From the Pastor - 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

June 14, 2024

As we enter back into Ordinary Time, our readings today remind us that heaven is our true home and that we cannot make it there without God’s assistance.


In our First Reading, the prophet Ezekiel foretells the coming of the Kingdom of God. We can see that Jesus is the cedar that will become refuge for all people. He will humble the proud, lift up the lowly and produce good fruit in the weakened. It is God who does the wondrous works.


We often go through life wanting to be in control. We try to solve all our problems, as we think, "I can do it myself." We cling to our own ideas by putting certain events, future plans, or even day-to-day moments into a perfect little box, "This is the way I want it." We can even push back in moments of suffering by trying to find every possible way to get out of it. We are "in control."

Imagine what life would be like if we surrendered a little more. It is easier said than done — but, oh, how freeing it would be.

What if we opened our clenched hands to God and said, “Thy will be done”?


We would become free from attachment and more blessed than we could ever imagine.


Only God can do all that He promised in our First Reading. We need Him. All we need to do is surrender. To help us on this journey of total surrender, try starting each day with a prayer of surrender, “Lord, I give You this day and all that You have in store for me, my family and friends.” With the guidance of the Lord, surely, we will make it home to heaven. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2024


Pastoral Pondering

Now that we have celebrated the Solemnity of the Holy Trinity and the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, and after listening to a podcast this past week, I thought it would be a good opportunity to reflect on the importance of celebrating the Lord’s Day.


In his most recent podcast, Brendan Gotta, in his Gotta Be Saints podcast, interviewed author of Restoring the Lord’s Day (Sophia Institute Press, 2024), Daniel Fitzpatrick. Daniel is a member of the faculty at the Jesuit High School of New Orleans. He has written a number of books including a new translation of Dante’s Divine Comedy.

During the podcast, the point was made of the importance of living the faith in a holistic way. The Liturgical calendar invites us to live the mysteries of the faith in our daily lives and to especially set aside Sunday, the day we celebrate the Lord’s Resurrection, as a day given over to the Lord.


All too often we see Sunday as simply the day to go to Mass (if at least that) and then the rest of the day is ours to do whatever we want or to get ready for Monday. Sunday though is to be lived differently. The author notes that one of the things that he began doing to keep the Lord’s day was doing his grading and class preparation on Friday and Saturday so that Sunday could be free of those worldly concerns. This, of course, takes an intentionality in living the faith beyond the four walls of the church building and to allow it to permeate our day to day living.


Oftentimes people will lament that they just don’t have time to make such a change. While that might be true in some cases, statisticians estimate that most spend about 3 hours per day on their smart phone. This amounts to 21 hours a week. Too often we get antsy if we spend more than an hour at Mass; yet, if we are honest and look at how we use our time, we can actually do a lot more than we are doing. We allow the worldly concerns to become the tail that wags the dog.


Fitzpatrick also notes that the sin of accedia, also known as spiritual sloth or laziness, which Evelyn Waugh called the besetting sin of the modern age, is often at the root of the failure to keep the Lord’s day because it leads us to reject the good things that the Lord desires for us. We can all be guilty of not immersing ourselves in the Sacred Mysteries. Rather than being in a mode of waiting for Mass to be over, we need to want to continue the celebration throughout the day.



The podcast and the book provide a great opportunity to reflect more deeply on the importance of the Lord’s day and the necessity of recovering that importance in our lives.


From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 11, 2025
In today’s Gospel passage, from Luke, we read the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan. Here, Jesus teaches us in rich detail what stewardship in action looks like. In fact, this parable could just as accurately be called the parable of the Good Steward. The first thing we note about the Good Samaritan is that he is aware of the needs of those around him and responds generously. While the priest and Levi brush right past the man on the side of the road, the Samaritan is watching for those who might be in need. He has a hospitable way of looking at the world around him and so he is able to “see” in a way that the others did not, and he was “moved with compassion at the sight” of the man. Next, we see the Good Samaritan spring into action to serve this man, setting aside his own schedule and plans to meet his needs. He does not just give the man a few dollars or offer quick words of encouragement from across the road. He goes right up to the man. He cleans and bandages his wounds. He puts the man on his own animal and brings him to an inn where he can heal. He ensures the innkeeper would continue to look after him, and he commits to re-turning to the man on his way back. That is how we live out God’s commandments. That is true hospitality and service.  That is how a good steward springs into action when he comes upon a neighbor in need. And Jesus says to each of us personally, just as He did in today’s Gospel, “Go and do likewise.” ©Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering I want to welcome Father Christopher Angermeyer to St. Mark as Parochial Vicar. As many of you know, Father was ordained in June. After completing his undergraduate studies at Belmont Abbey and St. Joseph College Seminary. He completed his theological studies and priestly formation at Mount St. Mary’s in Cincinnati. His home parish was St. Thomas Aquinas in Charlotte. We are happy to have Father Angermeyer with us. I know you will do your part to make him feel welcomed here at St. Mark. I will be away for the next couple of weeks on pilgrimage with a group of seminarians and faithful. Please know that the parish will be in my prayers, and I take all of your intentions with me to the Shrine of Our Lady.

From the Pastor - 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 7, 2025
In today’s Gospel passage, from Luke, we find our Lord appointing disciples to go out and prepare others to receive His invitation into the Kingdom of God. Every verse has something to say about the way a Christian steward should approach others. Let’s consider at least one of the coaching tips Christ gives. “The Lord appointed seventy-two others whom He sent out ahead of Him in pairs to every town and place He intended to visit.” In His wisdom, Christ sent His disciples out not as individuals but in pairs, as teams. This approach to evangelization certainly provided practical advantages. The disciples could lean on each other for mutual support and encouragement, helping each other to stay on task and to put their heads together to pray and problem-solve. This teamwork approach is just as relevant to us modern-day Christian stewards. It takes courage and commitment to go out and invite others into the Christian life. We need to work together to do it well. But there is also symbolic importance to working in teams. It points to the reality that when we invite others to embrace the Good News of the Gospel, we are not merely inviting them into a belief system, but into a relationship with Christ and through that relationship, into Christ’s family — our fellow Christian disciples near and far. Our parish is our immediate spiritual family in this extended worldwide fold. We are not meant to live as isolated individuals within the parish any more than we are meant to live in isolation within our families. We are meant to be a community. That is why it is so important for us to foster a vibrant, supportive, welcoming parish life. This is why we emphasize hospitality as one of the pillars of stewardship. It is not enough just to point others to Christ; we must invite them to join us in community with Him; we must offer a place and mission for them in the Church and within our parish family. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2025 Pastoral Pondering As you know, during the last weekend of May (5/31-6/1), we had our final push for our Growing Home Campaign. I wanted to give everyone a final update as we conclude our fundraising period. During that weekend’s presentation, I asked everyone to help us close the $325,000 gap to meet our $9.7 M goal. As we close this portion of the campaign, I am happy to report that we have reached $10.5 million in pledges and gifts, exceeding our goal by $800,000! I am continuously amazed by the giving spirit that pervades our parish. Your generosity is a tangible expression of your commitment to our amazing parish. The funds raised over the goal and any funds raised going forward will help us to address the ever-increasing cost of construction and reduce the loan amount that will be required to complete the overall project. As noted earlier this year, the Rectory project has started and is projected to take about 12 months to complete. Our hope and plan is to break ground on the Monsignor Bellow Center and Adoration Chapel next summer or early Fall. Words alone never seem adequate to express the gratitude that I have in my heart for all of you who have participated in and supported this monumental effort. Both the financial support and the support with time and talent have been tremendous and for that, I want to offer a heartfelt “THANK YOU!”. May God bless each of you for your generosity in helping us grow our home here at St. Mark.
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