From the Pastor - First Sunday of Lent

February 19, 2021

Today's readings remind us why we partake in this 40-day Lenten journey — to prepare our hearts for the resurrection of Christ on Easter.


St. Peter reminds us in our Second Reading of the blessings we receive from Christ’s passion, death and resurrection — “Christ suffered for sins once… that he might lead you to God.” And again, “[Baptism] is… an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”


In order to more readily receive the blessings from Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, we too are called endure 40 days “in the desert.” In our Gospel, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert where He was tempted by Satan. Jesus was called to face trials and to confront evil. During this time, He committed to intense prayer and fasting. It was not necessary for Jesus to go into the desert so that He might be purified, but rather, to endure temptations of man for our sake. He was fully man, and experience temptations just like us, yet responded to them perfectly, never falling into sin.


We should strive to fully participate in this Lenten season by mirroring Jesus, the model steward by Whom we are called to imitate. Through our time in the desert, we will confront evil by weeding out the roots of sin in our lives through fasting. And we will be sustained and nourished in the desert by prayer.


Let us strive to purify our hearts so that we might be ready to receive the glorious gift of Christ and partake in the riches that pour forth from this Gift. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2021


Pastoral Pondering – With Lent we begin our annual journey with Jesus into the desert of our interior life where we are alone with God. The season provides an opportunity to reflect on where we are in our relationship with God and where we want to become Easter. The three pillars of the season are prayer – penance and – almsgiving. The giving up that we associate with the season falls into the penance category, but we should not neglect the other two pillars either. The three are necessary to form a strong foundation for our Lenten journey.


Spiritual Obstacles continued – The initiation ceremonies of freemasonry are clearly ritualistic. And while holding a position connected with the Enlightenment has its own pitfalls, it is something else to participate in rituals that incorporate pagan gods and/or the names of demons. Additionally, the initiation ceremony involves that taking of oaths that bestow rights and privileges along with duties and obligations. Along with these is the promise of curses for those who do not observe the oaths taken.


The curses that arise out of these ceremonies, can be passed down generationally, typically through the fourth or fifth generation through the parental authority structure. The spirits commonly associated with these curses include divination, infirmity, death, addiction, abuse, pride, fear, and control. The goal of freemasonry is greater enlightenment. Even though each lodge is to have some religious connection with God, who is identified as the Great Architect or the Grand Master, as one moves through the various degrees, it becomes clearer and clearer that the Great Architect is indeed Lucifer himself.


While the problems inherent in freemasonry are many, two that come into conflict with traditional Christianity are absolute secrecy and strict obedience to the masters of the order. The “religion” of freemasonry is actually Naturalism which promotes reason alone, anti-authority, the notion that all religions are equal, and exaggerating the power of human nature by denying the existence of Original sin.

From this naturalistic view also arises an attack on marriage and family. Naturalism would identify marriage as simply a social construct which can, therefore, be broken and changed. Moreover, children, according to this view, should not be taught religion – they should have the freedom to choose on their own


As the German bishops pointed out in their conclusions, “the masons promote a freedom from dogmatic adherence to any one set of revealed truths. Such a relativism is in direct conflict with the revealed truths of Christianity…The masons deny the possibility of an objective truth, placing every truth instead in a relative context.” In terms of the Masonic notions of God and religion, “the masonic teaching holds a relative of notion of religions…[and] a deistic notion of God which excludes any personal knowledge of the deity…the deistic notion of God precludes the possibility of God’s self-revelation to humankind.”


Another problem with the masonic worldview is their view of toleration. This particular view, sadly, has become commonplace in society today and leads many to abandon faith and the truths of Divine revelation. As the bishops point out: “The Masons promote a principle of toleration regarding ideas. That is, their relativism teaches them to be tolerant of ideas divergent or contrary to their own. Such a principle not only threatens the Catholic position of objective truth, but it also threatens the respect due to the Church’s teaching office.



Finally, the rituals of the first three Masonic grades have a clear sacramental character about them, indicating that an actual transformation occurs in the participant. The end of the rituals is the perfection of mankind through masonry itself; thus, the work of Christ becomes non-essential or even necessary, and the Masonic order makes a total claim on the life of the member which would undermine true adherence to the Christian faith which demands placing God before all.


When spiritual problems arise and it is discovered that there has been a history of freemasonic association in the family, the person having the difficulties is taken through the process of renunciation in which the oaths, promises and curses associated with the various levels of initiation are renounced and broken.


From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • October 23, 2026
Today's readings are all about love - God's faithful love for His people and the love we are called to return to Him and to one another. The stewardship way of life is simply the daily practice of these two greatest commandments. In today's Gospel, Jesus is asked which commandment is the greatest. His answer is both familiar and endlessly challenging. He says, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind ... The second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Why are these two commandments inseparable? Because both are rooted in love. When we love God above all else, we begin to see others as He sees them. And when we genuinely love our neighbor, we reflect the love we have first received from Him. This is the heart of Christian stewardship. It is simple enough for a child to understand, yet rich enough to spend a lifetime putting into practice.© Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026 Pastoral Pondering - Remembering the Saints and the Souls As October ends, the Church gives us two feasts back-to-back that show who we are as one family in Christ, living and departed. On November 1, the Solemnity of All Saints, we honor all the holy men and women now in heaven. That includes the famous names on our calendar, and it also includes the countless quiet saints no one ever canonized: grandparents, neighbors, and friends who loved God and others faithfully. Their lives remind us that holiness isn't only for a few. It's the calling of every baptized person. All Saints is a Holy Day of Obligation and since it falls on Sunday this year, it is easy to remember the times for Mass. On November 2, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls' Day), we pray for everyone who has died, especially our own loved ones. We trust in God's mercy and ask Him to bring them fully into the joy of His presence. Praying for the dead is one of the oldest Christian practices and a real act of love. The Church teaches that "all who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1030). Purgatory isn't a second chance, and it isn't a smaller version of hell. It's God's mercy finishing what He began in us. Most of us leave this life still carrying some attachment to sin, and God lovingly purifies us so we can see Him face to face. Everyone in purgatory is already saved and on the way to heaven. The souls in purgatory can't help themselves, but we can help them. Since the earliest days, Christians have prayed for the dead (see 2 Maccabees 12:46). Our prayers, sacrifices, works of charity, and above all the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass can speed their way to God. This is the Communion of Saints at work: the Church in heaven, the Church on earth, and the Church being purified, all united in Christ and helping one another. Ways to take part Complete an All Souls envelope with the name of your deceased loved ones so it can be placed on the altar throughout November. Have a Mass offered for someone who has died. Visit a cemetery and pray for the faithful departed. A plenary indulgence for the souls in purgatory is available, under the usual conditions, to those who visit a cemetery and pray for the dead from November 1 to 8, or who visit a church and pray the Our Father and the Creed on All Souls' Day. Ask a favorite saint to pray for you and your family. These days remind us that death doesn't break the bonds of love. We pray for the souls, we ask the saints to pray for us, and we look forward to the day we'll all be together in God's kingdom. Eternal rest grant unto them, 0 Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

From the Pastor - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • October 16, 2026
Today's readings remind us to be mindful not only of who we are, but also Whose we are. In today's Gospel, the Pharisees attempt to trap Jesus by asking whether it is lawful to pay the tax to Caesar. Their question is meant to force Him into choosing sides. But Jesus refuses to be drawn into their narrow way of thinking. Instead, He asks whose image appears on the coin. When they answer, "Caesar," Jesus responds, "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." Those words remind us that while we have responsibilities in this world, our first allegiance belongs to God. Everything we have comes from Him, and through Baptism we have become His sons and daughters. Our time, our talents, our treasure, and our very lives are gifts entrusted to us by the Lord. May we use them each day in grateful response to His goodness, remembering that we belong to Him above all else. © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026 Pastoral Pondering With the mid-term elections coming up and early voting beginning this past week, I thought it would be a good idea to remind everyone the importance of Catholics voting and engaging in civil life. On November 3 we will elect members of Congress, state officials, and many local officeholders. Midterm elections draw fewer voters than a presidential year, yet they shape the laws under which we live: the protection of human life, the freedom of the Church to teach and serve, the strength of the family, the care of the poor, and the education of the young. To stay home is not neutrality. It leaves those decisions to others. The Church has long taught that citizenship is part of charity. The Catechism says that co-responsibility for the common good makes it “morally obligatory… to exercise the right to vote” (CCC 2240). Pope Francis put it plainly: a good Catholic does not stand apart from politics, but offers the best of himself so that those who govern may serve the good of all. Voting is one ordinary way we do that. It is also a moral act, not a team sport. Our identity in Christ comes before any party label. The U.S. bishops, in *Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship* (scan code), remind us that we form our consciences by the Gospel and the Church’s teaching, then vote in light of that formation. A well-formed conscience does not support a program that contradicts the fundamental contents of faith and morals. Some acts are always gravely wrong: the direct taking of innocent human life, including abortion and euthanasia; attacks on the nature of marriage; religious persecution; and the deliberate degradation of the poor. Other issues—immigration, wages, housing, care of creation, criminal justice—also belong to the common good and require prudent judgment about what will help people. Not every issue carries the same moral weight, and rarely does one candidate embody the whole of Catholic social teaching. We weigh, we pray, and we choose the path that best protects human dignity and advances the common good. A few practical steps help. Read the bishops’ guidance and, where available, nonpartisan comparisons of candidates’ records and stated positions. Pray before you vote, perhaps with the family. Discuss the issues with charity, remembering that the person across the aisle is also made in the image of God. Then vote. If you cannot get to the polls, use whatever law the state provides. Participation does not end at the ballot box: write your representatives, serve the poor, and keep the Church’s voice in the public square after Election Day. Here at St. Mark we will not tell you whom to support. That judgment belongs to your conscience, formed by the faith. We will urge you not to surrender that conscience to habit, fear, or party. The Lord who will judge nations also judges how we used the freedom we were given. May we use it well.