From the Pastor - 5th Sunday of Lent

March 24, 2023

At this point in our Lenten journey, it is tempting to grow weary of the spiritual disciplines we have taken on. Today’s readings inspire us to remain faithful, in grateful response to a God who loves us so much.


In our first reading, the prophet Ezekiel speaks God’s own words to us. “I will put my spirit in you that you may live… I have promised and I will do it, says the Lord.” Our God wants to be so closely united to us that we are one with Him. And He has promised He will do it. But only if we make room for Him by making Him THE priority of our lives. Putting God first is a grateful response that is very pleasing to Him.


How can we do this? Our second reading, from Romans, tells us. “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh… you are in the spirit if only the Spirit of God dwells in you.”


The disciplines of Lent and a stewardship way of life are wonderful gifts that free us from too great an attachment to “the flesh.” The sacrifices we make as Christian stewards are not meant to restrict our freedom and joy. Quite the contrary. They are tools to help us find the real freedom and joy that only come when we make room in our lives for God.


As we journey closer to the Passion of our Lord, let us intensify our Lenten resolutions and our stewardship way of life, inviting the Holy Spirit to take over more and more of our lives. By Easter, we will be freer to rejoice in Him and truly pleasing to God. © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2023

 

Pastoral Pondering

The following is an excerpt from the Original Catholic Encyclopedia published by The Catholic University of America between 1907 and 1912. This particular entry appears at https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/passiontide.


Passiontide, the two weeks between Passion Sunday and Easter. The last week is Holy Week, while the first is called by the Latins “Hebdomas Passionis”, by the Greeks “Week of the palms” (from the Sunday following). During this time the monks of the East, who had chosen the desert for a severer mode of life, returned to their monasteries (Cyril of Scythopolis in “Life of St. Euthymius”, n. 11).

The rubrical prescriptions of the Roman Missal, Breviary, and “Caeremoniale Episcoporum” for this time are: before Vespers of Saturday preceding Passion Sunday the crosses, statues, and pictures of Our Lord and of the saints on the altar and throughout the church, with the sole exception of the crosses and pictures of the Way of the Cross, are to be covered with a violet veil, not translucent, nor in any way ornamented. The crosses remain covered until after the solemn denudation of the principal crucifix on Good Friday. The statues and pictures retain their covering, no matter what feast may occur, until the Gloria in Excelsis of Holy Saturday. According to an answer of the S. R. C. of May 14, 1878, the practice may be tolerated of keeping the statue of St. Joseph, if outside the sanctuary, uncovered during the month of March, which is dedicated to his honor, even during Passiontide.



In the Masses de tempore the Psalm Judica is not said; the Gloria Patri is omitted at the Asperges, the Introit, and the Lavabo; only two orations are recited and the Preface is of the Holy Cross. In the Dominical and ferial offices of the Breviary the doxology is omitted in the Invitatorium and in the responses, whether long or short. The crosses are veiled because Christ during this time no longer walked openly among the people, but hid himself. Hence in the papal chapel the veiling formerly took place at the words of the Gospel: “Jesus autem abscondebat se.”


Another reason is added by Durandus, namely that Christ’s divinity was hidden when he arrived at the time of His suffering and death. The images of the saints also are covered because it would seem improper for the servants to appear when the Master himself is hidden (Nilles, “Kal.”, II, 188). In some places the crosses were covered on Ash Wednesday; in others on the first Sunday of Lent. In England it was customary on the first Monday of Lent to cover up all the crucifixes, images of every kind, the reliquaries, and even the cup with the Blessed Sacrament. The cloths used were of white linen or silk and marked with a red cross (Rock, infra, IV, 258). The two beautiful hymns of the season, “Vexilla Regis” and “Pange lingua gloriosi”, are the work of Venantius Fortunatus (q.v.), Bishop of Poitiers. On the Friday of Passion Week, the Church very appropriately honors the Seven Dolors of Our Lady. On Saturday the Greeks commemorate the resuscitation of Lazarus.


From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Epiphany

By John Putnam • January 2, 2026
Today we celebrate the Epiphany — the manifestation of Christ to the world. The stewardship way of life is nothing other than a grateful response to God’s countless manifestations in our lives, and a commitment to make His love manifest to others through the sharing of our gifts. St. Paul reminds us in Ephesians that the grace given to him was “for your benefit.” Every gift we have received is meant to benefit others and give glory to God. The Magi show us how to live this out: Worship is their highest priority.They travel far, ask openly, and refuse to let anything stop them from honoring the newborn King. Is Sunday Mass the non-negotiable center of our week? 2. They are watchful. “We saw his star at its rising.” Good stewards stay alert to God’s presence and gifts in daily life. 3. They persevere through difficulty. Herod deceives, dangers threaten, yet God guides and protects them. Our stewardship journey will have twists, but God is faithful. 4. They are overjoyed True stewards radiate the deep, lasting joy that only comes from encountering Christ. 5. They prostrate and open their treasures. Overwhelmed with awe, they give totally of themselves and their gifts — the perfect act of worship. This year, let us rejoice in every manifestation of God in our lives, stay watchful for His star, and open our own treasures — our time, talent, and treasure — in generous gratitude to our King.  Come, let us adore Him — and then go and make Him known.

From the Pastor - Feast of the Holy Family

By John Putnam • December 30, 2025
Today, as we continue our celebration of the Christmas season, we focus our attention in a special way on the Holy Family. This is a great time to thank God for the gift of family life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the family as the “domestic church,” so today’s feast is also a fitting time to consider the importance of the virtue of hospitality — a fundamental aspect of the stewardship way of life — within the context of our domestic churches. Why is hospitality so important to a stewardship way of life, beginning with family life? Well, we can hardly expect our family members to pray together, study their faith, and serve others if we have a home where we are disconnected from each other or the atmosphere is stressful and tense. Of course there will be moments like this. But we must be intentional in creating homes where everyone feels cherished, accepted and important. We want our homes to be the place where we can get recharged and filled up to go out and bring love to everyone we encounter outside our home. Today’s first and second readings are full of practical wisdom on how to create an atmosphere of true hospitality within our homes. Our first reading, from the Book of Sirach, speaks of the blessings that will come when children give honor to their parents — both young children who respect the authority of their mothers and fathers, and adult children who lovingly care for older parents. These are the actions and attitudes that create an atmosphere of respect, tenderness and unity in the family; all key elements of hospitality. Our second reading, from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, gives still more specific instructions on fostering hospitality within our homes. Paul reminds us of our great dignity as “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved.” This applies to every member of the family, from youngest to oldest and all those in between. In the daily drudge of family life it is important to remember that each one of us is cherished by God. We are not just fathers, mothers, children, grandparents; we are all also brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul’s instruction to “put on” compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and forbearance towards each other is the best possible formula for family hospitality. Paul is reminding us that (especially in the messiness of family life) we won’t always feel the feelings of compassion, kindness, and so forth. What can we do? We can “put them on” — we can act in ways that a compassionate, kind, humble person would act. This will create a transformative atmosphere of hospitality within the home that will spill out in the family’s interactions with those outside the home. Of course, this is not easy to do. But we can turn to the Holy Family for help. Lest we think that the Holy Family is somehow unable to sympathize with our struggles, we see in our Gospel passage from Matthew that this Family was certainly not free from trials and stress; quite the contrary. The very life of the newborn Jesus was threatened by Herod’s extreme jealousy such that the family had to flee suddenly into a foreign land for protection until Herod’s death. Yet Mary and Joseph remained united and ever obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit for direction. Who better to turn to for help and inspiration for our own families? Happy feast day to all families living a stewardship way of life! © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering As we come to the end of the calendar year, it is popular to make resolutions for the New Year. Often these resolutions are short-lived and don’t come to much. Hence, I thought I would offer a Catholic take on New Year’s resolutions to offer some helps as we move into 2026. A good Catholic approach to New Year’s resolutions roots them in conversion of heart , growth in holiness , and cooperation with God’s grace , rather than mere self-improvement or willpower. Here’s how faithful Catholics typically frame them well: 1. Begin with Prayer and Discernment - Don’t just pick popular goals (lose weight, read more, save money). Spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament or during a holy hour asking: “Lord, what do You want to change in me this year? Where am I resisting Your grace?” - Consider making a short retreat (even one day) or going to Confession before January 1st to get a clear look at your soul. 2. Focus on the Theological Virtues and the Cardinal Virtues Instead of generic goals, resolve to grow in: -Faith→ Daily mental prayer (15–20 minutes), reading Scripture or the Catechism, attending an extra weekday Mass. -Hope→ Practicing gratitude, spiritual reading about heaven and the saints, trusting God in areas of anxiety. -Charity→ Concrete acts of mercy (visiting the lonely, tithing consistently, forgiving a specific person). -Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance→ Pick one capital sin you struggle with (e.g., gluttony, anger, sloth) and work on the opposing virtue. 3. Make Resolutions Small, Specific, and Sustainable. Catholics who succeed usually choose 1–3 concrete, measurable goals tied to grace: - Pray a decade of the Rosary every night before bed. - Go to Confession every month (or every two weeks). - Fast on bread and water every Friday (or give up snacks between meals). - Read 5–10 minutes of the lives of the saints daily. - Perform one hidden act of charity each day without telling anyone. 4. Attach Resolutions to the Liturgical Year Align goals with seasons instead of the secular calendar: - Advent → deeper prayer and detachment. - Lent → penance and almsgiving. - Easter → joy and evangelization. This keeps resolutions from being a one-time January push. 5. Use the Sacraments as the Engine, Not Willpower The best Catholic resolutions assume: - Frequent Confession (grace to overcome habitual sins). - Daily or at least Sunday Mass + (worthy Communion). - Regular spiritual direction or at least an accountability partner in the faith. 6. Embrace the “Do-Over” Mentality In Catholicism, every day (even every moment) is a new beginning. If you fail your resolution on January 3rd, you don’t wait until next year—you go to Confession and start again January 4th. This is the opposite of secular “all or nothing” thinking. 7. Classic Catholic Resolution Ideas (tried and loved for centuries) - Morning offering + 3 Hail Marys for purity every morning. - 15 minutes of mental prayer daily (Lectio Divina, Ignatian meditation, or simple “Jesus, I trust in You” repetition). - Monthly Confession and a personal rule of life. - Spiritual reading (10–15 min/day): Bible, Catechism, Introduction to the Devout Life, Story of a Soul, etc. - Friday penance (meat abstinence or another sacrifice) all year. - Daily examination of conscience at night (5 minutes). - One new devotion (First Saturdays, Sacred Heart enthronement, 54-day Rosary novena, etc.). 8. End with a Patron Saint for the Year A beautiful modern Catholic custom: On January 1st (or the feast of Mary, Mother of God), pray and randomly draw (or intentionally choose) a patron saint for the year. Ask his or her intercession for your resolutions. In short: A good Catholic New Year’s resolution isn’t about becoming a “better version of yourself.” It’s about becoming more like Christ, with the help of His grace and His Church, one small yes at a time.  “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet 1:16) is the only resolution that ultimately matters—and everything else flows from it.