The Catholic Faith is full of beauty, subtlety, and nuance. Sometimes, that can lead to confusion, however. Two thousand years of history and tradition is bound to result in many questions over both Catholic practice and belief.
The questions below are drawn from my Friday "Reader Question" series in 2010. They are presented in reverse chronological order, so that the most recent is always at the top.
If you have a question that you would like featured in this series, send me an e-mail. Please put "QUESTION" in the subject line and note whether you'd like me to address it privately or on the Catholicism blog.
Saturday Vigil Masses and Our Sunday Obligation (April 22, 2010)
The Reader's Question:
It is promised that all shall be forgiven if we receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Communion on Divine Mercy Sunday. What if we receive Reconciliation and Holy Communion at the Saturday vigil Mass?
The Question Restated: Do Saturday vigil Masses count toward our Sunday duty?
What Happened to the Angelus? (April 15, 2010)
The Reader's Question:
I recently started listening to a local Catholic radio station. Every day at 6 A.M., noon, and 6 P.M., they were airing the Angelus. However, when I turned it on last night, there was no Angelus. I called the station, and they said they stop airing it after Easter, and it will return at the end of May. I suppose it could be just a station decision, but it seemed to me more of a religious reason why they took it off the air. I am very curious as to what the reasoning behind this would be.
Saint Joseph's Day and Abstinence (March 18, 2010)
The Reader's Question:
Since St. Joseph's Day falls on a Friday in 2010, am I allowed to eat meat?
Lent, Fasting, and the Bible (March 11, 2010)
The Reader's Question:
Where in the Bible does it state that meat is forbidden on Fridays during Lent?
Fast Not as the Hypocrites Do (March 4, 2010)
The Reader's Question:
Isn't your "fast" supposed to be private?
Physical Mortification (February 26, 2010)
The Reader's Question:
What does physical mortification mean in the modern world today?
Was Christ's Death Enough? (February 18, 2010)
The Reader's Question:
Where does JESUS tell us that His death only atoned for SOME of our sins, but not all? Did He not tell the repentant thief that ”TODAY you will be with me in Paradise?” He didn’t mention anything about spending time in purgatory or any other temporary state of being. So, tell us why the Catholic Church teaches that Jesus’ death wasn’t enough & that we have to suffer, either here on earth or in purgatory.
Is There a Scriptural Basis for Purgatory? (February 11, 2010)
The Reader's Question:
I have been Catholic all my life & tended to believe in what the Church taught, like Purgatory, because it was THE CHURCH. Now I want the Scriptural basis for these teachings.
More on Mortal and Venial Sin (February 5, 2010)
The Reader's Question:
I've had people—both non-Catholics and some Catholics—tell me that the distinction between mortal sin and venial sin is made up. Some (most often the Catholics) think that the Church makes this distinction in order to scare people away from certain actions (usually sexual); others (primarily evangelicals) say that all sin is sin, and that the distinction encourages people to commit venial sins. Where does the distinction come from?
Mortal Sin, Venial Sin, Confession, and Communion (January 28, 2010)
We have two related questions this week.
Reader One's Question:
I'm awaiting completion of my conversion to Catholicism, and I am wondering about the difference between, and definitions of, venial and mortal sin.
Reader Two's Question:
What is the difference between the Act of Reconciliation in the Mass and with a priest? Can you confess a mortal sin at Mass and be forgiven, or do you need to see a priest? Am I correct in saying that you must not go to Communion until you have confessed a mortal sin?
