Knowledge

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?…

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…

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…

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…

“Technology runs amok without ethics,” says Tammy Ruiz, a Catholic nurse who provides end-of-life care for newborns. “Making sure ethics keeps up with technology is one of the major focuses of my world.” How do Catholics like Ruiz…

by Matt Archbold Christopher Columbus dreamed that he could navigate the globe in a short period of time. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned, and despite good intentions his name since then has been subject to scorn and…

Why is it that, when we take the youth group to camp on retreat, we always make sure there is a campfire on the schedule? Why do we put up with the dirt, soot, and smoke of a fireplace in our home when we no longer need it for heat? Why do…

As Catholics, we profess our belief in the Incarnation in the Nicene Creed: Jesus Christ “came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” The Incarnation is a unique and singular event. Its…

The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Aug. 6 holds a special place in my heart. One summer day in August, while out in the garden meditating on the transfiguration of Christ, the Holy Spirit gave me an insight into the nature of…

DEAR FATHER: My 4-year-old niece was just diagnosed with cancer, and I am devastated by this news. I find it hard to pray. I feel angry, and I don’t understand why God would allow this to happen. People say God has a plan and he is looking…