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PRIEST
Today’s secular world throws curve balls at us all the time. Ask A Priest is a Q&A feature that anyone can use. Just search the topics below for an answer to your question! You can ask about anything – liturgy, prayer, moral questions, current events. Our goal is to provide a trustworthy forum for dependable Catholic guidance and information. So go ahead and ask your question.
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“Ask a Priest: What If a Homilist Mentions Movie Stars a Lot?”
Q: Can a priest keep on mentioning certain movie stars’ beauty and his admiration for those stars over and over again in various homilies? Is the priest showing respect at the altar of sacrifice during Mass in doing so? Thank you. – Regina Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC A: Since the exact context of all these references isn’t clear, Ask a Priest won’t venture any judgments about this homilist. Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem appropriate for a homilist to bring up these kinds of references on an ongoing basis. Mentioning various movie stars could distract people in the pews with worldly ...
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“Ask a Priest: Would Botox Injections Go Against God’s Plan?”
Q: I am a few months shy of 50 and the idea of getting a Botox injection on my forehead has been haunting me. Is it going against God’s plan? Is it moral? -D.N. Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC A: Your question touches on a lot of issues, including ...
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“Ask a Priest: Can What I Wear Be an Occasion of Sin for Others?”
Q: Hello! I would like some advice concerning a conflict I face. I am a teenage Catholic girl and I enjoy participating in sports (running and swimming specifically). To me, sports are a way to make new friends, become more confident in my body, and reduce the amount of stress ...
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“Ask a Priest: Do I Have to Practice Catholicism Even If I Don’t Believe in It?”
Q: I was baptized and raised Catholic. My family was not very involved in the Church and I never felt any connection to God while attending Mass, Sunday school, etc. As an adult, I found a non-denominational church and for the first time ever felt the presence of God. I ...
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“Ask a Priest: How can I defend the Church’s teaching on mortal sin?”
Q: I am having trouble defending the Church’s teaching on mortal sin — specifically the idea that one can fall from grace through one act of disobedience. I am not having trouble defending this logically, but it just seems to many people to be a little rigid and mechanical, as ...
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“Ask a Priest: How Does the Church Want a Body Treated After Death?”
Q: My husband participated in a memorial for a fellow Knight of Columbus who recently died. The service took place at the nursing home; the Knights prayed the usual rosary. My husband said the member’s body was not present, since it was donated to a university medical school. To us, ...
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“Ask a Priest: Was Joseph Much Older Than Mary?”
Q: Some friends and I are having a discussion about this. It would appear that St. Joseph was much older than Mary when they married. Was he widowed with children? -J.M. Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC A: There is not much definitive teaching about the life of St. Joseph. ...
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“Ask a Priest: Is it harmful to have a voodoo doll?”
Q: My mother recently came back from New Orleans and brought me a voodoo doll for success and happiness. I decided to make a little altar for it and write down my hopes and wishes on it, which were not at all harmful or vain — things like: I want ...
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“Ask a Priest: We were born imperfect… How can I help others understand this?”
Q: I am engaged in graduate-level biblical study, but for personal reasons, I still pursue courses that might fall into the personal growth, self-help or New Age categories. I like to keep in touch with that world since this is what many people my age turn to instead of religion, ...
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