From the Pastor - 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

January 22, 2018

From the Pastor – 3 rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” With these words, Jesus invites Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew to follow Him and be His disciples. We often speak of the subtleties of translation. In the original Greek in which St. Mark wrote his Gospel, a better translation would be, “Come after me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” It is the beginning of a process.

We are called to that same process. It is not as if it happens quite suddenly. It happens over time, and it is a progression. If we are to be “fishers of men,” we are to be evangelizers and disciples of the Lord, and we are to represent what it means to be part of the Kingdom of God.

Of course, Simon and Andrew “abandoned their nets and followed him.” It may be more difficult for us to “abandon our nets” so to speak, but it does prompt us that we need to make major changes in our lives if we are going to follow Jesus. Simon and Andrew, and then James and John, were common men, normal people. They had no theological credentials nor did they have any special status in the world.

Most of us are similar. Jesus did not select them (or us) for who they were. He called them for what He could do through them. It is the same with each of us. Yes, we are called, but in order to really fulfill our calling we need to follow and trust in Jesus.

Pastoral Pondering

Last week two disciples of John the Baptist, Andrew and another disciple (presumably John), began to follow Jesus. Andrew then introduces his brother Simon (Peter) to the Lord. This week, Jesus calls them to discipleship, and they follow the call. It seems so very simple when we read about it or hear it proclaimed at Mass. Yet, as we all know becoming an intentional disciple is not easy at all.

We often feel ill-equipped or unworthy of answering a call from the Lord. To some degree this is a good thing. The most effective disciple is the one who knows that all things depend on God’s providential care. It can, however, also be a bad thing when it causes us to fall into inaction or unresponsiveness. The Lord is a gentlemanly master. He will not force us to respond to His call, and will only save us with our cooperation.

So how do we start? How do we respond to the call? First and foremost, we have to actually listen and be open to God through prayer. We are blessed with Eucharistic Adoration in the parish. Yet, many do not take advantage of this gift and some hours only have one adorer committed to spending time with the Lord. In a parish of over 5500 families, this is, to say the least, disappointing. Yet, one of the weaknesses of our present society and culture is commitment. We see it in just about every facet of life.

If we want to grow in our relationship with the Lord, a good place to begin to work on our relationship with our brothers and sisters. This is where Small Groups comes in. During Lent, which begins with Ash Wednesday on February 14 th , we will have our next session of St. Mark Small Groups. When you connect with others and get to know them, you can begin to see Christ in them.

Small Groups is a great way to connect with the parish and get involved. That connection can then lead in a gradual way to a greater awareness of and commitment to the life of grace and intentional discipleship. We had over 500 people participating in the last session, but we really should have 2-3 times that number. Over these weeks before Ash Wednesday, please give prayerful consideration to joining a small group and setting some extra time aside for prayer and responding to God’s call in your life.

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.