From the Pastor – 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 15, 2018

From the Pastor – 28 th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Part of the beauty of stewardship spirituality is its simplicity and practicality. It can be summed up in the simple phrase, “All I have is a gift from God and I must make a grateful return to Him for all He has given me.”

So simple, that even our youngest parishioners can grasp the concept. Simple, however, does not necessarily mean easy. Simple also does not mean shallow.

Today’s readings invite us to look into the depth of a stewardship way of life. And they reveal that it requires the commitment of our whole being to God. It is anything but easy or shallow. It points us to seek after higher things — the wisdom of God and Heaven itself.

Our Second Reading, from the Letter to the Hebrews, shows us a way to obtain such wisdom —it is available to us right in the Scriptures, which are the living word of God. Every time we approach them in a spirit of prayer, they will speak to us. God’s wisdom is right there for us. All we need to do is commit some daily time to seek it.

Our Gospel Reading from Mark is one of the better-known passages in the Gospel – the story of the rich young man. In response to the man’s question on what he must do to obtain eternal life, Jesus tells him to keep the commandments. The man replies that he has always done this much. But he rightfully suspects there is more to being a disciple of Jesus than just following the external rules

We are called to be so much more than rule-followers; we are called to be Christ followers. A stewardship way of life frees us follow Christ with all of our being and so to find eternal life.

Pastoral Pondering

Last year Robert Cardinal Sarah released a book entitled The Power Of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise. At the time of its release, I found it to be a much needed antidote to the cacophony that has become our social discourse and culture. I think it is even more true today. I do not believe that there is any quick fix available for our public and political situation, but all of us can work on changing ourselves by changing our interior lives.

We do this primarily by finding time for God. Our lives are filled with increasing busyness that often pulls us from one activity to another without affording any time for self-reflection. Socrates famously said that the unexamined life is not worth living. Yet, because of everything going on, we have little time for self-examination. Because of this I know some pastors have decided to simply focus on one ministry initiative and eliminate others.

St. Mark is a large parish. After looking through the database and eliminating those who have not been participating for some time, we have approximately 4,200 registered families which represents approximately 14,000 parishioners. This number fluctuates regularly because of folks moving in and others moving out. Because of the size, there is a lot going on.

With this being said, we have to be constantly evaluating whether our various activities at the parish adequately reflect the parish’s mission. We’ve been looking at this for some time and will continue to do so. Such an effort is never easy. We certainly want the parish to be a center for parishioners. At the same time, we need to make sure that our offerings at the parish actually contribute to our primary mission which is the salvation of souls.

I think the same approach is useful in our personal lives. When we look at all of the things that we are doing, we need to ask a fundamental question. How is this activity supporting my vocation and helping me and those I am responsible for stay on the path to heaven? We need to do this regularly so that our priorities remain clearly rooted in Christ and in our ultimate goal, getting to heaven.

From the Pastor

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.

From the Pastor - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • October 23, 2026
Today's readings are all about love - God's faithful love for His people and the love we are called to return to Him and to one another. The stewardship way of life is simply the daily practice of these two greatest commandments. In today's Gospel, Jesus is asked which commandment is the greatest. His answer is both familiar and endlessly challenging. He says, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind ... The second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Why are these two commandments inseparable? Because both are rooted in love. When we love God above all else, we begin to see others as He sees them. And when we genuinely love our neighbor, we reflect the love we have first received from Him. This is the heart of Christian stewardship. It is simple enough for a child to understand, yet rich enough to spend a lifetime putting into practice.© Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026 Pastoral Pondering - Remembering the Saints and the Souls As October ends, the Church gives us two feasts back-to-back that show who we are as one family in Christ, living and departed. On November 1, the Solemnity of All Saints, we honor all the holy men and women now in heaven. That includes the famous names on our calendar, and it also includes the countless quiet saints no one ever canonized: grandparents, neighbors, and friends who loved God and others faithfully. Their lives remind us that holiness isn't only for a few. It's the calling of every baptized person. All Saints is a Holy Day of Obligation and since it falls on Sunday this year, it is easy to remember the times for Mass. On November 2, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls' Day), we pray for everyone who has died, especially our own loved ones. We trust in God's mercy and ask Him to bring them fully into the joy of His presence. Praying for the dead is one of the oldest Christian practices and a real act of love. The Church teaches that "all who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1030). Purgatory isn't a second chance, and it isn't a smaller version of hell. It's God's mercy finishing what He began in us. Most of us leave this life still carrying some attachment to sin, and God lovingly purifies us so we can see Him face to face. Everyone in purgatory is already saved and on the way to heaven. The souls in purgatory can't help themselves, but we can help them. Since the earliest days, Christians have prayed for the dead (see 2 Maccabees 12:46). Our prayers, sacrifices, works of charity, and above all the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass can speed their way to God. This is the Communion of Saints at work: the Church in heaven, the Church on earth, and the Church being purified, all united in Christ and helping one another. Ways to take part Complete an All Souls envelope with the name of your deceased loved ones so it can be placed on the altar throughout November. Have a Mass offered for someone who has died. Visit a cemetery and pray for the faithful departed. A plenary indulgence for the souls in purgatory is available, under the usual conditions, to those who visit a cemetery and pray for the dead from November 1 to 8, or who visit a church and pray the Our Father and the Creed on All Souls' Day. Ask a favorite saint to pray for you and your family. These days remind us that death doesn't break the bonds of love. We pray for the souls, we ask the saints to pray for us, and we look forward to the day we'll all be together in God's kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, 0 Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.