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DECEMBER 2015/JANUARY
2016 Father Francisco: I have met a divorced woman 53 years. She was married for 30 years to a man who abused her in many ways. She is a Lutheran. I am a single, never married Roman Catholic. She divorced him around two years ago. He had pointed the barrel of a handgun in her face and threatened to kill her. Yet she stayed. Then one day she found him on the bathroom floor unconscious. She called rescue. She said that moment she felt nothing for him. She is still very afraid of him. He keeps finding a way to antagonize her and their two daughters. The oldest daughter (married) has moved half the country away to get away from him. They married when she was 22. She's known him since she was 14. She became pregnant early on in the marriage. He forced her into having an abortion even though he was the father. There isn't a day passes she regrets it. Her heart is heavy with the burden. When her husband again impregnated her, he demanded she have a second abortion. She was 24. She refused. He became irrational. He tormented her emotionally and physically. How does the church view her situation? Yes.... abortion is wrong. But she was young, coerced by the man who was so abusive to her. She feared for her life and was afraid to leave. Feared for her kids.....She believed in vows. She punishes herself. - Fritz ___________________________________________________________ Fritz:
In the
Church's teaching on abortion, it has always taught that abortion is
murder, the taking of an innocent life. This was first taught in
written form in the 110 A.D. document called the
Didache,
Chapter 2, Verse 2 (you can check out the translation here: http://www.paracletepress.com/didache.html
) The Church has not wavered on this teaching in its two thousand
year history. In regards to the person that you have described who
was forced to have an abortion at the hand of her husband, the
Catholic Church would see the extreme guilt of the husband in the
death of an unborn child and if Catholic, he would be automatically
excommunicated from the Church.
The wife, though her culpability in this abortion is lessened by her husband's actions, nonetheless was caught in this web of sin. But the Lord forgives every sin (except the sin against the Holy Spirit), no matter what it is because Jesus Christ nailed every sin to the cross. This wife's participation in the sin of abortion, though not entirely her free will decision, is forgiven when she asks Jesus to do so. She must open her heart to the Lord, accept His forgiveness and spiritual healing, and move forward knowing that the Lord knows and understands every situation. The wife is loved by God the Creator always. He wants to embrace her with His mercy, forgiveness, and healing. All she needs to do is to reach out in faith and accept God's forgiving healing power. She needs to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior in her heart now. She needs to move on but she needs to reconcile herself to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and the Holy Spirit will lift her up and heal her broken heart. By doing so, she reconciles herself to the body of believers called the Church. You say that she is of the Lutheran communion. In the Catholic Church, a person who has participated in abortion is able to reconcile themselves through the Sacrament of Penance, and in the Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis, any priest can lift the decree of excommunication that comes with a person participating in an abortion. But since she is a Lutheran, she should consider speaking with her pastor and speak with him/her about her experiences and seek a confessional absolution from her pastor, a prayerful private ritual called Holy Absolution. By doing this, she will experience true freedom, freedom from the past filled with pain, confusion, and guilt, and live in the present of God's love and peace. I want her to remember this basic Christian fact: Jesus Christ has ALREADY died for her sins, all of them. Each sin was nailed to the cross already! By speaking with her Lutheran pastor, she will begin the process of healing that the Holy Spirit can do for a person who has opened their heart to God's reconciling love. My advice to her: do not be afraid. She is loved infinitely, so much so that no human words can truly express it. Freedom is at hand. Please, advise her to talk to her Lutheran pastor, any Lutheran pastor she can find! Time for her to live life to the full and leave the past behind. And God will take care of her husband in His time and place. God's judgment is at hand for him. She must take care of herself now. She must step out in faith and find the peace that only Jesus can give. - Father Francisco
Father Francisco: As a member of the Knights of Columbus, I once learned the expression “Vivat Jesu!” But recently I have found it written by none other than the top Knight, Carl Anderson, as “Vivat Jesus!” I’m not sure if the subject is in the nominative case. Which is grammatically correct? Or is there a difference? Thank you, Don Mulholland _____________________________________________________________ Don:
Greetings in the Lord Jesus, Knight! One of the mottos of the
Knights of Columbus is: VIVAT JESU, meaning from the Latin, JESUS
LIVES. And you know the response: SEMPER, meaning from the Latin,
ALWAYS! I really love that motto,
JESUS LIVES! ALWAYS!
I also love the original motto: IN SERVICE TO [THE] ONE; IN SERVICE
FOR ALL. As to your question about the grammatical differences
between JESU and JESUS, there is no difference, JESU being the
poetic and musical form of JESUS. Thank you for all you do for the
world wide Church of God! May the Lord bless you abundantly and
your fellow Knights and the Benedictine Oblates and give you success
for the glory of His Name! - Father Francisco
Father Francisco: This past March I flew from my hometown of Chicago, where my girlfriend lives, to Los Angeles. Here in LA I am trying to make it as a screenwriter in the film and television industries. However I find that most of my time is spent on the phone with her to keep her calm during her and her family's situation; they just got evicted from their house and are now living in a hotel. No landlord they've approached is willing to rent to them due to their bad credit. They are burning through what little money they make living in the hotel- and it's only a short matter of time before they are broke and have to live in their car. The situation is so disheartening. I don't know what to do. I already struggle to make ends meet working a minimum wage day job (which I have to do as I network around town for screenwriting- but with everything that's going on with my girlfriend and her family, I spend my time outside of work on the phone with her keeping her calm rather than tending to the reason I came out here in the first place). I guess what I'm looking for here is permission to break up with her; a guilt-free way of relieving myself from her and her situation. ...just that sentence alone breaks my heart and makes me feel like a monster. I feel like I'm destroying my own life in order to keep her from ending hers' (yes, she has suicidal tendencies- and no, her family is no help to it. They all stress so heavily that they are blind to each others' pain). If you feel there is another approach not involving a break up, please tell me. I am desperate to hear what the Church thinks about this situation. I need guidance. I need God's help! - Tim ______________________________________________________________ Tim : I am sorry to hear that you are burdened by a toxic relationship that takes more from you than it gives. You already know what you must do to keep your life from being poisoned from the toxicity of this relationship. You want permission to break up: you have my permission. But that is an odd thing to ask of me as a priest. I am not living your life. I am not in this relationship with a needy woman. You are. You alone know what to do for you to succeed and what you need to do for you to move on with your life. There is only so much you can do about this situation for you have limited resources. The only resource that you are able to give freely is the resource of your compassion. You can continue to be compassionate to your "girlfriend," and break up with her. You can listen to her, but you need to distance yourself from this poison to your life. You cannot go forward in God's Plan for your life when you are being anchored by such negativity. It seems from your description that this relationship can no longer sustain you in completing the mission that God has for you. But as a future screenwriter, you will be called upon to use your talents to educate people through your story-telling to the needs of people who cannot help themselves. It seems before you can do that, you need to find a relationship that will feed you, sustain you, energize you, and mature you (yes, you need to grow-up), and you will do that for the other. It is quite obvious to heaven and earth that your relationship with this "girlfriend" cannot do this. Time to let go and move forward or you will never complete your God-given mission. There is someone for you and waiting to meet you. In God's time and place, you will meet her and rejoice. But your compassionate heart will not forget the people whom you have met along the way. When you are able and your career is on its way, you will do something to help those who cannot help themselves. Your talents are being formed for that as well. - Father Francisco
Father Cervantes: I
have always feared death. As a young man I would try to calculated
how much longer my parents would live and at times contemplate my
death which scared me. 11 years ago I said in response to a
statement made on the news by a young lady "I pray every day for
Jesus' second coming" that she was nuts, I believe I said this as a
result of my fear of dying.. A few short weeks later I found myself
with great anxiety over my potential death. This was due to my
doctor insisting I have a heart stress test, initial test was
positive, forcing more tests which resulted in a negative result.
From that point forward I have been dealing daily with that anxiety.
I have seen therapists, I am on medications but with only moderate
results. ___________________________________________________________ Tom: I am a retired military chaplain. In regards to your fear of death, this is a basic human survival skill, the instinctual sense of self-preservation. I mentioned that I was a military chaplain because in my military basic training as an officer, one of the training sessions was the emphasis on making peace with death. I remember our training instructor asking us if we were ready to die for the person next to us. It was a sobering thought. Was I ready to die? Am I ready and prepared to leave all behind? The military life and vocation certainly does not guarantee that you will make it out alive. I had to make "friends" with death so that I could go forward with my God-given call to be a chaplain to those in battle. That day, I said, "Lord, everything is in Your Hands. I need to go forward without fear." And I have gone forward. There is a complete trust on my part in God's plan for me. I will die when I die. I must decide to live life to the full right now without regards to what might happen tomorrow. My fellow chaplain in basic training all remembered the verses from Matthew 10:28-32: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul....are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So, don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Also, another chaplain had this written on his notebook that we carried around during basic training from Isaiah 41:10, Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed; I am the Lord your God! I will strengthen you, and help you, and uphold you with my right hand of justice. But your fear of death seems to be beyond the regular fear of the unknown. You are obsessed with the fear of dying, an obsession that will destroy everything good you are doing. Death is merely a doorway to another existence, as we Christians would say, eternal life. Since eternal life has no time, eternal life is being in the present with no past and no future, only in the presence of pure beauty, love, peace, fulfillment, happiness, security, all present to you. Just imagine a moment in your life win which you were most happy! And imagine that moment forever. That's what eternal life in heaven is like. But your fear comes from something else, a persistent sense of guilt, a lack of self-love and self-forgiveness, a fear that your life isn't "up to par" with your sense of morality and goodness. No one is perfect. Everyone is a sinner. That's why Jesus Christ came to save us, save us from the fear of death, the fear of others, the fear of the unknown in the future, save us from sin, to save us from ourselves! The Church preaches about GRACE, the unconditional gift of forgiveness, reconciliation, and total access to God, yes, GRACE also means total relationship with God with nothing standing in the way of a full access to the Father through Jesus Christ. You may not feel or understand that you have nothing to fear about death because you feel guilty and that you may not "make it to heaven." Well, Jesus Christ has already died for you on the cross. He has nailed all your sins to that cross. He has seen every sin you have committed your whole life long and nailed those sins to the cross on Calvary. You were present to Jesus when He was hanging on that cross. All you have to do is accept God's forgiveness and move forward, and "not to sin again" as Jesus said to the adulterous woman who was about to be stoned (John 8:1-11). Saint Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 1: Hence, now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And in Romans 8:28-39, Saint Paul states so clearly: What than shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His only Son but handed Him over for us all, how will He not also give us everything else along with Him? But the most important verse in Romans is his one (Romans 8:14): For those of us lead by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, ABBA, "Father!" Your fear about death has its roots in our body's self-preservation instinct. Your obsessive fear of death is a deeper concern about what you may be your lack of faith about your own salvation guaranteed by your faith in Jesus. You are a child of God by your baptism and faith. Your place is guaranteed in heaven. Do not let fear of death STOP the good you are doing. Always live in the present. Jesus says in Matthew 6:25-34: Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. Now, back to my days as a military chaplain. After filling out all the papers concerning my future death, such as wills and testaments, life insurance beneficiaries, notification of next to kin, I turned to my fellow newly minted military officers and said, "Well, my bags are packed and I'm ready to go." Since that day, I made friends with death, knowing that I will face that transition from this earthly life to the eternal glory when it is time. I do not fear death. It is merely a doorway to the next dimension of my life. Interestingly enough, my little saying became popular among our basic training class: "My bags are packed!" With my eyes on Jesus, I am always ready to meet Him in glory. Fear is such a negative force that it destroys the energy of life. Live life to the full in Jesus Christ without fear. And when it is time to pass through the gates of death into eternal life, there is nothing you can do to stop it. NOTHING. So, focus on the present. It is the present that matters, for yesterday no longer exists, and tomorrow is not here. Today is the only reality that exists. So, stop obsessing. Get on with life and make the world a better place through your various church ministries. And remember what I say all the time, "My bags are packed and I'm ready to go!" But until that time, I have MUCH to do and accomplish. With the help of God and my faith in Jesus, I will make my mark on the world. - Father Cervantes
Dear Father Cervantes: My brother, who is Catholic, has been dating his girlfriend for about 18 months, knows she is keen to marry (she is non-Catholic). Theirs is a complicated situation however, his girlfriend has severe scoliosis and had her spine pinned two years ago. The operation was successful but she is still in pain and has to take painkillers daily. She has been told that if she wanted to get pregnant she would have to stop taking the painkillers. Though she may be able to get pregnant, I don’t think she could cope without the painkillers and actually carrying the baby would almost certainly make her scoliosis worse. My brother is not as well versed in church teaching as me and I am concerned that if they always avoided pregnancy, even if they used NFP, that the church might not be able to marry them as they wouldn’t be able to say they were open to children. Please could you clarify the church teaching on this. I would say her condition was serious and though she might not die during pregnancy, I don’t think it is a risk which she or my brother would want to take. If they were open to adopting would this help their position? I worry what they would do if she did become pregnant as clearly abortion wouldn’t be an option. Thank you for your guidance. God bless - Jennifer _____________________________________________________________ Jennifer: The purpose of a sacramental marriage is (1) to proclaim Christ's love for His Church (Ephesians 5:31-32 and Revelation 21:3), (2) for the unitive love of man and woman, the love and unification of two complementary souls, (see Song of Songs) and (3) for the procreation of children for the continuation and advancement of the human race (Genesis 1:28 and Genesis 9:7). When two Catholics, or two believers in Christ, enter a marriage, they take on the vocation to make Christ's love for His Church real and alive in their own lives. And Christ's love is creative and life-giving, hence the procreation of children is ALWAYS part of the love of God and the love of man and woman in marriage. With that said clearly about the motives and meaning of a sacramental marriage, there are always challenges in making marriage a vehicle and instrument of God's love. Most challenges can be overcome, but some challenges and obstacles cannot be overcome, only accommodated by the married couple. In some health situations, decisions must be made for the good of all in a marriage and their family. This demands the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to see the BIG picture, not just the present reality. In the papal encyclical, HUMANAE VITAE (Of Human Life -- please read it at: http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae.html ), artificial means of birth control (contraception) was seen as interfering with God's creative plan in a marriage, and hence considered against God's Will (sin). Yet, the same encyclical demanded responsible parenthood, meaning that no family should have more children that they can handle responsibly and financially. Birth control, as such, was not condemned by the encyclical, but the means of birth control, whether it was artificial (and therefore the sole responsibility of the woman, a prejudicial and sinful burden on the woman), or natural using the human cycles created by God to give birth or not give birth (and therefore the responsibility is shared by the married couple with no prejudicial burden on either since both husband and wife must work together to plan their family size). Your brother and his fiancée have a serious health obstacle to the procreation of children on their own. Her health must be protected and considered. If because of her physical health problem of scoliosis (abnormal bending of the spine), giving birth to a child would cause undue and risky complications, then in this kind of situation, a sacramental marriage can still be consummated if the couple stays "open to life," and that openness to life can be expressed by the desire to adopt children. The adoption of children does complete a sacramental marriage and make it an expression of God's creative love. In this case, the Church would defer to the medical professionals in guiding the couple in regards to the possibility of giving birth directly to their own children. If they can, praise God! If they cannot due to overwhelming medical complications to the mother, then they must follow their medical professional advice, even if that advice directs the use of artificial birth control to ensure the health safety of the mother. The Church desires that the family have a healthy father and mother for their children. That is paramount for the good of the family and the advancement of their children (and subsequent generations). Your brother and his fiancee are able to enter a sacramental marriage with a dispensation from cult since she is not a Catholic. And yes, the desire to adopt would fulfill the procreative goal of marriage. I pray that your brother and fiancée find joy, love, and fulfillment in their life's journey together! I am happy for them, and excited for their future. - Father Cervantes
Father Francisco: My name is
John and I am a newly ordained priest about 19 months. I am a
member of a religious priest. After being ordained I have been
assigned to a community for ministry. While I was there, I
foolishly texting and sending inappropriate images. I and this
single woman did not see the seriousness of the situation until her
brother found out from her undelete text. We stop completely but
her brother brought to my superior and I did confess everything to
him. My superior cease all my ministry and gave me a 'leave of
absence'. I left and went into an isolated monastery to retreat and
I am so deeply regret and repent. I felt utmost ashamed. I can't
face with all the priest and brothers in my order. Therefore, I
sincerely ask: is it possible for me to transfer into an diocese
somewhere so I can continues with my calling: "A new person and a
new environment". Please help for I long for God's calling. Thank
you and God Bless. - Sincerely, John John: I am sorry that you failed to understand the seriousness of your actions. Your spiritual immaturity is apparent and must be challenged so that you can be the best Christian you can be. That's why you must follow your superior's direction in regards to your future ministry. Here is the bad news: no diocese in the world will take on a priest that has a concern about their spiritual and sexual maturity that you have. You cannot run from the problems you created by your own decisions. Your superior cannot in good conscience give you a high recommendation to any diocesan bishop. That's why you will need to mature within your own religious community. Your community brothers do not judge you or condemn you. They will help you grow and become spiritually enlightened in Christ. Your community brothers are sinners too! Your community brothers depend on the mercy of God as well. There is no need to hide from your community. Your community is your family. Your family will not turn their backs on you. But they will keep you honest, and that is what you will want to grow from this incident, and to return to ministry within your community. So, please follow the directions of your superior and spiritual director. Use the time in the monastery to do penance and to be open to God's Will in your life. The good news is this: you are a member of a religious community, and you are being cared for spiritually by those who only want your very best. You are loved by God. God called you to this community and to your vocation as a priest within this community. Your future is there with your religious family. You will be returned to ministry in the time decided by God and your superior. So, be patient with God and yourself. Accept each day with a grateful heart. You are blest. Things could have been worse. God intervened in your life and stopped you before greater scandal could have happened. Face your problems and go forward within your own religious community. In this time and age, finding a diocese that will accept you is probably NOT going to happen. But you are in a good position to move on with your priestly vocation within your community. God is taking care of you. Trust Him, and trust your superior. - Father Francisco
Father Cervantes: I'm in my 60's and am a cradle Catholic. In late teens and 20's I did not to go church, and I had 2 abortions, around age 19 and 21. Very stupid but at the time it just was not at all clear exactly what was happening. I have realized in the years since that I took two human lives and I have prayed mightily for forgiveness. Somewhere in my 30's, I started going back to Mass and have been active in Catholic churches in the various cities that we've lived in...Eucharistic MInister, working with RCIA. But I have not gone to confession in all those years. My husband passed away and I so want to be with him at some point, so today I finally got up the courage to go to my church to confession. The priest, when I simply told him that it has been 50 years since I've been to confession, asked angrily what drove me away from the sacraments, and I said that I've been going to communion and active in the church, and he turned red and said that what I did was blasphemy and he could not condone that (I swear that is the word that he used---"condone"). I was so upset that I walked out! He called for me to come back and I just could not. I could not imagine what he would say when I talked about abortion. I got to my car and googled
blasphemy and it says it is an unforgivable sin. I know that I
received communion for YEARS with mortal sin on my soul. If I had
it to do over, I would certainly have done differently. Oh, and now
I hear from the Pope that I was excommunicated from the church due
to abortion? I NEVER heard that in all my 10 years of working with
RCIA and reading various diocesan newspapers as I have moved
around. In other words, am I doomed to go to hell? - Rita Rita: I
am sorry that you had such a terrible experience with the Sacrament
of Penance, especially now that we are in the Jubilee Year of Mercy
proclaimed by Pope Francis. I do not know why you did not think
that you were automatically excommunicated when you procured two
abortions so long ago. That has always been the Church's teaching
from 110 A.D. (reference to the
DIDACHE,
a basic written catechism that condemns abortion. As to the other concern about "blasphemy," you have not committed blasphemy. You have received the sacraments while you were in a state of excommunication. That is considered, well, sacrilege. I know it sounds bad, and it is. But you were unaware of your situation. But now you are. So, let's fix that situation and get to confession with a priest you can feel comfortable with. Your church ministries and your activity in the Church are absolutely necessary for the salvation of souls, including your own. I am grateful to God for you and your ministerial activity. But, it's time to get this right. In regards to blasphemy, there is ONLY one unforgivable sin, and that is the "blasphemy against the Holy Spirit." In Matthew 12:31, Jesus says this: "Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven." Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a person's defiant act not to accept God's forgiveness and love, and not to accept the existence of God, even at their death bed (it's one of those sins that can only be committed at the time of death). You have NOT committed this sin. So, please, stop focusing on blasphemy. Instead, focus on the forgiveness of sin that comes through your faith in Jesus Christ that is formally accepted in the Sacrament of Penance. So, get to confession as soon as you can.
Your whole life has been one of faith and trust in Jesus. You have
your place in heaven. You will see your husband once again. You
will enjoy the presence of God and the love of your husband forever
in that heavenly home. I have no doubt of that. Be at peace. But
you do need to get this excommunication off your back, so to speak.
Go find a priest you can talk to, and go forward in your spiritual
life. And as a person that has mentored others in the Catholic
faith, this is an opportunity to speak of the forgiveness of God to
all you meet. Now, you will have a real experience of the
forgiveness of God and Church. I am happy for you! And, I will
Father Francisco: A woman I know has hospice coming to her home and is dying of cancer. I have known her my entire life. I feel the need to help her get to heaven. I don't believe she goes to any church or has every gone to church. Her daughter (my age) is with her every day, as well as her husband. How do I bring up the topic of God, baptism, heaven, eternal life? Do I give her a book? If so, what is the best? I think I'd like to give her a book, at the least. Can I baptize her and her family members, if they so desire? How would I do this? I need a step by step plan. I visit her nearly every week. Regards, Suzanne ______________________________________________________________ Suzanne:
I
am grateful to
God that you have a loving heart to share with your dying friend the
message of the Gospel and the promise of salvation through Jesus
Christ. As respect to the baptism question, you cannot baptize anyone in this situation on your own accord. Baptism of adults in an emergency situation does not apply here. If your friend is indeed not baptized, you may ask your deacon or priest to baptize her if she freely asks for baptism. The Church will not baptize anyone with the age of reason (usually the age of 7) who has not expressed a desire to be baptized. So, you baptizing anyone in this family cannot be done validly. Your deacon or priest are the only "ordinary" ministers of baptism in this situation. Thank you for your spiritual care and concern for your friend. The Lord looks with great love and kindness on you, and you will be blest for it. By asking a simple question, you will be able to be at peace in regards to your dying friend. Just ask. Don't be afraid. All that could happen is your friend and her family asking you not to bring up the subject again. In the best case, you will be an instrument of salvation for your friend. In either case, the Spirit of God is with you. - Father Francisco
Father Cervantes: Concerning the Society of St. Pius X and Archbishop Lefebvre and his ordination of four bishops without Vatican approval . . . . . The canonical excommunication for the illicit ordinations has been lifted from the four bishops. The sacramental de facto excommunication for schism remains. Could you, Father, please explain this in more detail.Thank You, - R. J. _____________________________________________________________ R.J. The Society of Saint Pius X and their followers, headed by Archbishop Lefebvre and his four auxiliary bishops, are a schismatic group and are not recognized as part of the Roman Catholic Church, and not in relation with any apostolic church, including the Orthodox churches. Even though Pope Benedict XVI lifted the excommunication of the four auxiliary bishops (well, three, since Bishop Williamson was ousted from the Society in 2012) in hopes that the Society would be reunited with the Roman Catholic Church and the See of Peter (Rome), on December 22, 2012, the Society of Saint Pius X rejected the proposal of the Holy See, and the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith declared that the Society was in schism. They basically excommunicated themselves (They want to have NO part of the Roman Catholic Church and do NOT accept Pope Francis as a legitimately elected pope....how crazy is that?). Their sacraments are not considered valid or in communion with the Church. The Society is in schism and are excommunicated by their own decision. They are on their own. And with the declaration of December 22, 2012, the Society are no longer considered Catholic at all. The Society of Saint Pius X does not accept any of the reforms, especially the liturgical reforms, of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council. They reject any calls for reunification from the popes, especially Saint John Paul II. One of their auxiliary bishops, now even excommunicated from the Society of Pius X, Bishop Williamson, spoke frankly of his anti-Semitism, his non acceptance of the facts of the Holocaust of the Jewish people during World War II at the hands of Hitler and his minions. In my contacts with the Society in the United States, I found them to be defiant, prideful, delusional, and unwilling to recognize the errors of their ways. I have found some to be prejudiced and obsessed with things that have no spiritual value. As for now, the Society is not Catholic, their sacraments not considered valid, and they have excommunicated themselves by rejection of the proposal for reunification on December 22, 2012. I leave them to the judgment of God. If you are interested in the liturgies before the reforms of Vatican II Council, there are two societies that are in union with the Holy See and are considered part of the Roman Catholic Church and do preserve the Tridentine Mass and other liturgies associated with the pre-council times. If you feel called to spiritually mature in Christ within those movements, please contact them for more information. I have provided those links for you and our readers. The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter is all over the world, and here is their web site: http://www.fssp.org/ This Fraternity of Saint Peter has many parishes within the United States and are in union with Rome. And there is another called the Institute of the Good Shepherd, and here is an informational web page about their work: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_the_Good_Shepherd I pray that this answer will help you in your spiritually journey with Christ to our heavenly home within the Church founded on the Rock of Peter. - Father Cervantes
Father Cervantes: My brother, who is Catholic, has been dating his girlfriend for about 18 months, he knows she is keen to marry (she is non-Catholic). Theirs is a complicated situation however, his girlfriend has severe scoliosis and had her spine pinned two years ago. The operation was successful but she is still in pain and has to take painkillers daily. She has been told that if she wanted to get pregnant she would have to stop taking the painkillers. Though she may be able to get pregnant, I don’t think she could cope without the painkillers and actually carrying the baby would almost certainly make her scoliosis worse. My brother is not as well versed in church teaching as me and I am concerned that if they always avoided pregnancy, even if they used NFP, that the church might not be able to marry them as they wouldn’t be able to say they were open to children. Please, could you clarify the church teaching on this. I would say her condition was serious and though she might not die during pregnancy, I don’t think it is a risk which she or my brother would want to take. If they were open to adopting would this help their position? I worry what they would do if she did become pregnant as clearly abortion wouldn’t be an option. Thank you for your guidance. God bless - Jennifer ________________________________________________________________
Jennifer: With that said clearly about the motives and meaning of a sacramental marriage, there are always challenges in making marriage a vehicle and instrument of God's love. Most challenges can be overcome, but some challenges and obstacles cannot be overcome, only accommodated by the married couple. In some health situations, decisions must be made for the good of all in a marriage and their family. This demands the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to see the BIG picture, not just the present reality. In the papal encyclical, HUMANAE VITAE (Of Human Life -- please read it at: http://w2.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-vi_enc_25071968_humanae-vitae.html ), artificial means of birth control (contraception) was seen as interfering with God's creative plan in a marriage, and hence considered against God's Will (sin). Yet, the same encyclical demanded responsible parenthood, meaning that no family should have more children that they can handle responsibly and financially. Birth control, as such, was not condemned by the encyclical, but the means of birth control, whether it was artificial (and therefore the sole responsibility of the woman, a prejudicial and sinful burden on the woman), or natural using the human cycles created by God to give birth or not give birth (and therefore the responsibility is shared by the married couple with no prejudicial burden on either since both husband and wife must work together to plan their family size). Your brother and his fiancee have a serious health obstacle to the procreation of children on their own. Her health must be protected and considered. If because of her physical health problem of scoliosis (abnormal bending of the spine), giving birth to a child would cause undue and risky complications, then in this kind of situation, a sacramental marriage can still be consummated if the couple stays "open to life," and that openness to life can be expressed by the desire to adopt children. The adoption of children does complete a sacramental marriage and make it an expression of God's creative love. In this case, the Church would defer to the medical professionals in guiding the couple in regards to the possibility of giving birth directly to their own children. If they can, praise God! If they cannot due to overwhelming medical complications to the mother, then they must follow their medical professional advice, even if that advice directs the use of artificial birth control to ensure the health safety of the mother. The Church desires that the family have a healthy father and mother for their children. That is paramount for the good of the family and the advancement of their children (and subsequent generations). Your brother and his fiancee are able to enter a sacramental marriage with a dispensation from cult since she is not a Catholic. And yes, the desire to adopt would fulfill the procreative goal of marriage. I pray that your brother and fiancée find joy, love, and fulfillment in their life's journey together! I am happy for them, and excited for their future. - Father Cervantes
Father Cervantes: I have lost a precious member of my family, my little girl dog. I have my precious little boy dog, and he is grieving along with me. The pain of the loss is unbearable for both of us. When we die, will my little boy dog and I get to see our beloved little girl dog? The Bible says God loves all he has created. Does that mean God loved my little girl dog? Does love my little boy dog? If I ask Jesus to help me and little boy dog with the grief over the loss our little girl dog, will He help me and my little boy dog understand the loss? My little dogs were all the family I had/have. They have brought me great joy. I know that God gave them to me to love and to care for. I just need to know if God will let me see them again when I die? Thank you in advance for your answer. - The Yorkie Dad ______________________________________________________________________________ Yorkie Dad: I am saddened to hear of the passing of your beloved Yorkie dog. These breeds of dogs are so wonderful and loving. You were blest to have such dogs. In the Book of the Prophet Jonah, Chapter 4, Verse 11, God speaks to the prophet Jonah about saving the people and animals of Nineveh from His wrath: And should I not be concerned over Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot distinguish their right hand from their left, not to mention the many cattle. Here in this particular verse, God is saying that He cares for all creation, including the animals whom He loves because He created them for our support and care. There is a humorous story about a talking donkey in the Old Testament, in Numbers, Chapter 22, Verse 30, in which a fellow named Baalam was very abusive to his loyal donkey that had worked for him, and Balaam threatened to kill him for not moving because the angel of the Lord told the donkey to stop and not move. Here is the wonderful verse: But the ass said to Baalam, "Am I not your own beast, and have you not always ridden upon me until now? Have I been in the habit of treating you this way before?" Then later in the story, God was furious with Baalam for beating his donkey for obeying God's order, so in Verse 32, The angel of the Lord said to him, "Why have you beaten your ass three times? It is I who have come armed to hinder you." You can see quite clearly that God doesn't stand for any abuse of any animal. In this scripture, it also shows that animals have emotions and feelings as well! Your dogs are quite loved and always in the Hands of God Himself because they too have to obey God according to their own nature. Your deceased Yorkie is with the Lord because your dog has completed his mission that God gave to him from his birth. And, yes, you will see your dog again because in heaven, everything that gave us happiness, love, and peace will be there in that place of joy, along with all whom we have helped and our family members. Since we as humans must be saved by Jesus Christ because of our free will (and because of free will, we sin by disobeying God), animals don't have to be saved because they have their place in God always because they always obey God's Will. Animals always do God's Will because they are limited by their instincts. They do not have free will like we do. They do not sin. So, we humans need the saving. Your deceased dog is with God. Your other dog will adapt to the loss of his friend. For you, know that God has your little dog in His Hands. You must keep on living your life to the full and keep going. You too will adapt to your little Yorkie's physical absence. But know, when it is time for you to pass through the gates of eternal life, your little dog will be waiting for you! Keep your eyes on Jesus....you are the one that needs salvation. Your dogs will always be taken care of. As the last point to make, in Isaiah, Chapter
65, Verse 25, the prophet sees what the new world will be like,
heaven, shall we say:
The wolf and the lamb shall graze alike, and the loin shall eat hay
like the ox. None shall hurt or destroy on all of My holy mountain,
says the Lord. And then again in
Isaiah, Chapter 11, Verse 6-7,
Then the wolf shall be the guest of
the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and
the young loin shall browse together, with a little child to guide
them....the baby shall play by the cobra's den, and the child lay
his hand on the adder's lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all
my holy mountain. These verses show
that there will be animals in heaven, in the new world, and it seems
from Isaiah 11:6-7, we will have pets too! In heaven! In the new
world! So, please, be at peace. You will see your dogs again in
that new world where there will be no more tears or pain, but only
rejoicing (see Revelation 21:4). - Father Cervantes
Father Cervantes: Could you point me to a specific bible verse in which someone is shown asking the intercession of a saint for a problem they are facing (as this often comes up in discussions with friends). - Matthew _____________________________________________________________ Matthew: In another verse from Revelation, Chapter 8, Verse 4, the writer states this about the saints (holy ones in heaven) and their intercessory prayers: Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a gold censer. He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones (saints), on the gold altar that was before the throne. The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones (saints) went up before God from the hand of the angel. So, the saints are praying for us always. Their prayers are like sweet smelling incense before the Lamb. Another verse that supports intercession of the holy ones in heaven for US is seen here in Revelation 5:8: When He took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones (saints). Notice what is the reoccurring theme here: all the saints and even these creatures in heaven all are offering praise and worship to God through our one Mediator, Jesus Christ, the Lamb. Notice that they don't talk (or pray) directly to God the Father, but they are worshiping, praying, and talking to Jesus to the Father. And that is what all Christians do, in heaven and earth: we all have access to God through Jesus Christ. Now, you could talk to God through Jesus without any intercessors on earth or heaven. But as Jesus said, where two or three are gathered in my Name, there I am in their midst (Matthew 18:19) and Amen, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by My heavenly Father. So, if I can get as many as I can to agree with me in prayer, on earth and in heaven, then my prayer can carry greater power! But everything goes through Jesus Christ. So, the saints who pray for us talk directly to Jesus as we do in prayer here on earth. Non-Catholic Christians do not want to understand that intercessory prayer is a powerful spiritual tool. If I can ask someone on earth to pray for me (and agree in prayer), why can't I ask a fellow Christian in heaven to do the same? In the Creed, the Church has stated for centuries this very important doctrinal truth: I believe...in the communion of saints. Living Christians and those Christians in glory (those who have died in Christ) are all busy with intercessory prayers! We are not alone or abandoned. We are surrounded by the "communion of saints. God be with you always. - Father Cervantes
Father Francisco:
Yes, I have sinned against Our Lord. Yes, I know within my heart
that from Grace I am saved. But years ago I fell hard and messed up
again. Now years later upon trying to further my career in the
funeral industry, my past is coming back to stop me. How do I find
peace when I know that the father has forgiven me but mankind kind
hasn't? - Des Des:
What happened in the past is past. The
present is now. Your career is now. Yes, things in the past can
impact what you do, but it is up to you to overcome the past. Other
people's memories and opinions about you DO NOT matter. Only God's
love for you matters. And you can't control what other people are
thinking anyway, so why try? And if God loves you, then why worry
about anything? So, stop focusing on mankind, and focus on your relationship with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, on His Grace for you, and get working on your career. Work with the limitations you have (imposed by others and imposed by yourself), and move forward. Pay no attention to the judgment of others. They don't matter in God's eyes. Don't focus on getting others to like you. It doesn't matter. God loves you and knows you....and that is all that is important right now for you. Move FORWORD! - Father Francisco
Father Francisco: May God direct me to a right path and restoration! I am writing to obtain your helpful advice concerning my mental trauma. The incident happened nearly two years ago in the middle of February in 2014(the exact date I cannot remember) in the company I work for. I and my colleague had a bicker because he didn't close the door after I told him to do so two times (the day was very cold and I sat just near the door, and the wind was felt very frigid when passing through the opening). But our direct chief officer has a very good relationship with another company leader, and this one is the fellow townsman of CUI and CUI relies on him in our company. When we went to our direct chief officer to have the issue resolved, he suddenly jumped from his chair and forcibly jabbed on my forehead center with the words"for a little thing like this you came into conflict ", but he didn’t say any critic words to CUI.I was suddenly scared, and maybe as my blood rushed into my brain when bickering with CUI, I felt suddenly the brain stopped working. But since I have no familiar leader to support me behind my back and my family is poor, I endured such insult silently. However my direct chief officer not only disregarded the damage he inflicted upon me, but short after told me to talk with him separately in the corridor where talking can be heard by many people in the offices.He talked with a hypocrisy and scornful tone(I could feel it): "Even though he doesn't close the door after you tell him to do so for hundred times, you can do it yourself", "your family condition cannot afford you to make trouble" . I can feel my heart was totally broken. Afterwards, this scene is recurring in my brain and I am extremely angry and my heart is really sore. I become depressed and withered. Both my physical and mental health suffer great damage, especially to my sorrow, my memory ability has weakened a lot. After my parents got informed of this event, they try to persuade me to think positively. I also try to persuade myself to such self remedy, however I cannot overcome it. I have suffered many setbacks which I can get over them all. But this time, I cannot fix it. Worse still, my parents felt also sorrowful seeing I cannot go out of this problem and their son had suffered such an insult and subsequent trauma, especially my father, there are much white hair on his head when he saw I over and over again cannot control my anger and talked loudly at home about this direct chief officer. I think it's him who has inflicted such huge price on me.I want to seek an excuse to jab on his forehead center to get even, and I am ready for the subsequent body collision. I want to know if it is reasonable and even can be called correction and seek righteousness and justice. I would be most appreciative of the help and God our Lord bless you! - Jimmy ___________________________________________________________ Jimmy: I am so sorry to hear that you have had such a conflict with the supervisor at your place of employment over a door that was left open by another employee which affected your workplace and your sense of peace. I must say that this situation about the closed door certainly got out of your control. You can ONLY control your response to things, you cannot control anything outside of yourself. You escalated the situation, a small situation in comparison to other serious things, when you responded to the closed door event as a slap to your personal dignity. The other person, though selfish and concerned only for himself, probably wasn't insulting you as much as just doing his own selfish thing by leaving the door open. He was too lazy to close the door. Yes, you could have responded by simply closing the door yourself when it was left open. But your frustration and your sense of being insulted and not being heard and understood made you angry and you lost personal control. Your supervisor was correct in
one sense in saying that you could have closed the door. You
inadvertently showed to your supervisor that you couldn't make a
simple decision, and maybe couldn't be trusted with greater things.
I know that you want revenge for this emotional pain that you are
suffering, but in reality, the pain that you have is of your own
making. Once again, you can only control your response to
situations and events, and you cannot control ANYTHING outside of
yourself. That's why Jesus told us to forgive and move on. Jesus
wanted us to know that I can only control myself, and I cannot
control anyone else.
Father Francisco: I know that I can't receive the Eucharist or attend mass without the sacrament of confession. But my Church only has it once a week and there was no way for me to confess my sins before tonight's mass of Christmas Eve. What should I do I want to attend mass if possible, but I don't want to wrong the Church and God even further than I already have. - Nathan ____________________________________________________________ Nathan: I am confused about your question. My first question to you is: why can't you receive communion without "going to confession?" Catholics are required to go to confession once a year, and that is during the Lenten and Easter liturgical season (from Ash Wednesday to Pentecost). Have you murdered someone? Have you participated in abortion? Have you committed adultery or fornication? Have you stolen something big? Unless you have committed a mortal sin, there is no reason why you shouldn't receive the Eucharist tonight at the Midnight Mass. No Catholic needs to go to confession before each time he/she receives Holy Communion unless there is a mortal sin (then confession is required). Before Mass, make an act of contrition with a sincere heart, and then participate in the Christmas Mass with your entire soul. In the future, if the scheduled time for confessions is difficult for you to attend, then please make an appointment with your parish priest so that you can go to confession outside of the scheduled time for your parish. I am sure that your parish priest will hear your confession when you make an appointment with him. If
you have committed a serious and mortal sin, then please make an
appointment with your parish priest and confess that sin.
Otherwise, please participate fully in the Christmas Mass! What a
wonderful time of year to celebrate the birth of Mercy Itself!
-
Father Francisco
Father Francisco: _______________________________________________________________ Doug:
My question
isn't whether your wife is sinning if "she doesn't forgive you." My
question is why you have allowed your marriage to be on the verge of
destruction by your obsession in your lawsuit. Take some responsibility for your marriage. You have sinned against God and your wife. The fact that you were unaware that you were not nice to your wife makes you immature and selfish. You are not on the correct spiritual path. You have a lot of mending to do. Let the lawsuit take care of itself. You take care of your marriage. It doesn't matter to me or the Church whether you wife will forgive you or not. It does matter why you allowed this to happen to your wife and your marriage. It does matter why you treated the woman you love the way you did. It does matter that you couldn't see what you were doing to her. Your selfishness blinded you to your own hurtful actions. Stop obsessing and start loving. When you meet your Judge and Savior in heaven after you die, He won't ask if your won some lawsuit or how you protected your property and business. The Lord is going to ask why you didn't love you wife more. Time for you to repent. - Father Francisco
Father Cervantes: I'm a baptized Anglican who was born to a Catholic father and an Anglican mother. I was not brought up religious, nor am I religious, but I was wondering about something that happened about 12 years ago. I went to a Catholic college here in England for a few years, and this obviously meant that some religious ceremonies took place. One day, we had a ceremony and I ate the Eucharist thinking that I was being ecumenical. I didn't know at the time that this was a mortal sin for a non-Catholic, but I do now and I was wondering if there was some way I could absolve myself. I know I'm not religious and you probably wonder why it matters to me, but it does matter to me, not just in case God exists, but because my ancestors truly believed and I don't want to let them down. Thank you for reading and if you need more information, I am willing to give more. - Xphile ______________________________________________________________
Xphile: Since you are not a baptized Catholic as such, you did not commit any sin by receiving communion at a Catholic Chapel, but understand that you can ask forgiveness from God Himself and forgiveness is yours without any questions asked. But know that the Lord Jesus still calls you to Himself so that you can transform your heart and find the peace you seek. You say that you are not "religious." This implies that you are searching for the spiritual fulfillment that comes from a relationship with Jesus as your Savior and Lord without the fear of being guilty for whatever reason. Christianity isn't about the fear of guilt. It is about the freedom from guilt and sin so that you can build a better world through your life. You are seeking to touch the face of God, and you desire that this encounter that will transform the sadness that may exist in your being. Time to get back to your spiritual roots and find your own way with Jesus at your side. Your reception of Holy Communion was just a seed that God planted in your heart to seek Him with your whole being. You did not sin that day. On the contrary, you answered the call from God to get to know Him as Love and Forgiveness. Seek the Lord. And be at peace! - Father Cervantes
Father Francisco: I am Catholic and met my husband on
Catholicmatch.com. The most important thing to me when looking
for a husband was that he was a practicing Catholic. My husband told
me he was. We got married in the court because the church refused to
marry us as soon as we needed to be married(we needed to get married
sooner as I moved across the world to be with him and my visa was
going to expire). We are getting married in the church in 8 months'
time. I have discovered that my husband considers himself Catholic
by just going to mass every Sunday. I wanted someone who was seeking
a relationship with Jesus and who had a desire to get to heaven and
become a saint. I ask him to pray the rosary with me every day and
he sometimes does but only because he says he'll do it for me. I ask
him to go to daily mass when we can, regular confession and
adoration, read the Word of God together, and whenever there is a
Catholic speaker in town or when there are church activities he
refuses to go to any of it. He won't allow a crucifix or an image of
the Sacred Heart or of the Blessed Virgin to be put up on the wall.
He won't contribute financially to the church and gets upset when he
sees me doing so and it causes a fight. I don't want to do all of
these things alone. I want God to be at the centre of my family and
my home. What should I do? We want different things in life. I feel
like I can't talk about faith topics around him because he doesn't
like it. Should I leave since I am not yet married in the church or
should I live my life practicing my faith in private? This is very
difficult for me as I was brought up in a Catholic home where we
practised our faith.
Anna: I do not believe in random coincidence. I believe that God's Hand is in everything, and He has a plan for you. The fact that your parish did not want to immediately sacramentally marry you to your husband was not a random coincidence. On the contrary, God was trying to stop you into making a rash and terrible life choice that would hurt your spiritual journey to Him. God was trying to make you listen to Him in your heart and conscience. But in your impatience to get married, you became deaf and blind to His direction. Now, you are planning a sacramental marriage in the Church in eight months time, and I want to tell you in the most direct way possible: do not marry this man in the Church. It is a mistake. If this man does not share your faith and spiritual life, and doesn't really show any interest in growing with you spiritually, then this marriage is doomed for failure and pain that God does not want for you. Please, run from this man. Go home. Civilly divorce this man now. If God is calling you to marriage, He will send the right man with the right spirituality, with the right heart, with the same hunger for the Lord as you have. Trust in God. If God wants you to be married, He will guide you to the right man. Do not be desperate to marry. Be patient. Everything will be fine in God's time and in God's plan not your time and not in your plan. You probably want someone to share your life, but this is not the man to share your life with. Knowing what you told me, I would refuse, as your pastor, to preside at your sacramental marriage in the Church. Please, stop. Time to come home and divorce this man. There is another man, created by God, for you that will support you spiritually, love you as you wish, and you can love in return as you walk hand in hand with Jesus as the center of your home. Be patient. Wait on the Lord. This man that you married civilly is not your soul partner. He is not the one that God made for you. There is someone else, waiting to meet you. Be patient. The Lord will show him to you when the time is right in God's plan for you and the world. - Father Francisco
Father Francisco: I live in a small town in Mexico and the priest does not speak or understand English only Spanish, how do I go to confession? - Dave and Nona
_____________________________________________________________ I am confused as to how you can live in Mexico and cannot speak Spanish. But since you are from an English-speaking country and live in that beautiful country, may I suggest that you ask your local diocese in Mexico if there are any priests in your vicinity that are able to hear confessions in English. There is always someone in a diocese that speaks English, and I am sure that just by asking your local diocese office, you will find an English speaking priest. Otherwise, you may have to come home and speak to your home country priest. In the mean time, make an act of contrition, go to communion, and make a resolution to make it to confession as soon as you find an English speaking priest nearby or when you get home to your country and see a priest there. - Father Francisco
Father Cervantes: I had cancer and I understand that one should not test God but I prayed that if the cancer would pass that I would join monastic life at a Cistercian monastery. The cancer is gone now and though I had been receiving treatment it was unexpected. It wasn't as if something like it was never before seen in medicine but I got word of it several weeks after having prayed that promise. The only problem is that I have second guesses about monastic pursuits as I further my career as a Paramedic. The passing of cancer could very well have just been the grace of God, whether I made the promise or not. Was I cured because monastic life was my path? Or would God's grace have allowed for a cure regardless? Would it be wrong to abandon plans of monastic life? - John ________________________________________________________________ John: One thing that we must always keep in mind: don't make promises that you can't keep. That includes promises to God Himself. Why make the promise when you can't keep it? The promise to go into a monastery if God intervenes and heals your body of cancer is a promise made by you. Are you not a "man of your word?" God healed you for a reason. He healed you because you have a specific role and mission to do in this world. God heals people with a bigger picture in mind because God heals not only for you but for the good and salvation of others. God always sees the bigger picture: His plan for the salvation of all of humankind. Here is something you should do to show your own maturity: stop making promises that you can't keep. As a matter of fact, stop making promises. Mature people can always be counted on to do what they say. Mature adults don't have to make promises, for their word is good enough. So, grow up spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. One of the things that mature Christians know is that God doesn't need your promises, He only wants your heart, your decision to follow His Son, Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior, and to belong to His Catholic Church and follow its spiritual disciplines. God has everything so He doesn't need your promises (what can you give to God that He doesn't already have....except yourself?). He has everything except you. Because of our free will, we love God by our own free choice, therefore He waits for us to make our free will decision to love Him, follow Him, and be changed by Him to make the world a better place and take others to salvation. God doesn't want or need promises. He wants your whole heart. As to your promise to go into a monastery because you have been healed of your cancer: monastery life or religious life or life as an ordained person (deacon, priest, bishop) is a life that God calls a person to fulfill. To enter a monastery, you MUST be called by God, and you MUST have the desire to follow Jesus as Lord within that religious lifestyle. You can't promise your way into a monastery because the monastery leaders there (the Abbot/Provincial/Prior) must decide if you REALLY have a call from God to join a monastery. Since you have "second guesses" as you put it, it shows that you do not have a vocation to the religious/monastic life (and making a promise that you have made is NOT a sign of a call to religious life). You desire to continue to follow your call as a Paramedic, a worthy and holy pursuit that is God's call for you. Your vocation clearly is what you are doing since you love being a Paramedic and find fulfillment in it. Once again, monastic life is a vocation from God and God only calls a few to live in that environment for the good of the Church and for their own spiritual development. God knows what you were asking for (healing), and God knows that being a monk is not for you since He has already called you at this time in your life to be a Paramedic. Through your work as a Paramedic, you are helping people and their families through times of crisis. You are God's presence in that painful situation for the patient and for his/her family and loved ones. Remember that when you are on the job. It seems that your bout with cancer will make you more sensitive and aware of the emotional and spiritual needs of those you help in your role as a Paramedic. Your cancer fight is very important for the role that God has in mind for you and for those around you. Unless you actually feel called to leave everything behind, monastic life is not for you. But here is one thing you should always remember: God did not heal you just because He was being nice to you alone. On the contrary, when God heals, He heals for a purpose and reason MUCH BIGGER than you. You are important for reasons that you will not completely understand until you meet God face to face when you die. So, rejoice in your healing from cancer, but also realize that this healing carries a responsibility to always act in the Name of Jesus in all that you do. In your life as a Paramedic, be aware that you bring the presence of our Loving Lord, Jesus Christ, into every crisis with your professionalism and loving care. And as a mature person, do not make any promises. Let your word actually be something that can be counted on, especially in regards to your relationship with God. The only promises that you should make are your marriage vows (or ordained ministry vows) and your baptismal vows (when you become a full member of the Church) and your promise to uphold the dictates of your country that comes with being a firefighter and paramedic. No more promises, brother in Christ. God doesn't need them, and people around you won't need "promises" from you if you are a person to be trusted and counted on to be a person of your word. May the Lord bless you and protect you in your God-given call to be a Paramedic. May the Healing Holy Spirit of God work through you as you help others back to health. Don't forget what God has done for you! Act accordingly and joyfully! - Father Cervantes
Father Francisco: Is it a sin to hate God? The priests tell me in confession that it's not a sin and that it's okay to be angry with him, but I have a tough time believing this. Are they right when they tell me this? - Mark ______________________________________________________________ Mark: Your question brought to mind a verse from Proverbs in the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible): But he who misses Me harms himself, all who hate Me love death (Proverbs 8:36). I do not know why you hate God. God is not the one to blame for any ills that may exist in your life, or in the world. People through their free will actions are to blame for what you may hate God for. God is NOT responsible for evil in the world, or for the difficulties in your life. The pain and difficulties that you experience in your life is NOT God's fault. These painful and confusing things come from other sources, You can hate God all you want but it won't help you at all. According to the Book of Proverbs mentioned earlier, all that hate and anger will only bring you more hate and anger, make you so negative that no one will want to get near you, and eventually death will be your only friend. You have misplaced your hatred, anger, dislike on God. Look at the real reason you are in pain. It isn't God. It may be you and how you react to the negative acts and evil that people are doing around you. Time to get out of the hatred cycle that you have created in your reality and find the love that God has for you. Is it a sin to hate God? Yes, it is because your hatred for God that makes you so angry that you can't live the life God gave you in peace and thanksgiving. The sin isn't against God, though. The sin of your hatred of God is really a sin against yourself. You are hurting yourself. Instead of being thankful, you have become a source of such negativity that it destroys the grace and love that God has for you. Don't turn your back on God's love. In doing so, you love death instead of life. I feel that I need to say this to you: you have NO REASON to hate God. There is NO REASON you can really give me to hate God. But there are reasons to hate the sins that others commit that make my life miserable. That's what I hate: sin, the cause of all human pain. I love God because He gave me life. And it's up to me to make life worthwhile. - Father Francisco
Father Cervantes
When I was a youngster I was taught that
if a child died before being baptized it would go, not to Heaven,
but to Limbo. Is this true? Today, there is no mention of
Limbo. I find "original sin" created by Eve having eaten the
"forbidden fruit",
unimaginable. For God to "paint" everybody with the same brush
knowing, as only He can know, that the fallout would be the vast
majority of humanity. If innocent unbaptized babies are not sent to
Heaven, where do they go? It has been my experience in later
years a difficulty to align with some church teachings. Pope
Francis has ordered that there be a "New Evangelism". That edict was
absent a vital tool. Proper training Not everyone can be an
evangelist, myself included. Those who take to the call may not be
"trained" to do the work, which I believe can be difficult. I
sometimes get confused... does evangelism and ecumenism conflict?
St John Paul II used the more conciliatory "ecumenism" in speeches,
while Francis uses a more powerful "evangelism" or propagation of
the faith. With churches and schools closing, we had both while in
Saugerties, NY, how can the church purchase a monolith like Reverend
Robert Schuler's Crystal Palace? And for a radio station. Add to
that the immense cost of the pedophile scandal, purported to be more
than $1 billion for retribution and legal fees. The Catholic school
in Saugerties closed in 2013. The church in nearby Glasco closed the
following year. Not a pretty picture. Thank you, Jack Jack: Limbo has not been an official doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. Limbo, the place where good unbaptized persons go after death and do not enjoy the beatific vision of God in heaven because they are not baptized, has been a theological construct to answer the question that you proposed: what happens to good unbaptized people after they die? The answer was always clear: that is in the realm of God's judgement. All I know that those who believe in the Lord Jesus and are baptized have their place in heaven prepared (John 14:1-4) by God, and it is up to us and my free will actions to make sure that I get there (James 2:14-26). As to others who are not Christians (Catholics), that is left in the hands of God. Babies who die without baptism are in the hands of God and enjoy His love for ever. These babies, even though born in (original) sin, that is to say, a broken relationship with God that came from that first human free will act not to follow God's commandment and that act colored everything for all time, are reconciled and healed by the blood of Christ who clearly said in the Gospels, Let the children come to me and do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these (Matthew 19:13-14). Limbo, a theological speculation, has NEVER been an official teaching of the Church though it was presented and taught in catechisms in schools in the pas A Catholic can evangelize others for Christ simply by sharing their experiences of their faith in Jesus. A loving and caring believer in Jesus doesn't have to be trained to talk about their faith relationship with Jesus. Yes, there are those who seek to be better trained in telling others about our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. There are many opportunities for seminars and workshops for the purpose of professional training in preaching and evangelizing about our faith in God. But Pope Francis, in his exhortation for all Catholics to speak up for Christ, really wants the faithful to speak from the heart. You don't need training for that. Speak up for Jesus! I am reminded of what Jesus told us in regards to speaking up for our faith in Jesus in the face of persecution (Luke 12:11): " Do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say." People who evangelize and speak about their faith in Jesus are moved by that same Spirit of God that will teach anyone what to say at that specific moment. I do encourage my parishioners to participate in as many bible studies and seminars about spreading the faith as they can. But most cannot do so because of time, work, and family obligations. They can still speak up for Christ by using their own specific experiences of faith in their lives. I encourage ALL to speak up for Christ even if they are not properly trained with certificates to show for it. The only certificate I look for is a genuine faith in Jesus and a heart full of love. I cannot speak for your parish experience in New York since I do not know any specifics about your diocesan plan for schools and parishes. In regards to the Diocese of Orange, California, in acquiring the "Crystal Cathedral" and grounds for their own center of worship for the Church of Orange, the people of that blest and financially able diocese bought the place with their own money. They had set aside money for a building a new cathedral for the Diocese of Orange. They got the "Crystal Cathedral" for a bargain. They would have had to spend up to $200 million dollars (USA) like the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, California, did for their new cathedral in 2002. The Diocese of Orange bought the whole complex for a little over $50 million dollars (USA). They needed this place. The Diocese of Orange is a flourishing faith Church, and they are not closing parishes and schools as you experience in New York. They are growing into millions of Catholics from various cultures around the world. The Diocese of Orange is a vibrant and wonderful Church. Each diocese (archdiocese) is an independent entity, with its own bishop (corporation sole) and its own finances and its own pastoral plan. Each diocese is responsible for their territory and for the spiritual welfare of the people who live within that territory. If you have any questions about how the Church is administered in your diocese, please contact your diocesan office and discuss your concerns. You can start by speaking to your local pastor. I can appreciate your concerns about the Church in New York and how you rightly question the decisions of your particular bishop and diocesan leaders. But know this: despite all the scandals that arise and may arise in the future, Jesus made this promise to us, the Church, to the person of Peter, in Matthew 16:15-17: And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it [Church]. I know that my faith in Jesus as a Catholic has not only changed my life, that faith has given me strength and joy in every situation in life. I know for a fact that the Catholic Church, an apostolic Church, will be here until the end of time because Jesus said so. The Church, always being purified and pruned by the God, is being prepared to be the bride of Christ for we all belong to Him by faith (Revelation 21:1-4). The Church is here forever. That confidence in the promise of Christ to His bride, the Church, makes me joyful and strong in knowing that NOTHING will defeat the Church of Christ. I have no worries at all in Jesus. - Father Cervantes
Father Cervantes: My question concerns a difficult situation my mother is experiencing, over which I wish to re-assure her, and goes as follows: My mother's parents were very abusive when she was a child. I'm talking about very serious beatings that could have caused severe and permanent damage, or even killed their children, as well as severe emotional abuse. Her parents moved to their geographic area about a year ago (they are now in their 80's). They have never apologized for their behavior, and whenever my mother is in their presence, she becomes so anxious that she had difficulty sleeping, difficulty being calm, and even flashbacks, for days afterward. She regularly helps them with various activities, but is reaching her breaking point(i.e. severe emotional distress over being around them again). They have other children and have access to other care options. However, my mother struggles with the feeling that she will be breaking God's commandment (to honor her father and mother) if she cuts herself free from their influence (her mother, especially, continues to try to manipulate her). I have gently suggested to my mother that it is morally acceptable for her to permanently detach herself from individuals that horribly abused (and continue to be abusive toward) her. Could you given me some spiritual reassurance to pass on to her, that it is ok for her to detach herself from individuals who have treated her so badly? She is turning into an emotional train-wreck over them. Thanks! - Matthew __________________________________________ Matthew: Your mother suffers greatly from post traumatic stress disorder. Many people usually associate Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with military members who have been in battle. In reality, PTSD can affect anyone who has been through terrible, painful, and traumatic events. Your mother is still reliving the events of her childhood that were traumatic for her. I would hope that she seeks professional help to overcome the effects of PTSD. She needs spiritual and emotional support as PTSD takes a life of its own and can destroy the peace and joy in a person's daily living. PTSD also causes depression, even clinical depression, that shows its symptoms in destructive anxiety. Your mother needs to rest in the Lord Jesus and on her faith in God to help her navigate the pain of PTSD caused by her past events with her parents. The commandment to honor our parents doesn't mean that one submits to physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental abuse, no matter how that abuse is done. Honoring one's parents means to be respectful and supportive when the need arises. Your mother has done that despite the anxiety and depression that her parents' presence causes. Actually, it isn't her parents that CAUSE the anxiety and pain, it is HER reaction to her parents that is the cause of her pain and PTSD burden. Your mother needs to be able to control her own emotional distress when in her parents' presence. So, until she can, she needs to maintain a respectful distance from her parents, even in their elderly (80's) age. She cannot accept a burden that she is loosing control over. She cannot be helpful when she is unhealthy, especially mentally and emotionally. To honor her parents, she must first be able to be spiritually and mentally healthy so that her anxiety doesn't get in the way of being helpful for them. Remember that Jesus said this in the gospel (echoing a passage from Genesis 2:24) of Matthew 19:5: For this reason, a man leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. That means that your mother's first duty is to her husband and her children. That is not dishonoring her parents. That is following God's Will for her and her family. Your mother has left her parents to create her own family by God's Will. Your mother has done so much (and continues to do) for her parents yet it has come at the price of her peaceful stability. She needs distance from her parents so that she can seek the help she needs to control her own reactions to her parents and their continuing abuse. She can step back now. She can maintain respectfulness to her parents as well as maintain distance for her own mental health. Please share this answer with her. She cannot be helpful to her parents if she is burdened by the effects of PTSD. Respectful distance is honoring her parents according to the commandments. - Father Cervantes
CatholicView Staff: Can God forgive the people who are in hell and can they go to heaven? - Claire __________________________________________________________________________________ Claire: We cannot turn our backs on God
and Jesus Christ and not have a penalty to be paid. This life does
not work that way. God, in His mercy, gave us a choice through His
gift of Free Will to either believe in Him and obey His teachings or
spend eternal life in Hell. Jesus came to earth to teach us how to
live forever with Almighty God. And He paid the price of all sin
when He died on the cross for our salvation over 2,000 years ago.
If we sin and ask for repentance and mean it, God forgives. The
time is now, while we are here, to cleanse ourselves of
unrighteousness and reach for the Hand Jesus is holding out to you
and to me, offering us the Eternal life He paid for. He stands
waiting for us, ready to forgive us of all our sins. And as long as
we are alive we can get that forgiveness, and that ticket to
forever life. If we can accept His teachings through faith, we
will take God's highway to eternal life. Sadly those who die
without His salvation will not be able to enter God's perfect
kingdom. Keep in mind, He gives each of us a choice: either choose
to live without sin and go to Heaven or continue to sin and go to
Hell... forever. Once in
Hell there is no forgiveness. God doesn't put us there; we put
ourselves there....eternally. Remember this: We do not know when
the angel of death will take us from earth so be ready! St. Paul
tells us in Romans:6-23: “the wages of sin is death,”
and "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ This earthly life is our only opportunity to choose God as our Heavenly Father. Please read Luke 16:19 that tells: “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, (Hell) where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment." Please keep in mind that the choices we make here on earth will determine where we will go: either to eternal life in Heaven or eternal life in Hell. We must make that decision now, before it is too late. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView: My son was scheduled
to work today, he works at a restaurant. It is a holy day but I did
not know this until Sunday. I have been very busy all week and
didn't give it much thought until last night. My son could not get
off work for Mass today. Is it a mortal sin for him to miss Mass?
(He is 18 and lives at home.) Or is it my sin because I didn't think
of it to get him off work today? If it is my sin would it be venial
or mortal? - Tess Tess: Sunday is the Lord's Day, the Holy Sabbath, and it is our primary duty to worship God at Mass and to be nourished by His grace. However as his mother, you did nothing wrong because your son missed Mass since you did not know he had to work until it was too late to change. At the age of 18 years old he must know the rules of the Catholic Church, but in this case he apparently did not know that he had to work that Sunday. Remember God sees everything. If circumstances prevented your son to not be able to go to Church because of the time line he found out too late, God understands this. And if your son had every intention of going to Church, but could not because of his work schedule, God also knows this. But if unexpected work prevents him from attending Mass, please tell your son to spend time praying during his lunch break, reading God's Word, and if he is able to, watch the Mass on television. If all fails, tell him to participate in spirit by silently praying. Keep in mind, a person does not commit mortal sin for missing Mass if it cannot be avoided but that person has the obligation to take time to pray to God to thank Him on this very special day for all He has done. And if possible, to read the Holy Scriptures. Hope this helps a bit. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: _________________________________________________________________ Liji: I am so sorry that your mother cannot see that your Hindu boyfriend loves you so much he is willing to change his religion by becoming Catholic. I am sure your mom wants what is best for you and worries that this marriage may not right. But God loves us all, regardless of race. Let the Catholic Community believe what they will but God sees the heart of those who come to Him in faith.
I am assuming that your boyfriend wants to be baptized in a Catholic
Church. Please
make an appointment with your Parish Priest to discuss this
situation fully with him. Your priest will listen to you and what
your boyfriend has to say, and he will be able to determine whether
your boyfriend truly wants to become Catholic, not only because he
loves you but that he also loves God and Jesus Christ, our Savior.
This meeting will hopefully bring acceptance for your mother who
loves you.
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