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 - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • August 7, 2026
Stewardship spirituality invites us to surrender control of our lives to God in grateful recognition that everything we have is a gift from Him. Today's readings remind us that God is always in control of His creation and His people. They also reveal what can happen when we fully entrust our lives to Him — in other words, when we embrace the stewardship way of life. When we take our eyes off God, we lose sight of the fact that all is gift. We begin to rely on ourselves instead of trusting in Him, and we fail to make our lives a grateful response to His generosity. Peter experiences this in today's Gospel from Matthew. Jesus sends the disciples ahead of Him by boat. Later that evening, Jesus comes to them, walking on the water, and invites Peter to join Him. Peter steps out of the boat and begins walking toward the Lord. But when he notices the strong wind around him, instead of keeping his eyes on Christ, he begins to sink. Imagine if Peter had never looked away from Jesus. What an extraordinary adventure he would have experienced walking on the water with his Lord. The same is true for us. When we take our eyes off Christ, His countless blessings, and His faithful love for us, we begin to sink as well. But when we embrace the stewardship way of life, loosening our grip on our time, talents, and treasure and placing our trust in God, life becomes a great adventure rooted firmly in the One who never fails us. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026. Pastoral Pondering First of all I want to thank all who participated in our meal packing effort last Friday and Saturday. What a gift it is to be able to come together as a community and unite for the sake of our brothers and sisters in need. These events cannot happen without the efforts of numerous people. To each of you who made it possible, THANK YOU! As we move into August and our lives begin reorienting from lazier summer months towards fall, it is an opportunity to reflect on the blessings that we were afforded to rest, refresh, and renew during these past weeks. Hopefully, family were able to spend some quality time with each other without the demands of school, work and the day to day demands that impact many of us.  For me, I was privileged once again to participate in the Te Deum Peace Pilgrimage to Fatima. This year we were able to invite and sponsor nine (9) seminarians from various dioceses including Charlotte, NC; Charleston, SC; Cleveland, OH; and Youngstown, OH. They along with a wonderful group of non-seminarian pilgrims were able to grow in our love for the Lord and Our Lady. It was a true blessing, and I was so impressed with the seminarians who were a part of our pilgrimage family for our time in Portugal and Spain. Along the same lines, please pray for parishioner Mark Pressley who is entering St. Joseph College Seminary. Mark’s family has been a part of the parish for many years. Keep him and the other nine (9) young men who are beginning their formation this fall.

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,