Faith » Knowledge

Knowledge

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  • Confession

    by Brian O'Neel

    For those of us who want to become saints, the Church tells us to “frequent the sacraments.”   What does this really mean, though? There are, after all, seven. Should we become regular “wedding crashers”?   No. &… read more

  • Faith Meets Politics

    by Carolee McGrath

    Fred Glidden understands the awesome privilege and responsibility that come with voting. The proud father and grandfather fought in the Korean War, put himself through college, and worked long hours as a pharmacist to support his family. He married a… read more

  • Is it a sin to work on Sunday?

    by William J. Byron, S.J.

    I recently heard a priest say that we should only do things like visit the sick or elderly and not do unnecessary work on Sundays. I can’t visit the sick or elderly every Sunday, and I feel better doing something rather than just sitting around… read more

  • The Nun of Kenmare

    by Dan Connors

    In Dublin, Ireland, on a cold December night in 1881, Sister M. Francis Clare (Margaret Anna) Cusack, stepped off the train from Tuam and wearily made her way to the Poor Clare convent at Harold’s Cross. She rang the bell, and as soon as she saw… read more

  • I feel trapped by my obligations!

    by William J. Byron, S.J.

    I once heard a priest explain in a homily that the First Beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3), means that we should not let ourselves become “possessed by our possessions.” That’s an interesting thought, but I find… read more

  • Is it wrong to leave Mass after Communion?

    by William J. Byron, S.J.

    I am saddened when I see a large number of people leaving our parish church immediately after receiving Holy Communion. I always believed we were to stay until we received the final blessing. Am I wrong? P.O., Illinois You’re right; we should… read more

  • I doubt my faith. What should I do?

    by William J. Byron, S.J.

    As I grow older and experience more physical suffering and the deaths of loved ones, I feel that my faith is waning and not increasing. Sometimes I worry that there really is no afterlife and doubt God's existence amid the many trials I’ve seen… read more

  • What is tithing?

    by William J. Byron, S.J.

    What is the meaning of tithing as taught by the Catholic Church? I understand it is a certain percentage of one’s earnings. If there is more than one wage-earner in the family, does the tithe apply to all income? To whom does the money go — the … read more

  • Am I "saved?"

    by William J. Byron, S.J.

    When I was young, a Baptist girl friend told me if I accept Jesus as my personal savior, I am saved. However, the Baltimore Catechism answers I later memorized seemed to tell me that salvation is not that simple. I’m much older now, and I feel … read more

  • Is a "just war" possible?

    by William J. Byron, S.J.

    Considered in the light of Jesus’ teachings about nonviolence, isn’t the concept of “just war” an oxymoron?- B.B., SOUTH DAKOTAIn 1983 the bishops of the United States issued a peace pastoral that laid out “some principles, norms, … read more