From the Pastor – 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 3, 2018

From the Pastor – 22 nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

In today’s Gospel from Mark, Jesus instructs us in the best way we can honor Him, teaching us the meaning of true worship. Jesus reveals that the way we truly worship Him is by giving Him our hearts. We also learn in this Gospel passage what our Lord does not want — the pious lip service that the scribes and Pharisees offer.

But, how can we determine if we really are giving our hearts over to the Lord and not just paying Him lip service? We must examine our lives to see if they reflect a life lived out for Him. Stewardship gives us a concrete means to examine our lives in three fundamental areas — the use of our time, our talents, and our material gifts.

A stewardship way of life invites and challenges us to make specific commitments in each of these areas on a regular basis, giving us a practical means to commit to the Lord. How well we are keeping these commitments can give us a kind of measuring stick to see if we are growing closer to Him, or perhaps need to put a little more effort into a particular area of our lives.

When we all strive to give God true worship — putting Him first with all our hearts — what beauty we will find in our homes, our parish, and our world.

Copyright © 2018 — Catholic Stewardship Consultants, Inc.

Pastoral Pondering

Catholic life should involve life-long learning. Unfortunately, some folks have moved much beyond their last class for Confirmation. We have an amazing Faith Formation department here at the parish, and Theresa Benson and her staff have prepared an extensive selection of adult education opportunities during the course of this year. I encourage you to take advantage of any or all of them as the Spirit moves you. If you have suggestions of other possibilities that you would like to see in the future, please share those with Theresa.

I also want to thank Father Carter for covering the Pastoral Pondering for the last few weeks. Youth and Young Adult ministries are very important aspects of our parish outreach. This particular demographic, as Pope Francis has noted, is essential to the life and vitality of the Church.

Finally, in light of recent national discussion of abuse, I wanted to outline what our parish (and all of the parishes of the Diocese) do to insure a safe environment for our young people and vulnerable adults. For volunteers, each person who wishes to volunteer is asked to complete a Volunteer profile including a background check. Additionally, each volunteer is asked to read and acknowledge the Policy of the Diocese of Charlotte Concerning Ministry-Related Sexual Misconduct by Church Personnel and the Diocesan Code of Ethics. Those who work with youth are also asked to acknowledge the Protocols for Ministry with All Minors. All these documents are available for review on the website of the Diocese of Charlotte, charlottediocese.org/human-resources/safe-environment.

Those who work with children and vulnerable adults are asked to participate in the Virtus safe environment program. This program is entitled Protecting God’s Children and involves training that teaches the participants to be aware of warning signs and other indicators that might cause concern. There are times when some folks balk at having to do this and keep up with the monthly emails, but the ongoing training is quite valuable in helping us all to create a safe environment not only here at the parish but also in the wider community. Statistically, far more abuse occurs outside of a parish setting in families, schools and other situations. Hence, the more folks who are trained, the safer our communities can be.

Employees participate in a more extensive background check and review of references. Those who are applying to the seminary are expected to complete an exhaustive application process comprised of a battery of psychological testing, and a comprehensive or extended background check which includes personal interviews with contacts and references. The prospective seminarian also must be interviewed by the Diocesan Vocations Board before being accepted into the program.

While no process or program can solve every potential problem and violation, we strive to insure that everyone who has any type of representation of the parish is properly vetted and duly qualified to serve. Promoting a safe environment is a collective responsibility. The parish leadership has specific responsibilities to insure that policies and procedures are followed, and all parishioners have the responsibility to be aware and speak up if he or she has concerns about possible violations or improprieties. Working together, we can all insure that those who come to us for pastoral care will be safe and secure.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • November 6, 2026
Wisdom is at the heart of today's readings. It is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and an essential gift for living the stewardship way of life. As Christian stewards, we should continually ask the Holy Spirit to deepen this gift within us. In today's Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the 10 virgins waiting for the bridegroom. Five are wise, and five are foolish. The wise virgins prepare ahead of time, bringing enough oil to keep their lamps burning. The foolish ones fail to prepare and are caught off guard when the bridegroom arrives. Jesus concludes with this reminder: "Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour." Stewardship helps us live with that same spirit of readiness. When we seek the Lord each day through prayer, the sacraments, and the faithful use of the gifts He has entrusted to us, we keep our hearts prepared to meet Him whenever He calls. That is the wisdom Christ desires for each of us. © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026 Pastoral Pondering - Rooting Out Anger Few things disturb the peace of a home, a parish, or a soul as quickly as anger. A sharp word at the dinner table, a resentful silence after Mass, a flash of irritation in traffic-each seems small in the moment, yet the Fathers of the Church warn us that anger is a deadly poison. St. John Cassian, the great monastic teacher whose writings shaped Western spirituality, dedicated an entire book of his Institutes to this vice. His counsel is bracing and practical for us today. Cassian insists that anger must be "utterly rooted out from the inmost corners of our soul." As long as it remains, it blinds the eye of the heart. We lose right judgment, the capacity for true counsel, and even the ability to pray. "The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God" (James 1:20). Whether the provocation seems just or unjust makes little difference: anger covers the eyes of the soul like a plate of gold or lead- the value of the metal does not restore sight. He rejects the common excuse that we may be angry with those who do wrong, or that Scripture's language of God's "anger" justifies our own passion. God is free from all disturbance; the biblical language of divine anger is metaphorical, pointing to His just judgment, not to a human emotion we may imitate. To use it as permission for our own resentment is, Cassian says, to draw from the Scriptures an occasion of sin rather than a remedy of holiness. There is, however, one legitimate use of the energy of anger: we may and should be indignant against the evil thoughts and disordered desires that rise within our own hearts. When we are ashamed of what we would never say or do before others, yet find it stirring inside, we are to rage against that disorder, trembling before the all-seeing eye of God. In this sense the psalmist's "Be angry and sin not" (Psalm 4:4) and St. Paul's citation of it (Ephesians 4:26) are understood: be angry with your own faults, lest the Sun of Righteousness set upon a darkened mind and the devil be given place. Cassian's remedies are simple and severe. First, make a firm resolution never to be angry at all-neither for good reasons nor bad. The moment the passion enters, discernment is lost and the soul can no longer be a temple of the Holy Spirit. Second, never attempt to pray while angry; such prayer is obstinate rebellion. Third, keep daily before your eyes the uncertainty of life and the certainty of judgment. All our other efforts- Mass, fasting, works of charity- profit nothing if anger and hatred alone bring us to eternal punishment. Practically, this means catching the first interior movement of irritation and turning it at once into sorrow for our own impatience. It means refusing to nurse the grievance past sunset, seeking reconciliation before the next Holy Communion, and enlarging the heart with patience so that the "waves of anger" are received and dissipated rather than confined and intensified. Peace, Cassian reminds us, does not depend on the conduct of others; it lies in our own control. In the confessional and in the daily struggle of parish life, I see how often this vice wounds families and friendships. Let us ask the Lord, who is meek and humble of heart, to give us the grace to root it out. May the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and our parish. In other news, due to an unexpected leave, I have been appointed as Vicar General and Chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte by Bishop Martin. While this appointment is expected to be temporary, during the interim, it will make my ability to take appointments rather limited. Please be patient with the office staff as they try to accommodate those needs along with my additional responsibilities.

From the Pastor - All Saints Day

By John Putnam • October 30, 2026
On this Solemnity of All Saints, we have the profound joy of celebrating our brothers and sisters in Christ, the saints. This is an especially meaningful feast for us as Christian stewards. At Baptism, each of us receives the call to holiness and discipleship. In other words, we are all called to become saints. Holiness is not reserved for a select few. It is God's desire for every one of His children. The stewardship way of life helps us answer that call each day. In today's Gospel from Matthew, Jesus gives us the Beatitudes. They reveal the qualities that mark the lives of His disciples and point us toward authentic holiness. As we continue striving to live as faithful stewards, the Beatitudes provide a faithful measure of our growth in Christ. The "blessed" that Jesus describes are not different categories of people who make it to heaven. Rather, they reveal the character of those who belong to Him - the poor in spirit, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers, and all who remain faithful in the midst of trials. None of us can live this way on our own. But as beloved children of God, we receive the grace we need through prayer, the sacraments, and a life centered on Christ. May the example of the saints inspire us to persevere in our own call to holiness, trusting that one day we will join them in the everlasting joy of heaven. © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026 Pastoral Pondering October brought us the Church's renewed attention to mental health. Pope Leo XIV has asked us this month to pray that our communities become places where those who carry unseen burdens find welcome, dignity, and hope- not judgment or silence. Many of those burdens are carried by women and girls. Some have lived through abuse, assault, or trauma that few around them even know about. Recent headlines, including those from Cornell University, have reminded the whole country how widespread these wounds are and how alone many survivors feel. Regardless of the outcome and veracity of the Cornell case, these types of cases exist closer to home. Women in our own parish and community often suffer quietly, unsure where to turn or whether anyone will truly understand. There is help, and there is hope. Healed and Restored, the local Catholic ministry founded by our own parishioner Elza Spaedy, exists precisely for this purpose. Through counseling, workshops, spiritual mentoring, retreats, and a supportive community, it walks with women and girls who have experienced abuse, assault, domestic violence, trafficking, or other trauma. Rooted in faith, it helps them encounter the Divine Physician who alone can restore what has been broken and discover that their wounds do not define them. Many of the women who have walked this path have found real freedom and a renewed sense of their dignity as daughters of God. If you are carrying a wound like this, or if you know someone who is, I encourage you to reach out. Information is available at healedandrestored.org. And if you simply want to stand with those who are hurting, please keep them in your prayers. Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer is to notice, to listen without fear, and to point someone toward the healing Christ offers. May the Lord who binds up the brokenhearted make our parish a place of true restoration.