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What is the Purpose of Purgatory?
Dear Father, At my friend’s funeral, many people said we should rejoice because my friend was in heaven now with Jesus. Whatever happened to purgatory? Shouldn’t I pray for my friend to go to heaven instead of assuming she is already there?…
Did the Virgin Mary die?
I have two questions. Was John the Baptist born without original sin? I don’t understand how a man with sin on his soul could baptize the Son of God. And my second question relates to the Virgin Mary. Did she die? Since death is a…
How Can I Know God’s Plan for Me?
Dear Father, Lately I’ve been hearing a lot about discerning God’s will. As a wife and mother, I’m always on the go and don’t seem to have much time for reading. How can we know God’s will for us? Could you help me out on this score?…
What is purgatory, and why do we pray for the dead?
Why do we pray for the dead? And how do we pray for the dead? I think a lot about these questions and hope you can give me some insight. - S.P., Connecticut These are good questions, shared by many others, and they touch upon a long…
What is tithing?
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 —…
But Mass Is So Boring!
Our pastor said in a homily that the Eucharist makes us more like Christ. It transforms us. Well, I go to Mass every Sunday, and I find it a rather boring routine. It’s always the same thing, week after week. I’m just as impatient and…
Do people who commit suicide go to hell?
What is the Catholic Church’s teaching on suicide? Do people who take their own lives go to hell? My son committed suicide. In the note he left, he said he was going to hell for this, but didn’t know what else to do. He made many mistakes,…
Is it a sin to work on Sunday?
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…
Is it wrong to leave Mass after Communion?
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…
I feel trapped by my obligations!
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…
