From the Pastor – 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 15, 2019

From the Pastor – 33 rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

This weekend is the 33rd and last numbered Sunday in Ordinary Time for this liturgical year. Recall that Ordinary does not refer to “average” or “normal,” but to time outside our two great seasons of celebration — Lent and Easter, and Advent and Christmas. Next Sunday is the Feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Christ the King).

The readings for this weekend ask the stewardship question, “What are the obstacles which stand between you and holiness, between you and lives of stewardship?” The Liturgical year more or less follows Jesus’ life on earth. Therefore, it is appropriate that the Gospel for this Sunday is drawn from Luke 21, which is Christ’s last discourse with His Apostles and us prior to the Passion (which in the Gospel of Luke begins with Luke 22).

All three readings are complex, and we must listen carefully to grasp the stewardship significance of them. There is a finality to them. The first reading is from the prophetic Book of Malachi, the absolute last Book of the Old Testament. Malachi is also the 12th Book of the Minor Prophets, the number 12 having particular implication in Scripture from the Twelve Tribes of Israel to the Twelve Apostles.

Malachi means “God’s messenger.” The Book was written to address what was seen as a laxity among the Israelites in relation to their practice of their faith. It thus also reminds us, especially as we prepare for Advent, of our need to sharpen our senses, our prayer lives, and our faith lives. God has made promises to us, but for us to reap the benefits of those promises we must delve more deeply into our faith as good stewards and good Catholics.

The second reading from Saint Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians augments Malachi’s call to put our faith lives in order. Paul says in effect, and this again is germane to our preparations for Advent, “This is not time to be idle.” We have often said that stewardship is active, not passive. As good stewards our preparations for Advent and Christmas should provide opportunities for more prayer, more contemplation, and more dynamic outreach to those in need. Paul reminds us that there is time enough to rest in Heaven, not while here when we can have a positive impact on those around us.

The Gospel from Luke pinpoints some of the major obstacles to stewardship as a way of life. He focuses on two in particular: wealth and power. As is usually the case in Scriptural teachings, wealth in and of itself is not judged to be bad. However, when wealth and the accumulation of wealth detract us from being good stewards and sharing with others, it can be adverse to our spiritual health. Jesus prompts us that spiritual endurance does not come from human strength but from God’s love and the power it provides us. Our desire for power is not good, but our willingness to allow God’s love and power to help us live out stewardship is virtuous.

It is worth mentioning that this Gospel passage immediately follows the Lesson of the Widow’s Mites (Luke 21: 1-4). Consequently, we can clearly see the stewardship statement here: Do not aspire to wealth or power, but like the widow, strive to give from your want, your poverty, not from your excess. That is excellent preparation for the glory of Advent and Christmas.

©Catholic Stewardship Consultants

Pastoral Pondering

Next week we will celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the Universal King and come to the last Sunday in the Liturgical year. The feast provides us an opportunity to evaluate how we are allowing Christ to be the Lord and King of our lives. There are more than ample distractions in the world in which we live that are quite happy to pull us away from things that matter eternally. We have to always be on guard so that our eyes remain “fixed on Jesus”.

I mentioned a few weeks back the Pew Research Poll that indicated a lack of Eucharistic faith among those identifying as Catholic and noted some of the ways we are trying to address this at the parish. One of the things we have implemented, when we have the servers to do it, is using the hand patens to accompany those distributing Holy Communion. Some folks have asked why this is necessary or important, so I thought I would address it here. The revised liturgical norms (those issued after the Council) actually indicate that retaining the patens is praiseworthy; although, certainly, it was abandoned on a widespread scale in much of the USA. However, because we believe that the entire Christ is present in every particle of the Consecrated Species, then the reverence we show in its distribution communicates the centrality of this belief. As an aside, as one who purifies the patens after Communion, I can tell you that there are always particles on the patens. This, of course, raises the question of what happens to those particles when the patens are not used. It should make us conscious of insuring that, when receiving on the hand, all particles are consumed. The more reverent we can be in matters surrounding the Most Blessed Sacrament not only communicates the centrality of our belief and devotion in the Eucharistic presence, but also offers fitting and proper worship to God the Father who continues to nourish and strengthen us by the offering of His Son in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. O Sacrament Most Holy, O Sacrament Divine, All Praise and All Thanksgiving be Every Moment Thine!

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 31, 2026
Today’s readings should inspire the Christian steward with deepened gratitude for our God, who loves us with both fierce and tender love. We must make an intentional response each day, returning love for Love. In our Second Reading from Romans, St. Paul reminds us that nothing and no one can separate us from the love of Christ. No anguish, distress, persecution, famine — and we might add illness, financial hardship, family struggles, or uncertainty about the future — nothing can keep our God from loving us. God holds us securely in the palm of His hand. And yet, this reassurance is only the beginning of God’s gifts to us. Our Gospel from Matthew recounts the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. This miracle foreshadows the gift of the Eucharist, where Christ feeds us not simply with bread, but with His own Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Notice how the Gospel begins. "His heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick." What generous and compassionate love our Lord shows. But even that is not enough for Him. He remains with the people, teaching and ministering to them until evening. When the disciples suggest sending the crowds away to find food, Jesus instead invites them to become part of His plan. He tells them to feed the people, then miraculously multiplies the few loaves and fish they offer. What a privilege it was for the disciples to participate in Christ's work. That same privilege is ours as Christian stewards. Let us respond with grateful hearts to such amazing love. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants,

From the Pastor - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 31, 2026
The stewardship way of life could be described as a daily pursuit of the Kingdom of Heaven. In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus uses a series of parables to help us understand the incomparable value of that Kingdom. First, He reminds us that living for Him and for His Kingdom will require sacrifice. Yet the joy that comes from following Christ makes any sacrifice worthwhile. Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” He then compares the Kingdom to “a merchant searching for fine pearls." When the merchant finds a pearl of great price, he gladly sells everything he has to obtain it. In both parables, the Kingdom is something precious that must be sought and recognized. We must intentionally look for it amid the distractions and noise of the world. Yet Jesus also reminds us that the Kingdom is meant for everyone. He compares it to a net cast into the sea that gathers fish of every kind. At the same time, He reminds us that each of us will one day be judged. The angels “will separate the wicked from the righteous.” It is a powerful reminder that our choices matter. Let us pray for the wisdom to recognize the Kingdom of Heaven in our midst and to pursue it above all else. There is no greater treasure, and no greater source of joy, than a life lived as a faithful disciple of Jesus. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026. Pastoral Pondering I enjoy books generally. I like to hold them, look at them and, of course, read them. I also enjoy audiobooks because they are a good way to pass the time with all the driving that I do. I like a wide variety of books, but I generally try to avoid things that are strictly political. Hence, I was a little hesitant when the book Communion by J.D. Vance was recommended to me. However, what I discovered is that it is an excellent read and has nothing to do with politics. Rather, it is the story of the Vice President’s return to the Christian faith that eventually resulted in his becoming Catholic. I suppose “conversion” stories attract me because of my own background. And while I did not grow up in Ohio coal country as he did, there are many similarities to his family, described in Hillbilly Elegy, and my dad’s family from the mountains of North Carolina. This particular book, in some ways, is a sequel to Hillbilly . It discusses his chaotic childhood and exposure to Baptist and Pentecostal churches, his drift into atheism as a young adult, following the death of his grandmother, and his gradual return to faith which culminated in his conversion to Catholicism in 2019. The title refers to the Eucharist, and the author explores what it means to be Christian across life stages – as a child, young man, husband, father and public figure – while reflecting on the role of religion in public life and American society.  This memoir mixes spiritual autobiography with broader commentary on faith, politics, family values, and societal problems. While some have criticized it as more of a cultural manifesto, I appreciated the honest assessment of one man’s journey from his childhood faith to an adult faith which led to full communion with the Catholic Church. Granted, it may not be to everyone’s liking, but it shouldn’t be dismissed simply because the author is the current Vice President. I enjoyed it, and if you want something to pass a lazy summer afternoon, I’d recommend it.