Ask a Priest

5,442 Responses

felicia, on January 19, 2015 at 3:29 am said:

I read in some past comments a few days ago uou said God came to earth and made himself into man form of jesus if thats true please explain this.

John 14:28Modern English Version (MEV)

FATHER JOE: That is called the teaching of the INCARNATION. That is what Christmas is all about. The universal Catholic Catechism is online at the Vatican website. Read it and then come back with intelligent questions.

28 “You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and am returning to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.

FATHER JOE: These are our Lord’s words in reference to his Ascension to the Father. However, our Lord promises to be present in his Church, particularly at prayer. St. Paul speaks of the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ. As for the divinity of Christ, look at the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus is the Word made flesh. He is the Second Person of the Trinity made man to save us by his act of atonement.

Also in I
Isaiah 45:5Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)

5 I [am] Jehovah, and there is none else, Except Me there is no God, I gird thee, and thou hast not known Me.

Please explain.

FATHER JOE: Yes, again, Catholics believe that there is only one God. However there are three eternal generations or processions in God.
felicia, on January 18, 2015 at 11:08 pm said:

Same as how Jesus is further from how his named sounded also. I am not going to argue. I am simply questioning.

FATHER JOE: But you are arguing. Names were not always reproduced phonetically. Sometimes they were rendered by meaning. Jehovah was the Latinized version derived from the Vulgate or Latin Bible. It did not use the more Hebraic Yahweh. Similarly, we use the Greek “petros” for Peter or ROCK but the closer Aramaic would be KEPHAS. The word means ROCK. Paul continues to use the Aramaic world KEPHAS or CEPHAS in reference to Peter.

If the name Jehovah is catholic why isn’t it used in the Catholic bible? BUT it is used in many other bibles.

FATHER JOE: It was used in many of the older translations, Catholic and Protestant.

You didn’t respond to aNY of the quoted scriptures I listed below.

FATHER JOE: The Bible is the Bible. I see no conflict with Catholic usage and teaching.

Also to comment back on idolising catholics very much idolize saints statues and especially the pope. People kneel before him. They kneel and pray before the staTues of Mary aND Joseph in the church which is wrong.

FATHER JOE: Signs of respect do not constitute worship. It is customary for a young man to propose on one knee to a woman he wants to marry. Such is a sign of love and respect, not divine worship. You are grasping at straws. Catholics worship Almighty God… as a priest I certainly know this. Someone has led you wrong.

And it would certainly conflift with the teachings of the trinity. How can Jehovah God the Father of Jesus Christ the son be all a part of one God. Doesn’t make sense. I can see that there isn’t any clear answer to my questions.

FATHER JOE: If you deny the revelation of the Trinity then you are not a true Christian. Do you believe that Jesus is a divine Person? Do you not understand the scene where Jesus is baptized in the Jordan. We see the descent of the dove (symbolizing the Holy Spirit) and there is the Father’s voice, “This is my beloved Son upon whom my favor rests.” Jesus at the end of the Gospel of Matthew tells his disciples to go to all the earth and to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. It would make no sense to baptize in the name of a creature. A creature cannot save you. Thus the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are divine. This is the Trinity: three divine Persons in one divine Nature. There is one God but he is triune. Jesus can forgive and save us because he is God made man. God is Yahweh.
Pat, on January 18, 2015 at 9:50 pm said:

Dear Father Joe,

Thank you for giving me your feedback regarding the situation with my family member, her husband’s discernment of an Anglican vocation to the priesthood, and the family strife over the baptism.

I realize now that I didn’t specify an important detail: her husband has never been Catholic, and has always been Anglican (it was a mixed marriage, but a marriage performed by a Catholic priest and recognized as Catholic). Does this change your interpretation of the situation in any way? This isn’t a situation in which a Catholic left the church to become an Anglican priest: it’s the story of two people in love trying to raise a family together, while the husband is just starting to follow a vocation to the Anglican priesthood—still a difficult and trying situation for the entire family nonetheless!

Again, thank you for your frank assessment of the situation. I know my sister and her husband have to decide what to do together, and that it’s not my place to give them unsolicited advice. But I felt the need to reach out and get a view from a trusted source who’s outside of the situation altogether. I’m praying for the entire family, and I would appreciate your prayers, if you have the time.

Do you think it would be right to share your response with her? My gut feeling is that it’s not my place to share it, and so I don’t plan on doing that at the moment. Messaging you was a way to gather my own peace of mind regarding the situation, and not a means of convincing anyone—I know this is something they have to work out together as a family.

Thank you,
Pat

FATHER JOE:

Dear Pat, in regards to any personal culpability, yes it changes the entire landscape. He might be familiar with Catholicism but he is not a Catholic. There has been no defection. He is perfectly within his rights to seek out ministry within his faith confession as a priest or minister. Only he can discern such a calling although Anglican orders, independent or otherwise, are generally judged as invalid by Catholicism.

The couple received a dispensation to marry in the Catholic Church. Your sister signed the application that went to the bishop and she pledged herself to do all in her power to continue living out her faith and to share it with her children. Her husband was made aware of the promise and he did not object. When there is an objection, marriage is not possible in the Church.

It is understandable that the father, especially if he becomes an Anglican priest, would want his child to share his faith. But it will not stop there. There will be increasing pressure for your sister to leave Catholicism. He may point to the visual similarities or the impressive rituals of Anglicanism. He may argue that a family should pray and worship together and that their division is difficult or scandalous. He may even face pressure from those who would discern his vocation to have her take classes and change churches.

I would urge him to make an appeal to the new Anglican usage Catholics that have been given their own ecclesial structure by Pope Benedict. Married men may be ordained with the permission of the Holy See and Francis seems ready to make such concessions. That way he could maintain Anglican traditions and the entire family could share the Catholic faith. There would also be no question of his apostolic succession or holy orders. We have some good contacts in my Archdiocese, if he is interested. They could hook him up with the closest group. You may share that… and maintain respectful peace.
Diana Strauss, on January 18, 2015 at 8:57 pm said:

Thank you for your defense of the Jews, re: Nazi salute. It is gratifying to know that the declarations of Pope John 23 at Vatican II and your other recent Popes, such as John Paul II, in regard to the Jews are being upheld.
Hayden, on January 18, 2015 at 7:08 pm said:

But I didn’t “get off”

FATHER JOE: Still sinful.
Hayden, on January 18, 2015 at 7:07 pm said:

What if I was deliberate?

FATHER JOE: Sinful.
Hayden, on January 18, 2015 at 6:48 pm said:

So was that a sin or not?

FATHER JOE: I answered the question. Anything more would require further detail. For instance, if you make the Nazi salute because you are a hateful white supremacist who wants to mock Jews, then yes it is a sin.

Also, I have had a masturbation problem, and I started doin it for like15 seconds, and I didn’t have an orgasm or anything, is it still a sin?

FATHER JOE: Yes, if it is deliberate.
Hayden, on January 18, 2015 at 4:45 pm said:

Is it bad to put up your arm like the hei hitler sign? Even though I don’t like the nazis because I’m of Czech descent.

FATHER JOE: It depends upon what you intend to communicate. It was a familiar gesture for the military and scouts for a long time but fell into disfavor because of the Nazis. Similarly the swastika was a stylized Christian cross before it was usurped and destroyed as a symbol of faith. We should also be mindful of gestures and signs that hurt others, like the Jewish community.
felicia, on January 18, 2015 at 4:30 pm said:

So what of the Hebrew name for Jesus isnt it Yeshua? BUT we use his name as Jesus. The Jews took out Jehovah (English translation of Yaweh ) God’s personal name because if their misunderstanding of the commancommandant of the use of Gods name in vain and had it replaced with LORD or Adonai. But Jehovah God wants his name called apon not just by Lord or Father but by his personal name ad it so says in many scriptures of the bible Ex 3:15. Is 12:4.
Ps 83:18.

I will praise thy name for ever and ever..
Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised;
And his greatness is unsearchable.”
(Psalm 145:2,3)(ASV)-BibleGateway

Zech. 13:9 – “They shall call upon my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.” – ASV

Furthermore is it not true that by use of Gods divine and personal name would it not contridict the teachings and beliefs of the trinity? In which the Catholic faith is based.

FATHER JOE:

You are very confused. There is nothing about God’s name that conflicts with the Trinity.

Yahweh is a transliteration into English but it comes from the Hebrew. In other words, Jehovah is actually further from how the name sounded… or at least we suspect. Indeed, your insistence upon Jehovah is ironic in that this is the old Catholic rendition from Latin. The early Protestants used the Catholic or Latinized Jehovah spelling in their texts and bibles. Let me make it simple for you: Yahweh (from Jewish Hebrew) / Jehovah (from Catholic Latin). Many Jews held that the name of God was so sacred that it should not be pronounced, so they substituted Adonai.

As for Yeshua or Joshua, we render it as Jesus in English. This also comes from the Latin IESUS. You make much about nothing in your fumbling attempts at anti-Catholicism. Jehovah as the Latin version of the word is found in older Catholic Bibles and you are certainly free to use the Catholic form of the word if you want to do so.
david, on January 18, 2015 at 7:22 am said:

trueabnormal Have faith that god will fulfil his promises and he will.God does not test those he does not wish to teach. Have faith that you are being prepared for a job. Tempered like steel . And though you can not see his plan yet, and life may seem hopeless,he may have great deeds in store for you.Bear it stoicly, And hang in there.
felicia, on January 18, 2015 at 4:47 am said:

Why was God’s name Jehovah taken out of the bible. When it was in the original Hebrew scriptures 7000 times. ?

FATHER JOE: The word Jehovah is a transliteration. There was some concern about the rendering of the Hebrew. The name of God in scholarly circles is increasingly rendered as Yahweh. It is the same word… still there… sometimes rendered as O LORD to appease Jewish sensibilities.
Hayden, on January 18, 2015 at 3:50 am said:

Hi,
I have a few questions:

1. Are impure thoughts bad? If they are, mortal or venial sin.

FATHER JOE: When such thoughts are deliberate, they are sinful. The gravity depends upon their nature and intensity.

2. Is it bad to us Gods name in vain in your head? Again, venial or mortal if bad.

FATHER JOE: If such is an expression of hatred, then yes. But things that quickly pass unsaid through our heads are not so… we have little control in this regard.

3. If I have forgotten something in confession, is it still forgiven?

FATHER JOE: Yes, if truly forgotten. This includes mortal sins although good practice would have us mention them next time (even though they were forgiven).

4. Is it bad to not read the bible word for word and sorta “skim” over it?

FATHER JOE: I am not sure about bad… I suppose it is a matter of what is better. Making it true study and prayer is best!

Simple answers please!!

Thanks!!!!
Tony, on January 18, 2015 at 3:10 am said:

Fr. So nice talking with you. I am a teenager discerning my call to priesthood. I got a Chasuble for Christmas, what do I do with it?

FATHER JOE: Other than storing it, there is nothing you can do with it. Priests wear the chasuble during Mass. You are not a priest. If you enter the seminary, it will take 8 years or more of formation to become a priest. You will have to study and get degrees in philosophy and theology. Promises will be made. Sorry, but I think you are putting the cart before the horse. But I will pray about your discernment of a religious vocation. Peace!
mary jones, on January 18, 2015 at 1:48 am said:

We are having a family debate. The question is. Is it a sin to live together before marriage so long as you don’t have sexual relations. I know this would not be easy with temptation. But if a couple decided to live together before their marriage and make it to their wedding day without having sexual relations, is it considered a sin. I’ve searched for this answer on other sites and I keep getting stories and literature about how a couple should not live together and have sexual relations before marriage. We already know that. What we need to know is if sexual relations are not happening would it still be considered a sin to live together in a platonic relationship before their wedding

FATHER JOE: Cohabitation is generally regarded as sinful. However, a couple might talk to their priest about the situation and he could judged whether an engaged couple might do so for financial reasons and still be reasonable expected to remain chaste. There may be a few exceptions. Generally speaking though, it is a bad idea. It places persons in the near occasion of sin. The more you romantically love someone, the more the flesh cries out for union. We must be realists about this. People are weak.
felicia, on January 17, 2015 at 11:00 pm said:

Yes but what was he saving us from? And what was his message? Why do we have to kneel in church If jesus himself said not to bow down to anyone beside God himself? In Exodus 20:4-5 ? Also us catholics worship carved images and statutes when it Cleary says not to in the commandments.

FATHER JOE: You do not know the basic Christian kerygma? Jesus saved us from our sins. Because of the fall, we were in bondage to the devil. Jesus offers his life to redeem us, literally to buy us back from the devil. His saving death is an atonement for sin. A price was paid because of the dishonor to God. Christ pays it as one of us… but he is also sinless and a divine Person. Where our sacrifices fell short, his is of infinite value and makes true satisfaction for sin. I am saying it in many ways but it is basic Christianity 101. Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament… he says that his blood is real drink and his body real food. We bend the knee to the Eucharistic Christ. If you are truly a Catholic then you must know we do not worship statues or images. We commit no idolatry. Religious art has a representational value like language. We venerate sacred objects and show them respect. We do not worship “things” but God. You seem very much confused.
Pat, on January 17, 2015 at 10:31 pm said:

Dear Father Joe,

There’s an issue causing strain in my family, and I was wondering if I could get your thoughts on the matter. My sister is Catholic and she married a man (at our local parish in a Mid-Atlantic state) who is studying for a doctorate in Catholic theology. They had a Catholic wedding and, in the past year, she gave birth to a beautiful child. Also in the past year, her husband has discerned a vocation to become a priest in the Anglican church (the Independent Anglican Church, to be exact). The major issue that is causing family strife is the baptism of the child. Because they are of different Christian faith traditions (though both are high church), they plan on raising the child in both faiths—my sister faithfully goes to Mass every week with her baby, and her husband supports her and usually drives her there. Basically, the issue is this: is it at all possible for a Catholic priest to officiate the baptism, AND for her husband to be fully included in that baptism? They have decided as a family that the child will be baptized in the Anglican church, but will receive First Communion in the Catholic Church—but this is a compromise for them because, unlike in the United Kingdom, it isn’t common in America for there to be joint baptisms, with the baby being baptized by a Catholic priest and then blessed or anointed by the priest in the other Christian denomination. The major problem is that my family is stunned and scandalized that the baby isn’t getting baptized in a Catholic Church; they feel like my sister made a promise to do her best to raise the child Catholic, and, for them, that means baptizing him Catholic (i.e. no compromise). At the same time, the husband feels like he can’t fully participate in a Catholic baptism because he isn’t Catholic; and so my sister feels like the best option—for her and her family—is to baptize the child in the Anglican church and have the child registered in the Catholic Church, attend Mass, and receive First Communion. She’s trying her best to raise the child Catholic, but she’s stuck between a rock and a hard place: a family that believes she’s made a promise to baptize him Catholic; and a husband who is pained at the thought of not fully participating in the baptism, since it appears that joint baptisms aren’t possible in the U.S. What is your view of the possibilities in this situation? They are both loving parents, but the situation is causing a lot of strain in the wider family. Christian disunity is painful, and my sister is feeling the full brunt of that pain right now, and feels like she’s in a hopeless situation—definitely NOT the kind of feelings a baptism should engender!

Thank you for taking the time to read my question. You’re responses are thoughtful and full of wisdom, and I would greatly appreciate your insights.

Sincerely,
Pat

FATHER JOE:

Pat, it is truly a bad situation.

First, there is no comparison of the churches. Catholicism is not a high church, she sees herself as the Church. The so-called independent Anglican “church” is an Episcopalian offshoot with claims of apostolic succession that are not generally accepted by the Roman Catholic Church. That means that their priesthood and Eucharist are judged counterfeit.

As for your question, your sister’s husband has betrayed his Catholic faith and unlike those raised in Protestant traditions, shall be judged severely by God, as were the initial reformers with their heresies. Any spiritual discernment in favor of defection is either a psychological or a demonic deception. This is sad. I would urge your sister to fight for the Catholic faith of the child. Married in the Catholic Church, they pledged to practice and share their faith.

You cannot properly raise a child in two faiths. They conflict. It signifies the sin of religious indifferentism. The child should be baptized and raised in the Catholic faith. This resolution must be expressed for a Catholic priest to baptize the child. That is the long-and-short of it… both here and in the UK. (Any practice to the contrary is an unwarranted abuse. Rites cannot be combined.) The husband can be part of the Catholic rite, just as any Protestant parent might be included, but this does not signify any involvement of his new creed.

By contrast, if the child is baptized in an independent Anglican ceremony, then no later reception of First Reconciliation or First Communion is possible without religious reception. Catholics can passively stand as Christian witnesses but they cannot actively participate or be godparents in a Protestant baptismal service. The end result will be a Protestant child with an ex-Catholic Protestant father and a Catholic mother who must now practice her religion alone. It is a real mess! The mother could stand there passively but she cannot respond to the prayers of the worship ceremony. She will also have to confess to a true priest that she allowed her child to be stolen from the Catholic faith. The gravity of the sin depends upon the resistance of her husband and the need to preserve family harmony.

I personally agree with the family… no compromise. If an issue like this had come forward during marriage preparation, many priests would rightly have argued against the union. He now endangers the faith of the child and by extension, that of the mother.

Sorry that I have no comforting and healing words about this. Anglicanism is not Catholic lite, it is just a ritualized form of the Protestant sect. If done with water, with the proper intention and with the Trinitarian form then at least the baptism will be genuine… but the child will not be a juridical member of the Church instituted directly by Christ, the Catholic Church. That is still a cause for upset and tears.
simon3rd, on January 17, 2015 at 9:55 pm said:

Dear Father,
I’m bit confused, scared and I really need a second opinion on that. About year ago new student residence in my town/country was established. It is involved with Opus Dei. I became friends with the members of OD , since I’ve taken part from their activities, helped organizing youth club events, have received spiritual guidance from their priest etc. Have been involved about two years now.
Now I’m thinking about moving to the student residence since it’s a very nice place, near to my workplace and downtown, has different possibilities, gym, band room etc. And last but the most important thing is of course chapel and very good opportunity to attend masses every morning, take part of meditations, recollections etc. and I can put my mind to organizing youth club activities more. Plus, it sounds cheap (considering that every day meals, accommodation and all other fees are covered by the rent money.- although it’s still almost my whole salary, but I would consider it). That all sounds very nice … but I’m bit worried and scared.

Does it mean that I connect myself somehow with the Opus Dei. I’ve heard (mainly read) rumours and I’m bit scared that may be they try to recruit me. I think that those people are very nice and have very good intention likewise St Josemaria. but there are some things that I don’t understand (for example: why are female members so separated that you can never even see them, – although they take care of food, bedroom sheets, cleaning rooms etc ? Are roumours about self-punishment true etc).

Since I’m from irreligious family then my sister asked me if Opus Dei is some sort of sect or cult. I answered that they are no more sect than World Bank or Walmart but I had a small doubt. I know that Dan Brown is probably fiction, based on what I’ve seen in real life, but could you recommend me, what should I do?

I mean , I would still continue with spiritual guidance and all the other activities and would even be more than ready to move to the residence, but I’m worried, cause I wouldn’t like to involve myself too much with the organization that I’ve not fully understood. I honestly have prayed on this and I’ve understood that I would never become a member but would be ready to help OD in their actitivities. Would moving to a residence involve me that much or am I just being paranoid?
God bless You, I’ll pray for you.
Thank you Father!

FATHER JOE: I know some wonderful Opus Dei clergy. It seems reasonable to me that if you move into one of their residences that they should have the right to influence and recruit you. I would not be afraid of them.
drs, on January 17, 2015 at 3:36 pm said:

I met a married lady whose husband left to start another family 7 years ago. She is single now, not divorced, no kids. He has kids. Is she out of bounds for a new man in her life? Tricky one.

FATHER JOE: If she is married without divorce then it is not tricky… she is still married. Is she married in the eyes of God and the Church? I would need more details to answer this question.
felicia, on January 17, 2015 at 3:55 am said:

Why was jesus sent to earth to die what was he sent here to teach us?

FATHER JOE: Jesus came down from heaven to save us. His death makes that possible.
doctorraichu, on January 16, 2015 at 11:02 pm said:

Can I play Dungeons and Dragons if I love my faith?

FATHER JOE: I guess so… I knew seminarians who played it years ago and they are middle-aged priests now.
trueabbynormal, on January 16, 2015 at 8:43 pm said:

[personal communication]
trueabbynormal, on January 16, 2015 at 2:41 pm said:

I live in a tent in the woods, I’m sick and I’ve asked for help and tried to get myself out of this situation, no one will help me, so death is my only option, not because I want to die, but because i can not get medical help.

FATHER JOE: Is this true? I am not clairvoyant. Have you gone to social services and the local parish? One comment does not entirely jive with the next. Given the shifting I am at odds as to what to tell you.

My family can help me they have the money to help me get into a place my ssi can pay the bills, but they won’t, I’ve gone to the church for help but because I have ptsd an extreme anxiety disorder, I’m blown off as a crazy person and given phone # to people who can’t or won’t help me.

FATHER JOE: Resources are often strained and I have gone through the phone-tag game trying to find help for people. Did you contact Catholic Charities?

My body is falling fast and because I express my feeling so passionately even the Dr. Is blowing me off with sedatives. The problem in my brain was caused by being forced to take adhd medication as a child when I did need it, I had a giant tumor and was angry and mean from pain, but the Dr.s couldn’t find it so I was called lazy or just faking to get out of doing stuff. The Dr. Won’t help my family won’t help and no church will help, I’m turned away every time so no I don’t even bother with the Catholic church anymore the miss treatment they have done to me when they had promised to be there for me was a lie, God talks to me in his own way and I seek answer from whom ever I can no matter what religion they are. I was raised Catholic and Lutheran but I have studied as many religions as I could seeking an answer, the only answers I can get are vague or another question or I’m told its not my rite to ask. I don’t know why I even bother. I’m sorry I bothered you.

FATHER JOE: I do not even know your name, but I will pray for you.
Thea, on January 15, 2015 at 9:45 am said:

The man is a born again Christian (was a Catholic before) while the woman is a baptized Catholic. Can they marry under the Catholic Church without asking for a Dispensation from Canonical Form? What are the requirements? Does it depend on the parish church or is there a basic rule for this issue? Thank you in advance and God bless.

FATHER JOE: If the man formally renounced his faith and sent a letter to his priest or bishop saying such, then a dispensation from canonical form might be required. Marriage to a Catholic would still require preparation and there would have to be a certain safeguard for the faith of the Catholic and any possible children. Otherwise, many priests would recommend that the woman break off the engagement. Generally the once Catholic, always Catholic rule applies.
trueabbynormal, on January 15, 2015 at 4:56 am said:

Do I have to say my prayers out loud? Do you think he can hear them in my head. The reason I ask is because I do it a lot and in many places with many people and do not wish them to hear. Oartky because I’m afraid of what they will think of people who pray as much as I do in my head out loud are often ridiculed or called crazy. And because I’m afraid of the hospital I don’t want to give anyone any reason to put me there because they think I’ve list it or something. I feel he can hear me but I’m afraid he can’t.

FATHER JOE: God can hear mental prayer.
trueabbynormal, on January 15, 2015 at 3:05 am said:

I’ve been sick all my l could handle my own suffering alone I have the strength for that, it’s the suffering I cause those I love I cant deal with, its not fair for them. I won’t take my own life that was a moment of weakness in my heart. I know my death will hurt those I love, but then it’s done they won’t have to see me in such pain everyday they can take solace that I’m ok and move on, for now with me alive they must face it everyday and they try to hide it but I can see it. My death will free them from this.

FATHER JOE: A person is not obliged to seek every medical intervention when a situation is judged as hopeless and death is immanent. However, the notion of killing oneself to help relatives feel better would be morally wrong. Further, it is a self-deception. Families often blame each other and deal with great anguish after suicides. There is no way to masquerade that a selfish act is somehow noble or unselfish. I noted that much that you have written so far focuses on your pain and how you are having trouble coping.