ASK A PRIEST
QUESTIONS ABOUT LIVING the FAITH
“Ask a Priest: Should I Be Attending a Friend’s Bachelorette Party?”
Q: I’m 28 years old, from Mexico and was in consecrated life for a few years. I’ve always had this question and until now I’ve been able to escape the situation, but I can’t now. My girlfriends are organizing a bachelorette party for one of my friends. It will probably ...
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“Ask a Priest: Is It Wrong to Desire Consolation in Prayer?”
Q: I read an article on penance that said “excessive desires for spiritual consolations or sweetness in prayer” is not good. What does that mean? I thought it was good to have a desire for spiritual consolations and sweetness in prayer. – V.F. Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC A: There ...
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“Ask a Priest: Am I sinning by viewing unauthorized copyright postings on the Internet?”
Q: As you know, there are a lot of things posted on the Internet. I sometimes view materials posted, such as videos for my work or for entertainment purposes, etc. My question lies in regard to those who are posting this material. At times I wonder if they are not ...
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“Ask a Priest: Could My Relationship With God Be Beyond Repair?”
Q: I’d been struggling with a particular mortal sin for a very long time. I hadn’t been taking it seriously. However, I started to notice that my mental health was declining. I was doubting God and fearing that he doesn’t exist because I didn’t feel a closeness to him anymore. ...
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“Ask a Priest: Who should be directing my yearly spiritual exercises?”
Q: When doing our yearly spiritual exercises, should we only attend retreats that are led by a priest connected with our ecclesial movement? Or can we attend exercises led by a parish priest or by a priest from another movement or religious order? -R.R., Missouri Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, ...
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“Ask a Priest: What If My Stepson Doesn’t Like to Talk About the Faith?”
Q: I am looking for guidance on how to better connect with my stepson from a faith perspective. He and I have a decent relationship. We can talk sports or life issues with no problem, and he is fully attentive. When I bring up discussions about Catholicism, he basically just ...
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“Ask a Priest: Can you explain what is meant by spirit-and-soul from ‘The Interior Castle’?”
Q: I read “The Interior Castle” and came across the spirit-and-soul issue that has me confused. From the book I get the idea that the spirit in man’s soul is what guides a soul to God. The Bible differentiates soul and spirit and body as a trinity unto itself, just ...
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“Ask a Priest: How to Judge Whether Certain Media Are Helpful or Harmful?”
Q: How can a person go about discerning whether or not it is safe or healthy to watch or read certain media? I’ve been bewildered trying to find out what the controversy is especially with Harry Potter. There seem to be people who think it’s perfectly OK and others who ...
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