From the Pastor - 1st Sunday in Lent

February 16, 2024

Today's readings remind us why we partake in this 40-day Lenten journey — to prepare our hearts for the resurrection of Christ on Easter.


St. Peter reminds us in our Second Reading of the blessings we receive from Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection — “Christ suffered for sins once… that he might lead you to God.” And again, “[Baptism] is… an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”


To receive the blessings more readily from Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, we too are called to endure 40 days “in the desert.” In our Gospel, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert where He was tempted by Satan. Jesus was called to face trials and to confront evil. During this time, He committed to intense prayer and fasting. It was not necessary for Jesus to go into the desert so that He might be purified, but rather, to endure the temptations of man for our sake. He was fully man, and experienced temptations just like us, yet responded to them perfectly, never falling into sin.


We should strive to fully participate in this Lenten season by mirroring Jesus, the model steward by Whom we are called to imitate. Through our time in the desert, we will confront evil by weeding out the roots of sin in our lives through fasting. And we will be sustained and nourished in the desert by prayer.


Let us strive to purify our hearts so that we might be ready to receive the glorious gift of Christ and partake in the riches that pour forth from this Gift. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2024

 

Pastoral Pondering

During my time here at the parish, I have had a few occasions when I was asked my opinion of or to give permission for various readings and devotions related to the Servant of God, Maria Piccarreta and devotion to the Divine Will. To be transparent, I have long had concerns about this devotion and have generally discouraged folks from following it and have resisted requests to allow groups to be associated with the parish.


With this in mind, a 2022 communication from the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to the president of the French Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Benoit Bertrand, is helpful and puts into words some of my own misgivings about this particular devotion and Luisa’s writing. This information is taken from a daily publication from Pillarcatholic.com, Starting Seven: February 2, 2024:


  • “I have the duty to inform you that after a detailed and in-depth examination of them, this dicastery — without prejudging the exemplary conduct of the life and exercise of the virtues of the Servant of God — concluded that it was not possible to grant the nihil obstat for the continuation of the cause of beatification and canonization,” he wrote.


The cardinal described the cause as being “on hold,” due to theological, Christological, and anthropological issues in her writings:

  • “Theological: the conception of the Divine Will proposed by the Servant of God is too rigid, mechanical, and obsessive, and seems not to leave Man the possibility of exercising his free will.”
  • “Christological: the doctrine of reparation and victim spirituality developed by the Servant of God does not integrate the primacy of the merciful, unmerited, and unconditional love of God, and risks canceling or at least relativizing the free and gratuitous offering of the Redeemer.”
  • “Anthropological: this same spirituality is marked by a deep pessimism about human nature. There is little or no reference to the Resurrection of Christ, Christian hope, sanctifying grace, the goodness of creation, and ecclesial communion.”


In a Jan. 24, 2024, letter to French bishops, Bishop Bertrand noted that Piccarreta’s writings were spreading in several dioceses.

  • Her spirituality, he said, must “be presented in the perspective of the mystery of glory and merciful love, to avoid heterodox and misleading interpretations of the Christian message.”


‘Confusion and division’ A day after Bertrand wrote his letter, Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taick issued a decree banning a group inspired by Piccarreta’s spirituality in his Seoul archdiocese.


He withdrew permission for the God’s Will Spiritual Research Society to hold meetings and revoked a license to publish more than 10 volumes, including Piccarreta’s “The Book of Heaven.”

  • He said: “In the current situation of the Church in Korea, where private revelation is spreading indiscriminately, it is very likely that it will spread false piety among the faithful, and cause confusion and division within the Church.”


UCA News noted that the Korean bishops’ doctrine committee expressed concerns about Piccarreta’s writings in 2023, urging priests and lay people to distance themselves from the group promoting her works.


When dealing with any case of Private revelation in the Church, one must always evaluate such phenomenon and writing with the Church’s Public revelation. This involves Scripture and Tradition both of which provide the foundation for the magisterium of the Church. Thankfully, we have access to the Church’s magisterial authority to guide us and keep us within the proper bounds on matters of faith and doctrine.

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.