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Father Bill: Why did God come first for the Jewish people and then for the Gentiles. The Jewish people have always been His people. What are we the leftovers? We got the next shot, because they did not listen? - Steve ____________________________________ Dear Steve, This is a good question, and you're not the first one to ask it. The unfortunate but obviously catchy ditty “How odd of God to choose the Jews” attributed to the late British journalist William Norman Ewer is another example of how that matter occasionally crops up. As I write this answer, the Church is approaching the First Sunday of Advent, the beginning of a new Year of Grace. During the Advent season we Christians are especially aware of that part of our faith history that embraces and begins with our Jewish brothers and sisters as they joyfully and sometimes anxiously longed for the coming of the promised messiah. Liturgically we enter into the hope that arose from their intimate relationship with the Lord, and we renew our appreciation for their role as a covenant people. In truth, this people whom God first chose has given us much, and for that we must be grateful. As to the first part of your question, “Why did God come first for the Jewish people...?”, I would begin by noting that God had to start somewhere. I don't know why He started with the Jews. Perhaps He didn't. Maybe God had made overtures to other peoples in other cultures, but they did not understand or were not open to His wooing. We don't know. This is not part of our story, so we can only guess. What is part of our story is that God found willing partners in Abraham and Sarah, and thus began a love relationship expressed in an enduring covenant between Himself and their offspring. You are right in noting that the Jews have always been God's people. It may be like the special role that a first-born child plays in many families. He or she by the sheer coincidence of being first-born will receive more parental attention than later-born children. This does not mean that the later-born are less loved or will be given fewer opportunities in life. This leads me to address the next part of your question. “...Are we the leftovers?” Referring again to the family simile above, I would say that we are no more “the leftovers” than later-born children would be in a family setting. We gentiles were simply incorporated into the family a bit later than our Jewish ancestors were, but we are very much part of the family. This leads me to the last part of your question. “[Did we get] the last shot, because they did not listen?” First let me note that they did listen. All of Jesus' first followers were Jews, and they had listened very well—well enough at least to follow him. Without their courage and deep faith, we gentiles would never have “got” the next shot. I don't mean to dismiss the fact that many Jews did not listen, but I do want to point out that many did. To them we owe so much. I also would like to point out that, even for the Jews who did not listen, Jesus is as much their Messiah as He is ours. God does not cease to love His covenant partners, even though they may have misunderstood His Word. Thanks for your question, Steve, and may God bless you. - Father Bill
Father Bill: Upon our death, when we appear before Jesus for our personal judgment - will we actually see Him? Or is that only if we go straight to heaven? - Merry ___________________________________ Dear Merry, Let me begin with a rhetorical question: What does “see” mean when we have left this earthly body behind? I don't know the answer to that. For that matter, what does it mean to “appear before Jesus”? The truth is, we are terribly limited by our metaphors, which words like “see” and “appear” are in this context, because they in turn are formed from the only experience we know, which is the physical world that enters our consciousness through our senses. This serves us reasonably well while we dwell in this material world, but fails us pretty miserably when we try to transfer it to the spiritual world, which we know only through faith. The teachings of the Church have very little to say about your question. The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms the reality of the particular judgment that takes place at the moment of our death (what you have called “our personal judgment”), but it says nothing about the details. Christian art has created its own metaphors and has attempted to depict what the particular judgment might be like, but we have to be very careful of the temptation to take such art as some kind of definitive teaching. It is not. Sometimes, Merry, we simply have to humbly admit that there is so much we do not know—and will never know until it comes to pass. Thus it is with our dying and the judgment that will accompany it. The only thing we know for sure is that we will be judged by a just and merciful God. Thanks for your questions, and may God bless you. - Father Bill
Father Bill: In Genesis, God had Adam fall asleep and removed a rib bone from his body and created Eve. My question is, Why would God put Adam to sleep and why not create her from the Earth as He did Adam? - Anthony ________________________________
Dear Anthony, Inspired scriptures though they are, the creation stories in Genesis are not to be taken literally. These stories teach lessons far more profound than the literary details that they employ. Notice that I said creation “stories” (plural, not singular), so let's start with that. There are actually two stories of creation in the Book of Genesis. The first one can be found in Genesis 1:1 – 2:4. This is the story that speaks of God creating everything in six days, including man and woman at the same time, and then resting on the seventh day. There's nothing in this story about a rib or clay or putting the man to sleep. The second creation story begins at Genesis 2:5 and concludes with 2:25. This is the story in which God first creates the man from the clay of the earth, places him in the garden of Eden, has him name the animals, and eventually becomes concerned about the man's being alone. So he then casts him into a deep sleep and creates a woman from his rib. (There have been silly assertions over the years that men have one less rib than women, but this is patently false.) So the real answer to your question, Anthony, is for you to take your pick as to which creation story you like best. In the first one, God pretty much does what you suggest in your question: He creates the woman in the same way he creates the man. However, bear in mind that it's all too easy to get lost in the details of these stories while failing to grasp that they teach profound truths about God as creator, our responsibility toward God's creation, and, perhaps most significant of all, how sin entered God's good creation and how God responded to that with a loving promise. All of this is masterfully covered in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Section 2, Chapter 1, Paragraph 4. (You can find it here, among other places: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P19.HTM) Thanks for a very good question, Anthony, and may God bless you. - Father Bill
Father Kevin: Hi Mary: Thank you for your question. You could Google to find your local Church. While the Japanese Catholic population is very small as you point out, they are spread all around the country. If you can’t find a Church that is at a convenient distance for you, you could continue as you are now. God never asks the impossible of us! Every blessing. - Father Kevin
Dear
Father Kevin: ________________________________ Dear Margaret: We all make mistakes and some of them leave us entrapped in a situation we’d like to escape from. I have just received your question and note that you would by now have started your new job. I hope you can escape your present accommodation and now find a place where your spirit can be free and you can practice your faith in a way that is right for you. By “passing” I presume you mean dying. These euphemisms betray a lack of ability to face the reality of death in our culture. If you should die before resolving your situation, God, who knows the heart of each of us better than we do ourselves, will surely look after you well. Every blessing to you, Margaret. - Father Kevin
Father Kevin: __________________________ Hi Helena: Thank you for your question. I understand your dilemma and if I can understand it you can be perfectly sure that God understands it even better! Your TV Mass nourishes you well enough. What you miss of course is active involvement with a parish community, so now and then to complement that nourishment, it might be good to pop along to Mass with a community, even though you won’t hear what’s going on, you can feel it and join a community in prayer. The Eucharist is essentially a communal event, not a private one. In the light of this it might be an idea to invite a few friends around to share the TV Mass with you from time to time. Every blessing Helena. - Father Kevin
I am Catholic
and I go to church regularly. I started liking a Muslim girl
and she has great faith in Christ. My problem is that, she
was married and her marriage was annulled because she had a
spine injury that her parents had hidden from the Muslim
man. She was hurt badly because of his words and they agreed
to have their marriage annulled. Currently she is alone and
I want to marry her. My parents are totally against this and
are ready to the extent of cursing me to hell. Will I be
committing adultery if I marry her? She believes in Christ,
but was worried how we Christians react to her, she is
afraid to get converted. I am so deeply wounded by what my
parents have said. They call her a prostitute. Is this God
love? I am worried and I am losing faith. I am afraid of God
now. I wanted to marry her and keep her happy. Even if she
is not able to bear a child. I thought we can adopt one and
give someone life. But things are going to get worse. _______________________________ Dear David: Whoa! Whoa! You've got a mixed bag of ideas here. If the young lady's marriage was annulled, there is nothing holding you back in that department. If she believes in Christ, she will go through her own conversion experience. And, that will overcome any familial attitudes. Nothing can stop one who believes in Christ as Redeemer and Savior. But in the Muslim faith, Jesus is merely a prophet. You would have to make the commitment to raise your children in the Catholic faith. No one will ever force her to become Catholic. “For this reason a man should leave his father and mother and cling to his wife...” That's what the Scripture tells us. It doesn't tell us that it will be easy. One doesn't “lose faith.” One rejects it if one does not want Christ or God's will in one's life. It's the difference between living the Kingdom or Heaven or the separation of Hell. The bottom line is that you have to ask yourself why you would even ask these questions. Are you ready for marriage? Aside from loving your family, does this woman mean enough to you to “leave” them? Maybe so. But you don't sound so sure. Are you trying to convince yourself? If you can't have a loving and joyful marriage without these interferences, maybe you're not being called to marriage. Maybe it's just tender feelings. Marriage is much, much more. Ponder carefully. And be truthful with yourselves. - God bless, Father Amaro
Father Amaro: Can I be cremated 1200 miles from where I will be buried and have my burial mass at a later date? - Katherine _____________________________________ Dear Katherine: Cremation is allowed at this time in our history. But ashes must be treated with the same dignity as a casket. There are three parts to a funeral liturgy, similar to the Easter Triduum. It's one liturgy in three parts. First there is the Vigil. The other two parts consist of the Mass of Christian Burial, and the burial itself. The grave site is the testimonial even in death of the deceased's belief in the Resurrection. That is why a burial must take place right after the mass. You would not hold a casket aside for a later date. You wouldn't place it on your fireplace either. Neither would we do it with an urn. We also do not split the ashes among family members, which would amount to dismembering a body for souvenirs. If the cremains are to buried in a far off place, (I myself will be buried on the other side of the country...) a mass can be celebrated in each place. But this should be done in a timely manner. If the mass is celebrated in one place and the ashes are sent off to another place, the ashes should be interred. The grave side blessing may be done later, when all can be assembled. All should be done with dignity. This vessel, your body, has been the temple of the Lord and should be treated as such. - God bless, Father Amaro
Father: ______________________________ Dear Kaitlin,
As I said to
Robert in a previous edition:
”Homosexuality has existed in all time. No one knows
the cause. But again, to call it valid enough to be
called “valid” would be to equate “bearing false witness” or
“gossip” to intellectual conversation. It is what it is.
And surely, it is not “marriage, for in heterosexual
activity or the sperm and egg often unite to form a new life
whereas in male or female homosexual activity, it cannot. ”Having said that, I have seen people live morally as companions and friends who are homosexuals. I have known Christian people who live as a household in chastity and in real love (which would care for the soul and salvation of the other) legitimately. In our legalistic world, I believe that there should be some solution to establish through the protection of law those households as I would want should I be living with my own brother... and that isn't even protected by law.
As far as our
behavior toward anyone, we must always consider the sin in
our lives that we struggle with. Are any of us an
exception of struggle? In my own life, I find myself
constantly bringing the same sins to the Sacrament of
Confession, no matter how I try to avoid them. I must
use that same patience and mercy that God shows me over and
over again when dealing with others who have struggles.
- God bless, Father Amaro
CatholicView Priest Staff: ____________________________________ Jacob:
Two months ago, this
question was asked. Here is the answer given:
CatholicView Priest Staff: Ali: Thank you for your question. Your question reminds me of the biblical verses in the New Testament that talks about Jesus NOT knowing the day or hour of the end of time. In the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 24, Verse 36: "But of that day and hour, no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." It was clear that Jesus' human limitation existed. Jesus, as the Word of the Father and Second Person of the Trinity, divine and human, freely accepted human limitations to truly experience and know the human condition. Jesus is fully divine and fully human, and Jesus freely accepted the limitations of humanity to achieve His Father's goal, the salvation of humankind by a human. As sin and death entered the world through one man, Adam, so salvation had to come through one man, Jesus Christ, as it is written in Romans Chapter 5, Verse 17: "For if, by the transgression of one man, death came to reign through that one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of justification come to reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ." By the Will of the Father, Jesus had all the human limitations that we have, that included not even knowing when the world and time was coming to an end. Jesus freely chose for our salvation to have his divine infinite knowledge limited by human boundaries. Jesus was fully divine as stated in the Gospel of John, Chapter 1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through Him and without Him nothing came to be." This same Jesus, by the love of the Father and the working of the Holy Spirit, took upon Himself our human nature and its limitations, which includes, as you put it, "finite knowledge." Now, that's unconditional love. And I rejoice in it! Alleluia! – CatholicView Priest Staff
Father: I recently contacted the Passionist Order and I received a first class relic of St. Gemma Galgani. Is it okay for me to privately venerate it and keep it in my possession? Thanks for your time. - Braeden _______________________________ Braeden: You are blest indeed to have the first class relic of Saint Gemma Galgani (1878-1903), an Italian mystic who had the stigmata or the visible wounds of Christ on her body. She was quite the witness to the Passion of Christ and had visions of Jesus, Mary, and her guardian angel She died young from tuberculosis. But her short life was an amazing life of loving Jesus with every fiber of her body and soul. As for the first class relic (a first class relic is the actual bone of the saint), it is acceptable for you to honor the relic in your home. You may keep it safe in your possession. She is the patron saint of students and pharmacists. And thinking of the future, please make sure that the relic has a special place in your home and, at the end of your life, make sure that the relic is passed on to your local parish or someone in your family that will treasure it as you do. - CatholicView Priest Staff
CatholicView Priest Staff: _____________________________ Michael: The bells that are used in Mass and in other paraliturgical functions, such as the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in Benediction, are rang to get one's attention to an important part of the liturgy. When the Mass was solely in Latin, the bells signified to the congregation that the consecration of the bread and wine was about to take place, and once again, that communion was being distributed. In paraliturgies such as Benediction, the ringing of bells signified that the blessing with the Holy Eucharist was about to happen. The bells only meant to bring attention to an important part of the Mass or paraliturgy. Nothing more. Very similar to the ringing of church bells to tell people that Mass is about to begin or to bring attention to an event happening in the community. We as Catholics do not use bells in any ritual for a purifying or cleansing purpose. We are, as Christians, cleansed by the blood of Christ. No ritual is needed for purifying or cleansing. We are already cleansed and purified and justified by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ through faith in Him alone. – CatholicView Priest Staff
____________________________________ Michelle: I am impressed that you have taken the consecration of yourself to JESUS through Mary by following the prayers written for this purpose by Saint Louis de Montfort (1673-1716). Saint Louis was a French preacher and priest who went all over Central Europe to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. He wrote extensively about the Blessed Virgin Mary which influenced the Church's general teachings about Mary and her role in salvation history. Saint Louis de Montfort wrote a series of prayers called TOTAL CONSECRATION TO JESUS THROUGH MARY, a 33 day prayer, as explained in his book, TRUE DEVOTION TO MARY. This is what you are following. Remember, your prayer exercise and your consecration to Jesus through Mary is meant to bring you into a complete union with Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior. As to the question about consecrating EVERYTHING TO JESUS THROUGH MARY, you mentioned about finances and money. I believe you have GREATLY MISUNDERSTOOD the intent of Saint Louis de Montfort's on giving your money away. He did not say this. Instead, he wanted his prayer students to offer to the Lord all their resources for God's greater glory! You are already doing that by giving money to your aged parents! YOU MUST AND ARE OBLIGED to support your parents in their need. Saint Louis didn't mean for you to divest yourself of your needed financial resources. Instead, ask the Lord to bless your money. thereby consecrating it, and to allow it to be used for his greater glory as you take care of your needs and the needs of your parents and others in your life. Really, Saint Louis was making this point: God has everything. What can you give Him? There is only one thing He doesn't have possession of by His Will and that is you and your free will. By giving to the Lord your complete self in faith and in prayer (as you are doing), you will give Him something that he doesn't have because of His desire to protect your free will: your love and your life. Consecrating your money to the Lord means that you will use your money not for sinful reasons but for His greater glory. It does not mean to give everything away and go homeless and leave your parents to be left alone. I know, by your question, that you have already given your whole heart and soul to the Lord, and that you have consecrated your money and resources for His Plan and Will. And in return, the Lord will bless you with even more resources to help your parents and others. – CatholicView Priest Staff
CatholicView Staff: _________________________________ Dear Claudette: We, at CatholicView will be praying for your husband's successful recovery. Although your husband's name was not given in your letter, we know that the Lord knows his name in His almighty wisdom. Here is our prayer: Lord, You ask that all who are heavily burdened to come to you. Let your compassionate and healing Hand touch Claudette's husband as he goes into surgery entrusting You, God, for a miraculous recovery. Dear God, I know you will be there with him during this special time, and You count him as one of Your own. We pray that You send your heavenly angels to keep watch over Claudette's husband as he is brought into surgery. Heavenly Father, I ask that in your supreme mercy you guide the hands of the surgeon with Divine wisdom and skill, blessing all those who minister and care for him during this hour. We pray that this procedure be without complications and that your servant's recovery will be swift and successful. You tell us in Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with You; Be not dismayed, for I am Your God. I will strengthen You, Yes, I will help You, I will uphold You with My righteous right hand. Let Your servant cling to that promise that You are always with him, and will be there for him during these times of trouble. Ease the family's anxiety over the surgery he is facing for Your word says that You will sustain him during this time. All the family is trusting in Your Word. Comfort them as they pray, for the family will be leaning on You for strength to get through this time. Let their worries lessen because they know You will be there with him. We pray, if it is God's will, for a complete and successful surgery and that he will heal quickly. Lord, we pray all this in the name of our Most Precious Savior, Jesus Christ. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: __________________________________ Dear Sam: Many have written in with questions wanting to know why should they believe in the existence of God. But, you see, there is something, a connection that pulls us, an empty place that cannot be filled except through God and Jesus. We are incomplete. There is a space within all of us, that material things cannot satisfy, a longing, if you will, to be connected to God and the Savior, Jesus Christ. It is inborn, but through the gift of Free Will, some choose to close their hearts to Him. Those who believe in God accepted, through faith, because they were incomplete without God and His Son Jesus Christ. The great philosopher and theologian St. Thomas Aquinas summarized his cosmological argument in the Summa Theologia. In this theological masterpiece, St. Thomas writes five "ways" that we can know God exists. His first three ways deal with the cosmological argument: (http://www.saintaquinas.com/philosophy.html) St.
Aquinas argues that there are things in the world in motion
(this simply means that things are changing) and that
whatever is in motion must have been put in motion by
another thing in motion. Aquinas holds that, "whatever is in
motion must be put in motion by another," and that, "this
cannot go on to infinity, because then there would be no
first mover." Hence St. Thomas argues that in order to
eliminate the infinite chain of motions, there must be a
first mover and source of all motion, God. A second shorter version of the cosmological argument can be formulated as: Every being (that exists or ever did exist) is either a dependent being or a self-existent being. Not every being can be a dependent being. So
there exists a self-existent being. 1. The
existence of something is intelligible only if it has an
explanation. The Teleological Argument The teleological argument, or argument from design, is also summarized by St. Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologica. Here is the extract from the Summa: "The
fifth way is taken from the governance of the world. We see
that things that lack intelligence, such as natural bodies,
act for an end, and this is evident from their acting
always, or nearly always, in the same way, so as to obtain
the best result. Hence it is plain that not fortuitously,
but designedly, do they achieve their end. Now whatever
lacks intelligence cannot move towards an end, unless it be
directed by some being endowed with knowledge and
intelligence; as the arrow is shot to its mark by the
archer. Therefore some intelligent being exists by whom all
natural things are directed to their end; and this being we
call God."
http://www.saintaquinas.com/philosophy.html
Benedict XVI says, " No, we
cannot see Him, but there are many things that we do not see
but they exist and are essential. For example: we do not see
our reason, yet we have reason. We do not see our
intelligence and we have it. In a word: we do not see our
soul and yet it exists and we see its effects, because we
can speak, think and make decisions, etc. Nor do we see an
electric current, for example, yet we see that it exists; we
see this microphone, that it is working, and we see lights.
Therefore, we do not see the very deepest things, those that
really sustain life and the world, but we can see and feel
their effects. This is also true for electricity; we do not
see the electric current but we see the light. Sam, get to know your Creator through constant prayer. It does not matter if it is a simple prayer for He can read your heart. Ask Him to show you, through the Holy Spirit within you, that He is real, that He loves you, and wants you to live with Him someday. He will send you truth about Himself. You will know Him personally. Keep praying. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: Jimmy: I am sorry to hear that you are going through such an upheaval in your life. I think it is time to sit down with you wife and ask her point blank if she is seeing someone. Perhaps you are wrong about this situation. If you are sure about this, then you might want to get help with your marital situation. Sit down with your wife and discuss what you are thinking. If your wife is seeing someone, it might be wise make an appointment to see your parish priest who will talk to both of you. He will give you the name of a marriage counselor who will help you to hopefully mend your marriage. This is important. Your priest may also ask you questions about your own behavior to determine why your wife decided to get involved with online dating. Please do not delay but call and set up an appointment as soon as possible. And pray and ask the Lord to help and strengthen you during this time. God go with you. - CatholicView Staff
____________________________ Tony: Masonic
organizations are irreconcilably opposed to Jesus Christ and
the Catholic Church. Every Catholic is prohibited from
joining any Masonic Order, including the Order of the
Eastern Star which is a Masonic association for women, the
Order of DeMolay which is for boys, Job's Daughters, and the
Rainbow Girls which is for young women. Hope this helps. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: _______________________________ Lourdes: As a general rule, anyone who arrives after the gospel reading and homily, in conscience, should not take communion. The reason for this is that the gospel prepares us for the reception of the Sacrament of Holy Communion. We must first recognize Jesus in the Word before we recognize Him in the Eucharist. However, there can be mitigating circumstances such as heavy traffic, illness in the family, a sick child who needs emergency attention and other calamities. These are things that can delay arrival on time and those persons should not be denied communion. The late comer to mass must examine their conscience and determine for themselves if they could have arrived earlier. On this hinges taking communion or not. So this must fall primarily upon the individual Catholic rather than upon the pastor who cannot see every late arrival from his vantage point. However the pastor has a duty to direct and inform the consciences of the faithful entrusted to him. The priest must be careful not to shame a latecomer at communion itself but wait for an opportunity to speak or inquire about that person's late comings. Hope this helps. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: ___________________________________ Annette: I am sorry to hear of the upheaval you face in your marriage. The good thing is that your husband recognized his actions and is trying to make the marriage work again. Remember you have three beautiful children who need their father. I suggest you accept his apology, however weak, for the sake of your marriage and your children. But you are going to need some help. Please make an appointment with your parish priest for a "good sit down" talk about how you should proceed, how to regain your marriage and your own self value back. Ask the priest about a marriage counselor. A counselor will help you and your husband sort out the after pain of adultery and give you the courage to move forward toward saving and refreshing your union again. And don't forget to pray, asking God for the strength and courage to mend the broken places within your marriage. May the Lord go with you. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: ________________________________ Lee: In order to be baptized as a Catholic, a divorced person must pay heed to established church regulations. A divorced person is required to apply for an annulment. Since the Church recognizes both civil and religious marriages as valid, there would very likely be a requirement to have an annulment. Catholicism recognizes marriage as both legitimate outside of the church and as binding for life regardless of where it occurs. See a local priest about your past marriage. He will discuss this with you and will talk to you about an annulment. He will also suggest that you attend R.C.I.A (Rites of Christian Initiation for Adults to begin learning about the Catholic Faith. God bless. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: ___________________________________ Shaju: I am so sorry to hear that your wife is suffering with paranoia and I can certainly understood your sadness. But nonetheless, one does not exchange a wife for someone else. As a husband you must care for your wife who is ill. You took a vow on your wedding to her which states, "For better or worse". You must honor that vow. The most important thing you can do is make an important appointment with a specialist to get help for your wife's paranoia. This is vital. Once her paranoia is in control, see a marriage counselor to repair your union. You must not desert you wife but support her in all things until she is well again. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: __________________________________ Michael: I am happy to hear that you do enjoy the homilies and the biblical knowledge your priest has given his parishioners. You are indeed fortunate to have such a priest. And remember, each of us has our own personalities, and none of us are perfect. No man is. You must accept this priest as he is, as long as he does his job for God and man. This is more important than social conversation. Why not invite him to your home for a family dinner? If you are single, ask other to arrange an evening out for dinner. Unless he is shy, he will probably open up a bit. All in all, he sounds like a very good priest. Remember none of us are perfect - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: ___________________________________ Molly: Do not be concerned. Perhaps the records were lost, considering they married in 1911. Flooding, fire damage, etc. could have destroyed these records. Papers could have been lost or damaged during this time. And in 1921, the technology was different than it is today. Although the Church has been vigilant in protecting such documents, one cannot be certain that they are still available. But I see no need to worry. Your grandparents had a long, loving, and married life together, and they made sure to get their marriage blessed in the Church. God saw this and was pleased. Certainly the Lord looked with favor on them. When you see your grandparents in heaven, you will be able to smile at this needless worry. Be at peace. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: ___________________________________ Sarah: It is fine to be friendly with a priest such as inviting him to your home for dinner IF you are married, or occasionally having a friendly lunch, providing you remember that he is married to the Church and he made a vow not to be involved romantically with a parishioner. Anything else would be frowned upon by the Church and cause speculation by others who know you both. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: _______________________________ Kent: I am sorry you find yourself in this predicament. You must be honest about who you are. Should you lie about this, you will have to continue with this lie, and therefore cannot become Catholic. If you say you are a Muslim, how will you raise your children? Do not pretend to be something you are not. Your girlfriend knows what you are and claims she loves you. Do not go this route for something that is untrue. Be honest and let things take its course. Do not give up your faith and salvation for anyone. Your girlfriend must decide to marry you for who you are, and you should not succumb to telling an untruth. It is dangerous to lie about something this important. One day, that very lie will be found out and you will lose everything. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: ______________________________ Elizabeth: I am pleased to hear that you have switched parishes since you have these feelings for your spiritual director. You did the right thing. To return to the parish that you left would be foolish since you would be feeding your feelings for this man who is unavailable to you. Better to find someone new who will help you with your situations, without the attraction you felt for the other. Sadly, many women become attached in romantic ways to those who have taken time to help them. They become heroes. You are doing the right thing in avoiding this kind of closeness at this time. Be strong and this too shall pass. I hope this helps you. - CatholicView Staff
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