1. Reader Question: More on Mortal and Venial Sin
February 2010 picked up where January 2010 left off, with a Reader Question about mortal and venial sin. Did you know that this distinction comes from the Bible itself?
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2. Kids, Condoms, Sex, and Abstinence
What is the best way to prevent teenagers from engaging in early sexual activity? According to a new study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, the answer may be as simple as "Just say no."
3. Reader Question: Is There a Scriptural Basis for Purgatory?
One of the most common subjects in my Reader Questions series is Purgatory, and it's no surprise, considering how little discussed this doctrine has been over the past 40 years. Many readers assume that Purgatory has been discarded, because it has no biblical basis. Nothing could be further from the truth.
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- What Is Purgatory?
- Prayers for the Dead
- On the Last Things and Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven - Lesson Thirty-Seventh (from the Baltimore Catechism No. 2)
- Reader Question: What Happened to Purgatory?
- Reader Question: Does the Church Still Believe in Purgatory?
- Reader Question: Prayer for the Dead
- Offering It Up
- Reader Question: How Do You "Offer It Up"?
- Prayers for the Faithful Departed
4. Playing With Fire
In the wake of the reports of the study about kids, condoms, sex, and abstinence, the About.com Guide to Civil Liberties, Tom Head, and I had an interesting exchange on Twitter. This post discusses the issues raised—and the conclusions may surprise you.
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5. Reader Question: Was Christ's Death Enough?
In the second part of the question that prompted Is There a Scriptural Basis for Purgatory? I examined the Church's understanding of the effects of sin and of the purpose and nature of Christ's Redemption of man.
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- Reader Question: Is There a Scriptural Basis for Purgatory?
- What Is Purgatory?
- On Sin and Its Kinds - Lesson Sixth (from the Baltimore Catechism No. 2)
- The Sacrament of Baptism
- What Is Baptism of Desire?
- Are Actual Sins Ever Remitted by Baptism?
- On the Last Things and Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven - Lesson Thirty-Seventh (from the Baltimore Catechism No. 2)
- Reader Question: What Happened to Purgatory?
- Reader Question: Does the Church Still Believe in Purgatory?
6. Pope Benedict's Message for Lent 2010
In the Lenten Scripture Reading for Ash Wednesday, the Prophet Isaiah explains that that fasting that does not lead to works of charity does us no good. Along with prayer and fasting, almsgiving is one of the three pillars of the Christian life. In his Message for Lent 2010, Pope Benedict extends this teaching of Isaiah. Our charity to others is an extension of the divine justice that brought us salvation through Jesus Christ, even though we do not merit it ourselves because of our sins.
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7. Reader Question: Physical Mortification
In an e-mail, reader Patricia asks a question that is particularly relevant during Lent: "What does physical mortification mean in the modern world today?"
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