From the Pastor - 5th Sunday in Lent

March 25, 2024

As we are nearing the end of our Lenten journey, our readings today remind us of the goodness that our God has to offer us.


In today's Gospel, Jesus announces that the “hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.” All that He came to do on this earth was soon to be fulfilled. When we reflect on what Jesus says in this passage, He tells us a great deal about how we should be living as disciples of Christ. He clearly states, “unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.”


We are called to detach from our own desires and entrust our lives to all that God has in store for us. Without self-denial, we might miss occasions God has given us to produce good fruit. We have been practicing this throughout our Lenten season through fasting. One way to continue this effort after Lent is by taking advantage of the countless opportunities God presents to us to sacrifice our desires for something much greater — whether waking earlier to spend time in prayer, fasting from a favorite comfort on a weekly basis or taking the time to check in on a friend or family member instead of turning on the TV, just to name a few. It is important that we continue to make room for God and the good things He wants to produce in us all year long.


As our Lenten journey soon concludes, may we consider the ways in which we might continue the practice of self-denial by offering small, daily sacrifices to the Lord. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2024

 

Pastoral Pondering

A few weeks back the Alabama Supreme Court, in an 8-1 ruling, ruled that human embryos preserved cryogenically in in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinics are “extrauterine children,” and are therefore protected under the state’s “wrongful death of a minor” law. Writing for the majority, Justice Jay Mitchell states the following: “It (the law in question) applies to all children, born and unborn, without limitation. It is not the role of this Court to craft a new limitation based on our own view of what is or is not wise public policy. That is especially true where, as here, the People of this state have adopted a Constitutional amendment directly aimed at stopping courts from excluding ‘unborn life’ from legal protection.”


For a myriad of reasons, the decision sparked outcry from all sides and two weeks ago, Congress attempted to pass a bill guaranteeing IVF access. There also appears to be a lot of confusion regarding the reality of IVF, what the moral issues are, and what the Church teaches regarding IVF.


As with other moral issues, the Church roots our understanding of the human person in the very design of creation and, thus, Divine law. Human beings are created in the image and likeness of God. They, therefore, have inherent dignity and worth. Hence, the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes in paragraph 2378:


A child is not something owed to one but is a gift. The ‘supreme gift of marriage’ is a human person. A child may not be considered a piece of property, an idea to which an alleged ‘right to a child’ would lead. In this area, only the child possesses genuine rights: the right ‘to be the fruit of a specific act of the con jugal love of parents,’ and ‘the right to be respected as a person from the moment of conception.’


What occurs in IVF is that human eggs and sperm are combined to create human embryos. Usually, more embryos than are needed are produced leading to some being frozen or destroyed. If multiple embryos are implanted successfully, and the couple only desires one child, the other embryo(s) are often aborted.


There is certainly a high incidence of infertility in our society, and this can be a source of great suffering for couples unable to conceive. Nonetheless, in her moral teaching, the Church has and continues to maintain that there are grave problems with IVF, and Catholics should avoid ever using it. The reasons for the prohibition include:


  1. It goes against God’s plan for the way children are to come into the world – conception is to come about exclusively through the physical expression of love between a husband and a wife;
  2. Some embryos, tiny human beings, are almost always killed through this procedure.
  3. As already noted, if more than one embryo successfully implants in the uterine wall, the doctor will kill one or more of them.
  4. IVF treats children as though they were commodities to be produced for adult needs and can also lead to genetic engineering, “designer babies, and the view that “leftovers” can serve as material for research scientists.


It is important to remember that children conceived through IVF are precious in the sight of God. They are loved by God and should be loved and cherished by us as well.



The adage “what can be done does not necessarily indicate what should be done” is useful here. Infertility is not new. In the Bible Hannah, Sarah and others wept because they were barren. Infertility causes true pain and anguish. Nonetheless, no one has a “right” to children because children are a gift from God. While we may never understand the “why” of a particular situation, we do believe that God can and will work, and this is especially true when we are obedient to the Divine plan without seeking a true good via immoral means. In Catholic thought and teaching the ends never justify the means. Positively, however, there are many pro-life doctors who are making great strides in methods that can be of great help to couples who are infertile. In all of these difficult matters, we have to approach with humility, trust and prayer.


From the Pastor

From the Pastor - Palm Sunday

By John Putnam • April 11, 2025
Two very different responses to our Lord’s passion are highlighted during the Gospel reading from Luke today: the response of Simon of Cyrene and the response of Jesus’ acquaintances. Of Simon we are told, “They took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus.” Whether Simon entered willingly and compassionately into this service or whether he took up the Cross of Christ with a grudge, we don’t know. What we do know is this: Simon did his part faithfully. He stayed near to Christ, carrying the Cross until our Lord reached Golgotha, the site of His crucifixion. We also know that Simon’s family was among the first of the early Christians. Staying near to Christ, embracing the Cross (quite literally), transformed his life and the life of his family. In contrast, near the end of this Gospel account, we are told of another reaction to Jesus’ passion and death, namely that “all His acquaintances stood at a distance.” They knew Jesus! They had heard him preaching and teaching, witnessed His signs and miracles, maybe even benefitted personally from them. Perhaps they did not participate in mocking Him or calling for His crucifixion. But they chose to stay a safe distance from Him when the going got tough. Unlike Simon, they refused to go too near to Christ. Where will you place yourself this week? Keeping your distance from all the pain and suffering Christ endured? Or close by, staying near to Him as Simon did? It is when we go near to Christ that we can be transformed by Him. It is by embracing the crosses in our lives, stewarding them well rather than trying to run from them, that we become His true disciples. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering As we begin Holy Week and approach the end of the Lenten season, we can hopefully look back and see a fruitful observance of this penitential season. I want to thank all of those who have responded this far and helped us to reach $9 million in pledges and donations for our Growing Home Campaign. We still have a bit of work to do, but your support has been tremendous. We would very much like to increase participation. Remember it is not about equal amounts but equal sacrifice. If you call St. Mark home; then, you are a part of this effort. We need you. This week we are happy to host the Chrism Mass for the Diocese of Charlotte. Bishop Martin will gather with his priests and will bless and consecrate the holy oils and the sacred Chrism that will be used in sacramental celebrations throughout the year. The celebration is open to all who would like to attend. The Sacred Triduum begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. Following Mass, we will process with the Blessed Sacrament to the Kerin Center for quiet adoration. This is also the evening when it is traditional to visit seven churches for adoration. Resources will be provided for those who wish to participate. Good Friday we will have stations as well as the Service of the Passion. Thursday, Friday and Saturday we will be offering confessions. However, PLEASE try to go earlier in the week. We do our best to accommodate everyone, but there is limited time and only a few of us. Have mercy.  Holy Saturday we will welcome our catechumens into the Church. The vigil begins at 8:30 pm with the blessing of the Easter Fire. Easter Sunday, of course, tends to bring a lot of folks to Mass that perhaps we don’t normally see. Please be patient and kind. We do have two Masses at Christ the King High School that might be less stressful options for families. There will be overflow seating in the Kerin Center, but the parking lot only has so much space, sooooo…..Have a blessed week!

From the Pastor - Fifth Sunday of Lent

By John Putnam • April 4, 2025
Once again, this week, we are reminded of what a loving and merciful God we serve. The theme of the readings for this fifth Sunday of Lent are summed up beautifully in today’s Gospel passage from Luke, which recounts the story of the woman caught in adultery. After all those who would have stoned this woman leave the scene, Christ says to her, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” When we turn to God for forgiveness, He is indeed gracious and merciful. So much so, that not only will He forgive our sins without condemnation, but He will also make us completely new creations in Christ. What is more amazing is that this all-perfect and holy God of ours draws so very near to us. Our sins do not drive Him from us, but rather to us so that He can set us free from them. Look carefully at Christ’s actions and posture in the Gospel reading as He deals with both the crowd of people, the Scribes and Pharisees, and the adulterous woman. “All the people started coming to Him and he sat down and taught them.” “He bent down and began to write with His finger.” He “straightened up” when He confronted the Scribes and Pharisees about their own sins. And he “straightened up” when He assured the woman that He did not condemn her for her past. Like a skilled teacher, or loving “big brother,” Christ bends down to where we are, He sits among us, He stands to confront us when needed and He stands to look us in the eye to remind us of our true dignity. We’re all unworthy of the great privilege of serving Him. But that, quite simply, is cause for greater joy in serving Him with all our hearts. ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering This Sunday begins the traditional Lenten period known as Passiontide which draws our attention to a more direct consideration of the Lord’s Passion and death. The images and statues in the church building are covered as a sign of mourning. In the Liturgy, there is a shift of focus from penance and preparation for Easter to a meditation on the suffering and death of Jesus. The readings during these final weeks of Lent increasingly focus on the events surrounding Jesus’ passion and crucifixion. Passiontide culminates in Holy Week beginning with Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, followed by His Passion and death on Good Friday. The core themes of Passiontide are the suffering and sacrifice of Christ, which is seen as the ultimate act of love and redemption for mankind. Catholics during this time are called to enter into Christ’s suffering in a spiritual sense through prayer, penance, and reflection.  In summary, Passiontide is a deeply contemplative period in the Church, marked by somber liturgies, a focus on the suffering and death of Christ, and practices such as veiling statues and images. It is a time for the faithful to prepare spiritually for the resurrection of Christ at Easter, emphasizing the central role that Christ’s Passion plays in Christian salvation. This is our Lenten home stretch, so play to win!
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