From the Pastor - Feast of the Holy Family

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.


From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Third Sunday of Easter

By John Putnam • April 17, 2026
Today’s readings focus on a theme of “sojourning.” As Christian stewards, we know our lives are a sojourn toward the ultimate destination of heaven. Our Gospel passage today describes the sojourn of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. The two are dejected and despondent after Jesus’ death. They knew Jesus personally. They had heard the Gospel message directly from His lips. They heard the testimony of the women who discovered our Lord’s empty tomb and saw a vision of angels announcing He was alive. They had been informed by other disciples who went to the tomb that all was exactly as the women reported. How much more obvious could the Good News be? And yet, at times, the reaction of the two disciples describes our own stewardship journey, doesn’t it? We have the fullness of the Catholic faith, the power of the sacraments, and the support of our parish family. Yet, we often lose our way. We fail to see all the gifts we have been given. We lack trust in the perfect goodness and almighty power of God. But notice what happens to the two men when their eyes are opened once again, and they recognize Jesus in the Eucharist — the “breaking of the bread.” They are transformed! Their hearts are set on fire with love for the Lord and for their faith. They recall that their hearts began “burning within” as the Lord was explaining the Scriptures to them. When we find we have lost our way, we can go to the same sources as the two disciples on the road to Emmaus — the Scriptures and the Eucharist. In this Easter season, resolve to feast deeply on these two sources of grace. They are the fuel that will propel us on our journey toward heaven. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026 Pastoral Pondering Returning to a review of Catholic teaching basics, as we move into Spring, we often see an increase in the number of weddings requested. Sadly, it is not uncommon these days to find couples choosing to live together prior to their marriage. Hence, I thought it would be a good idea to lay out the Church’s teaching on this matter in a concise way. Living Together Before Marriage: A Catholic Perspective From the Catholic Church’s teaching, living together (cohabitation) before marriage is morally wrong, primarily because it typically involves fornication —sexual relations outside of marriage—which is gravely sinful (CCC 2353). Human sexuality is a sacred gift ordered by God to the unitive and procreative purposes of marriage alone. Sexual intimacy outside marriage cannot express the total, faithful, and permanent self-giving that spouses vow in the sacrament. Instead, it says with the body what is not yet true in commitment: “I give myself to you completely and forever.” This makes the act a contradiction, contrary to the dignity of persons and God’s plan for love (see CCC 2391; USCCB resources on marriage preparation). Cohabitation also: Creates a near occasion of sin , placing the couple in a situation that strongly tempts them toward grave immorality. Gives scandal , leading others—especially the young—to doubt or dismiss the Church’s teaching on chastity and the sacredness of marriage. Treats marriage as a “trial” rather than the definitive covenant it is meant to be. True love “demands a total and definitive gift of persons to one another” and cannot be an arrangement “until further notice.” Additionally, studies cited by Catholic sources show that couples who cohabit before marriage face higher risks of divorce, instability, and weaker commitment compared to those who do not. The Church calls engaged couples to practice chastity in continence during preparation for marriage—an “apprenticeship in fidelity” that builds mutual respect and prepares them to receive the grace of the sacrament (CCC 2350). Priests, deacons and pastoral ministers accompany cohabiting couples with mercy and truth, encouraging them to live separately or chastely while preparing for a valid sacramental marriage. In a culture that often views cohabitation as practical or normal, the Church invites couples to witness the beauty of God’s design: chastity before marriage, followed by a joyful, lifelong union blessed by the sacrament. For more, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church (esp. 2331–2400).

From the Pastor - Divine Mercy Sunday

By John Putnam • April 10, 2026
The great feast of Easter has begun, Christian stewards. Let us rejoice and be glad! Just as we embraced the discipline and fasting of Lent, let us fully embrace the joy and feasting that the next 50 days offer. We are called to be good stewards of the Easter season. Our first reading, from Acts, gives instruction on how to do this. Here, St. Peter says that our Lord, “commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead… that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.” How do we ordinary people preach and testify to all God has done? We do so through how we live our ordinary lives — through the intentional use of our time, talent, and treasure for the kingdom of God. Putting God and others ahead of ourselves in every aspect of our lives is the most eloquent preaching we can do. Boldly and joyfully embracing a stewardship way of life is our most powerful testimony. As Christian stewards, we are the modern-day witnesses of an incredible miracle prompted by unfathomable love — the death and Resurrection of our Savior for us. Let us rejoice and be glad and let’s make sure our lives are a testimony to this amazing grace! © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026  HAPPY EASTER!