Spirituality
Unhappy parishioners get incensed every Sunday
Q. How often is a priest supposed to use incense at Mass -- every Sunday or just at special times? Our priest uses a pungent form of incense at each Sunday Mass. A lot of people are allergic to the incense he uses; we have approached him about it, but he seems to ignore the fact that people start coughing and sneezing -- and some even walk out of church. Then he tells us that it is sin to leave early. (A "distressed and allergic parishioner" from Indiana.)
Walk the Way of the Cross through Lent, to holy Week and beyond
It seems early in Lent to be contemplating the Stations of the Cross; we are a month away from Holy Week, from the readings of the Passion on Palm Sunday and Good Friday. Yet the mystery of Christ’s passion and death is not reserved to one day or one season, but is etched deep into our liturgies and our lives.
Did Jesus baptize anyone? Lectors and the she/he problem
Q. I remember being taught, somewhere in my Catholic training, that the Bible never mentions Jesus baptizing anyone, because our sacrament of baptism commemorates the death and resurrection of Christ and he had not yet died and risen. But I recently came across this passage in John's Gospel (3:22-23): "After this Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing. John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim." In Matthew 3:11 though, John says that he is baptizing with water and Jesus will baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit. So my question is this: In John 3:22, isn't Jesus baptizing with water, or what else would that quote mean? (Milwaukee, Wis.)
At first Angelus, Pope Francis says God never tires of forgiving
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Citing a distinguished German theologian and an anonymous elderly penitent from Argentina, Pope Francis told an overflow crowd in St. Peter's Square never to despair of God's mercy to sinners. "The Lord never tires of forgiving," the pope said March 17, before leading his listeners in praying the midday Angelus. "It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness."
Reflection and rediscovery in the Year of Faith
Father Adolfo Nicolas, the superior general of the Jesuits, has, in response to Pope Benedict's invitation to a Year of Faith, asked Jesuits worldwide this question: "What do I experience as challenges or obstacles to faith, and what sustains and deepens my faith?" That is worthy of consideration by all Catholics and I'd like to provide some impetus for that reflection.
An answer to non-Catholic son’s question, why is confession necessary?
Q. My son, who is 20 years old, has left the Catholic religion for a Bible-based faith. We have had many lively discussions which we both enjoy, and it has actually helped to reinvigorate my own Catholic beliefs. There is one of his questions, though, which I'm not sure how to answer. He wants to know if the death of Jesus paid in full for the sins of all believers past, present and future, why would God punish someone if they fail to go to confession? (Chesapeake, Va.)
Jesus is the Son of God, so why does he call himself Son of Man?
Q. We refer to Christ by various titles: the Messiah, the Lamb of God, Son of the Father, etc. But I have never understood why, in the Scriptures, Jesus refers to himself as the "Son of Man." That sounds, to me, a little less than divine. Why does Christ call himself that? (San Francisco, Calif.)
Confessors called to help Catholics recognize truth of God’s love
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The sacrament of penance, or reconciliation, helps Catholics recognize “the truth about themselves: that they are beloved children of the Father, who is rich in mercy,” said Cardinal Manuel Monteiro de Castro. The cardinal, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Vatican court that deals with the sacrament of penance and matters […]
There’s a deep meaning to the phrase, ‘descended into hell’
Q. In the creed at Mass, it says that Jesus descended into hell. I feel terrible even saying that Jesus went to hell. What does that mean? (Selkirk, N.Y.)
Living in holiness is saying ‘yes’ to God
When you emphasize the idea of pleasing God, then all the sacrifices you make in life will serve to improve your relationship with God. You will no longer be afraid of him, and your sense of union with God will be more intimate.