From the Pastor - Trinity Sunday

June 2, 2023

Today we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that the Holy Trinity is the “central mystery of the Christian faith.” (261). The concept of the Triune God — Three Persons in one God — is truly a mystery, almost too lofty for us ordinary people to even begin to grasp. Can the truth of the Holy Trinity teach us anything as everyday Christian stewards? Actually, yes!


St. John Paul II described the Holy Trinity as a “Divine Family,” a community of Persons Who gives themselves completely to each other and Who wishes to share Itself, Its life, with us. These concepts are at the very heart of the stewardship way of life. As stewards, we too, are called to share ourselves and our lives with others.


Our Gospel passage from John reminds us that the stewardship way of life is nothing more and nothing less than the imitation of our Most Holy Trinity. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes might not perish but might have eternal life.” He gave Himself, in the person of His Son, for the love of us. We must love this God back now by giving ourselves, our lives, to Him.


Amazingly, the more we give of ourselves to God in love, the more we will find the “grace of the Lord, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit within us.” The God of the universe — this mysterious, Triune God — invites us to an ever-deepening intimacy with Him when we make our lives a loving gift to Him and to others through the stewardship way of life. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2023

 

Pastoral Pondering

I first want to offer congratulations to our seven seminarians who were just ordained to the diaconate. Each of them brings his own gifts and talents to his diaconal ministry and, God-willing, to the priestly ministry next year. As a priest who has worked for many years in vocation work, it always brings me joy to see the fruit of the labor. Please pray for each of them as he begins his service to the Diocese and to the various parishes where each will serve during this summer.


I also want to officially welcome Manuel Mora who began full-time with us this past week as the Director of Sacred Music. Manny has already been helping us with various things over the past couple of months, but I am excited that he is now with us full-time.

Additionally, I want to thank Danilo Formolo who has been serving as our interim director. Danilo, since Advent, has gone above and beyond to ensure that our music program here at St. Mark did not suffer. He has given himself selflessly despite having a full-time job and family responsibilities outside of St. Mark. The period between Advent and the end of May are some of the busiest times in the parish. Danilo took it all in stride and kept things going. I am pleased that he will continue to be a part of our music program moving forward.



Finally, Rebekah Martinez has agreed to take on the lead role for our contemporary music for the 5 pm Mass on Sunday. Rebekah has grown up in the parish and is presently a student at UNC Charlotte. She has already been serving as one of our choral scholars, and now will offer her musical talents and gifts in this role. I want to thank Fernando De Urquidi who stepped in after Ben Torres stepped down from the leadership role at the beginning of the year. He has a heart for worship and music, and I am truly grateful for his wiliness to assist.

From the Pastor

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.
By John Putnam June 27, 2025
During June, we have celebrated key moments in the life of the Church — Pentecost, the Most Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi — culminating today with the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Though very different men, they are united in faith, mission, and martyrdom, and the Church has honored them together since the third century. St. Peter, the first Pope, was chosen by Christ as the rock on which the Church would be built. The Catechism tells us that because of the faith he professed, Peter remains the “unshakeable rock of the Church.” Despite his human weaknesses, Peter's loyalty, repentance, and leadership make him a powerful model of stewardship. St. Paul, once a persecutor of Christians, became one of the Church’s greatest evangelists. In today’s second reading, Paul reflects on his mission, saying, “I have finished the race… the crown of righteousness awaits me.” The Greek word he used for “crown” — stephanos — refers to a victor’s crown, not a royal one, showing his view of faith as a race well-run for the sake of Christ. Though they were martyred separately, tradition holds that Peter and Paul were in Rome at the same time, and their shared witness and sacrifice tie them closely together in Church history. They embody two vital aspects of stewardship — Peter in his faith and leadership, and Paul in his zeal and wisdom. As stewards, we are called to follow their example — to build the Church through our commitment, to overcome our failures through God’s mercy, and to proclaim the Gospel with courage. Like Peter and Paul, we are invited to give all we have for the sake of Christ and His Church. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering  This Solemnity marks the beginning of summer vacation in Rome. The Holy Father will be traveling to Castelgandolfo for some time away from the heat of Rome. For the rest of us, the weeks of summer are in full swing, and as we move into July this week, I hope that families have an opportunity to spend some time in rest and relaxation. Spending time with family, friends, and the Lord, are among the best things that we can do with our “down time”. Leisure is essential to a well-lived life, but it has to be understood properly in the context of the Christian life. Anthony Esolen’s Leisure: The Basis of Culture is a contemporary reflection and expansion on the classic work of the same name by Josef Pieper. Esolen argues that modern society has lost its understanding of true leisure, mistaking it for mere idleness or entertainment. In contrast, he defines leisure as a contemplative, receptive state that allows individuals to encounter truth, beauty, and God. True leisure, according to the author, distinguishes leisure from passive consumption or busyness. True leisure is rooted in wonder, worship and reflection – activities that are ends in themselves, not means to productivity. He critiques how modern life has turned all human activity into something utilitarian. Education, art and even religion are often reduced to tools for social mobility or economic growth, rather than pursued for their intrinsic value. Esolen emphasizes that leisure finds its highest expression in worship and liturgy. Time spent in contemplation of the divine is the deepest form of leisure, because it directs the soul toward eternal realities. He draws on classical and Christian sources to affirm that man is not simply a worker or consumer but is made for contemplation and communion. In the end, he calls for a return to genuine leisure as the only path to restoring culture, education, and the dignity of the human spirit. The author argues that without true leisure, civilization cannot thrive, because it loses contact with what is eternal and meaningful. Leisure, rightly understood, is not a break from life – it is at the heart of what makes life worth living.
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