FEBRUARY 2013
ASK A PRIEST
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
FATHER WILLIAM G. MENZEL
FATHER KEVIN BATES, SM
FATHER AMARO SAUMELL
CATHOLICVIEW STAFF
PRIEST STAFF

FATHER WILLIAM G. MENZEL

"I was abused to near death by my dad.  Why did God
 allow this to happen to me?" - Len
 

Father Bill:

I'm Catholic but not raised in the faith. I was abused to near death by my dad.   Why did God allow this to happen to me?   Why must some suffer and others don't?  Is my soul stronger now because of my suffering?Will I burn?    Len

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Dear Len:

Yours is one more story sadly showing that we human beings can do terrible things to one another. I offer you my heartfelt sympathy for what you have gone through in life, but I hope and pray that you have been able to get beyond the victimization of the past and are building a fulfilling life for yourself.

Your questions are good ones, and they have been asked many times.  Frankly, the answers are not easy. There are many atheists in this world who have simply found it impossible to believe in an all-powerful God who does not find it in His power to eliminate the suffering and evil that permeate our planet.  Worse yet, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to the existence of evil.  Suffering, as your question implies, is not evenly distributed among humans.  You and I and many others ask, Why?

Since I, like you, have to deal with these questions, I have come up with some insights that help me.  Perhaps they will help you.  I start with the Bible. In Genesis we are reminded over and over that God loves what He has created. “...He saw that it was good.” Then, when He created human beings, He gave them the freedom to accept or reject Him, and He has never taken that freedom away.  (I sometimes, in jest, call this God's great “mistake”. Some people don't like it when I say that.)  In other words, we human beings can do evil, and, for all practical purposes, God cannot stop us, because to do so He would have to take away our free will.  For my purposes at least, this explains where much evil comes from.  Us.

God did not will your suffering, Len. In fact, I'm sure that He has suffered with you. I know that most of us would like God to be our super-hero who will swoop down and rescue us from evil people, terrible accidents, and natural disasters.  But, as the Bible also points out, God's ways are not our ways.  God gave your father free will, and He could not take it away, even when your father was doing evil things.

Another insight that I often reflect on when I ponder why bad things happen to good people is the Incarnation: the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity becoming human and living among us. Jesus is God's ultimate expression of love for the human race and His way of letting us know that he understands our joys—and our sufferings.  In Jesus, God has shared the fullness of our humanity, including even death itself, an unjust death that involved excruciating suffering.  If the Son of God had to suffer unjustly, I guess it shouldn't surprise us that we also might have to suffer.

You ask if your soul is stronger now because of your suffering. What do you think?  Have you looked your suffering in the eye, stared it down, and told it that you are not going to let it determine who you are and what you can accomplish?  If you have done that, then you are stronger.  Overcoming a formidable foe always makes us stronger.  Turning our anger, resentment and grudges over to God always makes us stronger. Letting go of what we cannot change starts us up the high road.

You ask if you will burn. Well certainly not for anything that someone else has done to you.  We are responsible to God for our own actions, and it is for those that we will be held accountable.  Even at that God is merciful to those who seek his mercy and is forgiving toward those who find it in their hearts to forgive others.

You mention that you are Catholic but were not raised in the faith.  May I conclude by encouraging you to seek out a parish community where you could be brought into the joy of living your faith?  Most parishes now have a process called the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA).  Please give some prayerful consideration to taking that next step on your life's journey.

May God bless you, Len.

P.S. Just this month I answered a similar question from “Jodie”. My response to her might give you some additional food for thought.  -  Father Bill

"Why do people go through pain suffering and loss?"
 - Jodie
 

Father Bill:

I'm Catholic and I find it hard and not sure where to start explaining to my fiancé why God puts us through suffering when He has power to stop that from happening.  My fiancé wants to get into the Catholic religion but what is stopping him is that he can't understand why God has such high powers but still puts people through  pain, suffering and dying.  How can I explain to him why God doesn't stop all the bad things in the world and why it happens?  Why do people go through pain, suffering and loss? - Jodie
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Dear Jodie,

Your fiancé is not alone!  Throughout history believers and non-believers alike have pondered questions like his.  You may even notice that I just answered a very similar question asked by “Len”, which you can find on this website.  In truth, while we can come up with some answers, they are never fully satisfying.

I often begin by pointing out that God is God, and we are not. That may be pretty obvious, but I suspect that it's something that we humans don't really completely believe.  We think that if we were in charge, if we were all-powerful, the world would be a lot better off than it is with God in charge.  Hmm.  Think about that one for a while.  Could humanity be trusted with omnipotence?

Sure, we would do away with natural disasters, disease, mental illness and maybe even death itself.  We would build ourselves a perfect world, wouldn't we?  With our perfect clarity of vision and undisputed virtue … but that's you and I.  What about other people?  Would their ideals be the same as ours?  Are they as perfect as we are?  If not, how would we, in our omnipotence make them conform?  We could take away their ability to choose anything other than what is right and just!  We could take away their free will.  We could then rule a world of automatons and robots that would behave according to our lofty standards of how the world should be.

That's with you and me in charge.  What if it were someone else in charge?  Hitler?  Ivan the Terrible?  Jim Jones (if you don't remember, just Google “Jim Jones Kool-Aid”)?  Maybe omnipotence is best left to God!

Okay, but that still doesn't answer your fiancé's questions.  This good, loving, all-powerful God permits way too much human suffering.  Perhaps we can concede that He gave us humans free will, so He can't stop us from doing evil things to one another without making us into automatons, but how about all the other suffering that comes about from other causes?  There are natural disasters, accidents, terrible diseases, birth defects and other genetic anomalies.  The list goes on and on.  These cause untold suffering.  Why? we ask.

I have an atheist acquaintance who abandoned belief in God because he could not understand why God would give us life and then let us die.  Why would anyone who purports to love us give us a great and wonderful gift and then take it away?  Jesus' own death gives us a pretty good answer: while this life is indeed a great gift, it is only a foreshadowing of a greater gift yet to come, and we can't get there without dying.

There is a wonderful book written by Jewish rabbi Harold Kushner.   It's titled “When Bad Things Happen to Good People”, and it begins by recounting how he and his wife had to deal with the ultimately fatal illness of their young son. (The book is still in print and is available at Amazon.com and probably in most libraries.) Kushner writes about his painful search for answers and meaning—and God—in the sufferings that his family endured.

Since Rabbi Kushner is not a Christian, he lacks one advantage that we Christians have: belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.  Kushner does quite well from a Jewish perspective, but we Christians can see that Jesus sheds some additional light on the hard questions of life and death.

If God himself enters our humanity (which is what we belief about Jesus), and if this Son of God must Himself suffer and die, this must be God's way of telling us that He understands our anxiety and frustration with these facts of life and that He willingly walks with us as we endure them.

Even more than that, through His Son, God has shown us that He loves us enough to die for us.  He has also shown us that suffering need not be without meaning, for if we can join our own sufferings with those of Jesus, we can participate more deeply in His loving and generous sacrifice.  This Christian insight does not make suffering good, but it does make it something other than an unmitigated evil.

In conclusion, I would gently encourage your fiancé to join the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) in your parish.  There he could not only explore these questions more deeply, but also could learn more about the richness of our Catholic faith.  Being part of the RCIA process places no obligation on the participants to become Catholic.  It is an opportunity for spiritual growth and understanding.  You could possibly even be his sponsor, and you could enjoy the opportunity to share a very special experience.

May God bless you, Jodie, and may you and your fiancé know His love in your lives.

"I am wondering if a sinner as wretched as me can
return to the church?" Dawn
 

Father Bill:

I am older woman, baptized and took first communion in Catholic Church, and went for couple years after to confession and communion and mass. Suddenly my parents divorced and my mother said we could not go to church anymore. So, I felt as though God had left us, and me. My mother died suddenly at early age and I was then a teenager. For many years I was lost. I married a man who was abusive, he divorced me. I had abortion out of marriage. Then I remarried and being older became pregnant and had a second abortion. Then I lived with a man for 4 years. At this time I feel God began calling me? I would go sit in Catholic church a couple times during the day, but never felt I could go to church. But I did leave the man, and have been celibate for near 7 years. One day I picked up the Bible and now. I am wondering if a sinner as wretched as me can return to the church? I recently learned that excommunicated persons can return, I do not think my Mother ever knew.

How do I get over the fear of being told I am not absolved of my sins of so many years when the reason I left the church was - as a child+ my parents divorced and my Mother told me we could not go to church anymore? So I have been lost and made many bad choices over so many years. Mortal sins. Two years ago I picked up a Bible and started reading it and I believe Jesus knows my heart and has always loved me. But I am so afraid when I go to confession next Saturday( trying to return to church) that I will be shunned instead of forgiven of my sins by the Catholic Church. I went last week to Mass and prayed my hurt towards the church would leave me. but did not give confession and of course did not take Eucharist. Thank you. - Dawn

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Dear Dawn:

Be not afraid! How often Jesus said this! In fact there are those who say that phrases like “Do not fear” and “Be not afraid” are the most frequently repeated phrases in the entire Bible. Dawn, don't be afraid. You are loveable, and God loves you more than you can possibly imagine. He always has.

It appears that by the time you read this you will already have taken some important steps in letting God embrace you with his love and forgiveness. I hope and pray that the parish you are attending will also welcome you with open arms and that priest to whom you confess your sins will be as Christ to you. There is no reason why your sins could not be forgiven.

You have been through much, but God has been chasing you for a long time. It is obvious that you are aware of this, and you have been responding to his gentle call. In spite of—or perhaps because of—all that you have gone through, yours is a wonderful and inspiring story.

My thoughts and prayers are with you, Dawn. May God bless you and be with you as you continue the journey of life and faith. Don't be afraid!  -  Father Bill

P.S. I would like to add on important point for our readers who may share a common misunderstanding about our Church's teachings. It seems that there are many both within and outside of the Catholic Church who think that once Catholics are divorced they are no longer allowed to receive communion.  Pardon my shouting, but THIS IS NOT CORRECT!   It may have been true in your mother's time, but has not been so for many, many years.

In simple terms, here is the correct teaching: Catholics who are divorced may continue to be active members of a parish and may continue to receive the sacraments. Only if—and I repeat, ONLY IF—they remarry while the previous spouse is still living and without having a decree of nullity from the Catholic Church would they not be allowed to receive communion.  Even then, they are still welcome to attend Mass and, depending on the pastor, participate in other aspects of parish life.

 

FATHER KEVIN BATES, SM

"My faith is gone and I have stopped praying. 
Can you help?" - Ben

Dear Father Kevin:

My faith was very strong before. But in these past few years, I faced a lot of career troubles, from things which are not in my control. I have prayed a lot, and it has been 3 years. I know that at the time of trouble you should remain faithul to God. But my faith is shaking. I have stopped praying these days.
I am not sure what to do..  I am looking for guidance. Please help..  Ben

 __________________________________________________

Dear Ben:

Thanks much for your question.  The experience of darkness, the apparent silence of God, the times of personal struggle are all part of the spiritual journey.  All the great saints went through something akin to what you are describing here. This experience does not mean your faith is weaker than it was.  It possibly means that your faith is being tested and will strengthen as a result.  While it feels very much as if you are on your own, what you are experiencing is common to all who seek to grow in faith.

As we move from a more childish faith that depends on God for solutions and answers, to a maturing faith which learns to surrender rather than to demand, we grow into God’s love in remarkable ways.

Even Pope Benedict as he was retiring commented that he had often felt that for him God was “asleep”. So you’re certainly not on your own.  Every blessing to you. - Father Kevin

"In Acts 27:33-38 Paul celebrates the Eucharist with soldiers. 
Were they converted believers?" - Stephen
 

Father Kevin:

Acts 27:33-38 Paul celebrates the Eucharist with all the soldiers. They could not have all been converted believers that had confession? - Stephen

_________________________________

Hi Stephen:

Thanks for your interesting question.  One reading of that text tells us that Paul simply prepared and shared a meal with the sailors and soldiers on the ship.  It is not clear that this was a Eucharist.  If it was, it is entirely possible that they were all converted and baptized.. If they had been, the sacrament of baptism would have accomplished the forgiveness of their sins.  God wishes.  Father Kevin

PRIEST STAFF

"Do the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches play any role at
all in the selection of a pope? – Hunter

CatholicView Priest Staff:

I am interested in the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches. Since they are Catholic and in full communion with Rome, are there any Cardinals from the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches and do the Eastern Rite Catholic churches play any role at all in the selection of a pope? – Hunter

 _________________________________

Hunter:

The whole Catholic Church is involved in the election of the Bishop of Rome, the universal pastor of the Church and Patriarch of the West as represented in the College of Cardinals. There are Eastern Rite Cardinals who will fully participate in the conclave and could very well be elected pope. There are 7 Eastern Rite Cardinals. Yes, we could have an Eastern Rite pope! That possibility was explored in the movie, SHOES OF THE FISHERMAN (1968), which starred Anthony Quinn as Pope Kiril of the Ukrainian rite. – CatholicView Priest Staff

"I am a Malankara Syrian Catholic from India. How can I get
my marriage to a Hindu guy accepted by the Church? - Sheena

CatholicView Priest Staff:

I am a Malankara Syrian Catholic from India, and in love with a Hindu guy. I have heard that the church will recognize this marriage without him converting and after agreeing to bring up our children in faith. We enquired with many priests here, but all say church will not allow this inter-religion marriage. Since I am left with no other solution for this and life has been very difficult at home for me and my family, we have planned to register this legally for now. After the legal marriage, how can I get this marriage accepted by the church? I want to remain a catholic, attend the mass, receive communion and bring up my children in catholic faith itself. Please help. – Sheena

 _____________________________

Sheena:

"Why do Christians say the Temple won't be rebuilt?" - Katrin

CatholicView Priest Staff:

Thank you for taking my question. I would like to know why Christians say that the Temple won't be rebuilt?  Is this statement part of the Christian scriptures? And if so where in Christian scripture is this claim to be found? Thank you. - Katrin

Katrin:

The New Testament, the Christian scriptures, say nothing about rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem and the re-starting of animal sacrifices for the forgiveness and atonement of sins. Since Jesus died once for all for all sins, and by shedding His Blood, once for all, for atonement of sin and the salvation of humankind through faith in Jesus, there is no further need for any kind of animal sacrifice. By God's Will and His plan for the salvation of humankind through the one eternal sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, there is no further need for the Temple as it was known in the Old Testament, the Hebrew scriptures. I can assure you, the Temple will not be rebuilt because it is no longer needed. Jesus has fulfilled all the requirements of the Mosaic Law, and we are now in the New Covenant in which animal sacrifices are no longer required or wanted by God.  – CatholicView Priest Staff

My friend committed suicide last week.  Is
she allowed in heaven?” - Claudia
 

CatholicView Staff:

My friend committed suicide last week because she was facially disfigured in an accident and miserable living that way. Is she allowed into heaven? - Claudia

_________________________________ 

Claudia:

In the past, the church thought that suicide was the decision of a free act of the will and that people who killed themselves were acting with their full mental capacity.  With the strides made in medical knowledge, the church now knows that most people who commit suicide do so after a long and torturous mental, physical, and emotional pain that cannot be appreciated by most people.  This pain clouds the decision making process of a human being and disables the mind from making a free act of the will. To be able to overcome the built-in instinct for survival is a sign that the person is in mental distress that does not allow for free will to function.  Sin happens ONLY by a free act of the will.  Depending on the particular situation, the church does not see suicide as an automatic ticket to hell.  Notice that I said in my answer to you that “most” people who commit suicide do so outside of their complete free will and therefore are not culpable of sin.

There are those who commit suicide fully aware of what they are doing, fully aware of their options, making fully aware plans (pre-meditated action), and fully aware of their situation.  People who are “fully aware and free” who commit suicide will have to answer to God for their actions.  Usually, though, suicide is an act of a person not able to make a free will decision, thereby not guilty of sin. – CatholicView Priest Staff

CATHOLICVIEW STAFF

“If a person is cremated, are they allowed a
full mass with incense?” - Barbara
 

CatholicView Staff:

If a person is cremated, are they allowed a full Roman Catholic Mass with incense?  If there is no body, what is the purpose of the priest walking around with the incense?

A friend of my husband's got buried with a full Mass and I didn't think this was allowed under the church's teachings. - Barbara

___________________________________

Barbara:

Catholics in the past were taught that cremation was wrong, that the body would not be following the teachings of the Catholic Church because it would be, in essence, denying the resurrection of the body.  But Pope Paul VI, after reviewing this ruling lifted the ban on cremation.

If it is not possible for the body to be present at the Funeral Mass, permission has been granted by the Catholic Church which provides for the celebration of the Funeral Mass with the cremated remains of the body present in church.  Since it is the 'earthly remains' and not the body of the deceased that is present, there are slight adaptations in the liturgy.  In some diocese, local permission is needed for the cremated remains of the body to be present at Mass.

The Church now allows cremation, providing it is not a denial of faith as to the ultimate resurrection of the body.  The only thing that should be mentioned here is that the cremated remains receive the same respect as the decomposed remains.  The cremated body must be entombed or buried with dignity and honor.  The Lord knows where you are so cremation is permitted.  Hope this helps.  - CatholicView Staff

"If a person sells their soul to Satan can that
person be forgiven?” John

CatholicView:

I get bad thoughts in my head about "selling my soul to the evil one". I don't mean it and it scares me. If someone did sell their soul, can that person repent and be forgiven? - John

 _________________________________

John:

Thoughts are just thoughts since you have not acted on them.  If you believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, your soul belongs to Him.  If you believe and accept that your soul has already been bought and paid for with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, you have nothing to worry about.  It is not for sale as it has already been paid for by Jesus through your faithfulness to Him.  His seal of ownership is on you.  You can only lose your soul by living in sin, using your “Free Will” to embrace Satan by your actions. You would have to make the choice to turn your back on God and Jesus Christ.  You have not done this.  When these thoughts attempt to persuade you to sell your soul for something of this world, you must pray, asking the Lord to strengthen you.  You soul is safe.  God forgives.  If you pray to Him and ask for His forgiveness, He will forgive if you are sorry and promise to avoid such sin in the future.  Go in peace to continue on God's path. -  CatholicView Staff

“I am a legal secretary and in my department
I work with divorces.  Is this ok?” - Liz

CatholicView Staff:

I am a legal secretary and work in the Family department. We deal with divorces, which is obviously against my religion. I love my job and there are no other departments I am interested in working in, but it is on my mind and I just wanted to check whether I am ok to carry on working in this department. Thank you for your time.   -  Liz

____________________________________

Liz:

This is a hard question to answer.  You say you enjoy working in the Family Department and yet something is bothering you about your work. 

It is hard to set aside your faith and all that you know is right.  Working with marital breakups is sad especially when children are involved.  And yet jobs are hard to come by these days.  Basically you are following the orders of the job and does not affect what you believe.

The work you are doing now is not wrong in the sense that you are not personally sanctioning the destruction of a marriage.   If I were you I would think hard about this work as it is preying on what you know is sadly wrong in some cases. 

If another department is available to you, I would switch to it.  Our God Who sees all will bless you.  I suggest you pray about it and ask the Lord to lead you in the right direction.  -  Hope this helps a little.  – CatholicView Staff 

“My boyfriend does not want to get married but gives
the ok to have children.  Would this be a sin?” - Helen         

 

CatholicView Staff:

I am a Christian but my partner is not. I want to get married and have children but my partner does not want the wedding but tells me it is ok to have children. I am 41 so cannot wait. Would it be a sin to have children outside of marriage? I am desperate but torn....  Helen

 _________________________________

Dear Helen:

Why would you want to commit a grave sin if your boyfriend does not want to marry you?  If you commit the act of fornication you will not be able to receive the Eucharist as you would be living in a state of sin.  If this man truly loved you, he would want to marry you and give your children his name.  This is called commitment before God.  This is called following what the Lord wants from you.

Please think about this carefully and determine whether you want to have a family outside of Holy Matrimony.  It would be better to wait than to offend God by your choices - CatholicView Staff

“Is it okay for seniors to marry and have
intimate relations?” - Tom         
 

CatholicView Staff:

My wife died from cancer after 49 yrs of marriage. Is it Ok for seniors who remarry in the church to have sexual relations?  I've read some many answers.  I'm now confused.
Thank You. - Tom

_______________________________ 

Dear Tom:

I am sorry to hear that you lost your wife years ago.  This was a sad time for you for it brought loneliness and sorrow.

I am happy that God has given you a new marriage.  You are truly blessed to have found happiness once again.

Know that there is nothing wrong for two people who were married in the church to have intimate relations.  Your union has been blessed and sanctioned and you have become one.  Congratulations! - CatholicView Staff

 
“Is watching porn sometimes a mortal sin?”  -Jim
 

CatholicView Staff:

Is watching porn sometimes a mortal sin?  -Jim

 _____________________________

Jim:

Watching porn influences impure thoughts and can lead one into sexual action.  Stop the temptation.  A Christian Catholic must avoid this occasion of sin because it affects your thoughts, your views, your judgments, and most importantly your soul.  Remember, pornography is designed to incite lust, which is one of the seven deadly sins. Avoid it!  - CatholicView Staff

“I feel my relationship with Christ has led
to fear of Hell.  What can I do?” - Anita

CatholicView Staff:

Up until recently, I felt I was making slow but steady progress in my walk with Christ. However, I have come across a few sermons and articles regarding hell and how most people end up there. I now have a real fear in me of ending up in hell, which is now all I can think about whenever I try to pray or even think about spiritual matters. I feel my relationship with Christ has gone from one of friendship to one of fear. Is this how it should be or what can I do to get back on track? - Anita

________________________________ 

Anita:

CatholicView is so happy that you were once steady in your belief in Jesus Christ.  Sadly you have allowed what you heard or read to make you fear, forgetting the promises Jesus Christ made to all of us. 

We are told, as Christians, that one day we will spend an eternity with Him.  If we sin, we get forgiveness and He will give it if we are sincerely sorry for that sin.  He will cleanse you of all sin if you ask.  Do not let this sinful earth take away your relationship with Christ by making you feel unworthy of the heaven Jesus has prepared for you.  If you do, it will slow your walk with the Lord.  Know that if you pray and pray often, believe and follow what He teaches, you can rest assured you have nothing to fear.  Should you stray from the things He taught, make it right.  Seek forgiveness and be free of anything that may take you away from Him.  Keep remembering that your soul belongs to Jesus Christ.

Do not be afraid.  God does not want that.  When you feel isolated from Him, find a quiet place and talk to Him.  He hears everything and you will find peace.  Feel the love He has for you!  Listen to the Holy Spirit within you telling you that you are special, so special God even knows the number of hairs on your head.  You belong to Him.  Do not worry about hell.  Do not let the great deceiver, deceive you with his lies.  You are special in God's eyes and you belong to Him.  Be at peace.   - CatholicView Staff

“Is it alright to ask God to take away an
unwanted pregnancy?” - Felicia

CatholicView Staff:

Is it right to pray to God to take away an unwanted pregnancy and give it to someone who needs it?

______________________________

Felicia:

You do not say if you are married or single. 

When a child is conceived, it is the will of God and you must honor it.  To pray asking the Lord to take away that gift of life He has blessed you with is a sin.  If you are unmarried, then you must carry that little soul within until it is born.  You made this choice. Then, if you do not want this innocent little baby then make arrangements to let a loving couple adopt it.  The baby deserves this.  As a Christian an abortion is not an option.  Hope this helps you.  - CatholicView Staff
 

“Will we be forgiven if we break promises
to God?” – Scott

CatholicView Staff:

What can we expect to happen for broken promises made to God?  Damnation?  Would this be a mortal or venial sin?  A personal promise made to stop certain behavioral issues causing us to sin. Upon this broken promise being committed the person is aware that they are breaking the promise but being overcome by temptation and a need for selfish reasons commits the sin anyway.  The feeling of depression was great and a need to offer personal assistance of small relief was the intention.  The pain of hurting God is present as is the thought of sorrow and remorse.  Can we be forgiven?   - Scott

________________________________ 

Scott:

God does not want us to make promises to Him and then decide not to kept that promise. The bible tells us in Colossians 1:14 "For He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son, Who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins".  But God knows all about us and still He loves us.  But since you are sincerely sorry He will forgive you if you humbly come before Him and ask for forgiveness and mean it.

The Bible also says in Romans 5:8, “God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!”  What amazing love and mercy God pours out into our lives.  Because of this love for us, He will forgive over and over as long as we have life within us and ask Him for that forgiveness, promising not repeat the sin we committed.  God wants your faith in Him.  He does not need promises in order for you to get something from Him.  The only promise He wants is that you trust in Him and have faith that He will come through for you.  Visit this article in CatholicView at this link:   SEVENTY TIMES SEVEN .  Get forgiveness and mean it.  No sin is too big for God to forgive if one is sincere.  Peace be with you, Scott. -  CatholicView Staff

“I have had much abuse in my life.  Can you
pray a cleansing prayer for me?” - Briget

 

CatholicView Priest Staff:

I have been abused as a child and it has continued now as an adult. I made many mistakes and now it seems something is holding me down. Can you pray a cleansing prayer for both me and my boyfriend? - Bridget

___________________________________ 

Dear Bridget:

Thank you for writing to us.  I am so sorry to hear that you were abused as a child and that it has continued in your adult life as well.  From your email it is not clear what you want to do or need.  Know that God knows all things and because He loves you, He wants you to continue to look to Him for everything.  Know He will supply all things if it is right for you. 

He sees all your hurts and wants to heal them.  Through grace He will give you strength and courage to keep going if you truly believe in Him.  Please continue to put your trust in Him and abide by His teachings.  During this Lenten Season, remember the sacrifice that Jesus paid for our cleansing of sin.  Know that if we live as He taught us, one day all the hurts that you suffered in this life will be made right and there will be no more pain or abuse, no more suffering, no more pain and no more dying.  We will live eternally.

Here is a beautiful and cleansing prayer from Psalms 51: 1-12 written by David in the Old Testament:

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions.  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.  Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight; so You are right in Your verdict and justified when You judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.  Yet You desired faithfulness even in the womb; You taught me wisdom in that secret place.  Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  Let me hear joy and gladness;  let the bones you have crushed rejoice.  Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

Briget, we will pray for you and your boyfriend.  Please go in peace to love and serve the Lord.  - CatholicView Staff

“Is it sinful to make a deal with God to
heal my dog?” - Erin

 

CatholicView Staff:

Is it a sin if you make a deal with God?  Is it right to say to God "if you heal my dog, I will say 10 Hail Mary's every day"? - Thanks! - Erin

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Erin:

From your email, you are asking God to heal your dog and in return you will pray.  First of all, you cannot bargain with God.  You may ask for His help and ask for His Divine intervention but you cannot say to God "If I pray, will you heal my dog?"

Erin, one should never make deals with God.  He does not swap favors and He does not barter.  God knew what you needed even before you asked.  There is nothing He wants from you but your faith and your trust in Him.  So go humbly before Him and through prayer, let Him know what you need.  Ask, without pretence, and thank Him by living the way He wants you to live.  He wants nothing in return except you.  Be at peace, knowing that if it is His will to heal your dog, He will grant it.  - CatholicView Staff

“My husband is not Catholic and doesn’t want our
marriage blessed.  What can I do?”-  Michele

 
CatholicView Staff:

My husband is not a Catholic. We were married in a civil ceremony over four years ago. I want desperately to receive communion, but he is reluctant to have the marriage convalidated.  What can I do? - Michele

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Michele:

Thank you for writing to A CatholicView.  Unless you get your marriage blessed, according to the church you have no marriage.  If your husband truly loves you, he will respect your wish to have this marriage recognized by the Church and most important sanctioned by Almighty God.  This can be done within the sacristy without anyone present except you, your husband, and the priest.  Explain to your spouse that he is not under any obligation to become Catholic because of this, however he will have given you something that is invaluable; a God blessed union.  Without this you have no marriage in the eyes of the church.

Should your husband continue with this, your union will not only be unrecognized by the church but he will be denying you the sacraments you want as a Catholic Christian.  I pray your husband will consider the cost to you.  You are in my prayers. - CatholicView Staff

“I want to return to the Catholic Church after
30 years.  Am I still a Catholic?” - Shirley

 

CatholicView Staff:

I left the Catholic Church 30 years ago for a Baptist Church.  Have done all Catholic Sacraments including marriage.  I would like to come back to the church but don't know how to start.  Am I still a Catholic? -  Shirley

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Shirley:

Since you were a baptized Catholic those years ago, all that is necessary is that you make an appointment with a priest in your area.  Tell him what you have said here.  You see, once a person is baptized Catholic, they are always considered Catholic.  Your baptism made you a member of the church family even though you left thirty years before. 

Prepare yourself to go to confession. If you are not sure about what to do when you go, speak with the priest and he will be able to guide you through venial and mortal sins that you may have committed during your absence.  Let the priest answer your questions.  Let him help you to come back home.  Find encouragement and know that you are not alone in your journey back to the faith.

It seems that you have had all the Sacraments including marriage before you left, so confession is all you need now.  After confession, you are free to receive the sacraments of the Church as well as take partake in the life and family within the Church.

“I experienced the vision of the Blessed mother while
saying the rosary.”  What does this mean? - Madeline

 

CatholicView Staff:

I experienced the vision of the Blessed mother while saying the rosary. She appeared waist up and wearing a black Habit. It was not a dream. I got out of bed and knelt to her and in couple of minutes she disappeared. She did not speak.  What does this mean? - Madeline

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Madeline:

Sadly CatholicView is not a forum for interpreting visions.  This is a beautiful happening and you should discuss this verbally with your parish priest.    Call the church you attend and make an appointment.  Please give all the information to him in order that he may be able to help or refer you to someone who can.  May the Lord bless you.  - CatholicView Staff           

 
“Can a lay person perform more than one
function at the same mass?” - Elizabeth

 

CatholicView Staff:

I was told years ago that a lay person cannot perform more than one function at the same Mass; i.e. a lector cannot also be an Eucharistic Minister or an alter server. Or an alter server cannot also be an Eucharistic minister at the same Mass. Is this correct then my church is not following the rules and I would like to make this known to them but don't where can I find a reference to this. - Elizabeth

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Elizabeth:

At our church, we have altar servers who also may serve as Ministers of the Eucharist if there is a shortage of Ministers and are qualified.  The Church calls lay people to responsible stewardship of their time and talent in support of the Church.  This often takes the form of volunteering for a specific lay ministry if needed.  I cannot give you a reference to this however.  Hope this helps a bit.  - CatholicView Staff
       

“Our bulletin says we can have confession just
before mass but priests are not available.  What
should I do?” - Richard
 

CatholicView Staff:

Our diocese announces in every weekly parish bulletin that priests are available 15 minutes prior to each celebrated Mass for confession or/ by appointment at the parish. It is hard to make an appointment at the parish office when we work weekly from 9-5.  Problem is, priests in our parishes are NOT available 15 minutes prior to Mass for confession as they show up in the back of the church 1 minute prior to the marching procession to the front of the church to being Mass.  It is frustrating when I have mortal sins that I want to confess in order to receive absolution before I go to communion. What am I supposed to do?

Because the priests are most of the time not available for confession 15 minutes prior to mass, can I simply do an act of contrition and go ahead and receive communion? (with the promise of course that I will confess my sin at the next available occasion a priest is available)?  I wrote to my Archbishop at my diocese and c.c. the vicar about this and received no answer on this very important issue.  If I can't receive communion in this case (if an act of contrition is not sufficient), then why stay for Mass?  Thanks,  Richard

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Dear Richard:

I am so sorry that you cannot get an available priest to hear your confession before mass and that you have not received a response from your archbishop or the vicar.      

Have you called your parish office to set up an appointment for an evening face to face confession?  Please explain to the one who answers the phone that you are in need of an immediate confession. 

Evening appointments are usually available if they are set up in advance.  If you cannot make a time at your own parish, I would suggest you try another.

Do remember priests are always available just after mass when they greet the parishioners as they leave.  Please try to speak to your priest then and tell him it is urgent that you see him for confession. 

During this time of lent, and confessions are set up regularly and often.  And you might consider the weekday confessions that may be offered.  Hope this helps. - CatholicView Staff  

TO VISIT JANUARY 2013 "ASK A PRIEST" CLICK HERE