From the Pastor - 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

August 19, 2022

Today’s readings show us that it is not enough to be Christ’s disciples in name only. To be a real disciple, we must live for Christ every day and in every aspect of life. This kind of life takes strength and discipline.


Intentionally and consistently offering the Lord the best of our Time, Talent, and Treasure through a stewardship way of life is a form of spiritual discipline. These spiritual disciplines teach us to become ever more aware of God’s constant provision for us and they keep us on the narrow path towards the Kingdom of Heaven. The more we embrace this way of life, the more we can be “trained” by the Lord in the ways of true discipleship. Though difficult, these disciplines become a source of spiritual strength.


Our Lord Himself speaks of the difficult path to the Kingdom of Heaven in today’s Gospel passage from Luke. He is asked, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” Jesus responds, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” Showing up for Mass on Sunday while living as if Christ is an afterthought the rest of the week does not make us disciples. What’s more, this approach to our faith is an unjust and unloving response to our good God who has given us all that we have and are.

Jesus does not want us to merely go through the motions of faith. He wants much more from us and for us. He wants to know us deeply and for us to get to know Him so that we become His holy disciples. This is not a burden; it is a privilege. But it does take discipline, the discipline of a stewardship way of life. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2022


Pastoral Pondering

With school starting back again, our lives tend to fall back into a normal routine. Hopefully, the summer months afforded everyone a chance to relax and recharge. I had a wonderful opportunity to attend one of the Family Fests sponsored by the Apostolate for Family Consecration. There were a significant number of families from St. Mark and from the Diocese at large in attendance, and it was truly a wonderful week.


The Apostolate was founded a number of years ago to spread the message of Fatima, particularly the importance of family consecration, in 1975 by Jerry and Servant of God Gwen Coniker. The AFC website (afc.org) describes there work as follows:

We share the message of Family Consecration to the Holy Family as the best way we know for families to grow in holiness, Family Consecration is a commitment to live your baptismal promises with the help of the Holy Family and to set your family apart for God. Individually and as a family, you entrust yourselves to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. You pledge to model your family after the Holy Family. In return, the Holy Family comes to stay in your home and surround you with their love, protection, and guidance.


The Family Fests provide an opportunity for families to come together for fellowship, fun, enrichment and prayer. There is something for every age group. On a parish level one of the ways AFC encourages participating in their mission is through the First Saturday devotion. We have a small group of families who have been coming together on First Saturday evenings for about a year now. They gather in the Kerin Center following the Saturday evening Mass to have dinner (each family brings their own), pray the rosary and simply be together as families.



Anyone who has eyes, ears and, at least a modicum of perception, realizes that the family has been under attack for some time now. Our Lady told Sr. Lucia that the Devil’s final (and most ferocious) attack would be against marriage and the family. In these difficult times, we need to do all that we can to strengthen and support families so that they might fulfill their role as the building blocks of both society and the Church. Our family goal should always be to grow as a holy family. This growth is best done in community. I invite all of our families to join the First Saturday gathering as well as to learn more about the great work of the Apostolate. Strong families, strengthen the Church, and the world in which we live.

 

 


From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Divine Mercy Sunday

By John Putnam • April 10, 2026
The great feast of Easter has begun, Christian stewards. Let us rejoice and be glad! Just as we embraced the discipline and fasting of Lent, let us fully embrace the joy and feasting that the next 50 days offer. We are called to be good stewards of the Easter season. Our first reading, from Acts, gives instruction on how to do this. Here, St. Peter says that our Lord, “commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead… that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.” How do we ordinary people preach and testify to all God has done? We do so through how we live our ordinary lives — through the intentional use of our time, talent, and treasure for the kingdom of God. Putting God and others ahead of ourselves in every aspect of our lives is the most eloquent preaching we can do. Boldly and joyfully embracing a stewardship way of life is our most powerful testimony. As Christian stewards, we are the modern-day witnesses of an incredible miracle prompted by unfathomable love — the death and Resurrection of our Savior for us. Let us rejoice and be glad and let’s make sure our lives are a testimony to this amazing grace! © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026  HAPPY EASTER!

From the Pastor - Easter Sunday

By John Putnam • April 3, 2026
The great feast of Easter has begun, Christian stewards. Let us rejoice and be glad! Just as we embraced the discipline and fasting of Lent, let us fully embrace the joy and feasting that the next 50 days offer. We are called to be good stewards of the Easter season. Our first reading, from Acts, gives instruction on how to do this. Here, St. Peter says that our Lord, “commissioned us to preach to the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead… that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.” How do we ordinary people preach and testify to all God has done? We do so through how we live our ordinary lives — through the intentional use of our time, talent, and treasure for the kingdom of God. Putting God and others ahead of ourselves in every aspect of our lives is the most eloquent preaching we can do. Boldly and joyfully embracing a stewardship way of life is our most powerful testimony. As Christian stewards, we are the modern-day witnesses of an incredible miracle prompted by unfathomable love — the death and Resurrection of our Savior for us. Let us rejoice and be glad and let’s make sure our lives are a testimony to this amazing grace! © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026  HAPPY EASTER!