Spirituality
Protestants, Catholics and tithing; RCIA and cohabitation
Q. I grew up in a Protestant church but converted to Catholicism. Sometimes it seems to me that Catholics give a lot less money to their churches than Protestants do. (The Sunday collections reported in our parish bulletin would, I think, be dwarfed by some Protestants parishes much smaller than our own.) On the other hand, Catholics do seem to give a lot to charities overall. (Just in our own town, there is a Catholic hospital, several Catholic schools and many programs of human service supported by Catholic Charities). I'm wondering what the Catholic Church's view is on tithing and whether money given to Catholic, nonparochial institutions can count as tithing.(Illinois)
Pope Francis says ‘Satan always rips us off, always!’
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Payback with Satan is rotten as he pushes people to be loveless and selfish, finally leaving them with nothing and alone, Pope Francis said. “Satan always rips us off, always!” he said during a morning Mass homily. The pope concelebrated Mass May 14 with Archbishop Ricardo Tobon Restrepo of Medellin, Colombia, […]
Pope: Holy Spirit reminds people they once were lost, now found by God
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Holy Spirit is more than a pretty dove; it is an integral part of the Trinity and deserves a prime place in people’s lives, Pope Francis said. Many Christians say they get by with God the Father by praying the “Our Father” and with Jesus by receiving Communion, but that […]
Focusing on self rather than Jesus makes prayer boring, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — If a person’s prayer life is boring, that generally means that he or she is focused too much on the self and not enough on Jesus and the needs of others, Pope Francis said during a morning Mass homily. “True prayer leads us out of ourselves toward the Father in the […]
Was Jesus a Jew or a Catholic? Why no bells at Mass?
Q. A question about religion has always puzzled me: Jesus was a Jew; when did he become a Catholic? (Afton, Iowa) A. You are right: Jesus was a Jew. He was born a Jew, brought up a Jew, was steeped in the Jewish Scriptures and, as we read in Luke (4:16), went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day "according to his custom."
In the month honoring Mary, a lifetime of memories
May is the month of Mary and memories come to mind about how much she has been a part of my life. These reminiscences are like going through a family album and sharing stories of those moments that jump out from the pages.
Pope says evangelists build bridges, not walls
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Like Jesus who dined with Pharisees and sinners and St. Paul who preached to idol worshippers, true evangelizers build bridges that lead unbelievers into the church, not walls to protect it, Pope Francis said. The pope’s words came in a homily May 8 during morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, […]
Only Holy Spirit can fill hearts thirsting for love, peace, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Listen to the Holy Spirit because he is giving people the good news that God loves them and can renew, purify and transform their lives, Pope Francis said. The Holy Spirit is the living water that “quenches the thirst in our lives because he tells us that we are loved by […]
Pope: People have guts to be ambitious; instead, be courageous for God
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — People are courageous in pursuing their careers, personal ambitions and jealousies, but they really should be using that courage to believe in the resurrected Christ, pray to him and spread the Gospel, Pope Francis said. When the church loses courage, it is enveloped by a “tepid atmosphere,” with “lukewarm Christians without […]
Is missing Mass a mortal sin?
Q. Is there a book you can suggest that would help a senior citizen to understand the Bible (one that does not require a DVD, etc.)? (Indianapolis) A. I'm sure that there are many such books, and you would probably get as many answers as the number of priests you asked. One that I have found helpful over the years is called "The Collegeville Bible Handbook." It was published by The Liturgical Press in 1997 and contains a one-page summary of each of the 73 books of the Bible as well as a short commentary on the significant sections of each book.