Browsing Category
Ask Father
Prayer to the Saints
Q: Dear Father, I am a “cradle Catholic” who is dating an evangelical Christian from a “mega church” background (although I believe his extended family includes both Baptists and Methodists). He attends Mass with me often and seems…
How Can I Know God’s Plan for Me?
Dear Father, Lately I’ve been hearing a lot about discerning God’s will. As a wife and mother, I’m always on the go and don’t seem to have much time for reading. How can we know God’s will for us? Could you help me out on this score?…
Prayer for the Dead
Dear Father, I generally read the obituary column in my daily newspaper. Lately I’ve noticed that in obituaries which are clearly for Catholic families, there is a decrease in the number of funeral Masses that are included as part of the…
But Mass Is So Boring!
Our pastor said in a homily that the Eucharist makes us more like Christ. It transforms us. Well, I go to Mass every Sunday, and I find it a rather boring routine. It’s always the same thing, week after week. I’m just as impatient and…
Is it a sin to work on Sunday?
I recently heard a priest say that we should only do things like visit the sick or elderly and not do unnecessary work on Sundays. I can’t visit the sick or elderly every Sunday, and I feel better doing something rather than just sitting…
I feel trapped by my obligations!
I once heard a priest explain in a homily that the First Beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3), means that we should not let ourselves become “possessed by our possessions.” That’s an interesting thought, but I find…
Is it wrong to leave Mass after Communion?
I am saddened when I see a large number of people leaving our parish church immediately after receiving Holy Communion. I always believed we were to stay until we received the final blessing. Am I wrong? P.O., Illinois You’re right; we…
I doubt my faith. What should I do?
As I grow older and experience more physical suffering and the deaths of loved ones, I feel that my faith is waning and not increasing. Sometimes I worry that there really is no afterlife and doubt God's existence amid the many trials I’ve…
What is tithing?
What is the meaning of tithing as taught by the Catholic Church? I understand it is a certain percentage of one’s earnings. If there is more than one wage-earner in the family, does the tithe apply to all income? To whom does the money go —…
Am I “saved?”
When I was young, a Baptist girl friend told me if I accept Jesus as my personal savior, I am saved. However, the Baltimore Catechism answers I later memorized seemed to tell me that salvation is not that simple. I’m much older now, and I…
