From the Pastor - 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 7, 2022

Our readings today show us that living a stewardship way of life, that is, a life focused on serving God and His Kingdom, is not easy. They also show us that our lives belong to God, not to us and that God will indeed bring about the fulfillment of His kingdom. We just need to have faith that He can do it and commit to our small part in His grand design. This is both our privilege and responsibility as Christian stewards.


Jesus makes this privilege and responsibility clear in today’s Gospel passage from Luke. When the apostles ask the Lord to increase their faith, He tells them that even a mustard seed-sized faith is all that is needed to move mountains (because it is God who does the heavy lifting). We need only take the tiniest step forward, and He will do the rest.



But living our lives in His service is also very much our responsibility, as Jesus explains through the parable of the unprofitable servant later in this passage. Our Lord describes a scene in which a servant has just come in from tending to the master’s affairs and asks whether it would be reasonable for the master to begin waiting on his servant. Of course, it would not be reasonable! The servant would be expected to continue to serve his master until he has completed the work the master has given him that day. Jesus says we should have this same attitude before God.


The time, talents, and treasure entrusted to us are all God’s. Our very lives belong to Him. Whatever we do on God’s behalf with our lives and our gifts is simply our God-given responsibility.


The stewardship way of life makes the privilege and responsibility of serving Christ and His kingdom a reality. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2022

 

Pastoral Pondering

Thanks for your prayers while we priests were on our annual retreat in Maggie Valley. It is always good to get together for prayer and fellowship, and the annual retreat provides that opportunity.


As we move closer and closer to the end of the Liturgical year over the next few weeks, the readings will begin to point more and more to the end of time and the finite reality of our lives here on earth. It is always good to ponder those realities as a way of examining our consciences and always being ready for the “coming of the Lord.” In light of this and because I have lately had a number of folks ask me about guilt, shame and the like, I thought I would dedicate a portion of this pondering to that particular topic.


In the current milieu in which we live, it is easy to find various sources arguing that guilt and shame are bad things because they limit our freedom and keep us from being who we were meant to be. While there is some truth there, these opinions also expound significant errors when examined from a Christian perspective.


Guilt, as a feeling, is not a bad thing. Guilt is the manifestation of our conscience (see CCC##1795-1802) informing us that something that we are doing, have done, or are planning to do, is somehow contrary to God’s law. Guilt helps us move from sinfulness to repentance. A well-formed conscience helps us recognize when we have transgressed the laws of God and are in need of reconciliation.


The feeling of shame on the other hand, may arise from disordered or sinful actions, but it does not lead us to God but often causes us to flee from Him. Remember Adam and Eve in the Garden. After they had sinned, they hid from God when they heard Him walking in the Garden. They were ashamed because they were naked.


Shame defines us by our sin rather than helping us understand that our sin can never define us. We are first and foremost beloved sons and daughters of God. As is often said, the Devil calls us by our sin, but God calls us by our name. Shame is a hindrance to the spiritual life and a very effective tool of the Devil. It often leads to isolation and even desolation.


God always offers us His mercy. And while at times, we certainly find ourselves guilty of some transgression, God is ever ready to welcome us back when we approach Him with sincere contrition. Shame on the other hand will rob us of hope and keep us from living in that freedom that God desires for His children.


In a couple of weeks (16-18 October), we will be having our Fall Parish Mission with Casting Nets, an apostolic group dedicated to evangelization. The speakers are dynamic and really focus on helping each of us grow in our commitment to Christ. Their ultimate goal is helping parishes to become authentic schools of prayer, holiness, and missionary discipleship. Please plan to join us!


From the Pastor

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,

From the Pastor - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 31, 2026
The stewardship way of life could be described as a daily pursuit of the Kingdom of Heaven. In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus uses a series of parables to help us understand the incomparable value of that Kingdom. First, He reminds us that living for Him and for His Kingdom will require sacrifice. Yet the joy that comes from following Christ makes any sacrifice worthwhile. Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” He then compares the Kingdom to “a merchant searching for fine pearls." When the merchant finds a pearl of great price, he gladly sells everything he has to obtain it. In both parables, the Kingdom is something precious that must be sought and recognized. We must intentionally look for it amid the distractions and noise of the world. Yet Jesus also reminds us that the Kingdom is meant for everyone. He compares it to a net cast into the sea that gathers fish of every kind. At the same time, He reminds us that each of us will one day be judged. The angels “will separate the wicked from the righteous.” It is a powerful reminder that our choices matter. Let us pray for the wisdom to recognize the Kingdom of Heaven in our midst and to pursue it above all else. There is no greater treasure, and no greater source of joy, than a life lived as a faithful disciple of Jesus. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026. Pastoral Pondering I enjoy books generally. I like to hold them, look at them and, of course, read them. I also enjoy audiobooks because they are a good way to pass the time with all the driving that I do. I like a wide variety of books, but I generally try to avoid things that are strictly political. Hence, I was a little hesitant when the book Communion by J.D. Vance was recommended to me. However, what I discovered is that it is an excellent read and has nothing to do with politics. Rather, it is the story of the Vice President’s return to the Christian faith that eventually resulted in his becoming Catholic. I suppose “conversion” stories attract me because of my own background. And while I did not grow up in Ohio coal country as he did, there are many similarities to his family, described in Hillbilly Elegy, and my dad’s family from the mountains of North Carolina. This particular book, in some ways, is a sequel to Hillbilly . It discusses his chaotic childhood and exposure to Baptist and Pentecostal churches, his drift into atheism as a young adult, following the death of his grandmother, and his gradual return to faith which culminated in his conversion to Catholicism in 2019. The title refers to the Eucharist, and the author explores what it means to be Christian across life stages – as a child, young man, husband, father and public figure – while reflecting on the role of religion in public life and American society.  This memoir mixes spiritual autobiography with broader commentary on faith, politics, family values, and societal problems. While some have criticized it as more of a cultural manifesto, I appreciated the honest assessment of one man’s journey from his childhood faith to an adult faith which led to full communion with the Catholic Church. Granted, it may not be to everyone’s liking, but it shouldn’t be dismissed simply because the author is the current Vice President. I enjoyed it, and if you want something to pass a lazy summer afternoon, I’d recommend it.