From the Pastor - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 6, 2024

Our readings today offer us a message of hope — God is with us and wants to heal us. May this message come ablaze in our hearts so that we might live with unwavering faith.

 

The Gospel presents us with the story of the profound physical healing of a deaf man with a speech impediment. People brought him to Jesus and begged for his healing. Jesus took the man off by himself, touched his ears and his tongue, then proclaimed, “Be opened!” Immediately he was healed.

 

This story in our Gospel overwhelms us with comfort and peace because we have a compassionate God who sees our physical needs. Yet if we reflect further on this reading, we see that God uses this moment of physical healing as an opportunity to restore something much deeper — our souls.

 

Oftentimes we are blind and deaf to God in our lives. We miss countless opportunities to see God working in our day-to-day moments — through our loved ones, our community, or even a stranger. We miss the quiet voice of Jesus in our hearts telling us to choose Him instead of sin, respond in love instead of anger, or care for someone else in a moment instead of ourselves. This is how we need to be spiritually healed. And the scriptures remind us that God is with us and wants to heal us.

 

This week let us seek God to heal our souls and transform our hearts. Let us pray that our eyes and our ears might “be open” to His workings, words, and promptings in our lives. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2024

 

Pastoral Pondering

It was good to be able to gather as the local Church of the Diocese of Charlotte at the Eucharistic Congress last week. It is always a blessing to be able to participate in our annual homecoming and to celebrate the “source and summit” of our faith. Thanks to all our St. Mark Parishioners who offered their time and talent to volunteer at the Congress. It is only through the efforts of hundreds of volunteers that we can make it happen each year.

 

Some of you are aware that on August 23 I lost one of my dearest friends, Billie Mobley. Billie organized our annual pilgrimage to Fatima and devoted the last ten years of her life to sponsoring seminarians for the pilgrimage and promoting the message of Our Lady of Fatima. In her honor and memory, I wanted to take the opportunity over the next few weeks to speak about some of the devotions that surround Our Lady’s visits to the three shepherd children in hopes that some or all of them might find a way to your hearts. Perhaps the most important aspect of the Fatima message is the importance of the Holy Rosary.

 

The name Rosary is taken from the Latin word rosarium which means crown or garland of roses. These fragrant flowers are often associated with Our Lady, so it is natural that this ancient devotion would bear that connection as well. According to pious tradition, the idea of the Rosary was given to St. Dominic when the Virgin Mary appeared to him in 1214. This particular apparition is known as Our Lady of the Rosary and subsequent Dominican friars began promoting the recitation of the Rosary and establishing the “fifteen rosary promises”.

 

The Rosary calls us to meditate on the mysteries of the lives of Jesus and Mary. Meditation is an important of our lives as Catholics. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, meditation “engages thought, imagination, emotion and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ.”

 

Traditionally, by establishment of Pope St. Pius V, there were 15 mysteries of the Rosary, the joyful, the sorrowful, and the glorious. In 2002 Pope St. John Paul II added an additional five mysteries known as the luminous mysteries. At Fatima, Our Lady asked the children to pray the Rosary every day for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for the sins of the world. The family Rosary was a staple of Catholic life encouraged by Father Patrick Peyton who noted the family that prays together, stays together.”

 

Through Mary, we are led to a closer relationship with her son, Jesus. The Rosary is an invitation for us to present our needs to God and to love Him more. When we recite the twelve prayers that form the decade of the rosary, we need to deeply reflect on the mystery associated with that decade. Simple recitation, whether vocally or in silence, is not enough because we miss the true essence of the prayers.

 

Praying the Rosary therefore is not just simply about reciting prayers. It involves reflecting on the grace of God. Praying is a powerful act that lets us develop and strengthen our relationship with God and the Rosary offers the same beautiful reward. By praying the Rosary, we meditate on the events in the life of Jesus Christ, and this lets us know God more.

From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Fifth Sunday of Easter

By John Putnam • May 1, 2026
The readings on this fifth Sunday of Easter present us with themes of dwelling places and home. As Christian stewards, we recognize that this world is not our permanent home. We are pilgrims here, making our way through the stewardship way of life toward our true home — heaven. Yet, as we journey toward heaven, we are called to make our dwelling here — whether in a household of one or a full and busy family — a true “domestic church.” In other words, the stewardship way of life begins long before we set foot on parish grounds. Stewardship starts at home. It begins with our families — our domestic churches. The domestic church plays a key role in our sanctification because it is the primary place where we learn and practice selfless love of others. In our Gospel passage from John, Jesus speaks of heaven as a home filled with dwelling places. “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” This is a beautiful image of the glory that awaits us and the personal love our Lord has for us — preparing a place for each one of us who remains faithful to Him. Let us respond to this great love by becoming good stewards of our earthly dwellings, making our homes true “domestic churches” where we honor God through prayer, care for one another, and generous hospitality. Let us never forget that stewardship starts at home! © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026 Pastoral Pondering A common question that comes up is why non-Catholics can’t receive Communion at weddings or funerals . Hence, it continuing to address basics of the faith, I offer the following: The Holy Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life, the real presence of our Lord Jesus Christ—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity—under the appearances of bread and wine. Because the Eucharist both signifies and effects the unity of the Church, the Catholic Church approaches the question of Eucharistic sharing, often called “intercommunion,” with profound reverence and care. Catholic teaching holds that full participation in the Eucharist expresses full communion in faith, worship, and ecclesial life. For this reason, the Church ordinarily admits to Holy Communion only those who are fully initiated Catholics and who are properly disposed: in the state of grace, having observed the Eucharistic fast, and free from grave sin. Intercommunion with Other Christians Members of other Christian communities are not ordinarily admitted to Holy Communion at Catholic Masses. As the USCCB Guidelines for the Reception of Communion state: “Because Catholics believe that the celebration of the Eucharist is a sign of the reality of the oneness of faith, life, and worship, members of those churches with whom we are not yet fully united are ordinarily not admitted to Holy Communion.” Eucharistic sharing in exceptional circumstances requires permission according to the directives of the diocesan bishop and the provisions of canon law. A clear distinction exists between different Christian traditions: Eastern Churches (such as the Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Polish National Catholic Church) possess a valid priesthood and Eucharist by apostolic succession. Catholic ministers may licitly administer the sacraments of Penance, Eucharist, and Anointing of the Sick to members of these Churches if they spontaneously request them and are properly disposed (Canon 844 §3). However, these Christians are urged to respect the discipline of their own Churches, many of which do not permit reception in Catholic celebrations. Other Christians (including Protestants) do not share the Catholic understanding of the Real Presence or the priesthood in its fullness. For them, reception of Holy Communion in a Catholic celebration is permitted only in cases of grave necessity—such as danger of death—when they cannot approach a minister of their own community, they request the sacrament freely, and they manifest Catholic faith in the Eucharist while possessing the required dispositions (Canon 844 §4). General invitations at weddings, funerals, or other occasions are not permitted, as they could imply a unity that does not yet exist. Catholics, in turn, may receive the sacraments only from Catholic ministers, with very limited exceptions for the Eastern Churches when necessary (Canon 844 §2). Catholics are not permitted to receive Communion in most Protestant services, as those celebrations do not possess a validly ordained priesthood. A Call to Charity and Prayer These norms are not rooted in exclusion but in fidelity to the truth of the Eucharist as the sacrament of ecclesial unity. The Church recognizes the real, though imperfect, communion that exists with all the baptized through faith in Christ and the gift of Baptism. We are encouraged to foster unity through joint prayer, Scripture study, works of charity, and dialogue, while patiently awaiting the full visible unity for which Christ prayed. As the Catechism teaches, “Ecclesial communities derived from the Reformation… have not preserved the proper reality of the Eucharistic mystery in its fullness, which is why Eucharistic intercommunion is not possible” (CCC 1400). Yet we rejoice in the elements of sanctification and truth present in these communities and pray earnestly for the day when all Christians may gather at one altar in complete communion. If you have questions about these teachings—perhaps in the context of family members of other Christian traditions—please speak with a priest. He can offer pastoral guidance tailored to your situation while remaining faithful to Church discipline. May our reverence for the Most Blessed Sacrament deepen our love for Christ and our longing for the unity of His Church.

From the Pastor - Fourth Sunday of Easter

By John Putnam • April 24, 2026
Today’s readings on this fourth Sunday of Easter offer us a glimpse into the heart of our loving Savior. He is the Good Shepherd and we can confidently place our trust in Him as we live the stewardship way of life. This endearing image of Jesus as our shepherd, and His personal love for each one of us, is described in our Gospel passage from John, through the words of Jesus Himself. Here we read Jesus’ description of Himself as the “Good Shepherd.” He says of Himself, “The sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.” This aspect of our Lord’s tender and personal love for each one of us is a compelling reason to embrace the stewardship way of life — in the offering of our time, talent, and treasure to Him, we can express our gratitude to Him for the incomprehensible love He has for us. Embracing this way of life certainly requires trust on our part. But Christ has proven Himself worthy of our trust. He “bore our sins in His body.” He calls Himself our shepherd and He offers Himself as the guardian of our souls. He has withheld nothing of Himself and His goodness from us. He would never ask anything of us that would bring us harm. He tells us “I came so that [you] might have life and have it more abundantly.” This Easter season, let us resolve to entrust ourselves and our lives gratefully to Him. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026 Pastoral Pondering As we continue our treatment of the basics of the faith and following up on last week’s discussion of cohabitation, this week I wanted to focus on Natural Family Planning which some people misconstrue as Catholic contraception. Natural Family Planning: The Catholic Way to Responsible Parenthood Natural Family Planning (NFP) consists of moral, scientific methods that help married couples achieve or postpone pregnancy by observing a woman’s natural signs of fertility—such as cervical mucus and basal body temperature—without drugs, devices, or surgery. The Catholic Church fully supports NFP because it respects God’s design for marital love, which is both **unitive** (bonding) and **procreative** (open to life). Unlike artificial contraception, which deliberately blocks fertility, NFP works with the body’s natural cycles through periodic abstinence when needed. Church Teaching In Humanae Vitae (1968), Pope St. Paul VI taught that couples may use the infertile periods for serious reasons, while always remaining open to the gift of children. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2370) affirms that methods based on self-observation and infertile periods are morally acceptable because they respect the dignity of the spouses and promote authentic freedom. NFP is not “Catholic contraception.” The difference is in the heart: contraception rejects fertility in the act itself; NFP involves responsible discernment and periodic continence when there are just reasons (health, financial, emotional, or other proportionate circumstances). Couples should prayerfully discern together, ideally with a priest or spiritual director, avoiding a selfish “contraceptive mentality.” NFP can also help couples conceive by identifying the fertile window. Benefits for Catholic Couples - Strengthens marriage through better communication, mutual respect, and shared sacrifice. - Respects the woman’s body and natural rhythms. - Highly effective when properly learned and used. - Supports monitoring of reproductive health. Popular Church-approved methods include the Sympto-Thermal Method , Creighton Model , and Marquette Method . Instruction from a certified teacher is strongly recommended. A Parish Invitation As the domestic Church, families thrive when they live God’s plan for love and life. If you are preparing for marriage, newlywed, or seeking to grow in this area, contact your diocesan Family Life Office or visit the USCCB Natural Family Planning page for resources and local classes.  May the Lord bless all married couples as they cooperate with God in the beautiful vocation of responsible parenthood!