From the Pastor - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 8, 2023

Today’s readings are all about relationships. Among the many lessons we have learned from the global pandemic is the deep importance of the relationships and communities in our lives. Our families, neighbors, friends and parish family need us, and we need them to be our best selves.


St. Paul gives us simple instruction in our second reading from Romans to guide us in our dealings with others, reminding us what Christ Himself taught: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love is the overarching principal that guides us to be good stewards of our relationships.


In our Gospel passage from Matthew, Jesus further refines this instruction on good stewardship of our relationships, even when they involve conflict. He says, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.”


Jesus teaches us to confront the offending person directly and discretely — with the goal of restoring the relationship if possible. This is how we steward our relationships even through rocky waters. Jesus also speaks to us of the power and beauty of community life. “If two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”


Christian stewards, God has designed us in such a way that we must help each other on the journey towards heaven. Let us take care to steward our relationships well. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2023

 

Pastoral Pondering

Last week I wrote about divorce and remarriage and mentioned briefly the role of the Diocesan Tribunal. I have worked in the Tribunal since 1994 and have been the Judicial Vicar of the Diocese since 2003. Even though the Tribunal is competent to process all the various types of cases under canon law, most people associate it most of all with marriage; specifically, petitions for decrees of marriage invalidity or nullity.


As noted last week, the Church’s understanding of marriage involves understanding the properties and ends of marriage. The following canons from the Code of Canon Law provide the Church’s understanding of marriage. These laws are rooted in the natural law.


CAN. 1055 §1. † The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, and which is ordered by its nature to the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring, has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament between the baptized.


§2. † For this reason, a valid matrimonial contract cannot exist between the baptized without it being by that fact a sacrament.

CAN. 1056† The essential properties of marriage are unity and indissolubility, which in Christian marriage obtain a special firmness by reason of the sacrament.


If a party impugns the validity of his or her marriage, it will generally be due to a defect in the understanding of one or more of these ends (c. 1055) and properties (c. 1056). Another common area of examination is the capacity of the parties to understand the commitment involved with marriage and whether he or she was free to do so at the time of the exchange of vows. In addition to these, an additional requirement when at least one Catholic is a party to a marriage, is that the marriage be celebrated according to the prescribed canonical form as indicated in the approved liturgical books.


The Tribunal of the Diocese of Charlotte generally processes about 300 cases per year. This includes both formal (requiring the full judicial process) and informal (established by documentary evidence) cases. Each parish is assigned an advocate to work with Petitioners in both understanding and engaging the process. Rod Brostrum is the advocate for St. Mark. Both Deacon Louie and Deacon Rich are often the points of initial contact for someone needing the services of the Tribunal. Since Father Carlson and I are officers of the Court, we generally do not get involved with the initial stages of cases. This helps avoid conflicts of interest as the process progresses.


The aim of the Judicial process is to ascertain the truth of the matter. Specifically, the question to be resolved is whether the marriage in question was, from the moment of consent, valid. This question is answered by the collection of evidence, including the testimony of the parties, witnesses and any documentary evidence that might be helpful. Again, the objective of the process is to find the truth. It is not to achieve a declaration of invalidity, although this is often the objective of those seeking the services of the Tribunal.


Marriage enjoys the favor of the law and, therefore, is presumed to be valid until the contrary is proven. At the end of the case, the judges of the Tribunal must decide the matter and answer the original question; that is, the marriage in question has been shown to be invalid from the moment of consent (constat) or to be valid from the moment of consent (non constat).



The issuance of a decree of invalidity frees a party to contract marriage anew. It has no impact on other matters such as legitimacy of children or other matters that are often addressed by the civil courts. The focus of the Tribunal is solely on the status of the parties to the marriage in the life of the Church.


From the Pastor

From the Pastor - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 31, 2026
Today’s readings should inspire the Christian steward with deepened gratitude for our God, who loves us with both fierce and tender love. We must make an intentional response each day, returning love for Love. In our Second Reading from Romans, St. Paul reminds us that nothing and no one can separate us from the love of Christ. No anguish, distress, persecution, famine — and we might add illness, financial hardship, family struggles, or uncertainty about the future — nothing can keep our God from loving us. God holds us securely in the palm of His hand. And yet, this reassurance is only the beginning of God’s gifts to us. Our Gospel from Matthew recounts the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish. This miracle foreshadows the gift of the Eucharist, where Christ feeds us not simply with bread, but with His own Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. Notice how the Gospel begins. "His heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick." What generous and compassionate love our Lord shows. But even that is not enough for Him. He remains with the people, teaching and ministering to them until evening. When the disciples suggest sending the crowds away to find food, Jesus instead invites them to become part of His plan. He tells them to feed the people, then miraculously multiplies the few loaves and fish they offer. What a privilege it was for the disciples to participate in Christ's work. That same privilege is ours as Christian stewards. Let us respond with grateful hearts to such amazing love. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants,

From the Pastor - 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By John Putnam • July 31, 2026
The stewardship way of life could be described as a daily pursuit of the Kingdom of Heaven. In today’s Gospel from Matthew, Jesus uses a series of parables to help us understand the incomparable value of that Kingdom. First, He reminds us that living for Him and for His Kingdom will require sacrifice. Yet the joy that comes from following Christ makes any sacrifice worthwhile. Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” He then compares the Kingdom to “a merchant searching for fine pearls." When the merchant finds a pearl of great price, he gladly sells everything he has to obtain it. In both parables, the Kingdom is something precious that must be sought and recognized. We must intentionally look for it amid the distractions and noise of the world. Yet Jesus also reminds us that the Kingdom is meant for everyone. He compares it to a net cast into the sea that gathers fish of every kind. At the same time, He reminds us that each of us will one day be judged. The angels “will separate the wicked from the righteous.” It is a powerful reminder that our choices matter. Let us pray for the wisdom to recognize the Kingdom of Heaven in our midst and to pursue it above all else. There is no greater treasure, and no greater source of joy, than a life lived as a faithful disciple of Jesus. © Catholic Stewardship Consultants, 2026. Pastoral Pondering I enjoy books generally. I like to hold them, look at them and, of course, read them. I also enjoy audiobooks because they are a good way to pass the time with all the driving that I do. I like a wide variety of books, but I generally try to avoid things that are strictly political. Hence, I was a little hesitant when the book Communion by J.D. Vance was recommended to me. However, what I discovered is that it is an excellent read and has nothing to do with politics. Rather, it is the story of the Vice President’s return to the Christian faith that eventually resulted in his becoming Catholic. I suppose “conversion” stories attract me because of my own background. And while I did not grow up in Ohio coal country as he did, there are many similarities to his family, described in Hillbilly Elegy, and my dad’s family from the mountains of North Carolina. This particular book, in some ways, is a sequel to Hillbilly . It discusses his chaotic childhood and exposure to Baptist and Pentecostal churches, his drift into atheism as a young adult, following the death of his grandmother, and his gradual return to faith which culminated in his conversion to Catholicism in 2019. The title refers to the Eucharist, and the author explores what it means to be Christian across life stages – as a child, young man, husband, father and public figure – while reflecting on the role of religion in public life and American society.  This memoir mixes spiritual autobiography with broader commentary on faith, politics, family values, and societal problems. While some have criticized it as more of a cultural manifesto, I appreciated the honest assessment of one man’s journey from his childhood faith to an adult faith which led to full communion with the Catholic Church. Granted, it may not be to everyone’s liking, but it shouldn’t be dismissed simply because the author is the current Vice President. I enjoyed it, and if you want something to pass a lazy summer afternoon, I’d recommend it.