicism, every day (even every moment) is a new beginning. If you fail your resolution on January 3rd, you don’t wait until next year—you go to Confession and start again January 4th. This is the opposite of secular “all or nothing” thinking. 7. Classic Catholic Resolution Ideas (tried and loved for centuries) - Morning offering + 3 Hail Marys for purity every morning. - 15 minutes of mental prayer daily (Lectio Divina, Ignatian meditation, or simple “Jesus, I trust in You” repetition). - Monthly Confession and a personal rule of life. - Spiritual reading (10–15 min/day): Bible, Catechism, Introduction to the Devout Life, Story of a Soul, etc. - Friday penance (meat abstinence or another sacrifice) all year. - Daily examination of conscience at night (5 minutes). - One new devotion (First Saturdays, Sacred Heart enthronement, 54-day Rosary novena, etc.). 8. End with a Patron Saint for the Year A beautiful modern Catholic custom: On January 1st (or the feast of Mary, Mother of God), pray and randomly draw (or intentionally choose) a patron saint for the year. Ask his or her intercession for your resolutions. In short: A good Catholic New Year’s resolution isn’t about becoming a “better version of yourself.” It’s about becoming more like Christ, with the help of His grace and His Church, one small yes at a time.  “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet 1:16) is the only resolution that ultimately matters—and everything else flows from it.