Ask a Priest

5,442 Responses

Diana, on December 11, 2016 at 12:04 am said:

Hello Father,

I’ve been to the church and blessed a bottle of water but drank only some of it ant after some time the water in a bottle got bad it started to smell and I just pour it into some plants I have at home, is it ok to do so? To simply water the plant with holy water..? Because at first I thought nothing of it but now I’m wondering maybe I’m mocking God by doing so?

FATHER JOE: Holy Water is not usually for drinking. We sign ourselves with water before prayer. Persons, places and things may be sprinkled with it. There is no sacrilege is pouring it into a bush or into a flower pot. However, be warned that often salt is added to the water (I do so) and it may not be good for plants.
Meg, on December 9, 2016 at 3:30 pm said:

I sent in a question, haven’t gotten a response, but now I am getting everyone else’s email questions, which is great to Read, but I really Need an answer to my dilemma-

Thanks! Meg

Sent from my iPhone

FATHER JOE: I responded on December 5. “Even when family and friends stray or abandoned the faith, we should still keep them in prayer and love them. I cannot see ostracizing them because of what we discern as bad choices.”
Laurie, on December 9, 2016 at 12:26 pm said:

Please help me respond to a question from child re: If Adam and Eve were first humans did they have belly buttons? Some photos /paintings of them depict that they did. Sometimes I ask myself if I’m smarter than a fifth grader. Thank you in advance on how to respond.
Laurie

FATHER JOE: No one was around to take pictures. My suspicion is that they did. Note that Catholicism insists that the human soul is directly infused by God and can accommodate theories about the evolution or development of the body from lower forms of life. Peace!
Gunnar, on December 8, 2016 at 7:42 pm said:

Hello Father. I am saddened to see relics offered for sale through venues like eBay. Online information both condemns and condones it. A seller is presently offering a huge main altar with the relic stone still in it! I suspect that this altar will end up in a church or chapel again, but shouldn’t this have been removed first? Years ago I volunteered to help polish brass altar items at a church in Texas. In a closet, with rags and polish was – the altar stone from the original altar. If priests disrespect the relics of saints, it’s probably no wonder that people buy and sell them as they do. They’re a commodity, not objects for veneration, a practice going back to the early Church. Why don’t churches that are closing for example, give them a good home, not sell them to eBay sellers?

FATHER JOE: I am not sure what to say. I agree that churches should pass on their treasures to other churches for continued sacred usage. But such are the terrible times when even whole churches are sold and transformed into high priced condominiums. It would be expected that altar stones with relics would be removed before selling altars. I have heard that sometimes the altar stone is returned for free so that the altar might be placed in another church or chapel. Honestly, these days many beautiful altars are hacked to pieces. Of course, even altars are best given away and not sold. They are consecrated by usage. Such could also be said about old chalices. They should be passed on but generally not sold. There are rules about the care of sacred vessels. I know a few people who buy older and possibly blessed religious items to save them from profane usage. The Knights of Columbus intervened a few years ago to protect a consecrated host that was being auctioned online as a souvenir from a Mass by Pope John Paul II.
Suzi, on December 7, 2016 at 8:34 pm said:

Dear Father Joe,

I submitted my question a few months back. Perhaps it did not go through or you answered it but I did not see it, so forgive me if you already responded.

I am wondering if my marriage is a sacramental, valid marriage in the eyes of the Church. My husband and I were both Catholics when we got married in 1996, by a Catholic priest. However when the officiating priest said the vows (ie, I, John, take you, Jane, etc), and asked my spouse, to repeat after him, my spouse didn’t quite hear and then didn’t understand that he was supposed to repeat the words (we did not practice this during the rehearsal the night before). So my spouse kept quiet, and the priest didn’t say anything. The priest, just kept on saying the vows. Then it was my turn, and I repeated the vows, after the priest said them. My husband then realized that he was supposed to have said his vows, but didn’t feel like he could interrupt the priest and go back. Shortly thereafter the ceremony was over and the post wedding festivities got underway. We never brought it up to the officiating priest, who has since passed away. My husband and I have talked about it and joked about it over the years, but now I’m wondering if we were validly married and if we have received all the graces that should have come to us from a sacramental marriage. If I follow the Church’s teaching that both the matter and form of a sacrament must be present for a sacrament to be valid, then ours would not be valid because the matter (the man and woman exchanging marital consent) was not present. Although my husband’s intent to do so was there. So tell me what you think, and/or direct me where to go to get more clarification. Thank you and God bless you.

Suzi

FATHER JOE: This was answered in July. Here is the link:

https://bloggerpriest.com/ask-a-priest/comment-page-93/#comment-34206
Betsy, on December 7, 2016 at 5:47 pm said:

Can you tell me the significance of Perpetua getting the branch with golden apples after her win against the Gladiator in her last vision?

FATHER JOE: I really cannot say for sure. It is possible there is a connection with pagan mythology. This make would sense as many Christians were converts to the faith but familiar with ancient lore. I am reminded of the golden apples that grew in the Garden of the Hesperides. Legend had it that immortality would be granted to any who ate them. It is also said that Gaia gave fruited branches to Hera as a wedding gift for her union with Zeus, the chief of the pagan deities. One might argue that Perpetua and her friends through their faith and martyrdom would forfeit their lives but still win the prize of everlasting life in Christ. Perpetua gives herself to Christ as a spiritual bride.
elise, on December 6, 2016 at 4:23 pm said:

Father Joe, I live in the Smoky Mountains very near the Gatlinburg area. Fortunately, my family members and their homes escaped damage from last week’s wildfires. However, many families did not. I have friends who have lost their homes, businesses, and jobs. It is a heartbreaking situation. May I ask that you keep the families of Sevier County in your prayers? We need all the prayer that we can get right now. Thank you.

FATHER JOE: I will keep them very much in prayer. Our hold upon everything in this world is so very tenuous. God bless and watch over them.
Ron, on December 6, 2016 at 2:09 am said:

Dear Father Joe,

A family member of mine, who was Catholic, married an Anglican man, who has since become an Anglican priest. However, they were married in the Catholic Church, before the husband revealed he was going to become an Anglican priest. They had a child, and they baptized the child outside the Catholic Church. Since then, the husband has poisoned his wife against her faith and her family, and she is now Anglican. For a while, he didn’t let her have contact with her parents. Now, she visits her parents sometimes, thankfully. My question has to do with culpability in this situation: if the wife was manipulated and coerced by her husband, into giving up her Catholic faith (which she did for family unity), she would be less culpable, than, say, the duplicities of her husband, correct? It’s a painful situation, and I guess I’m looking for a compassionate view of this poor woman’s situation.

God bless,
Ron

FATHER JOE: What you say may be true but it may also be splitting hairs. Serious sin is still serious sin, especially when we should have known better. Anglican orders are still generally regarded as null-and-void. What might have some value for a person born into that tradition would be more dubious for one raised in the fullness of Catholic truth. Keep them in prayer. They are both culpable but we cannot know with absolute certainty how God will judge their souls. I would think that loving Jesus would still have some value, although no excuse can be made for abandoning Christ’s true Church which is the GREAT SACRAMENT OR MYSTERY of saving encounter with Jesus.
JD, on December 5, 2016 at 11:08 pm said:

Hi Father,

I am sorry if I am sending you the same message twice, but the message I sent before doesn’t seem to have gone through the system so I am trying again.

I started a novena yesterday (Dec 4) with a couple of intentions, and I am planning to finish my novena on Dec 12, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Something happened, however, and I realized that I want to remove one of the intentions that I stated in the first day of novena. In this case, do I have to start a whole new novena with the one intention removed and finish it on Dec 13th, or can I simply stay in my current novena with one intention removed and finish it on the feast day like I originally planned to?

Thank you,

JD

FATHER JOE: Continue it for the one intention that is kept. Unless something has seriously changed, we should not be capricious about the things for which we pray. Further, we should not treat prayer as either a mechanical or magical affair. The principal reason for a Prayer Novena is not the petition, to which God may say NO anyway; rather, the heart of prayer is always to give glory to Almighty God.
Margaret Larson, on December 5, 2016 at 2:36 am said:

My sister has left the Catholic faith many many years ago. She still attends a church -several varied churches over the years. (It seems that she goes where ever she can play music and sing for the church.) Lately she has started attending a LGBT church (she is married but has always hung out with gay people). Her husband goes with her. (He plays music too.)

My husband is praying about “dividing” with them over celebrations that are considered Christian celebrations like Christmas. I don’t support the fact that my sister goes to this church, but try not to judge… I don’t see why Christmas can’t be about family even when they have differing beliefs, what he Considers is, they have abandoned key tenets of the Christian faith. Any thoughts on this?

FATHER JOE: Even when family and friends stray or abandoned the faith, we should still keep them in prayer and love them. I cannot see ostracizing them because of what we discern as bad choices.
Emil, on December 2, 2016 at 7:40 pm said:

hi, i am a christian and i was just wondering if it is okay for a christian to get a simple (very small)christian cross tattoo’d. if it is allowed does it have to be on any specific part of the body (except some areas) or does it not matter.

FATHER JOE:

There is nothing explicit in Catholic teaching against tattoos, however, there is a prohibition against mutilation of the body. Please, do not disfigure yourself like some do… as with ink graffiti down the arms, around the neck and upon the face.

Matt Fradd writes the following:

…if you do decide to get a tattoo, consider the following:

1. The images should not be immoral, such as sexually explicit, Satanic, or in anyway opposed to the truths and teachings of Christianity.

2. Be prudent. While “Mom” is probably a safe bet, tattooing your current girlfriend’s name on your arm probably isn’t.

3. Consider the arguments against tattooing (there’s bound to be a good website out there devoted to that). Just because the Church doesn’t prohibit getting one doesn’t mean that you should. Consider the following question: Would you put a bumper sticker on a ferrai?

The advice I gave to my sister when she was considering a tattoo was to give it several months. If you still feel strongly about the tattoo you had in mind after that time, then maybe get it. If, during that time, you change your mind about the type of tattoo you wanted, or where it should be located, perhaps wait another several months before getting it.
loki, on December 2, 2016 at 10:56 am said:

I have heard people say that there are physical conditions that prevent a man from becoming a priest. Specifically, that a man cannot become a priest if he is facially disfigured, an amputee or if he has epilepsy or coeliac disease.

I was able to find out about coeliac disease – basically, the issue is that the wafers considered proper to use for communion are harmful to people with the condition – but I cannot find information about the other rumours.

Do you know what the truth is, and where it is written that these things disqualify a man from being a priest? Does a priest who loses an arm lose his priesthood?

Thank you.

FATHER JOE: There are many requirements for the priesthood. He must be intellectually able to comprehend the teachings of faith and capable in communicating them. He must be psychologically stable. He must also be morally fit (not having cooperated in an abortion or schism or any similarly horrendous act.) Also he cannot be married or having even attempted marriage. Dispensations can make up for some of these shortcomings. He must be disciplined to fulfill his promises to the Bishop and the obligations of his vocation. It is unlikely that a priest allergic to bread, wine or metal (cup) would be ordained. The loss of digits (fingers) is a traditional impediment, too. Obviously, the candidate must also be male.
Richard, on December 1, 2016 at 1:25 am said:

Dear father Joe,

Can I receive holy communion when there is no priest available before celebration of mass to hear my confession and obtain absolution?
Unfortunately, this is a recurring fact that in our community, priests arrive 1 minute before the procession to the alter prior to the celebration of Mass.

How can I received holy communion worthily? Would a perfect act of contrition make me worthily of receiving holy communion, or do I really need to go to confession each time? I really need Jesus as much as possible in holy communion.

Richard

FATHER JOE: Most the time an act of contrition would suffice with the intention to go to Confession in the near future.
Salvador De Leon, on December 1, 2016 at 12:43 am said:

I would like to know if using a mind machine is sinful. The mind machine I want to purchase can help you “Access altered states of consciousness” according to the webpage. It can also help you experience closed eyed and open eye hallucinations. But I would not be ingesting anything. It causes this through sensory deprivation. Would using this machine be the same as sinning though drunkenness / drug abuse?
Thankyou

This is the link to the product I want to purchase:

https://mindplace.com/products/kasina-mind-media-mediatation-system

FATHER JOE: I suspect that people who find themselves hallucinating with such a device could do so even without it. Hopefully no one tries to use the contraption who has photosensitive epilepsy. While I believe there is some value in biofeedback, I would recommend caution about any kind of self-hypnosis. If you want something to relax the body and mind, I would recommend closing one’s eyes and listening to Gregorian Chant. Why seek synthetic visions and peace when we have the potential for the real thing in prayer?
Justin, on November 29, 2016 at 10:12 pm said:

I’m a 14 year old male (after confirmation) and I have been getting urges to start masturbating. I know it is a sin to do it. However is it a sin if thinking it as a bodily function and being in the mindset that it has nothing to do with sex? Obviously I it would be done without pornography or any other things like that. If it still is, how can I stop these urges.

FATHER JOE: Our concupiscence reflects a broken world. Sometimes it is hard to do good and all too easy to do wrong. We do the best we can and throw ourselves upon the mercy of Christ. A young teenage boy is becoming a man and the hormonal situation can be a raging war. Avoid the occasions of sin and try always to be a gentleman. Do not readily compromise with sin. The faculty of sexual love should not become narcissistic. It is a power that is directed to the propagation of the species and the fidelity of married couples. Anything else is wrong.
Esmeralda, on November 27, 2016 at 2:55 am said:

I am 14 but I’m going to start confirmation classes next year and I’m scared if I should start them because I’m not a virgin anymore and I just wanna know if I can still do my confirmation without being a virgin

FATHER JOE: You should go to Confession and receive absolution. Study and pray earnestly in preparation for Confirmation. You give no details about your violation, but I would urge you to be chaste and holy. If the person who took your virginity was an adult then I would urge you to report the person to the legal authorities.
Father Joe, on November 26, 2016 at 5:49 pm said:

RESPONSE TO FRED:

Catholicism has long taught that true science and theology (religion) are not at odds. This was remarked upon by recent popes like Pope Pius XII, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI. The Church teaches that there is a complementarity of truth between science, religion and philosophy.

While we believe that the soul is created immediately by God, it is possible that the body of men along with the rest of material creation went through stages of development or evolution.

Rational creatures are at the center of creation, indeed this is the locus of the incarnation with Christ; however, this does not negate our spatial and temporal place in the universe or the mathematics behind the cosmos. When it came to the views of Copernicus and Galileo, Cardinal Bellarmine, a doctor of the Church, argued that given implications in biblical interpretation and philosophy, that a tentative stance should be taken toward heliocentrism, permitting it as a hypothetical (for the time being), until it could be conclusively proven through available scientific criteria. Galileo did not want to wait. Indeed, Galileo struggled to make his own biblical connections and employed drama or satire against others (particularly against the reigning pope). The Church was fearful about how the proposed views might negatively affect the unsophisticated faith of average people.

Your assertion about salvation should not distract us from what most matters: do we have a saving faith lived out in loving obedience? Are we disposed to the gift of salvation and have we done all we could for the salvation of souls?

Catholicism (classic or mainline Christianity) believes that there is a universal call to salvation. This does not mean that everyone is saved; only that the offer is made to the world and that the Church offers what is necessary to be saved. All salvation truth subsists in the Catholic Church. We have the Sacred Scriptures, the Sacred Tradition, the Magisterium and Church Teachings, and the Sacraments. As to who is and is not saved, we leave that matter to the mysterious providence of God. Within Catholic circles there is some legitimate debate. Hans Urs von Balthasar and Karl Rahner argued that most might somehow be saved. Bishop Robert Barron is sympathetic to this view. Dr. Ralph Martin would be more sympathetic to the traditional Thomistic and Augustinian stance that more might be damned than saved. Catholicism teaches that there is no salvation apart from Christ and his Church (his mystical body). That is why the Church prays for everyone. Indeed, at the Good Friday liturgy, intercessions are made even for those juridically outside the Church. We beseech God to draw them to our safe harbor of faith.

Pope Benedict XVI writes: (SPE SALVI)

[47] Some recent theologians are of the opinion that the fire which both burns and saves is Christ himself, the Judge and Savior. The encounter with him is the decisive act of judgement. Before his gaze all falsehood melts away. This encounter with him, as it burns us, transforms and frees us, allowing us to become truly ourselves. All that we build during our lives can prove to be mere straw, pure bluster, and it collapses. Yet in the pain of this encounter, when the impurity and sickness of our lives become evident to us, there lies salvation. His gaze, the touch of his heart heals us through an undeniably painful transformation “as through fire”. But it is a blessed pain, in which the holy power of his love sears through us like a flame, enabling us to become totally ourselves and thus totally of God. In this way the inter-relation between justice and grace also becomes clear: the way we live our lives is not immaterial, but our defilement does not stain us forever if we have at least continued to reach out towards Christ, towards truth and towards love. Indeed, it has already been burned away through Christ’s Passion. At the moment of judgement we experience and we absorb the overwhelming power of his love over all the evil in the world and in ourselves. The pain of love becomes our salvation and our joy…

…The judgement of God is hope, both because it is justice and because it is grace. If it were merely grace, making all earthly things cease to matter, God would still owe us an answer to the question about justice—the crucial question that we ask of history and of God. If it were merely justice, in the end it could bring only fear to us all. The incarnation of God in Christ has so closely linked the two together—judgement and grace—that justice is firmly established: we all work out our salvation “with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12).

[48] …It is never too late to touch the heart of another, nor is it ever in vain. In this way we further clarify an important element of the Christian concept of hope. Our hope is always essentially also hope for others; only thus is it truly hope for me too. As Christians we should never limit ourselves to asking: how can I save myself? We should also ask: what can I do in order that others may be saved and that for them too the star of hope may rise? Then I will have done my utmost for my own personal salvation as well.

While there has been a myriad of religious expression, not all of it has been successful or popular. They also share certain truths, albeit mingled with errors. Ancient religious expression set the ground for revelation. Given that there is a God, it makes sense that he would give us an innate yearning for him and that he would reveal himself. He does so in a progressive way so as not to destroy human freedom and that we might be prepared over time for the fullness of revelation. Note the elements shared by religions, both true and false:

(1) Beliefs are affirmed that attempt to give meaning or sense to the world where we find ourselves.

(2) We are social creatures and so religion is shared and binds us as a community (family, tribe or nation).

(3) There are oral or written stories that give us a sense of identity and history. Jews and Christians see themselves as a people called to be apart by God. Our stories reaffirm our beliefs and we connect our personal stories to them. It becomes an ongoing narrative.

(4) Rituals are given or formed that express our posture to one another and to a deity. Note how many religions have some form of oblation or sacrifice: grain, animals and even human. The Jews had the sacrifices at the Temple; Christians have the commemoration of the Cross in the sacrifice of the Mass. The clean or unbloody oblation of the Eucharist replaces the old bloody sacrifices.

(5) Morality develops based upon the human condition and our inter-related lives. In addition to natural law, there may also be divine positive law. God reveals his commandments: the Decalogue and the Two Commandments of Christ.

(6) Piety and devotional expression develops. Pagan oracles knew their ecstatic trances. Christians know the exuberance of conversion, awe, inner peace, the satisfaction that comes with devotion, etc. The lesser gifts draw us to the greater gift of God’s Son and what he has accomplished for us.

(7) Material things are ascribed to the divine and religious cult. While we would disavow any occult talisman and pagan idol, Christianity has its iconography, music, religious medals and cards, art, statues, grottoes, churches, etc.

(8) Another common element is the distinction between ordinary or secular with the sacred or holy. We have no witch-doctors but we have priests. We have no magic but seven sacraments (form and matter). These sacraments make Christ and his saving activity present. These divine mysteries are the manner in which we interconnect with the divine.

Catholic Christianity is the faith that best answers the ultimate questions. Ours is a God who is in solidarity with his creation. He has not abandoned us. He loves and forgives us. He knows our struggles. He took to himself our suffering and even the mystery of death by becoming a man. God becomes a man so that men by grace might be divinized.

I would take exception to an atheism that argues that it makes no sense for God to wait so long in revealing himself. Man has been on the planet for a short time and during much of it he did not write books or run schools. It is only with a certain intellectual advancement that the time was right. I am amazed at how far the world has come during just the last two thousand years… and all in theistic societies and during the existence of the Church. Atheism is really the new kid on the block. We have yet to see what the fruits of such a belief will take many in the world. As for myself, my faith in God informs me that God is just even if the world is not. I know that I am loved and that love should be shared with others. My faith guides me in regarding every human person, unborn and born, male and female, healthy or sick, rich or poor, black or white or any color n-between, as irreplaceable and precious— that all life matters— that everyone has an incommensurate worth. I believe in certain basic rights… indeed they are embedded in our declaration and constitution (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness)… and that these rights are given by God and should not be usurped by any form of tyranny. My faith would also make me a sign of contradiction… loving those who hate me; forgiving those who hurt me; and giving to those who would take from me.

As for God as Creator, I suspect you fail to appreciate the Church’s view of his full dynamism. God is the intelligent agency or designer. This would include not only this universe but any and all other universes that might exist, even with different natural laws. God as Creator keeps all things in creation. God did not simply create in the past but rather is always in the act of creation. If he were to forget you even for a moment, you would cease to exist (and would disappear entirely from all history, past, present and future). But we believe this is opposed to the divine economy. God does not annihilate his creation. Within this creation there is also what we call salvation history. God’s providence includes both active will (directly intends) and passive will (indirectly allows). Divine providence cannot be ultimately circumvented but it allows for human freedom… either to obey God or to disobey (sin). We believe that the primordial rebellion brought suffering and death into the world— disharmony. Christ comes to heal the breech with God. Suffering and death are overcome with his Cross and Resurrection but not undone. That awaits the final consummation at the end of the world.

We cannot save ourselves. We are not the final arbiters of right and wrong. Only God can save us and only God can set the terms. Everything is in God’s hands but we have to acknowledge our dependence and surrender to him. God stands outside time and sees the whole picture. We only know our small place on the large map, and even that we know imperfectly.
Fred Murphy, on November 25, 2016 at 11:18 pm said:

A comment of contemplation, not an attack on faith:
Pope Francis is considered by many Christians as a liar, even to the point of the antichrist. This is because he has said science and religion are not at odds, Adam and Eve are symbolic and there is no hell. I cannot find issue with him.
I will say MOST of Christianity (except Universalism) teaches Jesus only came to save a few: this pardons/ not justifies God to allow “sin” to affect our existence by omission/ design.
Homosapiens (our current human form) for the last 100000 years have developed thousands of religions.
It is hard to accept God requiring an intervention so late in such an existence. Theism is far more often wrong than right.
Would God not only be the Creator and controller of but “is” the universe, it’s governing laws and all that is in it? Who’s to say the Grand Designer doesn’t have plans for us? Is not up to us to be the writer and not the pen? Perhaps salvation has been pursued the wrong way by too many for too long. Having said that, this Grand Controller still has our fate in said Creator’s hands. Life should be viewed as a gift to learn and experience, not a trial of right vs wrong.
Any thoughts?
Brittany Berry, on November 25, 2016 at 7:05 am said:

Hi

I have a very odd question. There is something that has been bothering me for a while. When i was younger a preachers wife of a visiting church (whom i had never met before) walked up to me and told me that she had a dream that i was leading a multitude of people and that she wanted to pray with me that I would take the “right path” and “make the right descision”. A few months later after I told on my uncle for his unwanted advances the preacher of the church i went to (Pentecostal) pulled me to the front of the church and told me i was possessed and tryed to pray the demons out. I was humilated. Years later I was working at a mcdonalds when a wiccan lady stopped me in the bathroom and said the same thing as the preachers wife did. In very close to the same words. the strange thing is there is no way that these two ladies knew each other. One was wiccan the other pentecostal, one was from louisiana and the other from alabama. About a year later I was working in a winn dixie in a different part of alabama when this lady that was doing inventory came up to me spoke to me for a few mins and then left the store. She returned with a bible that she bought specifically for me with several scriptures highlighted and marked. And again she said the same thing that the other ladies had said. By this time im freaked out and kinda scared. Do you have any idea what they mean by this? and why there are “devout christians” that I have never met in my life dreaming about me and scared enough to want to pray that I make the “right descision”?

FATHER JOE: People of all sorts often think they know a great deal about others when really they know little or nothing. We also tend to interpret patterns where there is only coincidence. It is unlikely there was genuine spiritual prophecy in either the pagan’s or the Christian’s remarks. I would urge you to dismiss them. As for your uncle, the preacher and the preacher’s wife, that business was far more serious and abusive. By treating you as a crazy or possessed person, everything and anything you might later say would be made suspect and easily dismissed. The misuse of religion and ministerial authority is evil and by definition collaborates with the demonic. The preacher should look to himself and to his own house before daring to humiliate another. Love the Lord, live out your faith in obedience and treat others with kindness. If you do these things then you are probably on the path that God has set before you. Peace!
Anne, on November 25, 2016 at 5:21 am said:

Hello Father!

I am in 10th grade and have been recently studying some passages in the bible and generally deepening my faith (I am Catholic) over the past few months. Though I have become very troubled but interested by an aspect. Since only those who are saved and are one with Christ gain immortal life, then those who are not saved… just die? I know that whether they “live” to be tortured in hell forever or die a second death (as it says in the bible) are equally unimaginable and horrible but this greatly depresses me– the thought of just dying, not existing, what does that even mean?

It opens up a whole other level of comprehension of the spiritual world and it’s pretty terrifying to me. I wanted to know your thoughts on it and what might the second coming/judgement be like? What if I was saved but people whom I love weren’t, how would I find peace in heaven?

Thank you so much and sorry if it was a bit lengthy!

Regards,

Anne

FATHER JOE:

Faithful Catholics live in the “sure and certain HOPE” of their salvation in Christ. As long as we walk with the Lord in loving obedience and charity toward others, we have every reason to hope. After death, the person undergoes a particular judgment. Those who have been perfected by grace are translated immediately into heaven. Those who are suffering from venial sins, temporal punishment die to sin, and sinful inclinations or habits will also know heaven but only after enduring the purification of purgatory. Those in mortal sin who have broken their relationship with God can only know despair and hell as their hatred alienates them from both God and their neighbor. At the final judgment and consummation of all things there will only be two realities, heaven and hell. Some will be resurrected to life or heaven and others to eternal death or hell (the so-called second death).

Annihilation or the reduction to nothingness is against the divine economy. The saints and the damned survive physical death but the former know the joy of the beatific vision (they see God) and the damned (are forever alienated from God for whom they were made). The terrible fire of hell may only be the barest spark of the divine presence that keeps the damned in existence. The saints of heaven dance in the fire of God’s love in heaven. The damned of hell are burned because they hate God. The Seventh Day Adventists do not believe in hell and argue that the unrighteous forever sleep or are not raised. This is not classical Christian or Catholic teaching. What God has made, he has made. He respects human freedom, even when misused. It pains us here-and-now that the damned may include family and friends. We hope for salvation and would have those we care about within our eternal company. However, the presence of God is so overwhelming that all tears will be wiped away. Indeed, there will be so much happiness and fulfillment that there will be no room for sorrow. There will be no more suffering or sickness. Death will be no more.
Yvonne, on November 21, 2016 at 2:14 am said:

Hello Father,

This might sound like a silly question but, is it a sin to be on a diet? If I go on a strict diet to lose weight fast, would this be gluttony?
Thank you.

FATHER JOE: Gluttony is to eat too much, not too little or less. Some diet and others fast.
Benjamin barrett, on November 20, 2016 at 5:29 am said:

I was wondering. A girl I know said she was Satan on Facebook but acted normal enough. I told her my name and I’m kinda worried about if she actually is possessed by Satan or joking. This is not a joke. I’m young and still wondering about christianity. My right hand just went numb as I was typing this also, am I OK?
Please help

FATHER JOE: I suspect she is joking… although it is a poor or sick joke. As for your hand, I cannot say. Do you have circulation issues? If it continues, I would suggest seeing a doctor. Peace!
Antoni Matlakas, on November 19, 2016 at 10:46 pm said:

Hello There! I am father Antoni, I am now building a new catholic church near London. I am in need of clergy Cassok. SInce I am not using any money I need to ask you brothers to help me to gather few Cassoks and shirts to help me lead my church. Please write to me f you can help me:

[EMAIL DELETED]

FATHER JOE: You might be a “father,” but I suspect you are not a Catholic priest. Appeals for help are not made this way, and not for cassocks. You may be a good artist, but we should also be people of personal integrity. http://matlakas.co.uk/painting/new%20mythology%20series.html
Rosa B., on November 19, 2016 at 5:32 pm said:

Father Joe,

My 7 year old daughter has autism but she has the mentality of a 2 year old. She is non verbal and she has sleep issues. Sometimes she goes long periods of time without sleeping where she will only sleep 2 or 3 hours in a 24 hour time frame. This means I get the same amount of sleep as she does. I often have severe panic attacks because of the continuous sleep deprivation and dealing with her constant destructive meltdowns. Nobody wants to help me other than my husband but his help is very limited. I’m unable to go to Confession or attend Mass because of her, (I don’t drive and nobody will babysit). I often feel like I’m losing my sanity where I will yell at my daughter and have evil thoughts about her. I frequently feel like I’m committing mortal sins on a daily basis. I don’t want to have these evil thoughts. I don’t want to miss Confession and Mass. Am I really committing mortal sins in my situation? If so, what can I do to prevent committing such sins. I want to be a good parent and a good Catholic but I find it so hard. Can you offer any advice?

FATHER JOE: Rosa, just continue being the best mother you can be. God understands these things and you can only do so much. Here at Holy Family we have started an organization called Prince George’s (County) Community Resources to help families and people with “developmental differences.” Check out local resources. We even have Special Education teachers that work with young people so that they might get some faith formation and receive the sacraments. Do not despair. there are people out there who care. I will keep you and your family in prayer. We all have negative thoughts and feelings sometimes. But God’s grace can sustain us. A quick act of contrition and a request for strength might sometimes be in order. But remember that under such stress as yours, most sins are probably venial. Peace!
Yvonn, on November 19, 2016 at 2:55 am said:

Hello Father,

Can we take holy communion twice in one day?
I will be attending mass on Sunday at 12:30pm and then I will be going to mass again at 5pm for the closing of the holy doors. Can I take holy communion at both masses?

Thank you.

FATHER JOE: I would say YES, given the changes under Pope John Paul II.