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 - 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!