Ask a Priest

5,442 Responses

Bob, on November 3, 2016 at 2:45 pm said:

Fr. Joe:
I began the 5 Saturdays Devotion in August. Last month (October) I was sick but was able to attend Mass, receive communion, prayed a rosary and meditated. I was unable to go to Confession. However, I understood that Confession could be take place within one week of the first Saturday. I went to the church, but no priest showed up. I went to another church but there were too many people for the remaining time.

I went to Confession the following week (3rd Saturday). Does this Confession meet the requirement for the devotion. I believe so because of my attempt to fulfill all the requirements.

Please comment.

Thanks,
Bob

FATHER JOE: Given that you avoid mortal sin and especially acts of desecration, you are correct. I suspect that the Lord and the Blessed Mother were very pleased with your devotion.
Joe, on November 3, 2016 at 1:49 pm said:

As a Christian should I date or is it OK to date another Christian who’s had sex?

FATHER JOE: It depends upon several factors: (1) your age and maturity; (2) the character of the person with whom you want to step out; (3) the correct understanding or meaning of dating (as akin to chaste courtship). A Christian who has sinned can repent and seek to live a holy life. That might be okay. If it a person that just wants to commit another sin and have sex with you… then it is probably best to give that person a pass and find someone else.
Matt, on November 3, 2016 at 1:04 am said:

Hey Father. I am 16 and my parents are Orthodox Christian. I have wanted to be Catholic for a long time, but they won’t let me go to a Catholic Church. I want to do a confession as well, but they won’t let me go. If I were to die tomorrow without confessing my mortal sins, would I go to hell?

Thanks so much

FATHER JOE: I am not sure what you mean by “Orthodox Christian.” The Eastern Church is sometimes called “Orthodox” and is distinct from Protestant ecclesial communities. Orthodoxy has all seven sacraments, including the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance. There are a few doctrinal deviations with Catholicism with the crucial one being about the Petrine ministry and Papal Primacy. If you are an Eastern Christian, I would say take advantage of what your church offers. If you want to be Catholic in a few years as an adult, you would have to take instructions. Further, reception into the Catholic Church would not necessarily make you a ROMAN Catholic. You would probably be an EASTERN-RITE Catholic in union with the Holy See. If you are a Protestant, and not “Orthodox” at all, then you would have to be received, given first Confession, Confirmation and first Eucharist. I have known teenagers who became Catholic, but parents have to agree and support the youth’s faith. If you are Protestant, and your parents oppose the change in affiliation, I would suggest privately learning about the Catholic faith so that when you become an adult you can join the Church. We do not proselytize believers from other churches. Rather, we extend an invitation that respects conscience. God understands these situations. Make a good Act of Contrition and ask God for mercy toward any sins. Respect your parents and give the matter time.
Doug, on November 2, 2016 at 4:20 am said:

Father,
I assume I identify as a Roman Catholic. In my younger years of life seldomly attended Church with family; one holiday mass every year or so & funerals. Most of my Catholic experience came from school. I attended Catholic school from Kindergarten to 12th grade, about 13 to 14 years of my life. That’s where I explored my Catholic life attending masses, prayers, confessions, and so forth. After finishing high school can look at it as the ropes were untied from the dock and the ship was set adrift.

I dabbled here and there with Catholicism. At one point during a difficult time considered the Vocation of Priesthood. I have difficulty understanding the Doctrine of the Church.

I don’t know if it’s the reason that pulls me away or makes it difficult for me to continue my commit to the Church. I commit myself to God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Go off on a tangent and promise to return to original question. I am debating if Roman Catholicism is for me. Feel abandoning God if I seek out other Christian Denominations.

Back to the topic. I have difficulty accepting stance on Honsexuality. I want to love others as God loves us all. I can’t understand why many Catholics feel because it’s in the Bible that God does not want those who like the same gender in the Church. It feels it’s individuals interpreting God’s word to their own.

I can’t promise that I can commit to Church every Sunday or Saturday evening. I would do my best, but I rather be less in Church..instead rather be with the members enabling the life of Christmas helping others through volunteer work in the community.

Interacting with wonderful individuals of Roman Catholics had a discussion about forgiveness. They believe God does not forgive everything. However, I feel that God will forgive all if you ask and open your heart to God. I feel if Judah asked for forgiveness God would of welcomed one of God’s children back.

I like to explore other religions like Buddhism feel it complements my Catholic Faith.

I am seeking direction. I feel I am a sheep with a Sheppard watching over me but no flock. I want to look for a flock; Unsure if Roman Catholicism is for me or another Denomination of Christianity?

I appreciate any response or spiritual advice can give.

FATHER JOE:

Our faith does not come to us in a vacuum. Oftentimes there are competing elements, i.e. secular humanism, Protestantism, materialism, nationalism, modernity and media, etc. that seem to have a larger part or, at least, a louder voice in forming our identity and values. A radical individualism feels more at home with an evangelical’s “personal” faith than with Catholicism notion of the “corporate” and the communion of the saints. When we look at the New Testament, Jesus speaks repeatedly about establishing the Church. Any Christianity apart from the Church is severely handicapped. The faith is lived and passed on— including the Bible— by the Church. If there were no Church, you would have no faith in Christ or the Holy Spirit. There is a profound moral and historical dependence. Other denominations have extracted elements of the truth, just as you have done. But Catholicism is the Mother Church. She gives us the faith and the Bible, whole and complete. Individuals and non-Catholic churches often disagree with others on questions of faith. Indeed, personal agenda are often given gravity over revelation received through Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture. However this places fallible human fancy over divine immutable doctrine. This is tragic because we cannot save ourselves; only God can save us. God establishes the terms for holiness and justification, not men. Truth is not what I want it to be; rather, truth is what it is. God reveals himself and his precepts through both nature and divine positive law.

As for your immediate question, the conundrum is your understanding of Scripture. If the Bible is a man-made fallible document, then you can pretty much throw it out (divine positive law) and do whatever you want. However, the notion of revelation would be compromised. When that happens, why believe anything at all? (A reasoned approach to natural law would still take issue with homosexual acts.) Christians believe that the Bible is divinely inspired and that it teaches salvation truth. The condemnation of homosexuality is confirmed in both the Old and the New Testaments. There is no way to interpret or explain it away. St. Paul teaches that such sinners can have no part of the kingdom of God. The issue is not a changeable accidental, like women keeping silent in churches or head-coverings. The Church reaches out with compassion and urges perfect continence to those with disorientation. The Church wants to keep homosexuals in her ranks, but she also wants them to be chaste and holy.

Wanting to assist in the Church’s charity efforts is noble; however, Christians are not simply conscientious secular humanists. Our main mission is holiness. We are to obey the two-fold commandments of Christ. We are to love God so thoroughly that this love spills over to neighbor. Our first and main motivation always targets God. We say our daily prayers; we weekly worship God at Mass; and we find within these devotions our drive to share the mercy and healing of Christ with others. We come to Mass to give God thanks and praise. This defines our Christianity. You may have attended parochial school, but you have yet to fully realize your Catholic Christianity. You are thinking of further distancing yourself from the Church at a time when you should seek closer intimacy and religious fidelity.

Jesus is the Divine Mercy. While there is life, there is hope. Christ can forgive sins large and small. But forgiveness also requires that we be disposed to mercy. As the Scriptures relate, we must repent so as to believe. Note that the Mass follows this pattern and we begin with the Penitential Rite: the Confiteor, Kyrie and Absolution. There must be sorrow for sin or genuine contrition. There are certain sins that the Church reserves to the sacrament of Penance. How does Christ encounter us? He teaches us, feeds us and heals us within the instrumentality of his Church and his priesthood.

Eastern religions are not compatible with Catholic faith. Buddhism is regarded by certain theologians as a type of religious atheism. There is no personal God and no “personal” survival of death. We are swallowed by the nothingness. Hinduism is moving toward monotheism but has always been regarded as a false polytheistic religion of idols. Such preoccupation may be the nail to the coffin of your Christian faith.

If you feel like a sheep without a shepherd it is because you strayed. If you really want to find your way then go see your Parish priest. Go to Confession and weekly Sunday Mass. Take religious instructions in the Parish and learn what you missed when younger. God is calling you to greater Catholic fervor, not less. It is hard to love what you do not know.
Jahniah, on October 31, 2016 at 8:17 am said:

Hello my name is jahniah and I’m 20 in Washington dc where bobylan runs free I have a confession to make and I need guidence I’ve been having sexual relations with trans and tv I’m a man of god and only believe I’m him and Jesus Christ. I willingly go out and hunt for them once in awhile my dad is a Christian and would be totally ashamed of me if he find out but im 20 now so I must mend my own sin but I don’t know how I don’t want to be trans and Im straight and love women and hope to marry I need to move on from this I hate it but I can’t seem to come to a stop can you help me plz and give me wisdome father I don’t want to sin and be called a fake in gods eyes

FATHER JOE:

Despite protestations, your sexual relations speak to a disorder that you will have to face and to seek counseling. I would recommend the Alpha Omega Clinic.

Alpha Omega Clinic
7007 Bradley Blvd
Bethesda, Maryland 20817
Phone: (301) 767-1733, Fax: (301) 767-1743
Jill, on October 28, 2016 at 8:30 pm said:

Father Joe THANK YOU very much for your response. It has given me peace about the situation.
Ana, on October 28, 2016 at 2:10 am said:

Father,

A priest-friend passed away last Sunday, and his funeral is tomorrow…please pray for him, his family, and all of us who miss him, especially his close friend, also a priest, and his family.

-Ana

FATHER JOE: My condolences and prayers.
Dylan Chattle, on October 27, 2016 at 5:49 am said:

Hi I have some homework for religious education and I have to ask a priest a question. We are starting to learn about the Trinity and I have to ask you the following question: “Why did Jesus need to be baptised?”.

Thank you,

Dylan

FATHER JOE:

Catholicism speaks of three types of baptism which emerge from Scripture:

(1) Baptism of Repentance and Preparation (John the Baptist baptized sinners in the Jordan, also the tradition of Hebrew ceremonial ablutions, etc.)

(2) Revelatory Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan (One of three biblical theophanies where the identity of Christ is made manifest.)

(3) Baptism of Regeneration in the Name of the Trinity (Christian baptism as commanded at the end of the Gospel of Matthew.)
Peter, on October 26, 2016 at 12:29 am said:

If I may ask a question, Father. Is one required to file for an annulment in one’s current diocese, or can one accept the jurisdiction of another diocese for this purpose to lessen family strife?

FATHER JOE: Rules about this have changed somewhat, especially if you are from a different country. It is probably best to apply where you have lived and, if possible, where witnesses are available. Most apply where they keep a domicile or home. I do not see how the jurisdiction would change the impact upon the family. Staying within your diocese gives the Tribunal easier access to you.
Johann, on October 25, 2016 at 4:30 pm said:

My bro Phillipe is gay. we were born 1.5 minutes apart. We are 15. Do you speak French? i am a super unclever person but I new he was gay at 5 or 6. And he stayed mute for fear that i would not love him.
I cried for a week when he told me he was into like men. Not because i don’t like it but because he felt like he had to hide. He is my best ever friend. we have shared the same bed since infancy but not gay like. But i am not gay but anyway . I love him you know fraternal.

FATHER JOE: Continue to be a good brother and let him know that your love for him is unconditional. “Continuer d’être un bon frère et lui faire savoir que votre amour pour lui est inconditionnel.”
chinonye, on October 25, 2016 at 9:22 am said:

Hello Fr
I have a couple of questions, first, when we go to confession, does Jesus forgive and forget the sins we confessed no matter how horrible or perverted our sins were?
Secondly will God call to mind an already forgiven sin whether mortal or venial at our individual judgements? Thanks.

FATHER JOE: When we say that God forgets our sin we mean that he places it behind his back and does not look at it… in other words, that sin (mortal) will not damn us. However, remember that all sin is also connected to temporal punishment, thus the need for penance and mortification. That is where Purgatory comes into the picture. The poor souls are going to heaven but they must be purged of venial sin, the temporal punishment due by sin and from the inclination to sin.
Noel Lee, on October 25, 2016 at 7:45 am said:

Hi Father, greeting. I have a question on the sacrament of confession as follows:

If a Catholic person had received the sacrament of confession, and God had forgiven his sins and then due to some reasons or other, assuming he left the Church thereafter to join the Protestant churches, spoke negatively of the Church’s dogmas and teaching and then after a while, realized his errors and decided to come back to the Church through the sacrament of reconciliation, does he need to re-confess all these sins that had been absolved during those period before he left the Church, or he just need to confess that he had left the Church.

In other words, when someone abandoned the Church for Protestantism or other religions, does this sin negate or nullify all the past sins that had been absolved before he leaves the Church?

FATHER JOE: He would be accountable for his defection and those sins committed since his last Confession and break with the Church.
Cookie girl, on October 24, 2016 at 6:46 pm said:

Hello, I was just wondering, is foreplay before marriage a sin, even if it doesn’t lead to intercourse?

FATHER JOE: There are sexual sins other than premarital intercourse. Such actions are directed to the marital act and that which is substituted violates chastity. And so yes, it is a sin. Those who play such games will almost always get burned. Males in particular can easily lose control.
Debraj Sarkar, on October 24, 2016 at 3:19 pm said:

Hello Father,
with all do your respect I have a question. I am a hindu person, I live in india. and I want to marry a Muslim girl. Now, in both our religion there is no law of marriage if we are not in same religion. I don’t know much about Christianity. So can we get get married in church following christian rituals without changing our religion? I will be very much looking forward to your reply.
Thank You.

FATHER JOE: No, you cannot get married in a Catholic church unless one of you becomes a Christian and is a member of the Church. We have no jurisdiction over Moslems and Hindus. You do not understand marriage as we do. It is more than rituals.
Jill, on October 23, 2016 at 3:07 pm said:

Father Joe, MANY years ago very early on in our marriage I helped my husband masturbate. This has been confessed and forgiven and we stopped this sinful behavior. When I confessed this, I didn’t think at the time about giving the specifics that this was done because the marital act was interrupted. Do I need to bring the specifics of this sin back to confession? Or was telling the priest what I helped my husband do enough. I don’t want to leave any chance of a sin away from the confessional and still have it on my soul.

FATHER JOE: The priest would not need or want additional details. The sin was absolved. Let it go.
bobbylyon, on October 22, 2016 at 3:08 am said:

Hi there. My name is Robert Lyon. I’m attending Gonzaga University and I am intrigued by the Jesuit presence and Catholicism. Unfortunately, I have some serious questions with the Church and doctrine. I would like to ask you some difficult questions. If you are not capable of answering, please forward me to the appropriate person to ask. Thank you.

1) Why are priests celibate? I believe prior to the Council of Trent in 1545 priests were allowed to marry. Priests became celibate due to property rights issues and whether the property would remain with the Church or be passed on to the priests children. Is this the reason priests continue to be celibate today or is there another supporting document prior to this?

2) What is the Church’s response to the sexual abuse committed by priests in light of Question #1?

3) Are members of LGBTQ communities committing homosexual acts sinners? Is the end goal of LGBTQ members to reform themselves to heterosexuals or sexually inactive to be truly accepted by the Church and to not commit sin? What is the Church’s view of LGBTQ communities in light of priestly celibacy and sexual abuse by the Church? (Questions 1 & 2)

4) What is the Church’s view of premarital sex and masturbation? What is the Church’s view on birth control?. What is the Church’s view of premarital sex and masturbation in the context of LGBTQ communities, sexual abuse by priests and celibacy? (Reference Q’s 1, 2, and 3)

What is the reason behind no female priests?

Thank you for your time.

Robert

FATHER JOE:

You can search my site for answers to a number of your questions. But here is a quick synopsis…

There is evidence that perfect continence was practiced even by married men who were ordained in the early Church. The Council of Elvira in 305 AD demanded clerical celibacy. The First (1123 AD) and Second Lateran Councils (1139 AD), not only mandated that priests could not be married but ordered that attempts to marry would be dissolved. The issue of safeguarding Church property is often mentioned as an effect, but it was not the root reason for celibacy. Celibacy was urged by St. Paul and it was the model of our Lord. Every priest participates in the one High Priesthood of Christ. Celibacy is a powerful witness to the evangelical summons to embrace poverty and to follow Christ. He is the sentinel who waits for the Lord without distraction. He becomes an eschatological sign in his own person of the coming kingdom where our Lord says there will be no marriage or giving in marriage. The priest is seen as a living Icon of Christ. He is an “alterchristus” or another Christ at the altar. This also touches the question of gender. The priest at the altar signifies Christ, bridegroom to his bride, the Church. Priestesses would constitute a type of sacramental lesbianism. He uses the first person singular wording in the Consecration and in prayers of Absolution. Gender is not an accidental like hair color; rather, it touches our core identity. Jesus selected only men and the early Church insisted that only men could be ordained. Pope John Paul II defined that we do not have the authority to change this apostolic witness… it would threaten the priesthood, the Eucharist and the sacrament of Penance.

If priests practiced their celibacy as they should then there would be no abuse scandal. Indeed, many married people are also guilty of sexual sins against the young. There is no correlation. Sick people would still be sick or criminals regardless as to whether they are married or not. The particular focus upon Catholic clergy is because we preach a heightened moral code. Hypocrisy then becomes all the more apparent and scandalous. Priests should remain celibate and practice a spiritual fatherhood. They belong to no one family but to many families. They belong to God and the people they serve— before anything else. Celibacy is a natural pursuit but Christian celibacy invites certain actual graces.

We are all sinners who need God’s mercy. Intimate sexual activity outside of the covenant or sacrament of marriage between a man and a woman is sinful. There is no culpability in an orientation or disorientation. However, we are responsible for our actions. Love should not be reduced to genital activity. It is in this sense that the Church argues for love and respect toward others. We are all children of the same God, even if we should be a wounded people in a broken world. The priesthood and religious life become models of celibate love, prayer and service to those who are not or cannot marry but respect both the Church and the teaching of Scripture.

Even within marriage, sexual acts must respect persons. Human beings should not be demeaned as objects of lust. Holy passion between a particular man and woman yearns for union and joy in each other’s embrace. Marriages are consummated and the covenants renewed by the marital act: vaginal non-contraceptive intercourse. The act must always be “that type of act” through which human generation is possible. Artificial contraception violates this natural act and the surrender to each other and divine providence. It is a closure of the spouses to each other and a surrender to fear. The contraceptive mentality has led to an increasingly promiscuous society where abortion is demanded as the final recourse. Instead of a Culture of Life, we see the seed to the current Culture of Death. The marital act should ratify the sacrament and promote the goods of “proles” (procreation) and “fides” (fidelity). But once sex is taken out of marriage it is hard to put back, i.e. fornication leads to adultery.
Dellenite, on October 20, 2016 at 5:35 pm said:

How do you feel about the concept of Catholic eugenics? That the sole aim of religious life is the formation of Catholic thoroughbreds? Wouldn’t that conflict with self denial and taking up a cross? What about the dangers of caste societies? The willful exclusion of the undesirables? Do people get it wrong by thinking I’m better than so and so? Even if somebody did it all correctly, how does that compare to God? Why give man a will and an intellect if he was made only as a trophy for obedience? Does God value freedom?

FATHER JOE: No such concept exists within Catholicism. Indeed, eugenics is rejected by the Church as a repudiation of divine providence. Certain secular authorities attack celibacy, arguing that men and women in consecrated life take themselves out of the gene pool even though they tend to be the ones most intelligent regarding the faith and with clear spiritual attributes. The Church would contend that the religious and/or priest is more concerned with heirs in faith than personal biological offspring. Priests and religious are viewed by the Church as ordinary people who answer a particular call. Clergy, religious and lay (married and single) all have their vocations and are called to holiness. Priests and religious answer a significant calling to prayer, service and surrender to God. God does value freedom. We are free to say YES or NO to God. Obedience is no assault against freedom; rather, it is a demonstration of the right use of liberty.
Marie, on October 19, 2016 at 11:18 pm said:

Father,

My fiance and I have been together for 7 years and got engaged last spring. We have followed our Catholic values and now live thousands of miles away from each other as we await our wedding. My fiance is in the military and is estranged from his family, who in the event of a tragedy would be the only people notified and would have the power to make decisions for him. We plan to marry within the Church, but before the next deployment we feel it may be best to continue our marriage preparation course, but also get legally married. We will continue to live apart until our wedding within the church and follow all of the other rules set forth by the church, but feel like this will be the smartest option in reference to his safety. Other than convalidation is there a way to be married within the church surrounded by loved ones and God after signing the legal paperwork?

FATHER JOE: Talk to the priest who will be marrying you. As for con-validations, they are precisely defined as sacramental or religious services (true marriages) after unions have been legally declared with vows before a judge or clerk and with a license. (Convalidation = Marriage within the Church)
Ruth, on October 19, 2016 at 3:12 pm said:

I feel so much better reading your reply. Thank you so much Father.
Bette, on October 19, 2016 at 2:54 am said:

Father, I’m worried that I might be in a state of mortal sin.

I was taught growing up that using phrases like “oh my god” and the like were sins and were taking God’s name in vain. For most of my life I avoided using such terms. However, due to the fact that I’ve become surrounded by people who flippantly throw that phrase around, I’ve become deconditioned to them and have even used them myself.

Now, I know that for a mortal sin to BE a mortal sin, one has to be aware that it’s a mortal sin and commit it of their own free will. It occured to me a few years ago that it might indeed be blasphemy and a mortal sin to say “oh my God” lightly, but I basically discounted it as a milder version of the mortal sin. I considered terms like “Godd*mn” to be the real mortal sin, and that what I was doing wasn’t really that bad.

A few days ago I had a sort of “waking up” moment where I realized I had positively identified it as a sin and yet wasn’t working to cut it out of my habits. Thinking further, I concluded that my slight suspicion that it was a mortal sin might constitute the necessary knowledge to make it count as a mortal sin, if it is indeed.

I plan to go to confession this Saturday. However, I have alot of driving to do between now and then. If I am indeed in a state of mortal sin, I will try to find a place that had confessions sooner. I don’t want to risk dying in an accident while I’m barred from heaven.

FATHER JOE: Especially in moments of fear or anger, such things might be said. Make a good act of contrition. God knows if you love him or not. You can mention it in Confession when the opportunity arises. I grew up in a strong Catholic family, but I also heard a lot of salty language. I suppose this desensitized me somewhat to this issue. The only ones we really avoided were sexual expressions or curses. It seems to me that one might call upon God’s name, but not in condemnation or flippantly. If we are to be a people praying unceasingly, then using the name of God or of our Lord might be an element of our continuing conversation. Curses can be turned into blessings. “Jesus, Mary, Joseph… save souls! Jesus Christ… help us! God… save us!”
John, on October 19, 2016 at 2:15 am said:

It’s my understanding that Hillary is a disciple of Saul O. Linskey; in short, she wants to undermine and eventually do away with organized religion. Recent disclosures of stolen emails indicate there is some truth to this. I’m worried about unborn babies, continued instability around the world and a collapsing economy with Hillary as president, especially since we have a state run media that covers up for her. I’m sorry if I’m offending Democrats, but I believe my concerns to be true. It does appear she will win this election and I’ve been feeling very down. Fr. Joe, am I out of line…should I not worry so much about politics?

FATHER JOE: Politics are a real concern and rightfully the business of the Catholic laity.
Kim, on October 17, 2016 at 6:18 pm said:

Hello Father, I was married at the time I had an affair with another man. I have recently divorced my husband due to other reasons. He never knew of the affair. We divorced because he was and still is emotionally and mentally and at time physically abusive. The man I had an affair with called it off a while ago because we both knew it was a sin and we are both very religious. He says we can never get back together because God would never allow it to be forgiven regardless of our love for one another. Is this to be true or is there any way for us to be forgiven and start new.

FATHER JOE: Your friend is wrong. You would both need to be free to marry. If validly married, then annulment(s) would be required. Given that the affair ended and that the marriage failed due to abuse, he is not the direct cause for the broken union… although the relationship may have been a contributing factor. If you should be judged free to marry, then a future relationship might be possible. God can forgive most everything if there is contrition and reform of life. It is only when we die that our spiritual orientation becomes fixed.
Matthew, on October 16, 2016 at 9:32 pm said:

Hello, I’m not a Christian or a believer in the abrahamic religions but I have a theological question regarding the rise of the religion. Biblical text states that God was presented to the twelve tribes of Israel in around 1500BC and the religion spread from there with the appearance of prophets the Jesus and later Muhammad in 622AD. So all the abrahamic monotheistic religions centred around the Middle East, namely Israel and the Arab peninsula. My question is why God chose to only show himself there and did not send prophets to other parts of the world such as Latina America or East Asia etc etc. And how would remote peoples who never were able to interact with or receive the word of God be expected to have faith and therefore be able to go to heaven and therefore receive eternal life after death? It seems strange to me that God is happy to be that selective.

FATHER JOE: As a Catholic I would not view Mohammad as a genuine prophet and his religion would be interpreted as a corruption of Judaism and Christianity. That aside, God respects the human condition… we are localized in place and in time. Salvation is a gift, not something we can merit. Christianity is a faith that is missionary by nature… to spread the faith around the world and through the centuries ahead. That is why the preaching of the Gospel is regarded as important. This call is one of the reasons why there are clashes with Islam, which also seeks to spread its message. Judaism is usually less evangelical, spread through the process of human generation. It is passed on more through family relationships than through converts and evangelization.
Cassidy, on October 16, 2016 at 5:49 pm said:

My boyfriend is Catholic and personally I am agnostic. We have been dating for almost a year now and just recently religion has become more of a topic that leads to disagreements and small arguments than anything else. I don’t believe that’s the way it should be. I think the problem is that we both get too easily offended on the deep emotional subject of religion. I’d love to hear any tips you may have for us. Im always more than willing to listen to him talk about religion, or even go to church with him. We are both very committed to our relationship and want a future together, this is just one topic we can’t ignore. Thankyou for any input you may have.

FATHER JOE: It is only natural that a Catholic man would want to share his faith with the woman he loves. While religion is a source of some tension, you seem willing to support him. This speaks in favor of your relationship as a couple and the prospect of marriage. Faith is a gift and the conscience of adults must be respected. However, you would do well to explore the faith, even taking instructions, so that even if you do not convert, you will better understand him. No one would force you to become a Catholic. That would be wrong. If he loves you then he will respect where you are in your life journey. Should the two of you decide to get married, he would need a dispensation to marry a non-Catholic. There are various grounds that could be applied. However, he would have to promise to continue in the practice of his faith and to do all in his power to share that faith with any children God would give the two of you. The non-Catholic must be aware of this promise and not take issue with it. This might not seem fair, but remember we see the Catholic faith and our belief in God to be the truth and to be saving. A Catholic who did not desire these things for his family would be failing to love as a Christian. I hope everything works out. Speaking for myself, belief in a good and loving God is what daily gives me hope in a world where there is so much cause for despair. Peace!
Ruth, on October 16, 2016 at 2:12 pm said:

Father

I’m sorry for asking you this silly question but it seems to burden my mind a lot. I was unemployed and was at home for a long time. As a result I used to hardly get out of my house. Now God has been kind and blessed me with a job.

Problem 1: Of late..shyness has taken over me completely. I am so shy that I find it really hard to communicate with people and reach out to them. I wasn’t like this before. I’m not an introvert. I wish to talk to people but my shyness takes the better of me. Nowadays I even find it hard to pass a genuine warm smile.
As a result of this, my colleagues at work do not mingle with me much as they feel uncomfortable with me or maybe they find me boring or cold and aloof.
Ive tried hard to overcome this. Read a lot about shyness, that it is a form of pride. What must I do.

Problem 2: I find it very difficult to understand instructions given to me and am very absent minded. As a result of this I have had trouble at work and people find me dumb.

Please help me for I suffer a lot in my mind.

FATHER JOE:

Do you find yourself boring? Do you apply yourself to your work? Often if people are viewed as dull or uninteresting, it is because they have made themselves so. People are attracted to those who are in love with life.

As for shyness, it is something that can only be resolved by constantly reaching beyond ourselves. You have to be willing to feel uncomfortable and even to take risks.

I am very much an introvert. But having to say Mass and speak before people has had an effect upon me. The anxiety that I naturally felt has less of a negative effect upon me than it used to have. I became more comfortable standing before people. The only way to deal with your issue is to compel yourself to be more outgoing. Pride might be an element of shyness, but I would contend that another factor is fear. Our Lord said, “Be not afraid.”