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NEW MESSAGES/HOMILIES CHRISTIAN REFLECTIONS DEFENDING THE FAITH
Blogger Priest 
Hello, Father Joe, here is the quote about the Virgin Mary not having a role in holding back God’s wrath
Father Maurizio Gronchi, a Christology expert and consultant to the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, warned that considering the Virgin Mary as “Co-Redemptrix” or “Mediatrix” distorts the Christian faith and leads to a superstitious view.
“It is superstition to think that the Virgin Mary has the role of holding back God’s wrath. Whoever thinks this way is not in accordance with the Gospel,”
Thank you for for the answer about Santa .The other priest answered in the same way in his expanded answer .
Hello, Father Joe Is it a sin to break promises made against one’s will or unknowingly? If so, is it a grave matter?
Dear Father, Is it a sin to get angry at an orthodox priest? He labeled the pope as the face of the Anti-Christ. He is a famous youtube influencer. I think father you might want to try Youtube for spreading the gospel. We need more Catholic priests on Youtube. Anyway, why is it that some Orthodox priests are anti-catholic? I researched about the Filioque issue and I honestly think that it was not the best decision for the Catholic Church to not call for a council before adding a clause. Maybe the Orthodox priests reject Filioque because their leaders weren’t part of the decision making. However, I doubt if the members of thee Catholic and the Orthodox church make a big deal about this. It seems like this is a problem between the intellectuals of both churches. I also understand that this a dogma of the Catholic Church so I wholeheartedly obey. About the orthodox priest, I am not angry at him as a priest, but by his actions because I think he is causing more division. Thank you, padre.
Father,
I am wondering if things such as telling children about Santa, Tooth Fairy, etc. are considered sinful lies.
A priest on the internet said not to lie about these things and he advised to confess them.
Hello, Father Joe
Is it a sin to break a promise you made out of ignorance or under duress, or if you don’t remember the content of the promise you made to another person? If yes, then is it a grave matter?
Hello, Father Joe recently a Vatican expert commented that the Virgin Mary does not have a role in holding back God’s wrath. Therefore, what is the church’s teaching on this?
Thank you
FATHER JOE: There is value in prayer and especially in indulgences for the dead. The latter requires that we ourselves be in a state of grace and fulfill various conditions. However, while we can intercede for the poor souls in purgatory, the ultimate reckoning of a soul in heaven or hell is between the moral decisions and orientation of a person and the providence of God. We can neither save ourselves nor others. We are utterly dependent upon the Lord and his saving mediation. As for the joys of heaven, nothing is diminished for the saints. Nothing of hell can hold heaven hostage. Thus there will be no sorrow or grieving for the damned nor aversion to former enemies who victimized us and with whom we are destined to share heaven. The beatific vision fills the soul with such joy or happiness that there is no room for sadness.
Hello, Father Joe,
Was there an ancient custom in the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil Mass wherein the newly baptized was given, not just the Eucharist, but honey and milk (as told by Saints Hippolytus, Jerome and Ambrose)?
Hello, Father Joe,
What is the nature of these Catholic liturgical commemorations?
Dear Father, My question concerns what moral responsibility I have to report possibly unsafe construction although that may result in discord in my family. A relative along with a friend of his, who I was told is a licensed contractor, installed an underground gas line for an outdoor grill at his father’s house about 1.5 years ago. I told him that the installation required a building permit but none was obtained. Consequently there was no building code inspection for proper materials and installation to ensure safety. The home was eventually sold. I felt I should at least tell the new owner to have the gas line inspected. My wife informed me that could cause a lot of conflict in the family. I tend to be scrupulous so I asked my confessor. He told me to say nothing and that it was not my responsibility. I understand that but still wonder if I’m being charitable to the new and unsuspecting owner?
Dear Father,
If God is outside of time, and God’s mercy is infinite, can we pray for Martin Luther and petition that he repent and come back to the Catholic faith before his last breath? Thank you, Padre.
Dear Father,
My father died 23 yrs ago. Can I ask a priest to grant him Apostolic Pardon? The priest can pray for him now and God out of his mercy can apply that before my father’s last breath. Thank you, father!
Hi Father
If God is outside of time, and I can still pray for the people who died many years ago… then nobody should be in hell? The Catholic Church is always praying for everyone and all souls. I mean… Padre Pio prayed for a peaceful death for his grandparents even if they died many years ago. And God still accepts those kinds of prayers. Does it mean that we can empty hell too? Because we can pray for them now and God will apply it when they were still alive. Thank you, father.
Hello, Father Joe, what is the church teaching on Benedictio Armorum or the blessing of weapons?
Hello Father,
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I recently experienced something following prayer and confession that I cannot fully understand or shake, and I’m hoping you might offer some spiritual insight.
I am a practicing Catholic, but my father is not as devout. Recently he became gravely ill, so ill that he received the Last Rites. Doctors could not determine what was happening. During that time, I poured my heart into the Divine Mercy Chaplet. While praying, Jesus placed an image of a fungus in my mind. I kept it to myself, because in a hospital setting such things can sound strange or alarming, and I thought it could also be my imagination.
A few days later, as my father was actively dying, I felt strongly compelled to go to confession before visiting him. After confessing, I had a deep sense that I needed to remain in a state of grace and dedicate myself to prayer for my father right away. Call it an act of desperation or the Holy Spirit, I am not sure, but it was strong. I HAD TO go straight from Confession to his hospital room and pray. I didn’t even want to talk to my mother during this time. I had never done anything like this before, but I had such a conviction in me that I had a job to do, and nothing was going to get in my way. At the hospital, I prayed over him, recited the Litany of the Saints, invoked the Holy Trinity and Our Lady, and anointed him with relic oil from St. Padre Pio that I always have with me. As a matter of background, that same oil and my rosary were also blessed by the hand of St. Jude when his relic recently came to the United States.
That night, exhausted, I fell asleep praying for my father. But, in the middle of the night, I was suddenly awakened by a strong, warm wind striking my face. It tingled and even stung slightly, but not painfully. I then felt myself rising up in the middle of this storm, and I clearly remember saying to myself, “Oh wow, is this it? Am I being taken to Jesus? I guess so … yay!” As I ascended, I instinctively began praying a Hail Mary with great peace and I was unafraid. Then, I felt myself slowly being laid back into bed, after which I looked around at my room, and then drifted into sleep. People will say I was dreaming, but Father, I am certain I was awake during this experience. In fact, it affected me so deeply that in the following days I set up a camera in my room to record myself sleeping, hoping to capture it if it happened again. In the end, my father spent a month in the hospital, and it was discovered that he had contracted a rare airborne fungus in his lungs, something only the Infectious Disease specialists were able to diagnose. By God’s grace, he made a full recovery and is now attending church with us.
I know in my heart that all of this was because of Jesus, and I am profoundly grateful to Him for hearing my desperate prayers. I truly believe I was heard, and I was visited by something that night. I thought I had felt the Holy Spirit before, but Father, this was next level strange but familiar, and it was palpable. If what I felt was the Holy Spirit, what was it doing to me? Have you ever heard of someone experiencing something similar?
Thank you for your time.
Father Joe,
I have a question about Absolution. When I go to confession, my confessor,
says, I forgive your sins in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit “
I never know if my sins are actually forgiven.
he is a fairly new priest and came from France.
he speaks English extremely well.
should I approach him or my pastor or do nothing.
thank you,
Debra Calitri