(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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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What are a “nihil obstat” and an imprimatur? Much has been published these days about all aspects of Catholicism. One way to determine if something has approval or is at least not contrary to faith is to look for the “nihil obstat” and the imprimatur. These Latin words are followed by the name of...
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Is faith something we have to just accept? Or is there some reason to it that makes it more logical? There are some people who have the mistaken notion that faith and reason are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. For them, faith is a blind allegiance to a set of beliefs arbitrarily...
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Are some sacraments more important than others? At times, yes. Perhaps instead of thinking of importance in terms of ranking one as first or greatest, it might be easier to think of them in terms of significance. As we grow in age and in faith, sacraments take on a different meaning and significance for...
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Ah the holidays. The sights and sounds, and the smells of Christmas bring us back, back to the time before we stopped, for whatever reason, actively practicing our faith. But, it’s not too late. Coming back, joining our faith family at the Eucharist is not a complicated process and can take as long as...
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I go to confession regularly and try to live my life based on my faith. On one or two occasions I have forgotten to mention a sin, and now do not recall if I ever mentioned it. Are forgotten sins forgiven? We cannot stop the flow of God’s love and mercy, especially when we...
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