From the Pastor - 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 15, 2023

Today’s readings call us to look inward to the state of our hearts, our thoughts and emotions.

 

Our first reading, from Sirach, addresses the complicated emotion of anger. “Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord?" We have all been wounded by others at some point, some perhaps quite deeply. Our emotions are gifts from God. But we must steward them well, rather than allowing them to overcome us.

 

How do we do this? Sirach tells us. “Remember your last days, set enmity aside... Remember the Most High’s covenant and overlook faults.” We embrace the stewardship mindset— not brooding over hurts but recalling all the gifts our good God has given us, all the love He continually pours out upon us, and we put our focus and trust in Him.

 

In our Gospel passage from Matthew, Jesus reminds us of the true position we have before Him in light of all that He has done for us, comparing the kingdom of heaven to a “king who decided to settle accounts with his servants.” In the parable, a debtor is brought before the king, owing such an overwhelming debt that it could not possibly be repaid. Yet, the king is filled with compassion for the servant, forgives the debt and lets him go free.

 

Doesn’t that sound like each of us in relation to the King of Kings? The Father has given us life, and then sent His only Son to die for us to free us from our sin “debts” and make eternal life with Him possible for us. It is impossible for us to repay this debt. All we can do is thank God by giving Him our whole selves — inside and out.

 

What joy and freedom we find in the stewardship way of life!

 

©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2023

 

Pastoral Pondering

This weekend we have the opportunity to come together and celebrate Septemberfest as a parish family. It is good to worship together. It is good to pray together. It is also good to have fun together! Thanks to Rose George and all the staff and volunteers who make this annual event possible.

 

In this weekend’s pondering, I wanted to address a topic that I have been asked about a number of times over the last few months, the warning and the three-days of darkness. Recently, Father Chris Alar, MIC produced a YouTube Video concerning this topic. The notion of the warning and the three-days of darkness did not originate with Father Chris. Rather, it is deeply rooted in Sacred Scripture, especially in the book of Revelation. Moreover, it has been propagated by various private revelations including those of Fatima, Akita and LaSalette.

 

At Fatima, and through Our Lady’s instructions to Sister Lucia regarding the First Saturday Devotion, we know that Our Lord desires reparation. God’s justice will come, but the severity of his justice might be assuaged by our prayers of reparation united with the intercession of Our Lady. We know that her Immaculate Heart will triumph, but we also know that we must be obedient to her call for penance and reparation. This is encouraged primarily through the First Saturday Communion of reparation and by praying the rosary daily for the conversion of sinners.

 

St. Padre Pio is said to have prophesied about the three-days of darkness. Before him, however, similar messages were given to St. Anne Catherine Emmerich, St. John Bosco, St. Anna Maria Taigi and St. Faustina Kowalska. In 1918 Padre Pio began to experience the stigmata, the five wounds of Christ. Padre Pio testified to the truth of the revelations he received from the Lord in a letter he sent to the Vatican commission investigating the veracity of his experiences. The Lord told him that the time was at hand for his judgment to come. His faithful ones are told to be faithful in prayer and reparation. The Divine Judgement shall strike like a thunderbolt as were the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. During this time, the faithful are admonished not go outside nor even look outside. They are to pray constantly. Blessed candles will provide the only light and hurricanes of fire will come upon the earth. The Lord said that no harm will come to those who keep my will and observe my warning. Following this punishment, on the fourth day, the sun will shine, and the angels of peace will descend on the earth.

 

So, what are we to do in response to these prophecies? We are to do what we are called to do always. We are called to pray, to be obedient to the Lord’s commands and to remain in the state of grace. In other words, we are called to pursue holiness in all we say and do. This, of course, is more and more difficult in the world in which we live. To be sure, there is still great goodness in the world, but there is also great evil. That which is wrong, the world presents as right. That which is good, the world presents as evil. Reality is being turned upside down. In light of this, we must remember the words of Sacred Scripture, those who walk in darkness have seen a great light (see Isaiah 9:2; Matthew 4:16; John 8:12 and Acts 26:18). The LIGHT has been revealed to us, and our job is to follow the LIGHT and not take our eyes away from HIM. In John chapter 6 verse 20, Jesus says to the apostles, “It is I, do not be afraid.” He speaks those words to us as well. God is just, but He is also merciful to those who seek His mercy. Therein lies the key. We must seek His mercy every day. We must pray every day, and we must heed His words through St. Paul: So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. (1 Thess. 5:6)


From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • November 6, 2026
Wisdom is at the heart of today's readings. It is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and an essential gift for living the stewardship way of life. As Christian stewards, we should continually ask the Holy Spirit to deepen this gift within us. In today's Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the 10 virgins waiting for the bridegroom. Five are wise, and five are foolish. The wise virgins prepare ahead of time, bringing enough oil to keep their lamps burning. The foolish ones fail to prepare and are caught off guard when the bridegroom arrives. Jesus concludes with this reminder: "Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour." Stewardship helps us live with that same spirit of readiness. When we seek the Lord each day through prayer, the sacraments, and the faithful use of the gifts He has entrusted to us, we keep our hearts prepared to meet Him whenever He calls. That is the wisdom Christ desires for each of us. © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026 Pastoral Pondering - Rooting Out Anger Few things disturb the peace of a home, a parish, or a soul as quickly as anger. A sharp word at the dinner table, a resentful silence after Mass, a flash of irritation in traffic-each seems small in the moment, yet the Fathers of the Church warn us that anger is a deadly poison. St. John Cassian, the great monastic teacher whose writings shaped Western spirituality, dedicated an entire book of his Institutes to this vice. His counsel is bracing and practical for us today. Cassian insists that anger must be "utterly rooted out from the inmost corners of our soul." As long as it remains, it blinds the eye of the heart. We lose right judgment, the capacity for true counsel, and even the ability to pray. "The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God" (James 1:20). Whether the provocation seems just or unjust makes little difference: anger covers the eyes of the soul like a plate of gold or lead- the value of the metal does not restore sight. He rejects the common excuse that we may be angry with those who do wrong, or that Scripture's language of God's "anger" justifies our own passion. God is free from all disturbance; the biblical language of divine anger is metaphorical, pointing to His just judgment, not to a human emotion we may imitate. To use it as permission for our own resentment is, Cassian says, to draw from the Scriptures an occasion of sin rather than a remedy of holiness. There is, however, one legitimate use of the energy of anger: we may and should be indignant against the evil thoughts and disordered desires that rise within our own hearts. When we are ashamed of what we would never say or do before others, yet find it stirring inside, we are to rage against that disorder, trembling before the all-seeing eye of God. In this sense the psalmist's "Be angry and sin not" (Psalm 4:4) and St. Paul's citation of it (Ephesians 4:26) are understood: be angry with your own faults, lest the Sun of Righteousness set upon a darkened mind and the devil be given place. Cassian's remedies are simple and severe. First, make a firm resolution never to be angry at all-neither for good reasons nor bad. The moment the passion enters, discernment is lost and the soul can no longer be a temple of the Holy Spirit. Second, never attempt to pray while angry; such prayer is obstinate rebellion. Third, keep daily before your eyes the uncertainty of life and the certainty of judgment. All our other efforts- Mass, fasting, works of charity- profit nothing if anger and hatred alone bring us to eternal punishment. Practically, this means catching the first interior movement of irritation and turning it at once into sorrow for our own impatience. It means refusing to nurse the grievance past sunset, seeking reconciliation before the next Holy Communion, and enlarging the heart with patience so that the "waves of anger" are received and dissipated rather than confined and intensified. Peace, Cassian reminds us, does not depend on the conduct of others; it lies in our own control. In the confessional and in the daily struggle of parish life, I see how often this vice wounds families and friendships. Let us ask the Lord, who is meek and humble of heart, to give us the grace to root it out. May the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, guard our hearts and our parish. In other news, due to an unexpected leave, I have been appointed as Vicar General and Chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte by Bishop Martin. While this appointment is expected to be temporary, during the interim, it will make my ability to take appointments rather limited. Please be patient with the office staff as they try to accommodate those needs along with my additional responsibilities.

From the Pastor - All Saints Day

By John Putnam • October 30, 2026
On this Solemnity of All Saints, we have the profound joy of celebrating our brothers and sisters in Christ, the saints. This is an especially meaningful feast for us as Christian stewards. At Baptism, each of us receives the call to holiness and discipleship. In other words, we are all called to become saints. Holiness is not reserved for a select few. It is God's desire for every one of His children. The stewardship way of life helps us answer that call each day. In today's Gospel from Matthew, Jesus gives us the Beatitudes. They reveal the qualities that mark the lives of His disciples and point us toward authentic holiness. As we continue striving to live as faithful stewards, the Beatitudes provide a faithful measure of our growth in Christ. The "blessed" that Jesus describes are not different categories of people who make it to heaven. Rather, they reveal the character of those who belong to Him - the poor in spirit, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers, and all who remain faithful in the midst of trials. None of us can live this way on our own. But as beloved children of God, we receive the grace we need through prayer, the sacraments, and a life centered on Christ. May the example of the saints inspire us to persevere in our own call to holiness, trusting that one day we will join them in the everlasting joy of heaven. © Catholic Stewardship Conference, 2026 Pastoral Pondering October brought us the Church's renewed attention to mental health. Pope Leo XIV has asked us this month to pray that our communities become places where those who carry unseen burdens find welcome, dignity, and hope- not judgment or silence. Many of those burdens are carried by women and girls. Some have lived through abuse, assault, or trauma that few around them even know about. Recent headlines, including those from Cornell University, have reminded the whole country how widespread these wounds are and how alone many survivors feel. Regardless of the outcome and veracity of the Cornell case, these types of cases exist closer to home. Women in our own parish and community often suffer quietly, unsure where to turn or whether anyone will truly understand. There is help, and there is hope. Healed and Restored, the local Catholic ministry founded by our own parishioner Elza Spaedy, exists precisely for this purpose. Through counseling, workshops, spiritual mentoring, retreats, and a supportive community, it walks with women and girls who have experienced abuse, assault, domestic violence, trafficking, or other trauma. Rooted in faith, it helps them encounter the Divine Physician who alone can restore what has been broken and discover that their wounds do not define them. Many of the women who have walked this path have found real freedom and a renewed sense of their dignity as daughters of God. If you are carrying a wound like this, or if you know someone who is, I encourage you to reach out. Information is available at healedandrestored.org. And if you simply want to stand with those who are hurting, please keep them in your prayers. Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer is to notice, to listen without fear, and to point someone toward the healing Christ offers. May the Lord who binds up the brokenhearted make our parish a place of true restoration.