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 - 3rd Sunday in Lent

By John Putnam • March 6, 2026
Today’s readings for this Third Sunday of Lent center on the theme of thirst, reminding us that a stewardship way of life both satisfies our own longing for Christ and helps us respond to Christ’s thirst for souls. In our first reading from Exodus, the Israelites complain in their thirst for water, despite all God has done to free them from slavery. Yet when Moses cries out for help, God provides abundantly, bringing water from the rock to satisfy His people. The Lord’s generosity did not end there. He continues to provide for us today, patiently meeting our needs again and again. In today’s Gospel, we hear the powerful encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, beginning with His simple request: “Give me a drink.” He then tells her that He can offer living water — water that truly satisfies. These words speak directly to us as well. Christ asks us to “give Him a drink” by sharing the gifts we have received with Him and with others for His sake. Yet it is Christ Himself who fills us, offering the living water of His grace. God invites each of us to play a part in bringing others to Him through a stewardship way of life. This Lent, may we respond to that invitation with renewed commitment, offering our time, talent, and treasure so that many may come to know Christ. In doing so, we help to quench His thirst for souls. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026 Pastoral Pondering  Continuing with last week’s theme about stewardship and in harmony with our Stewardship Renewal, here are some Key Reasons Why Stewardship Matters to Catholic s: 1 . It Reflects Gratitude for God's Love God has first loved us unconditionally (shown most perfectly in Jesus Christ). Stewardship is our loving response—recognizing all good things as gifts from Him and returning love through generous use of those gifts. As the bishops note, "Stewardship is the Response of the Disciple to God’s unconditional love for us." 2. It Imitates Jesus, the Model Steward Jesus lived as the perfect steward, using His life, time, and gifts entirely for the Father's will and the good of humanity. Catholics are called to imitate Him, making God's love visible in the world. 3. It Involves Accountability Before God We will be held accountable for how we use what God has entrusted to us (e.g., biblical parables like the talents in Matthew 25:14–30 emphasize this). Stewardship reminds us that we are managers, not ultimate owners. 4 . It Encompasses Time, Talent, and Treasure Catholics are called to share these proportionally and sacrificially to support the Church, help the poor, and promote justice. This builds up the Body of Christ and addresses needs in society. 5. It Includes Care for Creation As part of Catholic social teaching, stewardship extends to environmental responsibility. We respect the Creator by caring for the earth (e.g., as in Genesis 1–2, where humanity is given dominion as caretakers, not exploiters). This is a "requirement of our faith," not just an optional concern. 6. It Leads to Spiritual Growth and Holiness Living as a steward fosters conversion, deeper prayer, and a Christ-centered life over self-centeredness. It transforms ordinary actions into acts of worship and service. In essence, stewardship is integral to authentic Catholic life because it turns faith into action, gratitude into generosity, and discipleship into a tangible witness of God's Kingdom. It's not primarily about fundraising or programs—it's about a heartfelt relationship with God that naturally overflows into love for neighbor and creation.

From the Pastor - 2nd Sunday in Lent

By John Putnam • February 27, 2026
Our readings for this second Sunday of Lent offer us, as Christian stewards, the motivation to continue our 40-day journey toward deeper holiness. The first reading from the book of Genesis describes God’s call to Abram (who would later be called Abraham). God instructs Abram to leave his home and set out to a land that God had chosen for him. Abram’s response is an ancient example of good stewardship. Instead of clinging to his comfortable home and way of life, he recognizes that all he has is a gift from God, puts his trust in God, and obeys. And God rewards him, saying, “I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” To “be a blessing” is the true aim of a stewardship way of life. It is also an excellent way to live out the season of Lent. The sacrifices we take on, the spiritual disciplines we practice, and the extra acts of service we perform during this season — all give glory to God and transform our lives into a blessing for others. Lest we grow weary on this path, our Gospel passage today, from Matthew, offers us a powerful image of the great God we serve. It is the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus, when our Lord reveals Himself in His true glory and the Father says, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” The apostles who witnessed this were awestruck. But our loving Savior reassured them saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” As we continue our Lenten journey, let us take these two verses, “Listen to him,” “Rise, and do not be afraid” to heart. Let us rely on God’s strength to aid us in our spiritual disciplines as we move through Lent. We will arrive at Easter with deeper holiness, as a blessing to God and others — and as better stewards of all God’s gifts to us. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026) Pastoral Pondering Stewardship holds profound importance in Catholic teaching because it is fundamentally an expression of discipleship and a grateful response to God's immense love and generosity. Catholics believe that everything —our lives, time, talents, treasure (material resources), the earth itself, and all creation—belongs to God as the Creator and Owner. We are not owners but stewards , entrusted with these gifts to manage responsibly, not for selfish purposes but to honor God, serve others, and build His Kingdom. This concept is rooted in Scripture and has been articulated clearly by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in their 1992 pastoral letter Stewardship: A Disciple's Response. The bishops describe a Christian steward as one who: - Receives God's gifts gratefully - Cultivates them responsibly - Shares them lovingly in justice with others - Returns them with increase to the Lord  Stewardship is not optional for Catholics; it flows naturally from becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. As the USCCB explains, "once one chooses to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, stewardship is not an option." It is a way of life that shapes how Catholics understand and live out their faith daily.