I know the feast of St. Joseph is coming soon. Is there any connection to Lent? On March 19, we celebrate the feast of St. Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. This solemnity during the Lenten season provides us with another model for living out the Lenten discipline of turning our hearts...
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( Video and Discussion) What is the history and significance of prayer postures? There is a lot of talk these days about body language and how we communicate feelings, thoughts and moods by the way we position our body. Spiritual practices have intentionally used various postures and gestures in prayer. Our physical position and gestures are...
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What is the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults? The United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, released in 2006, is an adaptation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for members of the Church in the United States. Intended to be a catechetical resource for adults, this Catechism consists of 36 chapters, a conclusion, and...
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(Video discussion) What is holy water and how do I explain the reason that it is placed at the entrances of churches to my non-Catholic friends? Holy water is a sacramental; a reminder of the life of the church expressed and celebrated through the sacraments. By blessing ourselves with holy water as we enter the church,...
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The Catholics Coming Home group meets Mondays in the Nativity Youth Room beginning at 7:00pm  during Lent. The group, sponsored by the Catholic churches of Fargo and West Fargo, gives all who seek  a friendly, informal place to search out the answers. It doesn’t matter if you have been away for a long time,...
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(Video and discussion) Lent always seems to help me renew my relationship with God and strengthen my religious practice. Do you have any suggestions as to what I could do to achieve that the rest of the year? The obvious answer may seem to be to do whatever you do during Lent all year round. But part...
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  How are the readings for the Sundays of Lent chosen and structured? The Lenten season is powerfully significant. A meticulous overall plan was envisioned for the Sunday readings that would convey the rich variety of Lenten themes. The three readings, along with the psalm, were all chosen to correspond thematically. A common theme runs through...
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When Catholics have been away from the Church, they sometimes are unsure of how to go about returning. They might have questions for which they seek answers. If they have been away a long time, they wonder how the Church of today is different from what they knew. Catholics who have questions about returning are invited...
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Carnivale and Mardi Gras celebrations are linked to Ash Wednesday, Lent, fast and abstinence. Can you tell us more about the connections between these events? Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the 40 days known as Lent. Every year, Christians highlight this penitential season as a time of self-examination, reformation of one’s life, and continued...
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To solve the shortage of priests in this country, why can’t we bring in priests from other countries where they have enough? This is a recycled story that makes me wonder where exactly is this country where there are so many priests? The place does not exist, but it raises some interesting issues, including people’s...
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