Since God has a plan for each one of us, why do we pray? Is God going to change his plan for us if we want something different?
That God has a plan does not mean that he has every detail of our lives worked out for us. He has given us intellect and free will so that we may freely choose to do good and avoid evil. That’s the basic plan for everyone. We pray for a number of reasons—worship, thanksgiving, petition, etc. Prayer doesn’t “change” God’s plan; rather, it helps us to better participate in it.
— Jim Blackburn
Being 63 years old, I was taught by the Baltimore Catechism and the Catholic schools I attended that transubstantiation occurs by the words of institution, the priest speaking in persona Christi. Now I find that the Catechism says nothing about Jesus Christ but quotes St. John Damascene saying that is by the Holy Spirit, no mention of Christ. This is not a development of doctrine. Where is the continuity?
It is true that the Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes St. John Damascene: “You ask how the bread becomes the Body of Christ, and the wine . . . the Blood of Christ. I shall tell you: The Holy Spirit comes upon them and accomplishes what surpasses every word and thought” (CCC 1106). That the Holy Spirit is involved in the consecration does not remove Jesus from the situation. The Holy Spirit is involved in everything that the Father and the Son accomplish.
The Catechism also states: “Thus St. John Chrysostom declares, “It is not man that causes the things offered to become the Body and Blood of Christ, but he who was crucified for us, Christ himself. The priest, in the role of Christ, pronounces these words, but their power and grace are God’s” (CCC 1375).
So there is no contradiction. The Baltimore Catechism is correct in what it states. The Catechism of the Catholic Church simply goes into more detail.
— Fr. Vincent Serpa
Say I went to Mass and didn’t receive Communion because I wasn’t in the state of grace, and then I went to confession afterward. Should I go to Mass again that same day and receive Communion?
There is no requirement for you to do so. The Sunday obligation obliges Catholics to attend Mass, not to go to Communion. Catholics are required to receive Communion at least once a year, though frequent reception is recommended.
— Jim Blackburn
If someone is late to Mass and doesn’t arrive until the homily, should that person receive Communion, and does this count for his Sunday obligation?
The Church obliges the faithful to attend the entire Mass. If a person arrives late, leaves early, or misses Mass altogether for a legitimate reason (e.g., illness), then the obligation is either fulfilled or excused and the ability to receive the Eucharist is not affected.
— Jim Blackburn
When was the term pope first used to refer to the head of the Church?
Here is the Catholic Encyclopedia entry on “pope”:
The title pope (papa) was, as has been stated, at one time employed with far more latitude. In the East it has always been used to designate simple priests. In the Western Church, however, it seems from the beginning to have been restricted to bishops (Tertullian, De Pud., xiii). It was apparently in the fourth century that it began to become a distinctive title of the Roman pontiff.
— Jim Blackburn
What is so bad about heresy? Students tend to think that there’s nothing wrong about having the opinion that, for example, Jesus was important but not God. How would you answer that, or offer defenses against various heresies?
That’s like asking, “What’s so bad about a lie?” Basically, that’s what a heresy is.
What is bad about it is that it is not the truth. Truth is simply the acknowledgment of what is. A lie is the denial of what is.
To deny any truth about God is to refuse to give him the acknowledgment we owe him. This is what worship is: the acknowledgment of the truth of who he is. He came first. He is not just a bigger version of us. That he would become one of his creatures and suffer and die for their benefit is beyond our ability to fathom. Such a thing would never occur to us. Even the Jews who worshiped the one God didn’t expect such a thing. As Scripture says, “God’s ways are not our ways” (Is. 55:8-9).
Your students’ starting point in all this is themselves and the limited view in which they see things. It isn’t surprising that they are questioning God and measuring him by their standards. When we begin with God, we question ourselves and measure ourselves by his standards. Big difference!
— Fr. Vincent Serpa
What is the book of Jashar referenced in Joshua 10:13?
Joshua 10:13: “And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not recorded in the book of Jashar? The sun halted in the middle of the sky; not for a whole day did it resume its swift course.”
According to sources, the book of Jashar (Yashar) was a book of Hebrew literature. No copies of this work have survived; only bits of its text are found referenced in the Old Testament (2 Samuel 1:18-27, Joshua 10:13).
The footnote for Joshua 10:13 in the New American Bible explains the book of Jashar (Yashar) in this way:
“Evidently the Book of Jashar, like the Book of the Wars of the LORD (Numbers 21:14), recounted in epic style the exploits of Israel’s early heroes. The sun halted: though it is widely supposed that this passage describes in popular language and according to external appearances a miraculous lengthening of the day, it is equally probable that Joshua’s prayer was rather for an abrupt obscuration of the sun, which would impede his enemies in their flight homeward and also prevent them from rallying their forces; this request would have been answered by the hailstorm (cf. Sir. 46:5) and by a darkness relieved only 24 hours later, well into the next day” (source: old.usccb.org/nab/bible/joshua/joshua10.htm ).
— Peggy Frye
My husband and I were civilly married 10 years ago. We will be receiving the sacraments of baptism, First Communion, and confirmation this Easter. Our marriage is recognized as valid by the Church, but after we are confirmed Catholics will our marriage be considered invalid until we have convalidation? Are we to abstain from relations during this time?
The Catholic Church recognizes the marriages between non-Catholics as valid. Your marriage will continue to be considered valid after you become Catholics. The only difference will be that your marriage will now be sacramental as well as valid. Otherwise, you would be asked to wait until it was valid before becoming Catholics. So you are all set. Your marriage does not have to be convalidated. Congratulations and welcome home!
— Fr. Vincent Serpa
If a person were to go to confession and confess the sin of child sexual abuse, wouldn’t the Lord rather see the perpetrator of such a crime arrested than have the priest protect the person’s confidentiality?
Be careful not to confuse your sensibilities with what “God wants.” Child abuse is such a horrific crime that it is understandable that individuals might be tempted to project their own ideas of justice onto God and declare that of course God would want what they believe to be the right response.
God did not give us the sacrament of reconciliation in order to render evildoers unto Caesar. The sacrament of reconciliation was given to heal the wounds sin causes the soul after baptism and to rescue a baptized soul from eternal damnation. It is far more important that a soul be saved from everlasting hell than that a criminal serve a lifetime in prison. Were not the sacramental seal inviolable (even for crimes of child abuse and murder), it would be more likely that those in mortal sin would avoid confessing and so remain in danger of hell.
— Michelle Arnold
I consider myself a feminist, someone who believes in the essential equality of men and women, and I get annoyed whenever I hear Christians deride ideas on the basis of being “feminist.” For example, the idea that women can serve at the altar since the Church permits it. Those who dislike the Church’s permission deride as “feminist” those who defend it. When did feminism get such a bad rap, anyway?
When it began in the 19th century, the feminist movement worked for such admirable goals as obtaining the vote for women and preventing discrimination against them in marriage and in the workplace. Unfortunately, by the late 20th century, the movement was co-opted by contraception and abortion activists. By the late century, the movement was further hijacked by activists who sought to erase all distinctions between men and women, thereby making their anti-human message socially acceptable as another part of the fight for women’s rights.
But there are many who would count themselves feminists without agreeing with the anti-life and anti-human elements of the radical or secular feminist movement. One example is the pro-life organization Feminists for Life (feministsforlife.org).
I agree with you that feminism in its essential form is recognition of the essential equality of men and women and the promotion of the dignity of women in all spheres of human life. I also agree that too many Christians see feminism as something negative, to the point that they will use the word as a weapon against those with whom they disagree.
Feminism has a noble history, and the founding mothers of the movement (e.g., Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton) were admirable women who did much good for society. It is tragic that any person would deride any positive advocacy of women’s needs, rights, and human dignity. Certainly there is no foundation for doing so in the name of the Church.
— Michelle Arnold
I used to know what mysteries of the rosary to pray on any given day, but now with the luminous mysteries I’m not sure what to do. Can you help?
In his apostolic letter introducing the luminous mysteries, Pope John Paul II suggested a pattern in which to pray the mysteries, but he also made it clear that freedom may be exercised:
According to current practice, Monday and Thursday are dedicated to the joyful mysteries, Tuesday and Friday to the sorrowful mysteries, and Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday to the glorious mysteries. Where might the mysteries of light [luminous mysteries] be inserted? If we consider that the glorious mysteries are said on both Saturday and Sunday, and that Saturday has always had a special Marian flavor, the second weekly meditation on the joyful mysteries, mysteries in which Mary’s presence is especially pronounced, could be moved to Saturday. Thursday would then be free for meditating on the mysteries of light.
This indication is not intended to limit a rightful freedom in personal and community prayer where account needs to be taken of spiritual and pastoral needs and of the occurrence of particular liturgical celebrations which might call for suitable adaptations. What is really important is that the rosary should always be seen and experienced as a path of contemplation. In the rosary, in a way similar to what takes place in the liturgy, the Christian week, centered on Sunday, the day of Resurrection, becomes a journey through the mysteries of the life of Christ, and he is revealed in the lives of his disciples as the Lord of time and of history (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 38).
— Jim Blackburn
I read Jim Blackburn’s article “Judge Not?” (catholic.com/magazine/articles/judge-not) about the biblical basis for judging the behavior (not the salvation) of others and correcting them, but most people today don’t seem to think this way. Judging behavior and fraternal correction are viewed as intolerant bigotry in most circles. What would a modern theologian like the Pope have to say about this issue today?
Pope Benedict XVI addressed this issue in his 2012 Lenten message:
Being concerned for each other also entails being concerned for their spiritual well-being. Here I would like to mention an aspect of the Christian life that I believe has been quite forgotten: fraternal correction in view of eternal salvation. Today, in general, we are very sensitive to the idea of charity and caring about the physical and material well-being of others, but almost completely silent about our spiritual responsibility toward our brothers and sisters.
This was not the case in the early Church. . . . Christ himself commands us to admonish a brother who is committing a sin. . . . The Church’s tradition has included “admonishing sinners” among the spiritual works of mercy. It is important to recover this dimension of Christian charity. We must not remain silent before evil. I am thinking of all those Christians who, out of human regard or purely personal convenience, adapt to the prevailing mentality rather than warning their brothers and sisters against ways of thinking and acting that are contrary to the truth and that do not follow the path of goodness. . . .
In a world pervaded by individualism, it is essential to rediscover the importance of fraternal correction, so that together we may journey towards holiness. . . .
This custody of others is in contrast to a mentality that, by reducing life exclusively to its earthly dimension, fails to see it in an eschatological perspective and accepts any moral choice in the name of personal freedom. A society like ours can become blind to physical sufferings and to the spiritual and moral demands of life. This must not be the case in the Christian community.
— Jim Blackburn
When is the Angelus supposed to be recited, and what are the appropriate postures for praying this prayer?
The Angelus (Latin, “angel”) is a prayer in honor of the Incarnation said three times a day, typically at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. During the Easter season it is replaced by the Regina Coeli prayer.
Normally, the Angelus is said kneeling except on Sundays and holy days, when it is recited standing with a genuflection at the words “And dwelt among us.”
— Peggy Frye
What would the procedures be for a pope to resign? And what would his rank in the Church hierarchy be afterward? Would he revert back to a cardinal or be a “pope emeritus”?
Since there has been only one case in which the man who was indisputably pope freely resigned his office (Pope St. Celestine V, in 1294), and that case occurred more than 700 years ago, there likely are no official papal resignation procedures. All we know for certain is that a pope must resign freely and that he must make known the fact of his resignation; it is not necessary that someone “accept” that resignation (Code of Canon Law, 332 §2).
What a pope who resigns would do afterward is open to speculation. Pope Celestine tried to retire to a solitary life but was imprisoned by his successor. That would not be an option today, of course, although I would imagine that a resigning pope would take care not to be placed in a position of being used as a counterweight to his successor and so might choose to withdraw from public life.
Since there can be only one pope at any time, a resigned pope’s honorific and hierarchical status would likely be decided by his successor.
— Michelle Arnold
I received a decree of nullity about three years ago but have not considered dating until now. It appears my options are quite limited. Is it okay to date divorced people who were not married in a Catholic Church but are Christian?
People who have annulments are free to date, but they may not date divorced people, because the state does not have the authority to dissolve what God has joined together. The Church does recognize marriages between non-Catholics as ordinarily valid. There are many people out there whose spouses have died.
— Fr. Vincent Serpa