Ask a Priest

5,433 Responses

Dustin, on November 4, 2012 at 5:13 pm said:

I am required to do an interview for my high school with a priest about their holy orders ceremony. Can you please describe your experience and the step by step process? I would really appreciate the help because I am not Catholic but go to a Catholic high school and don’t know any priests.

FATHER JOE:

You can go to a Catholic high school and not know any priests? I am a bit taken aback by that possibility, but I will share a few words to help you in your project.

My name is Father Joseph Jenkins. I went into seminary straight out of public high school. My formation in seminary included four years of college (philosophy) and four years of graduate studies (theology). I was ordained in my mid-twenties, first as a deacon in 1985 and later as a priest on May 17, 1986. At the first ordination ceremony I was clothed in the deacon’s stole and a garment called the dalmatic. Cardinal Hickey presented me with a copy of the Lectionary (the book of readings used at Mass). A year later, also at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington, DC, I exchanged the garb of a deacon for that of a priest (priest’s stole and chasuble). The Cardinal gave me a copy of the Sacramentary (signed by him) with the Mass prayers.

The promise of perpetual celibacy is made by the man who is ordained to the transitional diaconate. The Cardinal, sitting before the altar, briefly asked me a (and other candidates) a series of questions about our commitment to the faith, the life of prayer and service. The promise of obedience was made to the Archbishop and his successors. There wa a litany of the saints and then the important laying on of hands. The prayer of consecration was said over us and then each deacon was presented with the Book of the Gospels (in this case a Lectionary) and he extended to us the sign of peace. It was at that point that the Mass continued as usual.

The ordination to the priesthood was similar in some respects. Along with the other deacons we rested on the floor before the altar as a sign of submission to God’s will. It is the same gesture that a priest does at the beginning of the Good Friday service. My little niece did not understand and she ran up to the altar asking, “Uncle Joe are you okay?”

Here are the parts of the service:

1. Taking place at the cathedral, the Cardinal sat before the altar. The soon-to-be-priests had chairs on the side of the altar in front.

2. Most of the concelebrating priests were in the pews. St Matthew’s is a small cathedral.

3. I was to be ordained with two other men. We wore white albs and the deacon’s stole.

4. Just as in a normal Mass we had the readings.

5. Immediately after the Gospel began the ordination ceremony.

6. The candidates were called forth.

7. We answered, “Present” and went before the Cardinal.

8. The candidates were presented to the Archbishop and to the community for priestly service.

9. The Archbishop officially called us and the people gave their consent.

10. The Cardinal addressed in his homily the candidates and the congregation about the responsibilities and the nature of the priesthood.

11. Next was his examination of the candidates: “Are you resolved, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to discharge without fail the office of priesthood in the presbyteral order as a conscientious fellow worker with the bishops in caring for the Lord’s flock?” We answered, “I am.” “Are you resolved to celebrate the mysteries of Christ faithfully and religiously as the Church has handed them down to us for the glory of God and the sanctification of Christ’s people?” We answered, “I am.” “Are you resolved to hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience as the Apostle urges, and to proclaim this faith in word and action as it is taught by the Gospel and the Church’s tradition?” We answered, “I am.” “Are you resolved to maintain and deepen a spirit of prayer appropriate to your way of life and, in keeping with what is required of you, to celebrate faithfully the liturgy of the hours for the Church and for the whole world?” We answered, “I am.” “Are you resolved to exercise the ministry of the word worthily and wisely, preaching the gospel and explaining the Catholic faith?” We answered, “I am.” “Are you resolved to consecrate your life to God for the salvation of his people, and to unite yourself more closely every day to Christ the High Priest, who offered himself for us to the Father as a perfect sacrifice?” We answered, “I am, with the help of God.”

12. We next reaffirmed our promise of obedience to the Ordinary (in this case the Cardinal or the Archbishop of Washington, DC.

13. The Cardinal then invited all to prayer.

14. We chanted the Litany of the Saints.

15. The Cardinal invoked the Holy Spirit in prayer and then as we knelt before him he laid his hands upon our heads. This is an essential element of ordination, that and the intention of a bishop to ordain a priest who will offer the sacrifice of the Mass and absolve sins.

16. The other priests then came up and laid their hands upon the heads of the candidates.

17. The Archbishop extended hands over the candidates and offered the prayer of consecration.

18. The late Msgr. Awalt came forward to invest me in the priestly stole and chasuble.

19. The Archbishop anointed my hands with sacred chrism.

20. Next was the presentation of the gifts. The Archbishop handed the paten and chalice to the kneeling candidate, saying, “Accept from the holy people of God the gifts to be offered to him. Know what you are doing, and imitate the mystery you celebrate: model your life on the mystery of the Lord’s cross.”

21. Finally, the Archbishop extended the sign of peace to his new priests. Afterwards, the Mass continued as usual.

22. After the celebration we offered first blessings to the people and the Cardinal gave us our assignments. My parents were given rosaries to commemorate the event.
Stan, on November 3, 2012 at 6:00 pm said:

I was wondering if playing video games is a sin because I play some war games with violence but then I play some that have killing but theres no blood or humans. Just things like spiders and zombies, also no guns.

FATHER JOE: My concerns about video games have to do with possibly desensitizing us in regards to “real world” violence, detracting from the respect due to persons, and their addictive nature.
kenzi, on November 2, 2012 at 9:53 pm said:

I am Catholic; I have a friend, however she isn’t, but she recently had an abortion. Being a Catholic, how do I go about talking to her? Can she be forgiven?

FATHER JOE: Share your values (as a friend) with compassion for the plight in which she found herself. What is done, is done. But there is healing and mercy in Christ.
Andre, on October 25, 2012 at 11:15 am said:

I hear alot of people who don’t believe in God, and obviously they are wrong, but the thing is how can they KNOW there isn’t a God, like they say they do?

FATHER JOE: They can’t. They are mistaken and/or deceived.
Saint Michael, on October 24, 2012 at 7:59 pm said:

Dear Father Joe,

I have a friend who is very intelligent and very knowledgeable. He was raised a Catholic and believes many misconceptions about it such as:

FATHER JOE: Sorry to question your estimation of your friend, but if he holds the opinions which you cite, he is quite ignorant and gullible. He has swallowed with no genuine discernment the points used by anti-Catholics to attack the true faith. In turn, he is trying to do the same thing for you.

1) The Church is the whore of Babylon.

FATHER JOE: The so-called harlot of Babylon is connected to the old “pagan” Roman Empire, not the Roman Catholic Church. He wrongly interprets apocalyptic literature and wrongs the bride of Christ, the Church, as a whore. I do not think our Lord will be pleased. I suspect he never came back to a priest to discuss these lies and so he became easy prey for those who attacked his faith.

2) The Church shouldn’t make graven images.

FATHER JOE: The economy of images is necessarily changed because of the incarnation. God became a man and so now something of the Creator can be expressed in creation. Such an attitude has more in common with militant Islam than with Christianity. Indeed, even Jews employed images and the prohibition was never judged as absolute, i.e., the angels on the Ark of the Covenant and the bronze servants held on poles by divine command for those bitten by deadly snakes. The spirit of the law is that we as Christians must NOT worship idols.

3) He made an argument against why the Church has big temples.

FATHER JOE: I am not sure what is meant by “big temples.” We have churches large and small, but so do Protestants. Some are ranked as cathedrals, shrines, basilicas, etc. We offer the sacrifice of the Mass in our churches. I suspect it was the Eucharist that he was attacking. But such is also by divine command, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

4) He believes the King James Bible is error free and the Catholic’s Bible is loaded with errors.

FATHER JOE: The King James Bible did not exist until 1611 AD. It was the Catholic Church that preserved the Bible so that one day it might be translated into all the various languages of the world, not just English. Modern Catholic Bibles are translated by Catholic, Protestant and Jewish scholars. No translation is perfect but the KJV Protestant Bible has faced many changes and clarifications over the years. The American Bible Society has noted some 24,000 alterations in the text.

You get the point right. He overwhelmed me with all these questions. I simply answered that it is good to ask questions in order to get answers.

FATHER JOE: Yes, he overwhelmed you and that is the tactic that anti-Catholic apologists often employ. But note that in everything you have written there was not one single question. He made statements so as to compel you to question your faith. This was not an honest dialogue but a propaganda assault.

To the whore of Babylon I responded that he needed to look at history for that one. For his temple question I told him that God desired to be worshipped in a temple. And I finally told him that I was going to lend him a book on the Council of Trent and a book explaining where the Bible came from. The funny thing is he reminds me of me and I’m hoping the catechism will answer many questions.

FATHER JOE: I hope you have other copies because there is a good chance that your books will face the trash bin. If you still want to suggest books, push works written by Catholics who once opposed the Church, like Scott Hahn.

Did I do the right thing? He caught me off guard plus I’m not very well spoken; I’m a little slow in explaining. Can you give me some pointers because I know he’s smart and he will see?

FATHER JOE: Whether he is smart is yet to be seen. Unless one is well-grounded in the Catholic faith, I urge avoidance of religious debates with such people. They are often more interested in stealing Catholics to their camp than in any honest intellectual inquiry.
Austin, on October 23, 2012 at 12:34 pm said:

Is it a sin to listen to rap music but not act it out or anything of that sort, but only to listen to it.

FATHER JOE: If it is explicit, derogatory to persons and espouses an anti-Christian message, then yes it is sinful to listen to it.
Zach, on October 18, 2012 at 10:22 pm said:

Can we just forgive someone if they sin against us or do we HAVE to rebuke that person?

FATHER JOE: I think you mean “admonish.” While our response is dependent upon what sin has been committed, there is nothing wrong with fraternal correction and guidance. Is the culprit sorry? Did he or she apologize and/or already recognize that an evil or hurtful act was committed? If someone murders you, the victim has no opportunity for “rebuke.” If the sin was abusive or criminal, then forgiveness might not exclude reporting to the authorities for prosecution and incarceration.
Eugene, on October 15, 2012 at 6:28 pm said:

Eugene
breaking45@gmail.com
216.105.77.65

2012/10/15

New Question, I believe:

I am a parent of an adult male in his mid-twenties. He is cohabitating with a previously twice married woman having three children and two ex-husbands.

He sponsored her into the Catholic Church and she was confirmed this past Easter.

She has been working through the Annulment Process which has delayed their wedding plans. The process, after 18 months, to my understanding, found her initial marriage to have been invalid as she did not possess the mental faculties, or something to this nature, to have entered into that marriage which lasted only a few days together, and he has been in and out of jail, which may or may not have contributed to the ruling. She conceived one child by this man.

This was not the outcome she/they had hoped for. I think if that marriage had instead been annulled, she would have had an invalid marriage to the second man, an abusive relationship that lasted some 15 years or so, and the second marriage would not need to be investigated to the same degree as the first.

Now then, from a parent’s perspective:

While she does intend to submit to the annulment process for the second marriage, the one in which she bore two additional children, they, on apparent advice from a priest, plan to enter into a Civil Marriage with the hopes to then have their marriage Blessed once the Annulment is achieved— leading to my ultimate question:

Should my Wife and I as devoted Catholics attend and participate in this Civil Marriage Ceremony of my Catholic son to his Confirmed Catholic Fiancée as we would have had they completed the annulment process and entered right into a Sacramental Marriage, which of course was the direction we had hoped they would go?

Thank you, I look forward to your insights, and perhaps your directive.

FATHER JOE:

If such is the case, I suspect that the parish was not informed about her status as living with your son. Lacking an annulment, the two of them are apparently living in an adulterous relationship. She should NOT have been received into the Church and given the sacraments of Holy Communion and Confirmation.

Given that she had a child after a marriage that only lasted “a few days” makes me wonder if there were a coercive element (pregnancy) that led to the attempted bond. The trouble with a mental defect (which can be for emotional instability, too) is that a physician or psychiatric professional might have to certify that she no longer suffers from the mental issue that nullified the prior bond before entering into a new marriage.

If I am right, I think you are saying that it was hoped the second marriage would have been annulled in recognition of the juridical status of the first one. However, this would not exempt her from filling out information for a second formal case. Both annulments should have been submitted at the same time. Her refusal to submit paperwork for the second marriage makes the situation her fault and not that of the tribunal.

The grounds for the divorce and those for an annulment are not the necessarily the same. It would have to be shown that the abusive behavior preceded the bond and doomed the marriage from the very beginning. Given few details, I cannot say if she actually has a case in regard to the second bond. But the matter seems mute, since you say that she refuses to enter a case with the tribunal. These matters are not guaranteed and I have trouble believing a priest in good standing would recommend that they enter into a civil union and continue to live in mortal sin. If such is true, the priest needs to be corrected and, if need be, reprimanded. While couples speak about having a marriage “blessed,” a con-validation is NOT a blessing but rather the marriage itself. The priest will not bless sin, either fornication or adultery.

I hesitate to tell parents what to do in such situations because I appreciate how your absence at a civil marriage will be judged and the pain it will cause family harmony. As a priest, I am forbidden to attend any such functions since my presence would be a false witness to a faux marriage. If I were a parent, and not a priest, I “personally” would not attend. Rather, I would tell my son that I love him and that I would hope he would respect my deep moral conviction about this matter. But you will have to make your own decision since you will have to live with your conscience about it— and want to insure the lines of communication are not broken.
Vara, on October 14, 2012 at 3:11 pm said:

My niece suffered kidney infection which should be cured by antibiotics. She didn’t respond to the antibiotic and the result is kidney failure. She now needs a kidney transplant.

I am her aunt and believe she is under evil spirit influence as she behaves strangely. Whenever we intensify prayer she goes to the toilet normally. She is abusive to her mother verbally and physically. She just snaps suddenly and uses foul language. She isn’t following the strict diet advised by doctors and every time we try to pray for her there is a disturbance in my mothers and my life. My niece refuses to pray and will not accept any holy water or food. My sister is preparing to give her own kidney but I strongly believe it is just the influence of evil spirit.

I request a healing for this kid. I promise to sponsor food to blind school kids near my house if she is cured.

The whole family is suffering with her and we are praying for my niece’s health. Requesting healing from her sufferings, please pray with us to save this child and ask God to deliver her from pain and suffering.

FATHER JOE:

While the young lady needs physical healing, there is nothing in what you write that signals demonic oppression. Many infections today resist modern antibiotics and such ailments are among those that can hurt internal organs like the kidneys and the liver. She may have emotional issues and may be angry about her plight, but these elements of the case do not point to any supernatural agency. Follow the advice of doctors and keep her in prayer. I will add her to my own. If she should be healed, expressing thanks by helping others is a wonderful idea. However, do NOT attempt to bribe or to bargain or to coerce God. Feed the blind children even if there should be no physical healing.
Sam B, on October 10, 2012 at 10:47 pm said:

Response in reference to this non-topical COMMENT left on another post.

Warning, ( I’m ) Still off topic, Tom, but along that thread, we don’t need religion to keep people moral, they could make that decision themselves without the safety-net of the Church to catch them. The Church is therefore unnecessary if your argument is correct. Let people do good without coaxing, help or guidance.

FATHER JOE: Such a hypothesis has never been proven. Even those who reject organized religion have lived in a world where the influence of faith is felt. Indeed, those who have tried to distance themselves from religious values often embrace a false compassion (euthanasia of the ill and elderly) and selective abortion or early infanticide for children deemed defective. Similarly without confidence in either divine positive law or natural law, moral evils like homosexuality are condoned. The Church is the one voice of sanity in the midst of the madness. It is a safety net we desperately need.

Does Fr. Joe have a social justice section on this portal?

FATHER JOE: There is an ASK THE PRIEST section for miscellaneous material.

What is the true meaning of Lazarus and the rich man, the Beatitudes and distributing loaves and fishes? We have to balance that with Jesus eating with tax collectors, the welcome of Zacchaeus and the healing of the Centurion’s servant.

FATHER JOE: The balance is in Scripture but not always in contemporary culture and among modern Christians.
Evan, on October 8, 2012 at 10:44 pm said:

So I don’t have to be? And if I do could I bless the water myself, and use a prayer, and if I could would it have to be my whole body or just my feet.

FATHER JOE: Someone has to administer baptism. Contact a local Catholic priest, take instruction and receive the sacraments at the Easter vigil. The Church baptises in one of three ways: sprinkling (very rare), immersion (the body in a pool), and pouring (the most common, over the head).
Sam B, on October 8, 2012 at 8:34 pm said:

By following some of Joyce’s comments it seems like the question is How far can I go before I get in trouble. Sort of reminds me when they were asking Jesus, who then is my neighbor? or How often must I forgive my brother? Hoping there were limits for the requirement to love.

FATHER JOE: Human nature (fallen) is such that we often look for an escape clause or exception, as in marriage, divorce and remarriage.

Funny that no human ever wants to ask (not wanting to stop at a few times): “How many more times am I allowed to forgive?” Or the question, “I’ve done a little, but that was just what I was required to do and there is no reward for that… How much more can I do, even if it comes without recognition?”

And yet here we are, equivocators that could swear in both the scales against either scale, we who commit treason enough for God’s sake, yet can not equivocate ourselves to heaven.
ekiboy, on October 8, 2012 at 12:59 pm said:

I understand praying to a person who is alive and who is near you.

FATHER JOE: What do you really understand? Praying TO a living mortal is idolatry and a mortal sin. It would be as if you had professed Obama as the Messiah and Lord God. All prayer has as its proper object, almighty God. I suspect what you mean is that we can ASK others to pray WITH and FOR us. But here you are wrong in that such petition is not limited to the mortal world. We can pray ASKING the saints in heaven for their intercession, too. Further, people do not need to be physically near each other for solidarity in such intercession. We can pray for each other around the world.

It is also written in the Bible to pray for one another.

FATHER JOE: Yes, here we agree.

What I don’t get is praying to Mary or the saints who are in heaven.

FATHER JOE: It is all based upon the notion of a cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) or the communion of the saints. Catholics take the resurrection seriously. We do not believe that death severs the bonds of love forged in this world. The disposition of the saints is what it was on earth, orientated toward a love of God that spills over into a love of neighbor. We join their prayer in giving glory to God. We want to be fully united with them and the Lord. They want us with them. Our prayers show them that we want to be part of their number. They represent the Church in glory. There is one Church and that Church also includes the Pilgrim People of God on earth and the Church in Purgation.

How in the world are they going to hear our prayers?

FATHER JOE: At least you believe that Mary and the saints are conscious in heaven. What you seem to dispute is the possibility of communication. But if God can hear us then by extension so should those in profound unity with him. Often those who aggressively oppose the intercession of the saints are the proponents of “soul sleep,” denying that the saints are awake in heaven. They also reject the terrible reality of an eternal hell.

I know they are alive but how can you give that attribute of God which is hearing and answering of all prayers?

FATHER JOE: The souls of the dead are helpless. Everything we have is from God. Thus, if the saints are aware of prayers then it must be by means of God’s intervention. Note that Catholicism gives a great importance to the corporate nature of faith and the Church. We do not come to God alone. It is not simply a matter of a privatized faith between the believer and God but between believers themselves. How can we restrict God in allowing such communication while in this world believers can do so through telephones, radios, television, internet devices, etc.? Are we to think that God cannot do what we do in the mortal world?

Nowhere in the Bible does it mention a dead saint, by dead I mean physically dead, hearing our prayers.

FATHER JOE:

You must know that Catholics honor both the Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. The early Christians often martyred for their faith, left hundreds of inscriptions in the catacombs of the dead where they asked the apostles Peter and Paul to pray for them. How the apostles and the early Church lived and believed is constitutional for the Church throughout the ages. The Bible is only one part of that record, albeit divinely inspired. There is nothing in the Bible which rejects sanctoral intercessory prayer. One should also remember that prior to the descent of our Lord to the righteous dead; the gates of heaven were closed. Throughout the Old Testament period and much of the New (the Gospels), there were as of yet no saints in heaven (other than angelic) who might receive our prayers. Later, particularly in post-biblical documents, we find the early Catholic-Christian community venerating the dead (especially martyrs) and asking for their prayers.

God is omnipotent and it logically fits into his providential plan that saints and angels should be able to hear our prayers and intercede for us. Why would we want to silence heaven to the cries of mortal men and women? Look at Luke 16:19-30. The rich mad in the hell calls upon Abraham (in the abode of the just) to urge his brothers to reform before it is too late. Although our Lord had not yet descended to the righteous dead, the parable may have looked forward to that day when Abraham would reside in heaven. The answer to the rich man’s prayer is NO, but it is heard all the same. We believe in the resurrection, not just for Jesus but for any and all who believe in him. Not only do the saints know each other as with Lazarus alongside Abraham (Luke 16:22), the Transfiguration shows Moses and Elijah alongside Jesus as he walked the earth (Matthew 17:3). The wall of death caused by sin is breached by Christ. Those who know Christ in heaven also know those who are part of his Mystical Body. This dialogue often seems one-sided on our side of the equation because while the lines of communication between heaven and earth are not severed, the reality of sin often darkens our sight and numbs our minds to the divine mystery. Nevertheless, we trust that “Now he is a God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive” (Luke 20:39-40).

You can’t just say I think God gave them that power; you need cementing proof for that.

FATHER JOE: The Church’s teaching on this matter is not capricious. It is not just a strange human idea of mine or of the Pope. It is rooted in the experience of faith from the early Church and the movement of the Holy Spirit throughout the centuries. What proof there is, you would not accept. Indeed, you demand answers and then in the next breath seek to restrict the scope of any response. It is intellectually dishonest to pose a question and then tell the respondent that you are not allowed to say anything about “this,” “that,” or “the other thing.”

Our belief is not on people’s ideas or thoughts; it is in the holy book and the holy book does not mention that. Rather it [the holy book] gives as clear message.

FATHER JOE: And this is where you go wrong. Let us suppose that you were a Christian before 393 AD. Where is your book? You might have had the Old Testament, but the Christian writings were scattered and included materials not included in the Bible at the Council of Hippo. Further, do you speak Hebrew or Greek? If not, you could not have read anything, anyway. Translation is interpretation. The Church preserved and determined the inspired documents. That Church was the Catholic Church. There were no Protestant sects around. Unlike Islam, Christianity is NOT a Book-Religion. The Church proclaimed the Gospel before even one word of the New Testament was composed. Our confidence is in the Church that Christ established. It is this Church that passes down to us both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

When we read 1 Samuel 28:6-15, we find that a dead person won’t hear our prayers.

FATHER JOE:

Note also that this is an Old Testament selection. We do not speak of human saints in heaven prior to the redemptive work of Christ. However, we can speak of the heavenly messengers, the angels.

1 Samuel 28:6-15 – He consulted the LORD; but the LORD gave no answer, neither in dreams nor by Urim nor through prophets. Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a medium through whom I can seek counsel.” His servants answered him, “There is a woman in Endor who is a medium.” So he disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and set out with two companions. They came to the woman at night, and Saul said to her, “Divine for me; conjure up the spirit I tell you.” But the woman answered him, “You know what Saul has done, how he expelled the mediums and diviners from the land. Then why are you trying to entrap me and get me killed?” But Saul swore to her by the LORD, “As the LORD lives, you shall incur no blame for this.” “Whom do you want me to conjure up?” the woman asked him. “Conjure up Samuel for me,” he replied. When the woman saw Samuel, she shrieked at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!” But the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” “I see a god rising from the earth,” she replied. “What does he look like?” asked Saul. “An old man is coming up wrapped in a robe,” she replied. Saul knew that it was Samuel, and so he bowed his face to the ground in homage. Samuel then said to Saul, “Why do you disturb me by conjuring me up?” Saul replied: “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are waging war against me and God has turned away from me. Since God no longer answers me through prophets or in dreams, I have called upon you to tell me what I should do.”

Generally speaking, we should NOT be involved with the occult and mediums. We can ask the saints to pray and to intercede for us but we should not seek out direct two-way communication with them. While heaven might initiate such a conversation, it is not our place to do so. This episode was less about prayer as it was about cooperating and trusting in divine providence. What is interesting is that in this particular case, she actually succeeds with initiating communication with the dead. The dead Samuel immediately discloses to the medium the identity of Saul. He responds, “Why do you disturb me by conjuring me up?” This is not genuine prayer; that is certain. However, given that an actual conversation takes place, it hurts your argument that communication with the dead is impossible. The wall of death is not absolute. We can talk to the dead and they can hear us.

Note again that by dead I mean physically.

FATHER JOE: You mean mortal death, yes that is understood. The dead person has given up the ghost or soul.

Explain to me, for example, if I’m praying to Abraham and you’re praying to Abraham at the same time at different parts of the world, how is he able to hear both of our prayers at the same time? Or, are you going to tell me he is omnipresent? Isn’t that God’s special attribute?

FATHER JOE: While spiritual beings probably experience some type of duration, they do not live in time. Time requires matter. This is a basic premise of science and philosophy. Thus, in principle, it would not matter how many are praying to a particular saint. It is not given to us to know the full depth to which the saints are aware of us and our needs. However, even if a saint did not hear a particular prayer, or if through some accident of history did not exist in the first place, God would still hear and know our prayer. Saints are windows to the divine but they have no power or “magic” of their own. If we feel a saint has answered a prayer; it really means that God has responded to our need. It is true that God is omnipresent, keeping all creation in existence. This is not a faculty of either men or angels; however, this does not mean that the saints are always restricted to a single place. Saints like Padre Pio and Pope Pius X were said to have the gift of bilocation during their lives. If such were true of mortal men, just think how much more so such a gift could be realized among those who possess the beatific vision.

And please don’t give me (Rv. 5:8; 6:9-11; 7:10-12; 8:2-6; Mt. 22:31, 32); this as proof is just an insult. You can’t be serious when you give out these verses.

FATHER JOE:

The insult is demanding a response and then telling me that some Scriptures are off-limits. Who do you think you are?

Revelation 5:8 – When he took it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are THE PRAYERS OF THE HOLY ONES.

Revelation 6:9-11 – When he broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar THE SOULS of those who had been slaughtered because of the witness they bore to the word of God. They cried out in a loud voice, “How long will it be, holy and true master, before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?” Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to be patient a little while longer until the number was filled of their fellow servants and brothers who were going to be killed as they had been.

Revelation 7:10-12 – They cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.” All the angels stood around the throne and AROUND THE ELDERS and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, and exclaimed: “Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Revelation 8:2-6 – And I saw that the seven angels who stood before God were given seven trumpets. Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a gold censer. He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, ALONG WITH THE PRAYERS OF ALL THE HOLY ONES, on the gold altar that was before the throne. The smoke of the incense ALONG WITH THE PRAYERS OF THE HOLY ONES went up before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with burning coals from the altar, and hurled it down to the earth. There were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake. The seven angels who were holding the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.

Matthew 22:31-32 – “And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead BUT OF THE LIVING.”

These verses assert to the consciousness of life of the saints. There is also mention of the prayers of the holy ones. They largely speak for themselves, with little deciphering. Thanks for the quotes. It sure looks good to me, and very Catholic.

It tells as saints do pray for us in heaven but doesn’t say they hear us.

FATHER JOE: Actually, the Book of Revelation here authenticates intercessory prayer. Thus the saints of God do hear us.

It’s only fitting for a dead saint who is in heaven to pray for people on earth.

FATHER JOE: Such would probably not be the position of your Protestant church which is that the saints are deaf and impotent to make a difference. Catholics claim that if God wants the saints to pray for us then he would necessarily allow them to know our particular needs.

Knowing what earth is like and what humans are like, I wouldn’t be surprised if they prayed for the sins of the world. But that doesn’t mean they will hear each and everyone’s prayers.

FATHER JOE: All prayer is heard by God. All the saints possess the beatific vision. It is up to God as to what response is made toward prayer. However, the saints are one with God and in harmony of heart with him. By intimately knowing and loving God they are aware of the plight of brothers and sisters in the Mystical Body of Christ. Yes, they pray for us. By knowing God, they know something of us. They know whatever God deems they should know.
Evan, on October 7, 2012 at 5:55 pm said:

I was wondering if you must be baptized as a child or at all to go to heaven.

FATHER JOE: Faith and baptism are generally deemed essential. But we leave judgment to God. The catechism also talks about baptism by desire and by blood. But water baptism in the name of the Trinity was commanded by Christ.
Jonathan, on October 7, 2012 at 11:52 am said:

But, do you not recognize that the Church currently practices many things without a Scriptural basis?

FATHER JOE: Actually there is a link to Scripture with about everything the Catholic faith teaches and promotes. I have been a priest for over a quarter of a century and have taught Scripture in the parishes. You are wrong in this allegation and will have to face God about it. Further, the Church is faithful to the second font of divine revelation, Sacred Tradition. But I suspect that you are ignorant of its importance.

Where do you find a “College of Cardinals” in the scripture? Is it not just the old Roman Pagan “College of Priest” being repeated? Or a Pontifex Maximus, which was a position that existed in Pagan Rome.

FATHER JOE: Our Lord had his apostles and the Pope is the chief among the bishops. The College of Cardinals was a human construct to insure a smooth transition in papal elections. Originally it consisted merely of the Roman clergy. It is a means to an ends. The Bible does not speak of automobiles either, but I suspect you drive one. The Bible makes no mention of a complete Christian Bible, and yet I suspect that yours is important to you, minus the books that a Jewish redactor and Martin Luther removed. There are no pagan roots. While there is no direct link, it is true that the term Pontifex Maximus is shared between the Pope as the Bishop of Rome and the defunct high pagan priest in the Imperial Office. It simply means (today) the head bishop of the Church. The term also applies to Jesus Christ. We read in Hebrews 2:17: “Therefore, he had to become like his brothers in every way, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest [fidelis pontifex] before God to expiate the sins of the people. Jesus is the great PONTIFEX or BRIDGE between heaven and earth. Would you slur Christ, too?

Or Nuns, which still use the Vestal Virgin veil and which there is no scriptural basis for “marrying” God, our deity, as the pagan Vestal Virgins would “marry” deities.

FATHER JOE: All women traditionally wore veils; it was not something restricted the vestal virgins. The veil is also used in conjunction with the admonition of St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:5-6. He writes: “But any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled brings shame upon her head, for it is one and the same thing as if she had had her head shaved. For if a woman does not have her head veiled, she may as well have her hair cut off. But if it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should wear a veil.” Holy women followed our Lord and supported him and the apostles from the purses. Women were also called to witness as prophets for the Good News and the Kingdom of Christ. Some gave themselves (not marrying) again as St. Paul recommended. St. Paul uses the marriage analogy to speak of Christ and his Church. The good women religious live out in a powerful way this spiritual marriage. You dishonor the Lord by your defamation of them, your bigotry against the Church he founded and your ignorance of Scripture.
Jonathan, on October 6, 2012 at 7:46 pm said:

How can anyone justify pretending the power Jesus granted to Peter and PETER ALONE can somehow be passed down magically in a line without any Scriptural basis? And no Bishop of Rome claimed these powers until hundreds of years after Peter’s death. Don’t you think Peter would have mentioned this power in the Scripture, if he has some funky power he can pass down to heirs that makes them “infallible” and able to forgive sin, a power reserved only to God and Jesus?!

FATHER JOE:

You seem to be confusing several gifts that our Lord gave his Church. First, infallibility is a necessary charism that insures that the Church will proclaim the truth of the Gospel without compromise and error down through the centuries and around the world. The teaching authority Jesus established has universal jurisdiction and is protected by the Holy Spirit. We see this gift not only in formal pronouncements of the Popes but also in the Church councils received by the Holy See. It was the Church that agreed to the canon of Scripture. Without the gift of infallibility, you would have no way of knowing which books of the New Testament were legitimate. As it were, the reformers errantly tried to subtract some of them, like James (which was put back in) and seven Old Testament books which are still missing from Protestant bibles. In this sense, Protestantism assumed the (non-infallible) authority upon itself to oppose the legacy of an ancient Bible and replaced it with their newer edited version. Books that had long been accepted by all Christians were suddenly gone. I mention this because the true Bible Christians are CATHOLICS. Second, the authority to forgive sins was given all the apostles and they in turn have extended it to the bishops and priests. Christ has not abandoned his people. The Lord has given us, as St. Paul says, “the ministry of reconciliation.”

St. Paul says that the Church is “the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). While papal infallibility was defined in more recent times, there was no question about papal authority and the gift of infallibility given the Church. You state that no one discussed it until centuries later, but there is much evidence even outside Scripture from the patristic period. Cyprian of Carthage wrote, “Would heretics dare to come to the very seat of Peter whence apostolic faith is derived and wither no errors can come?” (256 AD).

Our Lord asked a question: “But who do you say that I am?” Moved by the Spirit, Simon said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responded by giving him a special charge, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (see Matthew 16:15-19). The Church is still here and so Peter must also be here, albeit through his successors. There is no magic in this, just the promise of Christ and grace. Your attack upon this gift is a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Extending something of his authority upon the apostles and the Church, we read: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the church. If he refuses to listen even to the church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 18:16-18).

Our Lord gives his apostles and their successors the authority to forgive sins, extending his own ministry through them. He says, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Notice what he does next. He “breathed on them” and said, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (see John 20:21-23). The breath of God is a sign of power and life.
Joyce, on October 5, 2012 at 1:49 pm said:

Dear Father Joe, this might seem a silly question, but is it a sin to click on “i have read the terms and conditions” even though I did not? Moreover, what is the definition “intention of deceiving another” in regard to the “bearing false witness” commandment? For example, if I choose to remove a badge on my uniform so nobody would know that I have one because of a duty at school, is it a sin? Or if I keep secrets that I don’t think will hurt anybody if they don’t know? What is the difference between “covering up a fact” and “deceiving”? I have heard that it actually means “distorting the truth”. So… what’s the verdict?

FATHER JOE: It might not be a sin, but depending on trustfulness and honesty, it might be foolish. There are many pro-forma legalities that people click without reading these days. Deception is wrong when we withhold information that others have a right to know. Persons and organizations have a right to confidentiality and private confidences. Intent to deceive is literally lying, as with a car salesman who places sawdust in the transmission so that a lemon of a used car might get sold, swindling the buyer. Before long the car is trashed.
Thomas, on October 4, 2012 at 11:38 pm said:

I was wondering, if it would be okay to call a girl nicer and “better looking” even though I think that we are all brothers and sisters and that no one is perfect, and I also love everyone the same.

FATHER JOE: It is okay to give compliments, but they should be heartfelt and sincere. As for loving “everyone” the same, it is admirable, however, it may not usually be the case. How you feel about your mother or your spouse or your child is probably quite different from how you care about a stranger. Could you love someone who assaulted your sweetheart or hurt your baby? The Gospel challenge of love and forgiveness is not easy, particularly given our fallen nature.
Lisa, on October 4, 2012 at 9:14 pm said:

Dear Father Joe, what happens to us who ultimately believe in God but were never baptized / christened?

FATHER JOE: Dear Lisa, while the Church insists upon the importance of faith and baptism, we ultimately leave the judgment of souls to God. Catholics do not believe in the “once saved, always saved” view although once baptized, one can never be baptized again. Faith can sour and mortal sin can destroy the life of grace in the soul. As for those not baptized at all, there are various scenarios which complicate the question. For instance, has the Gospel been preached to them and do they believe Jesus is Lord and Savior? If they believe that the Catholic Church was directly instituted by Christ then there would be a strong obligation for them to seek formal membership and the sacramental life. Debated with Feeneyites are also the teachings about baptism by blood and baptism by desire. The Church formally prays for those outside her visible ranks. We pray that all might be one. After the age of reason, we are obliged to assent in faith but faith cannot be forced. Faith is a gift and we should nurture the proper disposition for it.
DRose, on October 1, 2012 at 9:06 pm said:

Wouldn’t less Catholics leave the Church and many Protestants come to the Church by asking themselves one question: where did the Bible come from?

By scrutinizing this question many will come to the knowledge that the New Testament as we have it today did not exists until the Catholic Church compiled it in 397 AD on the Council of Carthage.

If they don’t want to accept that as a fact shouldn’t they at least acknowledge that the Church protected the Bible from fires and what not?
Nanjie Limah, on September 30, 2012 at 10:54 pm said:

But how do we know that Mary is in heaven? I think Mary is dead and buried.

FATHER JOE: The testimony of the early Church and the tradition coming down to us is that she was assumed into heaven. She may have died, but like her son, her body (joined to her soul) was translated from this world into heaven. If you doubt that God had the power to do this, then would you also reject the witnesses to the resurrected Christ and the inspired testimony of Scripture?

Dead people cannot do much for us the living.

FATHER JOE: Yes, if they stay dead, such is true. But if the kerygma of the Church is true, just think of the grace that is theirs and their powerful intercession. Of course, here we speak of the righteous dead, and not the damned.

Unless she is in heaven watching over us, I doubt whether she is able to even interceed.

FATHER JOE: The Church has confidence that the union of the saints with Christ makes possible both their awareness of those left behind and the fruitful application of their prayers on our behalf.

We talk of figures like Elijah who never tasted death but went to heaven and anyone who has resurrected to heaven. There is a lot I need to know.

FATHER JOE: Christ makes possible our entry into heaven. The prophet of old may have been taken from this world but along with the righteous dead, had to wait for the Savior in the passing abode of the dead, the limbo of the fathers. The Church would regard the holy ancestors of Christ as with him in heaven.

And I would also love to get some clarification on addressing Mary as the Virgin Mary. This lady was a virgin yes, but after the birth of Jesus, she had intercourse with her husband and gave birth to other children. Is it proper to still call her a virgin? Sorry my submission is so long.

FATHER JOE: The Church teaches from the earliest days that Mary was a perpetual virgin. The brethren of Christ, two of which are identified in Scripture as the sons of another Mary, were cousins to our Lord. Terms like “brothers” and “sisters” signified a number of close relationships. While the brethren are identified, note that Mary is NEVER called the mother of these relations. Indeed, John the Beloved Apostle is given Mary from the Cross, and yet if these other brothers and sisters were her direct children, such an obligation for caring for her would have fallen upon them. Jesus was her only Son. Now a spiritual child in faith would embrace the Mother of the Redeemer as the Mother of all the redeemed. She would become the spiritual Mother of the whole Church, the mystical body of her Son. Joseph was the protector of the Holy Family but he never had marital relations with Mary. He honored her as the sacred spouse of the Holy Spirit. He was probably more like a father to her than the traditional husband. Note also in the Gospels that when some think they recognize Jesus, a voice asks in astonishment, “Is this not the carpenter’s son?” Besides not knowing our Lord’s true origin, note that he does NOT say, “Is this not ONE OF the carpenter’s sons?” Mary was and always will be the the VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD.
Truth Seeker, on September 30, 2012 at 9:57 pm said:

“Every other sect supposes itself in possession of the truth, and that those who differ are so far in the wrong. Like a man traveling in foggy weather they see those at a distance before them wrapped up in a fog, as well as those behind them, and also people in the fields on each side; but near them, all appears clear, though in truth they are as much in the fog as any of them.” –Benjamin Franklin

FATHER JOE: And yet, the patriot also wrote: “History will also afford frequent opportunities of showing the necessity of a public religion. . . and the excellency of the Christian religion above all others, ancient or modern.” (1749)
Worried Mom, on September 30, 2012 at 3:59 am said:

Thank you so much for your kind response, Father Joe. I know it will help to allay her fears and hopefully give her some peace. Thank you also for your prayer for my family.

You will be remembered in my prayers as well. You are truly a man of God.

A grateful Mom
Worried Mom, on September 29, 2012 at 8:13 pm said:

Dear Fr. Joe,

My daughter is a high school senior and wants to go to a very prestigous college. She had a thought one night that she would sell her soul to the devil for admission to the school and then quickly regretted the mere thought of Satan. We are a good Catholic family. We attend Mass regularly and receive the sacraments regularly as well. My daughter is now beside herself with fear, anxiety and remorse and feels that Satan will possess her. She just keeps saying “I have ruined my life.” I have tried to reassure her that she did not sell her soul to the devil, but she doesn’t believe me. Please help, I am very worried for her wellbeing. Thank you for any guidance you may offer.

A very concerned Mom

FATHER JOE: I am reminded of the novel Faust and the short story, The Devil and Daniel Webster. Borrowing from literature, there have been many copycats in popular films and television about this subject. It is fascinating, but it is fiction. It really does not work the way it is portrayed. Tell your daughter to brush off the worry and just mention the fleeting thought the next time she goes to Confession. She made no pact with the devil and the devil keeps no contracts. He is not creative and really can never give what he seems to promise. People place themselves in bondage by sin. That is the wager about which we must all be careful. Sorrow for sin and a good act of contrition quickly severs such a link. Tell her to say her prayers and to know that grace surrounds her and that God protects her. I have been a priest and Confessor for a quarter of a century and know what I am talking about. We should not be fixated on the devil or allow despair any intrusion upon the virtue of hope. I will end with a prayer. “Mary, Mother of God, spread your mantle around your spiritual daughter and let her know that she is guarded by your love and intercession. Good St. Joseph, protector of the Holy Family, we ask for your prayers for this family and the joy that should be theirs. Dear Jesus, you conquered sin and death, redeeming us from the devil; help this young woman to know that your power has vanquished the ancient enemy and has set us free. Give us your mercy. Amen.” The prayer to St. Michael is also good at bedtime. God bless! Father Joe
eveiejoyce, on September 28, 2012 at 9:39 am said:

Dear Father Joe, I have another question to ask: what will be “demanding unnecessary work from others on a Sunday”? Because I take a cab to a parish on sundays, but I have a nearer one that I can walk to. But the one that I need a cab to go to is the one I normally go where I joined a youth group. So should I go to the one closer to my home on days which i don’t have to take a cab to? Even though, the cab driver can freely stop whenever he wants to take a break and in where I live, they take shifts, so one can have half a day off.

Another thing, is it okay to ask my tutorial teacher to come (I’m paying him for teaching me maths at home) if he travels by bus or something to come to my plcae, am i causing him to sin since he might be “demanding unnecessary work from others on a Sunday”?

FATHER JOE: I believe in prayer, family and recreation on Sunday. It should be a day of rest. But I also recognize that our society makes this increasingly difficult to observe. Many are desperate to keep jobs and to maintain a roof over their heads and to provide for families. Just do the best you can.