SEPTEMBER 2007  CATHOLICVIEW STAFF FATHER CEDRIC PISEGNA, C.P FATHER CEDRIC PISEGNA, C.P. "Is it really so wrong to talk to a Medium? Please help." - Karen Father Cedric: My husband has recently passed away. He went to sleep and just never woke up. I don't understand. I pray to God for strength but I feel lonely and empty. I need to feel him. I need to hear his voice one more time. I need to know he is okay. Is it really so wrong to talk to a Medium? Please help. I am so lost. Thank you. - Karen Dear Karen: I was once preaching in Metairie, LA. and a group of mothers who had lost their child to death and were grieving asked the same question. What I told them is that consulting a medium is forbidden in the Scriptures and the teaching of our church in the Catechism frowns upon it. (Acts 16:16, Zechariah 10:2, Micah 5:12, Ezekiel 21:29, and many other references) What you are trying to do is find out things of the Spirit world apart from God. You must trust God and God will help you grieve well. Do mediums have power? Some do and some don’t. Where does their power come from? I’m not an expert in this, but mostly not from God. I don’t even consult horoscopes because I see them as outside the will of God for us. My prayer is that you will grieve well. There are grief groups in the church that can help you. As you pray, rely upon God and seek the help of the community, you won’t feel lost, but filled with hope about your reunion with your husband in Heaven! Sincerely, Fr. Cedric Father Cedric:
Dear Alphonse, Suffering and death are a mystery, but the Bible tells us many truths. First of all, it was not God’s will for us to suffer or die. God is not the cause of it, evil and our fall is. While God did not give us these realities, he will “use” them to bring good from them. For example, it is often pain or suffering of some sort that will lead a person to a conversion. That happened in my case through a case of acne as a teenager and a breakup I had with my girlfriend. God even used the sin in my life to bring about good. Did God cause all these things? Was it his will that I have acne, break up and sin? No, of course not. But these things happen because we are human. This “problem of evil” as it is termed is a difficult one. God does not will death, but redeems it through his son. I invite you to read my book “Death: The Final Surrender” available through: www.frcedric.org In this book I write about the death experience and what we can expect after we die. I had two near death experiences when I was 19 years old and God taught me these things. My prayer is that you grieve well and realize that God makes all things work to good for those who love him. Sincerely, Fr. Cedric
Hello! Dear Susan, It is sad and unbelievable the atrocities
that have been committed in the history of humanity. The Jewish holocaust as well as the
Armenian holocaust, wars, abortions, murders…you name it, is proof to some that God
cannot exist. Theologically, this is called
“the problem of evil.” The
statement goes: How can a good God allow accidents, suffering and death? As I said to other questioners this month, God did
not cause these things. Death grieves his
heart too, but God has provided a way out. There is redemption through his son. God never
promised that our life would be suffering free, only that he would be with us and save us
through it. Jesus himself has borne abominable sufferings.
Therefore, God knows how it feels. Elie Wiesel wrote a gripping book called “Night.” (It is a dark book…I recommend Victor Frankl’s: Man’s Search for Meaning.” Elie is a Jewish concentration camp survivor. He recounted the horrible story of a young boy who was hung in front of a crowd of prisoners. Someone then whispered “Where is God now?” There were no answers. Elie said his soup that night tasted like death. I think if we were to ask God where He was God would say, “The same place I was when My Son was tortured and died on a cross.” God was aware and with him. If we have faith we will realize that God is there in any storm or suffering we have. He may not take it away (99.9% of the time) but we can be assured that he sees our tears and is with us. It is interesting that God finally did show up in the presence of the allied forces. It took time, but the answer finally came. Much of what happens on earth depends on our cooperation with God’s will. Perhaps if we knew that we would work harder to alleviate the poverty, starvation and the senseless violence going on in the world today. Instead of praying for God to do it, we should help God accomplish His will on earth. Sincerely, Fr. Cedric
”Can a woman be a Roman Catholic Cantor?” - Lisa CatholicView Staff:
Dear Lisa: Of course you can be a cantor in a Roman
Catholic Parish. There is no reason why
anyone with musical and liturgical knowledge, male or female, cannot be a cantor in a
Roman Catholic parish. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff:
Bob: As a Christian, I will not compromise my values to “make a buck.” If I had a commercial website, I would not use false lures to get people to visit my page. I would just present my business proposal and product without the need for any “adult-orientated” tags. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff:
Karin: Thomas Aquinas, a great philosopher and theologian that he was, didn’t have the corner on Catholic doctrine. In his time, there were people who disagreed with his teachings and proposals. Thomas Aquinas, in answering the question on when the human soul becomes infused in the fetus, suggested that the human soul “came into” a fetus sometime in the sixth week of gestation, or even later. In this opinion, Thomas Aquinas was wrong. The Church NEVER EVER changed its teaching that the human soul became “infused” into the human fetus at conception. Please understand that Thomas Aquinas’ writings ARE NOT CHURCH DOCTRINE. They are teachings of a professor who tried to explain the mysteries of life in a Christian manner during the 13th century. Most of Thomas Aquinas’ teachings were “right on,” but others were not. - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff:
Dear
Rob: I
am sorry to hear that your family has turned their backs on you. You are correct in saying a person does not chose
his/her sexual orientation. The Church does not hate anyone. You are mistaken to think that just because you have a homosexual orientation that the Church hates you. No where does the Church say that it hates people with a homosexual orientation. On the contrary, the Church has proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His message of love and forgiveness. The Church has taught that any sexual intimacy and physical sexual expression outside of the sacrament of marriage to be sinful. So, everyone, whether they have a heterosexual (opposite sex attraction) or homosexual (same sex attraction) orientation are held to the same moral code: no sex outside of marriage. This teaching is based on the words of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 5, Verses 27-30: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart." The challenge that Jesus gave us as Christians is that we must not objectify another person as a thing to be lusted over. Some people think that since the Church does not accept their sinful actions that somehow the Church hates them as persons. That is a wrong assessment. The Church always makes the distinction between actions and personhood. Each human person has a God-created dignity that
demands to be respected. Since we have been made in the image of God, to sexually
objectify another human person is to destroy in our mind that divine dignity of another
and set one on the path of crossing the sacred boundary of the other.
Crossing that boundary is to demean another by expressing our lust and not our love.
I need to define love for our discussion here. Love is the uniting of two souls into
one and, through that love, a person becomes a better human being (notice the word,
better...if a person becomes a worse human being, it is NOT love but
destructive obsession.) Love then has me walking in the other person's shoes,
understanding and feeling what the other person is feeling. As Saint Paul writes in the first letter to the
Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verses 4-8: "Love is patient, love is kind. It is not
jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own
interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injuries, it does not rejoice
over wrong-doing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." God
calls us to love. That is the Church's mission: to love. Love sometimes
can be tough and challenging. That's why the Church points out through its moral
teachings the pitfalls of sin. Sin destroys the God-created human dignity that is in
us. Sin is a spiritual cancer that can destroy a person's ability to live life to
the full. The Church does not want its believers in Jesus Christ to suffer
needlessly these consequences of sin. That being said, the Church does not hate people of
the homosexual orientation. The Church calls all people to faithfulness to God and
to their God-created dignity for we are all made in the image of God. The Church will always point out sin wherever it sees it as a warning for its believers. Sin enslaves a person to its objective: personal destruction. Rob, you are in our prayers and thoughts. Live life to the full and honor the Lord in all that you do. I also pray that your family will love you and accept you as you are. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff:
Dear Margaret: The symbol of the human skull in that particular statue of Saint Francis of Assisi represents several things. The skull represents death and suffering. Yet it does not mean that Saint Francis wanted to die or suffer. On the contrary, it represents that through faith in Jesus Christ, we have victory over death, suffering, and sin. Saint Francis, though he forsake his life of luxury and political power and embraced humility and poverty, was a very happy and peaceful man because of his faith in the Lord. Not even death or the human condition could take that peace of mind that comes from faith. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff:
Dear Daisy: Thank you for your letter. One cannot be too
careful in casual pickups because you do not know their marital status or their character. It is not unheard of for a married man to pretend
he is single, especially if a young female finds him attractive. And there is danger in casual pickups. I think it would be wise to be careful with
people you do not know. Unless you provoked this man you speak about, I
see no sin committed. But, please be very
cautious. Try to meet young men in safe
surroundings, perhaps through a friend, at church, or someplace where you can check on the
man’s credentials. Limit your flirting because you might invite unsavory people into your life. May the Lord guide you in all that you do. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView:
Ryan: The immaturity of this act is akin to destruction of private property. You destroyed property that belonged to another, particularly the family of the deceased. This falls under the commandment, “Do not steal.” The defacing of the headstone is considered disrespect not only for the deceased but for the deceased’s family. I am sure that you would not want anyone to do this to a deceased loved one’s grave. Why do it against someone else? The gravity of the sin (whether it is a mortal sin or not) depends on your motivation. I cannot judge that. You confessed your sin and I hope that you will never do it again. I would also hope that you can make some restitution for the destruction of private property as that would show your repentance of this sin. - CatholicView Staff
Dear CatholicView:
Dear Jessica: Listening to music is a wonderful thing. You are right in saying that you do not let some music” take hold” of your thoughts. Much of today’s music is filled with suggestive lyrics. If possible try to fill your mind with “clean” music, uncluttered with swearing or leading to sinful thoughts. It is the content of the music that can be a
trigger to sinful thinking, especially if it represents most of your listening. Be selective and limit yourself to selections that
do not contain swearing, violence or blatant sexual innuendoes. May God bless you for wanting to be the best that
you can. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff:
Dear Chris: The actual verse is this: Malachi, Verse 20: “The day that is coming is going to burn them up, says the Lord God, leaving them neither root nor stalk. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing in its rays and you will leap like calves going out to pasture.” The reference is made by the prophet Malachi to the coming of the Messiah, the Savior of Israel, who will make all things right and destroy the power of evil in humankind. As Christians, we interpret the “sun of righteousness” as Jesus Christ, who is our Lord and Savior. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: Steven: God hears everyone’s prayers. And he answers all prayer according to His Will. As to your question about those in mortal sin, God hears their prayers too for God blesses and answers the prayers of the just and unjust (see I Peter 3:18). But for those in mortal sin, it is a question about their relationship with God. In mortal sin, their relationship with God is totally broken, so I would say, why would they pray when they have no relationship with God? But even those in mortal sin who repent and believe have God’s forgiveness freely given. – CatholicView Staff CatholicView:
Dear Melissa: I am saddened to hear that your husband wants
you to seek out the New World religion of Santeria. You
do not indicate if he is a member of this faith or why he feels that you are cursed. You wrote that you do not know a lot about this
religion. Santeria is one of the
many strange nature religions created in the New World and is based on the West
African religions brought to the new world by slaves imported to the Caribbean to work the
sugar plantations. These slaves carried with them their own religious traditions,
including a tradition of possession trances for communicating with the ancestors and
deities, the use of animal sacrifice and the practice of sacred drumming and dance. Those
slaves who landed in the Caribbean, Central and South America were nominally converted to
Catholicism. However, they were able to preserve some of their traditions by fusing
together various Dahomean, baKonga and Yoruban beliefs and rituals and by mixing
these with elements from the surrounding Catholic culture. In Cuba this religious
tradition has evolved into what we know today as Santeria, the Way of the Saints. However, the religion you are writing about in
this letter does not include our God. Their
God is called Olodumare and to indulge in a religion that does not include God, as we know
Him. This is very, very serious because it will also exclude the Son Jesus
Christ as Lord and Savior. Remember, no Jesus, no salvation. There is no need for animal sacrifice because
Jesus did it all on the cross. This religion
has a Satanic influence and should not be approached by Christians. Please visit this link
for more information: http://www.wemba-music.org/orisha_faq.htm Sadly, your husband is completely wrong about his advice for you to approach a Santeria practitioner to release you from some "curse." By your faith in Jesus Christ, you are protected by the blood of Christ and the devil cannot destroy you. You must think carefully before you abandon your faith by seeking an answer in Santeria. This religion is a complete turnabout of all you were taught and all that you have come to believe. Consider what you would be giving up. Instead, pray to the Lord for protection from all evil. Here is a prayer I want you to say everyday so that you can gain confidence in your faith in Jesus: “LORD
JESUS, I AM HAVING A HARD TIME WITH BAD THINGS HAPPENING AROUND ME. LORD JESUS, IN
YOUR NAME, I COMMAND ALL EVIL TO LEAVE ME AND MY FAMILY. LORD JESUS, IN YOUR NAME,
SEND YOUR HOLY SPIRIT OF PROTECTION UPON MY FAMILY, HOME, AND MYSELF. I TRUST IN
YOU, LORD JESUS, AND I TRUST YOU, LORD, TO BE WITH ME ALWAYS UNTIL THE END OF TIME.
LORD JESUS, I GIVE YOU EVERYTHING. I AM SAFE IN YOUR LOVING EMBRACE” If you can, bless yourself with Holy Water
which can be obtained at your local parish. Say this little prayer everyday until
you have peace of heart and know that the Lord is with you. Curses have no power
over a Christian like yourself. Curses only have the power that a person give to
them in their mind. By saying this little prayer, you will not allow any thing bad
to happen to you or those you love. I would
strongly suggest that you go and speak with your parish priest immediately. He will be able to define what you should do so
that you can make a solid and informed decision for your religious life. May the Lord go with you as you seek truth and
knowledge. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: Hello Kathleen: Thank you for your question. CatholicView Staff: Dear Cathleen: It is sad to hear that your mother refuses to
forgive you. To be unforgiving is a sin we
should all avoid. As God forgives us, so we
should forgive each other. At 22 years of age, you were a grownup and able
to make your own choices. And you are correct
in saying that you cannot do more than apologize for hurting her. But after 16 years and seeing you content in your
marriage, why isn’t she happy for you? You do not say if you are now living closer to
your mother or if you are still married to the man in question. This is an important point, especially to her. Try
once more to talk to your mom, ask her to tell you why she is still holding this matter
within her after all these years. Tell her
you are hurting also by her unforgiveness. Please go to your parish priest and seek his
counsel. There you can give him all the
information he needs to make an assessment of your situation. Hopefully he will suggest a way to renew the bond
with your mother. CatholicView will
pray that you get the loving forgiveness that you seek. – CatholicView Staff CatholicView Staff: Dear Teresa: Certainly I can understand your doubts about the goodness of Catholic priests. In light of the recent scandals, it is hard to understand that very few individual priests have fallen from the pedestals we have placed them on. I think the main thing here is to remember is that every single one of us is human and is prone to sin. But I must tell you that 97% of priests have not had any scandal touch them and they have remained faithful to their ministry and to God. Yes, I must admit that 3% of priests have not lived up to their commitment to God and Church. But you can see in any religious group that there are just a few bad apples that affect the rest of us. My faith is based in Jesus Christ, though, and not in any human person. Jesus saves, not any ordained minister or any member of the church. There will be good priests and bad priests but
you do not give up on your church home or your belief in God. Let God take care of these things and concentrate
on being the very best you can be and follow the teachings of Christ. And we must pray for the leaders in the church
that they may become strong in their witness to Jesus and His Father’s Word. Do not give up on your faith. Pray and ask God to lead you. CatholicView
Staff CatholicView
Staff:
Dear Kathryn: Thank you for your letter. I am so sorry that you have lived with such
a pain filled childhood. Sometimes parents or
schools do not realize that talking about hell to a child instead of primarily stressing
the wonderful love and mercy that God gives to us all is not the right approach that our
Lord wants you and I to take. It is through
His Grace that we do not have to worry about hell and damnation. Jesus Christ Himself spoke of hell. We as Christians know that if we follow what He
teaches, we need not fear hell or be concerned about it.
But to hide what the bible teaches would be wrong. The emphasis must always be on the goodness of
God, the beauty he has given to us, and the eternity He has promised to all of us who do
His Will. Hell is a choice WE MAKE when we
decide to turn away from Him. Sadly, and in
truth we send ourselves to hell by our bad behavior because we decide: Hell, or eternal happiness with the Lord someday. If we live good and faithful lives we have
nothing to fear for God does not want anyone to go to hell.
This is why He gives us a choice called free will. In the final analysis we choose where we will go. Please do not forget God’s forgiveness and
His everlasting mercy for all of us. He knows
the reality of sin in this world and so He is always ready to help us live good lives. As you forgive your child when they say “I am
sorry” for some deed, so can you go to our Heavenly Father and ask to be forgiven. He forgives and then He forgets your misdeeds for
He loves you and wants you to live with Him in perfect peace. Look at His Eternal Love. Look at Jesus Christ Who loves you so much He
paid an enormous price for you to enter heaven. Our
thoughts should always be about that love and heaven someday, for it is through love that
we will want to do the right things always and this gains us our place with God. Do not be afraid.
Please go in peace. – CatholicView
Staff
CatholicView Staff: Dear Chloe: There are many unexplained happenings to which
we do not have clear-cut answers. I would say
that your sister wanted to see and comfort her children. Can the dead appear to the living? Scripture shows that they can. The clearest
biblical example of a ghostly apparition is the Gospel account of Our Lord’s
transfiguration on the mountain, when Moses (who had died centuries before) appeared to
Jesus and three of His apostles, conversing with Him. (See Mt 17:1–3.) Take comfort that your sister appeared to her
children to assure them all is well and that she is looking out for them from God's
eternal heaven. Someday, all things will be
made known to us. At this point we can only
assume such phenomena still happens in our modern day life.
– CatholicView Staff CatholicView Staff:
Marina: Both the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church recognize the validity of your fiancé’s first marriage. So, you have an issue with both churches, though the Orthodox Church has a different set of canon law to deal with marriages, both will demand a process to annul his first marriage. By the way, in the Catholic Church, the annulment process does not happen in the Vatican but in your local diocese (as does the Orthodox Church’s process). So, ask your local priest to start the annulment process and have your fiancé start the annulment process in the Orthodox Church by asking his priest. And when the annulment process is complete, you can have your marriage solemnized in either Church! - CatholicView Staff CatholicView Staff:
David: The Catholic Church has never called the elements of Holy Communion “wafers.” That is a term used by others (media, non-Catholics) to explain the unleavened bread that we use in our communion rites. The Catholic Church (as well as the Orthodox Church) has always held that BREAD (leaven for the Orthodox and unleavened for the Catholic) is the one of two elements used for communion (wine being the other element). The bread used for sacramental purposes must be made of flour and water only (like the bread used for Passover) with no additions of any kind such as preservatives, salt, nuts, seeds, or flavoring. We do not have or use “wafers.” - CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff:
Dear Mary Lou: Just go back! The door is always open! And may I suggest that you also involve yourself in a bible study and prayer group to sustain your spiritual life in Jesus Christ throughout the week. – CatholicView Staff CatholicView Staff:
Dear Debby: I am so happy and grateful to God that you are participating in the Rachel Vineyard’s retreat. The main focus of this retreat is the healing of the sin of abortion. God forgives so that we can move on with our life and live for Christ and be unburdened of the past. The Sacrament of Penance (confession) is a special gift from God and it enables Christians to leave the past behind and live free in the present. You feel the spiritual, emotional and even physical need for this retreat. Do not be afraid to confront the past and leave it in the Hands of God. The retreat will help you deal with the past and you will be enveloped in God’s limitless love that heals and forgives. You don’t have to do anything special to go to confession. Just tell the priest that you have never been to confession before and he will guide you through the sacrament! And don’t worry about remembering every sin and every detail of your entire life. What matters is that you are ready to confess the sin of abortion and the major sins that you have been carrying around like heavy baggage. Everything you tell a priest in confession (within the context of the sacrament of Penance) is “privileged communication” and can never be shared with anyone. And as a priest, I have heard many confessions that would shock anyone. But I am always ready to impart God’s love and the Church’s absolution because Jesus told us to do so in John, Chapter 20, Verse 20: “Receive the Holy Spirit! For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven.” And again, in James, Chapter 5, Verse 16: “So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another and this will heal you.” I know that you will find that confession is a freeing grace from God. Then after this retreat is complete, you will dance for joy in the Lord! - CatholicView Staff CatholicView Staff: Wesley: You are not a “bad Christian.” You are a Christian living in the world and battling the slavery of sin. Interestingly enough, God has implanted in all of us the powers of attraction so that we can find our soul partners according to God’s Will. But, as with all things, we must make sure that such “powers of attraction” are not used to the detriment of ourselves or for the destruction of the dignity of another. Lust has its purpose if it is controlled by our own spiritual dependence on God. What Jesus wants us to do ideally is to see in the opposite gender the beauty of the person’s soul more than the person’s physical and sexual attraction. Even though “lust” in its proper role makes us “pay attention” to another, Christ calls us to true love that is not based on the superficiality of human physical beauty. For love is more than physical attraction. Love is the uniting of two souls into one. For true love will conquer the temporary physical and sexual attraction of first love and bring a person to the unity of two souls that will nourish and give life forever! - CatholicView Staff CatholicView Staff:
Hello Miek: The Masonic Lodge in your area was offering a scholarship for any student whether they had any relationship with the Masons. That is part of their support for youth and students regardless of their belief system or fraternity. You don’t have to be a Mason or even understand them to receive their scholarship. They have honored a special youth from their community regardless of creed or race. Even though the Church has given its strong opinion on Catholics not joining the Masons, this does not mean that we should not accept their help. An example of this is the famous Shriner’s Hospitals’ for Children. The Shriners are Masons too! Yet, the Shriners’ Hospitals have generously helped children all over the United States who needed serious medical help. Does that mean that I shouldn’t accept their help if my child is in medical danger and they have the medical cure or answer? NO! Your pastor is correct in saying that the student should have accepted the scholarship! I would have. And going to a meeting where the scholarship was presented is NOT THE SAME as attending a Masonic meeting and ritual. To do so, one has to be a full-fledged member. The student and his/her parents just attended a civilian reception and not a meeting to receive their scholarship. And, yes, you are overly worried about this subject in regards to this scholarship. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff:
Dear Jannett: I am saddened to hear that your husband is
interested in Druidism and is not talking to you about this ancient religious belief
system. Druidism has its origins in the spiritual traditions of the Celtic people of
long ago before Christianity was introduced to Ireland and England in the fourth and fifth
centuries A.D. (through the missionary work of Saint Patrick). It is considered a
"nature worship" religion. In this particular belief system, practioners
do not believe in a personal God like Christians (and others) do. Instead, God is an
impersonal life force that is in everything. Through ritual that focuses the human
mind to this life force, a practioner of Druidism is able to change things for the better
(or worse). Druids do not believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior though they
might consider Him a prophet or a "fully realized" person who was in touch
with the divine life force around us. So, Druids are not Christian. In our
religious language, the Druids are considered "pagan." Your husband is
obviously studying this ancient belief system for some reason. But what bothers me
is what you wrote: "he is angry all the time and does not talk to me or anyone."
Your husband is struggling with something and he is unable to communicate what is
disturbing his peace of mind. I am concerned for your husband. He needs help
and direction. Something is wrong. I pray that he reaches out to you or
someone else. My prayer is that the Lord will give you strength and peace to handle
your husband's crisis of faith and emotional well-being.
CatholicView Staff:
Cyndi: The Church does not
demand from its believers in Jesus Christ that we do anything EXTRAORDINARY to keep a
person alive that is afflicted with an illness that is fatal. You have done all that
you can do for your mother. The "do not resuscitate" order is the correct
thing to do. When the time comes, the doctor will disconnect the artificial and
extraordinary means of life support and let "nature" take its course.
In this way, God's Will is done. I know that you love your mother and you are
grateful for her life. Please know that God has everything in His Hands and He has
prepared for your mother a mansion in heaven (please read the Gospel of John, Chapter 14,
Verses 1 through 6). The Lord is waiting for your wonderful mother with His Open
Arms. May the Lord strengthen and give you
courage during this sad and trying time. - CatholicView Staff CatholicView Staff: Dear Diane: Your friend is wrong about the fact that
Catholics do not receive the Holy Spirit. As
Christian Catholics who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is freely given
to us when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord as our Savior.
Please read St. John 14:26, “But
when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He
will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” This is God’s free gift to all believers. As to the baptismal rite, we do have a choice of
submersion but remember it is not the baptism that saves us; it is in the belief in Jesus
Christ as the Savior Who offers our Salvation. Baptism
is the public acknowledgement of our acceptance of Jesus Christ and this ritual cleanses
us from all earthly sin and makes our souls brand new.
Romans 6:4 states, “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism.
And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we
also may live new lives.” Hope this
helps. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff:
Dear Christina: Our religion is founded on the Old Testament
that is based in the Jewish bible called the Jewish Tenach or Torah. That said, we, as Christians, also believe fully
in the New Testament that contains the precious teachings and miracles of Jesus Christ Who
died for our sins. Jewish people believe in
God, the Father, but do not embrace or accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. We have to be careful to choose someone who
believes as we do, for the bloom of first love can change after marriage when two people
are unevenly yoked. That is not to say the
other person will not be a good and loving husband, or be amendable to your religion, but
you will go separate ways in belief and worship.
And there is the question of raising your children in your faith
someday, should you choose a non-Catholic husband. Consider the pros and cons. Hope this helps a bit. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff: Dear Lucy: It does
not matter if your son was a sinner at the time of his untimely death. We are all
sinners. Through our faith in Jesus Christ, we are justified and our salvation is
promised after our life here on earth is complete. Your son believed in the Lord and
the Lord knows of his love for Him. Therefore, the Lord Jesus died on the cross for
your son and He nailed all his sins on that cross so that your son will be forgiven and
live with Him forever in heaven (John 14:1-6). Your son's sins were already forgiven
in total at Calvary on that Good Friday! Your son is not suffering but is free at
last to be what God made him to be, a son of God, the Father, free from sin, pain, and
sorrow. It does not matter if a person has gone to church all the time or not.
It matters that his heart knew and loved the Lord. Salvation is not a matter
of "following the rules." Salvation is a matter of love: love of God
and love of neighbor. You described your son as a good son who loved and was never
in trouble. This shows me that he was a person of faith and love in God.
Through his faith, he is forgiven of all his sins. And through his love, he is
living in heaven forever. Be at peace. Your son is now talking to Jesus Christ
face to face about you. You have your own "personal saint" before the Lord
Jesus. – CatholicView Staff
CatholicView Staff:
Naomi: Arius taught that
Jesus was JUST a man, not divine. Therefore,
for Arius, there is no Trinity, only God the Father.
Jesus was His human Son. The Holy Spirit is just the mind or creating power
of God the Father. The Council of Nicaea
declared this to be heretical and not part of the
Christian teaching from the apostles. We
proclaim, in the Nicean Creed, that God is a Trinity and that Jesus is both divine and human, and
that the Holy Spirit is the Love of God made real, a separate but equal entity (person) to
the Father and Son. Today, the Jehovah
Witnesses teach what Arius taught. That’s
why the Jehovah Witnesses are not considered truly Christian since
CatholicView Staff: Robert: The flowers were meant as a prayer
and as an honor to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The
bride, in this act of presenting flowers, asks God for the grace and wisdom to be a good
mother and wife like the Blessed Virgin. The
flowers were meant to stay there until the bouquet is no longer fresh. Then, the church custodian can dispose of them. So, it was improper for you to take this special
bouquet of flowers away from the altar so soon after the wedding ceremony. What can you do now? Nothing. Leave
it as it is. In the future, leave the
flowers alone! – CatholicView Staff
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