From the Pastor 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 9, 2018

From the Pastor 14 th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The First Reading from the prophet Ezekiel tells of how Ezekiel was called by God. The Lord speaks to him and says, “Hard of face and obstinate of heart are they to whom I am sending you.” God knew He was not giving Ezekiel an easy task, but that is part of what being called by the Lord sometimes involves.

Being called is something to which we often make reference, as each of us is called in Baptism. St. Paul once wrote that we are “called to belong to Jesus Christ.” The United States Bishops issued a document a few years ago titled Disciples Called to Witness. That is what we are all to do as baptized Catholics.

In that treatise the Bishops say, “To create a culture of witness, we must live explicit lives of discipleship. Being a disciple is a challenge. Fortunately, one does not become a disciple of Christ on his or her own initiative. The work of the Holy Spirit within the Christian community forms the person as a disciple of Christ.”

God does not forsake us when we are called, just as He did not abandon Ezekiel. He is with us through the Holy Spirit to strengthen us and assist us. We must allow the Lord to help us. At the same time, we must strive to be disciples of the Lord. We are called to spread the light of the Gospel in everything we do.

Pastoral Pondering

Due to the necessity of getting bulletin submissions in early for July 4 th week, I am writing this as I am returning from a retreat for priests at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. There were about 200 priests, deacons and seminarians in attendance. Deacon Louie, Deacon Rich, Father McNulty and Father Casey Coleman attended from our Diocese. It was a truly renewing experience.

The overall theme for the conference was United based on Jesus’ words in John 17:20-21 “I pray… that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you.” The talks focused on the importance of unity in the Church, in families, in society, and being united to Christ. It was certainly a timely topic considering all of the division we see all around us.

Ultimately, as Christians, we are called to be united with Jesus Christ. In order for that union to occur though, we have to sincerely seek a relationship with Him. When I was growing up, there was a lot of discussion and focus on developing a personal relationship with Jesus. Some Catholics get nervous with that kind of language because it seems “very Protestant”. However, in order to really know someone, we have to have a personal relationship with the person. It is fairly easy to form a superficial opinion of someone, but to really encounter them and know them, we have to go much deeper.

One of the profound insights that I gained from the retreat was how easy it is to live with a divided heart. We can all go through the proper motions of being Catholic: going to Mass, praying more or less, and trying (at least more times than not) to love God and our neighbor (or at least say that we do). However, going through the motions is not really an expression to true love. All of us can get side-tracked by worldly concerns and allow the most important thing, our relationship with the Living God, to take a back-burner.

If we truly want to be intentional disciples and form a culture of witness, we have to truly get to know Jesus Christ and fall in love with Him. There is no other way. We all fall short, but with the Holy Spirit to help us, every one of us can come to know and love the Lord. True disciples who love Jesus Christ are the ones who will be able to change the culture of division and hatred that we seem to be living in. The Holy Spirit is the manifestation of the love that exists between the Father and the Son, and He wants to draw each one of us into the very life of the Trinity. Take some time this week to ask yourself what is keeping me from encountering Jesus? What is causing me to hold back from Him? Then take some time in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to remove whatever obstacles might be in the way so that we can all develop a personal and loving relationship with the One who loved us first.

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.