DEC/JAN. 2014-15
ASK A PRIEST
QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
FATHER KEVIN BATES, SM
FATHER LAZARUS CHAWDI
CATHOLICVIEW STAFF
PRIEST STAFF
FATHER KEVIN BATES, SM
"A
friend wants to become Catholic and will follow Natural
Family Planning but her husband is not sure about this. If
she converts and he won't follow NFP, can she
receive communion? - Susie
Father Kevin:
A friend of mine has
been studying the Catholic faith and attending masses regularly and
will more than likely start taking classes to convert ....her
husband isn't quite there yet.. however, on her journey she is
starting to try and do things right.. for example..the rules of the
church regarding birth control..etc. She wants to follow the
Natural Family Planning for their family. They are a young couple
with 2 young children, her husband is NOT completely on board with
this. I have told her she needs to learn it with him so that it
will build his confidence that it works. Her question is, if she
were to go to RCIA classes and totally convert, and he is still NOT
on board with the NFP, would she not be able to receive communion if
she cannot convince him to do the NFP? Any suggestions on how to
help him along on this teaching? Thank you so much!!
–
Susie
______________________________________________________
Dear Susie,
Thank you for your question regarding your friend and her husband.
They both sound like good, sincere people who are growing into their
faith. “Growing into” is a key phrase here. I think we can safely
way that God asks us to be as life-giving as we possibly can. We
can also say that God does not ask us to do anything that is beyond
our capacity. Our capacities change from time to time, that is our
reality.
In
your friend’s case, she and her husband may well be at different
points of commitment and understanding at the time she becomes a
Catholic, if indeed she does. It is important that the reality for
each of them is respected and if they find themselves at different
places with regard to birth control or any other issue, each of them
will need to make room for where the other is ready and able to
travel.
These issues are not simple, and at the end of the day the unity of
their marriage is the value for them to seek before all else, and
then they will teach each other how to make room for whatever
diverse values each of them may hold.
It’s often amazing what progress and growth can occur when a
conversation is founded in selfless love. A conversation that is
centred on a fear of breaching various rules, will never be
growth-full or faith-enhancing.
Each of them needs to be a right with her or his conscience. This
is all God asks. I hope this helps you and them and I will keep you
all in my prayers. Every blessing. - Father
Kevin
"I
support a charitable organization helping Third World
Children but they hire people in same sex marriages,
Should I continue to contribute? - Roger
Father Kevin:
Would it be immoral to
continue with support of third world children through a charitable
organization which adopts a policy of hiring people in same-sex
marriages? –
Roger
__________________________________________________
Dear Roger,
Regardless of the
employment policies of the Charity you mention, the third world
children have done nothing wrong and ultimately you are supporting
them and not the Charity as such. You could also look for another
Charity which does not have such policies and practices if that
would help you rest easier. Every good wish. - Father Kevin
"I
am mad at God for taking my fiancé and have not
prayed to God for three years. How can I find peace?"
- Vlada
Father Kevin:
I am still mad at God
because he took my fiancé. He had a stroke and he is gone. I have
not talked to God for the past three years. And I feel lost. I
can't pray. How do I get pass this? How do I get my faith back? I
am 33, alone and afraid it is going to stay that way cause I loved
Paul, truly did and still do. I need peace and cannot find it.....
Vlada
____________________________________________________
Dear Vlada,
Thank you for your question. I am sorry to hear of your sadness and
can’t imagine the depth of your sorrow. I can understand your anger
very well and if I can understand it God certainly can too. I will
offer you a few thoughts for reflection which may or may not help
you move towards some sense of peace.
Firstly I wonder if you have anger and guilt towards yourself as you
were powerless to save Paul. If that is so, even a little bit, you
might like to spend some time with someone who can help you forgive
yourself if this is what you need to do.
Secondly, I wonder what being angry at God will accomplish if you
simply remain in your anger. It is certainly a most normal response
to a tragic loss such as yours. Many of the Psalms were written as
complaints, some of them quite angry ones as people tried to come to
terms with the tragedies of their lives. The Jewish people knew God
well enough to be angry with him and to express it. We can do the
same, knowing no matter how angry we are, God’s love for us is
unconditional.
Being stuck in anger is a bit like being in prison. Something else
controls our life and we don’t much like it. Becoming free of such
anger can involve some courageous decisions, perhaps some wise
counsel from someone you trust.
It is possible that you feel that if you let go of your anger you
will let go of something of Paul too and you want to hang onto that
bit of him that your anger contains. It is also possible that your
love might thrive and deepen in a heart that is not so imprisoned in
powerless anger.
Thirdly, a time of prayer now and then, even a moment or two might
be worth a try. This prayer doesn’t even need to be words on your
part, but rather simple allowing yourself to be in the presence of
the one who gifted you with Paul in the first place, sitting in
silence in the presence of that love, and giving yourself permission
to be in that presence you have not felt for some time.
I
will continue to hold you in my prayers, Vlada, and pray that you
find a new and deeper peace. Sometimes our deeper peace can only be
born out of our deeper sufferings. The mystery of Jesus’ death and
resurrection can be our clue here. Every blessing. -
Father Kevin
PRIEST STAFF
“My new neighbors gave me problems because I was
Catholic. When they had a tragic accident and I offered
my help and they now want to learn about Jesus. How
shall I teach them?” - Maria.
Father Francisco:
The Power of Prayers... A few years ago my new neighbors gave me a
lot of problems when they found out I was Catholic. They called me
names and their kids even threw stones at me when I was on the
balcony. Every time they did this I prayed for them. I prayed and
prayed and never showed them any bitterness. Two days ago a tragic
accident happened to them and I went knocking on their door and
offered my help. The father in the house told me he never expected
me to be the first to help them and he asked me why, I told him
because Jesus Christ taught me to forgive and love my neighbors.
Now the family wants to learn about Jesus and the Bible, what should
I do? How shall I teach them? Where shall I begin? - Maria
_________________________________________
Maria:
I am so grateful to God for your ministry of action. It is true
when they say that
"actions speak louder
than words".
You didn't have to say a thing, but a simple knock on the door did
what words could not do: you showed the love of Christ. I know
this was a sacrifice for you, putting up with this kind of
persecution because of your faith. But God worked through you, and
Jesus, in the person of you, knocked on their door in their time of
need, and probably for the first time, they invited the presence of
Jesus into their home.
How blest you are! I was awestruck to see the power of God in your
example of living. Others who call themselves Christian would not
have done what you have done because they have not matured in their
relationship with Jesus as you have. May I say: You made my day,
my week, my month! Praise God!
Now, it's time to get to work. This evangelization of a
non-believing family is going to take time and even more strength.
Since your neighbors have asked to be introduced to Jesus and the
Gospel, let's start with reading the Gospel of Mark together. Why?
Because it is the simplest to read, very concise, and describes the
life of Jesus in summary.
The Gospel of Mark is also the FIRST gospel written and therefore
the closest writing to the life of Jesus Himself. Ask if they
wouldn't mind reading one chapter at a time with them once a week.
Then after reading the chapter, ask them what they learned from it.
Once you finished the reading of the whole gospel according to Mark,
then ask them if they would like to join the Rites of Christian
Initiation for Adults for their acceptance into the Catholic
Church. But that part won't happen right away. They need to be
introduced to Jesus step by step. Be patient. I know you will be.
After a simple discussion of the gospel according to Mark, say the
"OUR FATHER"
together, ands then a simple prayer that I have described below in
the next paragraph, and then take your leave, asking them to read on
if they would like to.
Find out if they have a bible. If not, get one for all of them and
write their names on the first page so that they know that the bible
belongs to them. Let's see what happens. It seems that this family
has no religious background. So, it will take some time for them to
understand biblical and Catholic thought. But with your help, they
will learn. End the session with this simple prayer:
Lord Jesus, enter my heart and shape my heart to be like Yours.
Amen.
That will be your final blessing to them. Please have them repeat
that final prayer with you.
Once again, how blest you are. And thank you for sharing with me
your testimony of the power of faith in Jesus. You are amazing!
God bless you richly! I wish I had more people like you in my
parish! - Father
Francisco
“I am a lapsed
Catholic. God loves us unconditionally
but I cannot believe Jesus had to be tortured to death
so God could forgive my weaknesses.” - Maureen
Father
Francisco:
I am a lapsed Catholic. It seems to me that the Catholic Church is
filled with”rules” about everything. Jesus is frequently calling
the Pharisees to task for placing so many rules on the people.
I believe in God and in Jesus. I love both deeply and try to live a
life that Jesus called us to live. Loving and not judging others.
Putting aside my ego and my desires and saying yes to whatever God
has placed in my life. But I do not believe that we were born “in
sin.“ What God created was good, holy and perfect. We were given
free will and choosing to be selfish and living a life for ME is
sinful. But not evil.
I can believe that God loves us unconditionally, but cannot believe
that Jesus had to be humiliated and tortured to death in order for
God to forgive me my weaknesses. - Maureen
__________________________________________
Maureen:
Let me start by saying that all humankind, every human person, was
born into sin. This is the basis of the need of salvation from sin
and death through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
In the Christian scriptures (the New Testament), in Romans, Chapter
5, Verses 12-16, Saint Paul writes so clearly the basis of our
Christian faith: "Therefore,
just as through one person sin entered the world, and through sin,
death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned --- for up
to the time of the law, sin was in the world, though sin is not
accounted when there is no law. But death reigned from Adam to
Moses, even over those who did not sin after the pattern of the
trespass of Adam, who is the type of the One who was to come. But
the gift is not like the transgression. For if by that one person's
transgression the many died, how much more did the grace of God and
the gracious gift of the one person, Jesus Christ, overflow for
many.
In the Hebrews scriptures (the Old Testament), in Psalm 51:7, the
psalmist wrote this:
Indeed, in guilt was
I born, and in sin, my mother conceived me.'
So, even though you said, "But I do not believe that we were born
in sin," the absolute truth is, we are born and conceived in sin,
the doctrine of original sin. That's why we need Jesus, and His One
sacrifice on the cross.
It has to do with the complete obedience of Jesus to His Father's
Will as versus Adam and Eve's non-obedience of our Father's Will
which caused the universe to break relationship with God and His
creation, and with one another. That rift had to be healed and
repaired by the complete obedience of Jesus Christ. That is what
Christianity is all about.
Once we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, have faith in Him
and obey the Father's Will as proclaimed in the gospels and the
Christian scriptures, then our broken relationship with God is
healed and throughout our lives, we strive to be one with God, His
creation, and with one another. To keep our faith always fixed on
the Father and His Son Jesus Christ and to receive the Holy Spirit's
presence in our lives, we live lives of spiritual discipline and
maturity.
Saint Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 7:1, "Let us cleanse ourselves
from every defilement of flesh and spirit, making holiness perfect
in the fear of God." That requires self-discipline, and our
Catholic faith is a specific way of life, a way of self-discipline
that guides me to fulfill Saint Paul's admonition to cleanse
ourselves daily. The rules, as you say, mean that we are being
guided and challenged to live according to the gospel.
I am reminded of Saint Paul's example of being a Christian is like
running a race. In I Corinthians 9:24-27, Saint Paul writes: "Do
you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race,
but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete
exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable
crown, but we do it to win an imperishable one. Thus I do not run
aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my
body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I
myself should be disqualified."
The rules of the Catholic Church involve discipline and order in the
"body of Christ, the Church." The rules as you put it are the
spiritual exercises that my spirit uses to keep me fixed on the
prize: heaven and salvation, being one with the Divine forever. I
am running a race! And the crown of eternal life is my goal. That
is what Christianity is all about. And this is the truth
whether you acknowledge it or not.
Please think carefully about this. God be with you always. -
Father
Francisco
“A while ago, I made a request of my parish priest.
He refused and left me crying. My heart is hardened
by this parish. How can I get past this?” Debbie
Father Francisco:
A couple of years ago, I made a
request of my local parish priest. He refused and left me crying on
the steps in front of the church (it was right after Mass). I love
my Catholic faith but now have a hard time attending. I'm still just
so hurt by his refusal. In addition, my husband almost died in 2010
-- he spent 40 days comatose and on life support and was considered
terminal -- yet not one person from the Church called me or came to
see me while I sat at my husband's bedside. My heart is hardened by
this particular parish yet there is no other Catholic church in town
so going elsewhere is impossible. How can I get past this? - Debbie
___________________________________
Debbie:
All that matters and is important is Jesus Christ, our Lord and
Savior. Every human being, even ordained ones, will fail us at one
time or another. I am reminded of Psalm 146, Verses 3-5 which
states,
"Put not your trust in princes, in man, in whom there is no
salvation. When his spirit departs he returns to his earth; on that
day his plans perish. Happy he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord, his God."
What happened to you is disturbing and painful. I do not know what
you asked of your parish priest, and I do not know why he would have
denied your request. But this event that happened to you is an
opportunity to grow and mature in the Lord. Now is the time to
trust in the Lord totally when things that you trusted and had
confidence in fails. Your faith in God is much stronger because of
this event. Keep your eyes on the Lord, and when you pray the
Lord's prayer, remember the words you say:
"forgive us our trespasses and we forgive those who trespass
against us".
How difficult it is to forgive your parish priest when the hurt you
feel is so deep. Yet, that is what the Lord asks of you to do.
That's why I began this paragraph with this: all that matters
and is important is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Keep your
eyes on Him alone. The priests and deacons and leaders of the
Church are called to shepherd His people, yet they are human
and have limitations that lead to sin as well. As to your husband
who was sick and in a coma for 40 days and no one from your parish
came to see you, there are times that I as a pastor of a large
congregation do not know what is happening unless I am told. I have
had people come to me after a serious event and complained that I
was not there for them. The reason that I couldn't serve them in
their time of crisis was that I did not know. They didn't tell me
or anyone in the parish about their crisis.
I do not know if you had told someone, or your parish priest, about
your crisis. I can tell you that I was upset that someone was upset
with me. I do not know what happened on the parish level that made
you feel abandoned by your fellow believers. But forgiveness is the
key cornerstone of our faith in Jesus Who died for us so that we too
might enjoy the healing power of forgiveness. That is the challenge
that the Lord presents to you now. Forgive and move forward.
Your parish church is where the Eucharist is celebrated, where we as
Catholics receive Jesus Christ in Holy Communion, where we meet
Jesus as forgiver in the Sacrament of Penance (confession), where we
pray together and offer praise to the Father through Jesus Christ in
the Holy Spirit. Your parish church is where the body of Christ
lives and breathes; it tries to grow in the Lord and learn the
wisdom of Christ's gospel. And it is in that parish church that we
reach for salvation with each other, no matter how weak and sinful
we all are.
Go back to your parish with the only expectation that you will meet
the Lord Jesus in the sacraments, in the Word of God proclaimed, and
in the Eucharist in which Jesus becomes your food, and in the
fellowship of others who are striving to be Christians in word and
deed. That is all that matters. For the only important things in
the whole universe is this: Jesus is Lord. All else pales in that
eternal truth.
May the Lord heal your broken heart and spirit. I admire
your strong faith. You are a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Move
forward with Him. -
Father Francisco
“We do the Posadas from
the 16th of December
to
the 24th. My Neighbor helps each year but
this
year they want to wait until the 27th.
I
prefer
the 24th. What should I do?” - Diana
Father Francisco:
I have a baby Jesus that we lay when
we do the Posadas in December from the 16 to the 24th. My neighbor
helps us each year, They are the Godparents, but we try to do it
before they leave each year to Mexico usually from the 16 to the
20th. This year they want to wait till they come back on the 26 or
27. I feel it should be done on the 24th because after all to me its
important to celebrate his birth and to me this is the reason why I
do it. I feel if I do it till the 26 its like not giving the
importance to his birthday and making other things come first. Even
if we do it from the 16 to 24th its ok. but I prefer 24th. - Diana
___________________________________
Diana
What a wonderful tradition you have in keeping "Christ in
Christmas!"
Thank you for celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior in this
way. In our parish, we have a large group of people that leave the
church grounds, singing Christmas songs, and knock at the doors of
three pre-chosen houses and of course, they say they have no room in
the "inn" for Joseph and Mary. Our group then ends up at the church
grounds again, and we knock at the door of the auditorium and the
door is opened for our Joseph and Mary and we have hot drinks and
goodies. On the 24th of December, our group is larger then, and
Joseph and Mary enter with the baby Jesus in time for our Midnight
Christmas Mass. This procession is repeated for nine days before
Christmas (December 16 through 24) and ends with the Midnight Mass
for us.
Your way of doing the
Posadas
(the Journey) probably ends at your house and I am so happy that you
do this. May the Lord richly bless you for your wonderful
celebration that you share with family, friends, and neighbors!
We must keep Christ in Christmas no matter the stress of shopping
and preparing family get-togethers! But I want you to know that
the Church officially celebrates Christmas for 12 days, from
December 25th through January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany (also
known as the feast of the Three Kings). The Church recognizes and
celebrates the birth of Jesus for 12 days, each day for the Church
in our liturgies and Masses is the birthday of Christ.
I am sure that you heard of the old English song,
The Twelve Days
of Christmas!
It is a carol about the days from December 25th, the first day of
Christmas, to January 6th, the 12th day of Christmas. So, it is
desirable to continue the celebration of Jesus' birth during those
12 days. It is fine to do something like the
Posadas
(without the knocking at other houses since that is reserved before
Christmas) after Christmas until January 6th -- or in the United
States of America and other countries that celebrate Epiphany on the
first Sunday after January 1st, until January 4, 2015. It is fine
to continue the Christmas celebration on December 26th and onwards!
So, your friends don't have to miss the celebration with your image
of the baby Jesus!
May I suggest that after Christmas, you can celebrate the birth of
Jesus with the image of the baby Jesus carried by your friends (los
Padrinos)
through the neighborhood into your home. Then have a little
celebration with goodies! God bless you in your Christmas
celebration!
Merry Christmas! Jesus is Lord! -
Father Cervantes
“My husband and I had
an strong argument
and I yelled and slammed doors. It was
too late to go to confession. Can I take
communion?”- Linda
Father Cervantes:
My husband and I had a strong verbal argument on Saturday. I yelled
and slammed doors, etc. I asked my husband for forgiveness, but it
was too late to go to confession. Am I able to partake in communion
today (Sunday) or do I need to wait until after formal confession?
- Linda
________________________________________
Linda:
Thank you for writing to CatholicView. The ONLY reason that a
Catholic cannot receive holy communion is if the Catholic person is
in a state of MORTAL sin (see I John 16-17), or is not in full
communion with the Church in regards to the spiritual discipline
dictates of the Church (for example, being married outside of the
Church). I don't see strong verbal arguments between spouses as
mortal sin
unless the verbal arguments turn into
physical or
psychological abuse
(that is mortal sin). Yes, you are able to receive communion at any
Mass or Eucharistic service. But please go to confession when you
are able to do so to settle your anxiousness about this painful
exchange of unfortunate words. Be at peace. God has already
forgiven you both. I hope that you have forgiven each other and
resolved the issue that brought this to such a heated discussion.
- Father Cervantes
"My friend is Catholic, married and divorced outside the
Church, and has a child out of wedlock. Her fiance was
divorced twice. What can they do to get married in the
Church?" - Robert
Father:
I have a
question about what needs to happen in this situation. Woman:
Catholic, married/divorced outside the Catholic church; has an adult
child by a man she never married. Man: non-Catholic,
married/divorced twice outside the Catholic church. What needs to
happen before these two can get married in the Catholic Church? -
Robert
_______________________________________________
Robert:
Thank you for
your question. Before this marriage is recognized as a sacramental
marriage in the Church, two things must happen. For the future
bride, a LACK OF FORM process must be completed and for the future
groom, a full annulment process must be completed. The future
bride's situation is easy to remedy. She would apply for a LACK OF
FORM dissolution of her first civil marriage and then she would be
free to marry in the Church. This is relatively simple: she needs
to prove that she wasn't married in the Church. She shows her
baptism and first communion certificates and the civil marriage
license and two close people who can swear that she wasn't married
in the Church. The LACK OF FORM dissolution process takes one month
at the most. As for the future groom, this situation is more
complicated and requires a full annulment process. Since the groom
is not a Catholic, the Catholic Church recognizes his marriage as a
sacramental marriage unless proven otherwise
through
an annulment process. This process would take at least a year,
depending on your diocese's marriage tribunal schedule.
I hope this helps. - Father Cervantes
"I have a hard time trusting organized religions because
of some built in hypocrisy. Am I required to worship
a male God in a Holy House of a specific faith?" - Jeff
Father
Francisco:
By definition I do not feel I am
religious. I have a hard time trusting organized religions due to
some built in hypocrisy I see. for that reason, I don't read
scripture or attend any organized religious service. I do however,
practice treating people the way I want to be treated, I let people
choose their way of life without judgment from me. I believe I am
honest, fair, contrite, and help those in need when I can. I believe
that would allow me to gain access to a heaven if it exists. do I
have to believe the higher is the male God as described in
literature and required to worship Him under a Holy house of a
specific faith? - Jeff
____________________________________________________
Jeff:
I understand
your view that "organized religions" have hypocrisy through its
members. I also understand your doubts about a "male gender" God
and having to worship Him in a church building, a sacred space set
aside for the worship of the Divine and the gathering of the
faithful. All human beings are hypocrites at one time or another as
you can be. There are no perfect human beings, except for Jesus
Christ our Lord and Savior. With that said, I am reminded of a
comment made by the late Archbishop Fulton Sheen who said this:
"The Church is not a museum of saints but a hospital for sinners."
That one comment changed my whole attitude about the Church. Jesus
came as Savior of our hypocrisies, of our sinfulness, and of our
self-centeredness that creates pain and havoc in the world. Yet
when you say that the Church has "built in hypocrisy," you are
making a judgment on people who are trying through faith to free
themselves from the hypocrisies you judge so harshly. So, your
comment, "I let people choose their way of life without judgment
from me." But you are judgmental of those of faith.
I see that
your immediate judgment of people of faith has closed you off to the
purpose of the Church: to bring healing to broken lives through the
teaching of Jesus in the Gospels and through faith in Him who has
given His all on the cross and rose from the dead. That judgment
has closed you off from your own desire to know and unite with the
Creator. Time to change your attitude towards others who chose to
have faith in Jesus Christ, or faith in God as expressed through
their own faith and spiritual walk. Time to search for the Creator
of all and understand who your true Father is. God is genderless
meaning He/She is neither male nor female, since He/She is pure
spirit. God is everything. He/She is life. He/She is love.
He/She is beauty. He/She is healing and reconciliation.
His/Her Son, Jesus Christ, came as a male into our reality and into
our time frame since God is timeless and not limited by time and
space because God is time and space. God desired to come into our
dimension to bring us into His/Her Life and Love through Jesus
Christ. But Jesus Christ came as a male person and that is why we
Christians see God as a male figure though God is more than that.
Nonetheless Jesus is a male person and in Christianity, He is both
human and divine.
My faith in
Jesus Christ makes me whole, that faith in Jesus makes me saved from
my hypocrisies and sinfulness. My faith is an action that heals me,
though for me, I spend a lifetime understanding what this faith is
all about. This faith changes me so that I can become the image of
God in this broken world, broken not by God but by human beings.
Jesus is the healer and the One who makes all things right by
calling people to have faith in Him and take that life-long
spiritual journey to salvation in heaven with Him, the total union
with the Divine.
As to where
you worship the Divine Creator and God's Son, Jesus, the church
building is where the body of believers meet and Jesus said so
clearly in the Gospel: MATTHEW 18:20:
Where two are three are united
in My Name, there am I in their midst.
The presence of Jesus and His Father God is there in that sacred
place where the Word of God is read and preached and where Jesus
gives Himself in holy communion (the Eucharist). For Christians, we
meet the Divine alone in prayer and also with the communion of
believers in a church.
Yes, heaven is for those who have a faith relationship with God.
All those who believe in God and live by His spiritual laws (like
the law of physics, there is a spiritual and natural law), heaven is
awaiting through Jesus Christ. May your search for truth lead you
to a knowledge of your Creator and His Son, Jesus Christ. - Father Francisco
"I lie about telling others I come from a better
background and I am angry about the bad things
that have happened to me. Please help me?" Andrei
Father Francisco:
I am a poor boy who can
not continue with minciuna.Nu. I have no sense like everything fell
apart under me. There are a novel that not worth macarun smile. I do
not know what to do not know who to talk to. I have a pain in my
very mare. Am fallen uncleanness and do not know how to get out of
it. sugrama my child and I am angry pain as the Good Lord who loves
me so much hurt unimaginably tareAn need support and I know I will
find defiled please help. - Andrei
___________________________________________________
Andrei:
I am a young
man from a poor family. I cannot keep living a lie by telling
others that I come from another and better family background. I
don't know what to do or whom to talk to about my life situation. I
have great pain that reaches to the deepest level of my soul. I
feel unclean, and I don't know how to make things better. Please
help me since I don't know where to turn. I am angry about the bad
things that have happened to me. I know that the Good Lord loves me
but no one can imagine the depth of my emotional pain.
I am reminded
of the gospel verse (John 8:32):
"And you will know the truth, and
the truth will set you free."
Living a lie and trying to hide your "poor" (caste) upbringing and
status in your country will only serve to hurt you deeply and make
life unbearable. Why be ashamed of your family status and where you
came from? Jesus was born in a manger, surrounded by animals, yet
Jesus never complained about his "poor" upbringing. Since the
"truth will set you free," always live in the truth and you will
never have to worry about what lies you are telling to hide your own
shame about where you came from. You feel angry because you feel
nothing is going right for you. Things will not get better if you
continue to lie to the people around you. Start by telling the
truth and by not being ashamed by who you are. God made you. You
are a child of God.
What is there to be ashamed about?
My prayer for
you is that you will be strong and always be grateful for who you
are. Is there a priest you can speak to that is close to where you
live? God is always with you and He will support you through others
who are willing to help with your situation. Don't give up on
yourself!
You are loved
always by God. He made you in His image and likeness. You are that
special and unique in this world. -
Father Cervantes
CATHOLICVIEW STAFF
“Am I going to Hell
because I had
an abortion?” Susan
CatholicView:
Am I going to
hell because I had an abortion? - Susan
________________________________
Susan:
The good news
for you is that our Savior Jesus Christ paid for all sin by taking
our sins and paying for them by His sacrifice on the cross. If you
earnestly pray and promise not to ever kill another unborn child
again and mean it, He will forgive, but you must seal it with your
promise to never repeat this sin, or else your prayer to God and
Jesus Christ will become null and void.
Abortion, or
even being an accomplice in procuring an abortion, is considered a
mortal sin, a grave and deadly sin, which unforgiven, will be the
cause of a person being condemned to hell, the complete separation
from God Himself. But forgiveness was brought for us by Christ's
blood on the cross. It is the Blood that cleanses us from all sin
when we ask sincerely for forgiveness. And when God forgives, He
loves us into His amazing grace and eternal life with Him in heaven.
Abortion is a mortal sin and these sins
are referred to as a grave sins, grave matter, or serious sins.
Those who die in this sin WILL go to Hell for taking a child's life.
Susan,
reconcile yourself by going to confession, knowing that the Lord
will stand with you on your journey back to Him. He will forgive
and forget, but again, know that you must make a firm commitment
that you will not ever commit this offense again, or else your
confession becomes invalid and you will be living in your sin. If
you have already asked, be at peace and continue to stay in His
almighty grace.
But understand
that you must show a sign of your repentance. May I suggest, if
your confessor has not, that you do something to show your gratitude
for the forgiveness and spiritual healing that comes from God. I
hope you volunteer in a pro-life program, or do something to support
homeless and hungry children at a local shelter, or something that
you can do to help others.
Once you have
been cleansed of sin by the blood of Christ through God's
forgiveness, move forward in the Lord Who loves you. -
CatholicView Staff
“Why pick the Catholic religion vs. the Adventist
religion? How do I know which one is right” - Nessa
CatholicView:
Why pick the
Catholic religion vs. the Adventist religion? How do I know which
one is right, when they are both saying that they are the right
one? - Nessa
__________________________________
Nessa:
Seventh-day Adventists agree with some of the Catholic doctrines,
His virgin birth, the divinity of Christ, the atonement, a physical
resurrection of the dead, and Christ’s Second Coming and this
includes the trinity. The Seventh-Day Adventists also use a valid
form of baptism. And yes, they believe in original sin and reject
the Evangelical teaching that one can never lose one’s salvation no
matter what one does (i.e., they correctly reject "once
saved, always saved" as do Catholics.
However,
they also hold many false doctrines. (For rebuttals of many of
these ideas, see the Catholic Answers tracts, The Antichrist, The
Hell There Is, Hunting the Whore of Babylon, The Whore of Babylon,
and Sabbath or Sunday?)
As is
clear from some of the beliefs listed above, Adventist theology is
intensely anti-Catholic. Many Catholics who do not frequently come
in contact with Adventists or who read their literature cannot realize just
how hostile they can be toward our Church. See this link for more
on this subject:
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/seventh-day-adventism.
Please ask the
Lord to guide you to make the right choice. Your soul depends on
it. - CatholicView Staff
“What
does the Lord want me to do?” - Clare
CatholicView:
How does one know what God wants me
to do? Is it wrong to ask for a specific sign? Thank you and God
Bless. - Clare
___________________________________
Clare:
Many
times all of us, as Christians, feel like asking "What do you WANT
from me, Lord? What road do you want me to take?"
What is your will for my life?
Are You leading me to take this new job? Does God want me to marry this
person? Or most of all, could God be pointing me in a new direction
for my life?
God overall
wants us to please him by fulfilling the purpose that He has for us.
God says to acknowledge Him in everything
you do and He WILL direct your path. - Proverbs 3:6. Have
you prayed and asked God to lead you to what He wants?
No matter
what you're going through trying to discern His will for you, pray
and ask Him to lead you and He will. And know that it is never wrong
to ask God for a sign. If you are sincere, you
can rest assured that if you trust God completely He will answer
your prayers and show you exactly what He wants you to do. Through
those prayers, you will recognize His great plans for your life.
I will pray that God will make things perfectly clear to you.
Thanks be to
God. - CatholicView Staff
“I have been dating a Christian girl but her
mother won’t accept me in the family. What
should we do?” - Jesus
CatholicView:
I've been dating a Christian girl for the past 4 months but her
mother won’t accept me in the family. We both love each other. Her
whole family accepts me even her father. The issue with her mom is
the fact that l’m not a Christian even though I'm a Catholic. We
don't want to end our relationship just because of her mother. What
should we do? - Jesus
______________________________________
Jesus:
There is one thing you are forgetting and that is all Catholics ARE
Christians. Anyone who believes in Jesus,
has been baptized, and attends Church is a Christian. Catholicism
is a Christian religion. Many people have a misconception about our
faith in Christ.
Catholicism is
a denomination, and is, therefore, a subset of Christianity. All
Catholics are Christians, but not
all Christians are Catholics. The name Christian refers to a
follower of Jesus Christ who may be a Catholic, Protestant,
Gnostic, Mormon, Evangelical, Anglican, Orthodox, or follower of
another branch of the religion.
We celebrate our Lord
and Savior each Sunday at mass receiving the body and blood of
Christ. Again, please keep in mind the name Christian comes from
Christ. And so, all of us who have been justified by faith in
baptism are incorporated into Christ therefore have a right to be
called Christians. And Christians, including Catholics, are
accepted as brothers and sisters in the house of the Lord.
I
will say it again, YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN. Your baptism makes
this a sacred reality. Do not let anyone tell you differently. May
the Lord bless you. -
CatholicView Staff
“I was ungracious to a
young girl. Any hope
for my guilty conscience?” - Anneelise
CatholicView Staff:
Today was a
long, hard day at work, taking care of many sick people. As I was
finishing up in the ladies' room, someone knocked on the locked
door, twisted the handle energetically, and tried to get in. I
opened the door to find a young teenager, and in my weariness, I was
anything but gracious to her. I said, "excuse me," in a quiet but
"not nice" way, letting her know that I didn't appreciate her
impatience to get in the ladies' room. I feel absolutely awful about
it now and fear that I hurt her feelings. She said, "sorry," and I
could tell she meant it, but I was so annoyed that I just walked
on. As an adult, I seriously hope that I didn't hurt this young
girl by my ungracious behavior. It's true, she could have been
patient, but she's a kid. Any hope for my guilty conscience? -
Anneelise
___________________________________
Anneelise:
There are times
when all of us are less than gracious, especially when we are very
tired and worn. Without thinking, we sometimes hurt others by being
unfriendly. But God knows your circumstances.
If you see the
girl again, apologize. Know that the Lord reads the heart and you
are sorry for your actions.
God knows you
were humanly tired and did not mean to hurt anyone, and are truly
sorry for your conduct, and He will forgive. Pray and ask the Lord
to give you peace and solace. - CatholicView Staff
CLICK HERE FOR PREVIOUS ANSWERS
Please use the link at the top
left side of this page
to comment or be added to the mailing list.