on January 30 / by Edin Michael
While reading the Holy Bible, it is important that we keep in mind that these books were written by first century Jews. The culture in which they lived and the time period all determines the way they present Christ and more importantly it would affect the way Christ revealed himself to them. For certain, one […]
on January 29 / by Chris Cammarata
The simplest answer is that death is still a sad thing. Jesus already knew that he would raise Lazarus, and he even tells the disciples that it’s his reason for going to see him and his family (John 11:11-15). In fact, Jesus is even glad he was not there when Lazarus died because he knew […]
on January 29 / by Dr. Nelson Thomas
Candles are one of the important sacramentals used in the Catholic Church since it assists the liturgy of the Sacraments. Catholics also use candles while offering prayers. These are called ‘votive candles’. Candles are an external expression of prayer. Just as a candle, our prayers too are continually offered up to God. Different types of […]
on January 29 / by Edin Michael
Religion by definition is the service and worship of God or the supernatural. It is basically an effort made by man to connect with God – religare “to bind fast”. Christianity, in that sense can be called a religion, the largest one on earth with 2.4 billion people. But, if we look deeper into it, […]
on January 29 / by Dr. Nelson Thomas
The Bible is a compilation of several individual books. These books were written by different human authors at different periods of time under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These were later compiled into a single book, “The Bible” under the authority of the Holy Catholic Church. Dei verbum, the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution […]
on January 28 / by Dr. Nelson Thomas
Those who never knew Christ or His Church due to invincible ignorance they may be also saved by means only known to God. They will be judged against their conscience and accordingly they will be destined to either hell or heaven or to heaven through purgatory. See what the catechism says. 847 “Those who, through […]
on January 21 / by Dr. Mammen P Cherian
The unborn child and the mother have equal human dignity and possess the same right to life. When a medical crisis arises during pregnancy, doctors should do whatever they can to save both their lives, never directly attacking one — through drugs, or other means — to save the other. Doctors usually are met with […]
on January 21 / by Edin Michael
Bible does mention about elders in heaven offering our prayers to God (Revelation 5:8). Furthermore, as we look into the Bible as a whole and analyse the Biblical data presented there, we would be left with only one conclusion – the saints in heaven pray for us. So let’s look at what the Scripture has […]
on January 21 / by Dr. Nelson Thomas
The judge is not committing sin in ensuring the rule of the law provided the law of the nation has formed on a sound moral conscience. In case, the law is formed on a doubtful or a bad moral conscience then the moral culpability of the judge is subject to his degree of cooperation with […]
on January 21 / by Jacob Jose
Really appreciate this question and your desire to remain pure in your relationships especially with the opposite gender. The essential themes that we need to discuss while answering this question are: 1) Creation of man and woman in God’s own image and likeness 2) The degradation of the human heart as a result […]
on January 21 / by Simi Sahu
This is a great question! The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that “Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know […]
on January 21 / by Chris Cammarata
It is a sin to lie, but the angel isn’t exactly lying. In this situation it’s more like he isn’t revealing the whole truth–at least not yet. The nature of St. Raphael’s mission required that he keep his angelic identity hidden. Other angels in the Old Testament did this as well. Angels are fearful, powerful, […]
on January 21 / by Dr. Nelson Thomas
Not everyone will enter heaven. Souls of those who die deprived of sanctifying grace will immediately enter hell. Sanctifying grace is a habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that perfects the soul itself to enable it to live with God and to act by his love (CCC 2000). It’s ordinarily gifted through the sacrament […]
on January 21 / by Dr. Nelson Thomas
Right after the death, the soul which is separated from the body, undergoes a ‘particular judgement’. Particular judgment, is the divine judgment that a departed person undergoes immediately after death, in contradistinction to the general judgment (or Last Judgment) of all people at the end of the world. If the departed soul is deprived of […]
on January 18 / by Chris Cammarata
The four horsemen of Revelation do not refer to specific people but to the calamities that the Church experiences as she awaits the fulfilment of God’s victory. That is why it is ambiguous whether the riders are good or evil (they bring evils upon the world, but they come as part of the fulfilment of […]
on January 16 / by Chris Cammarata
Let me start by saying that the solution to dealing with sexual urges is not necessarily acting on them. This is a truth that applies to all of us–not just priests. It will be helpful to understand the difference between chastity and celibacy. As mentioned in another post, chastity is not just abstinence from sexual […]
on January 16 / by Chris Cammarata
The Church permits going to Mass on Saturday evening instead of on Sunday, and it doesn’t have to be an emergency. Sunday is the most important and holiest day of the week for us as Christians because it is the day of Christ’s Resurrection. Our participation in the Eucharist on Sunday is our celebration of […]
on January 16 / by Edin Michael
Only God is omnipresent. Mother Mary, the Saints or the Angels are not omnipresent. But, they can and do listen to any prayers addressed to them from anywhere in any language. This is not because they are capable all by themselves, but rather God makes them “accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask […]
on January 16 / by Chris Cammarata
You’re right, it is perfectly normal to be attracted to the opposite gender. However, we should distinguish between simply being attracted to somebody and how one acts on those feelings of attraction. We are made for beauty and are naturally drawn to it. Beauty is that thing that makes us go “wow!” when we experience […]
on January 15 / by Edin Michael
When we answer this question it is necessary that we know what people mean by the word “God”. Anything that has a beginning has a cause. When we see a chair, we know that it did not come into being all by itself. We know that some carpenter had spent many hours on making the […]
on January 15 / by Chris Cammarata
That’s a really big question–I will at least outline the basics for you! The letters of St. Paul (also known as the Pauline epistles or the Pauline corpus) are the 13 letters attributed to Paul: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. […]
on January 15 / by Chris Cammarata
This question concerns the Fifth Commandment and legitimate self-defense. The Catechism speaks about it in sections 2263-2265 (but 2266-2269 are also helpful). If you are in a situation where someone is threatening your life, you are allowed to defend your life. In other words, you are allowed to fight back. Your life has value and […]
on January 14 / by Chris Cammarata
The use of incense is actually an ancient tradition in many religions of the world. Our use of incense comes from Judaism, which used incense in the rituals of the Temple. Originally, in Judaism, incense actually had a very practical purpose. You see, the Jews would often pray at the Temple by sacrificing animals to […]
on January 14 / by Edin Michael
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, […]
on January 14 / by Chris Cammarata
The Church neither confirms nor denies the Big Bang theory because it is not inherently contradictory to its teachings on creation. The most important thing to remember about the Church’s teaching on creation is simple: God created everything. However it got there, God created it. So if the Big Bang actually did happen, then what […]
on January 14 / by Chris Cammarata
According to tradition, St. Helena (the mother of Constantine and an Empress of the Roman Empire) discovered the Holy Cross (or the “True Cross”) while making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land between 326-328 AD. She led an excavation to search for the True Cross, together with the bishop of Jerusalem and the local church. […]
on January 14 / by Chris Cammarata
The books of the Bible comprise what is called the biblical canon. These books are canonical because they are divinely inspired and authoritative. Apart from differences in wording and translation, the difference between Catholic and non-Catholic Bibles is in what books are considered canon. The Catholic Bible has 73 books: 46 in the Old Testament […]
on January 14 / by Chris Cammarata
The Creed refers to the statement of the basic truths of our Catholic faith. We recite the Creed every Sunday during Mass, and often at the beginning of prayers like the Rosary. There are two Creeds we use: the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed. The Apostle’s Creed is the shorter and older of the […]
on January 14 / by Tomas Michael
Thanks for that question! Perhaps your guardian angel prompted you to ask that!!! Some quick understanding of guardian angels: A guardian angel is an angel (a created, non-human, non-corporeal being) that has been assigned to guard a particular person from the time of his birth, especially to help that person avoid spiritual dangers and achieve […]
on January 13 / by Jacob Jose
Thank you for asking a such a relevant question and it is a difficult one too. In order to understand how dressing affects man and women, we must understand a bit about man and woman in general. Man and woman in God’s eyes Man and woman share equal dignity. The dignity they share comes from […]
on January 12 / by Chris Cammarata
Your question mainly concerns two important theological concepts: Original Sin and the Immaculate Conception. Original Sin refers to the sinful condition we are all born in, which is a consequence of the sin of Adam and Eve. Through them, “sin entered the world” (Romans 5:12), and we as their children have been implicated in their sin. The Catechism speaks […]
on January 12 / by Simi Sahu
It is not surprising that there are miracles not only in many other religions, but even among those who do not believe or even acknowledge God. God is the creator and Father of all the peoples of the world and loves each person dearly. He sent His only Son to reveal His love so that […]
on January 11 / by Edin Michael
What is an indulgence? Sin leads to the possibility of two consequences: Eternal consequence: If there is no repentance, the soul will be confined to hell for eternity. This consequence can be remitted by receiving forgiveness of sin through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Temporal consequence: It is a temporary punishment which remains even after receiving […]
on January 10 / by Simi Sahu
Great question, and certainly one that is on the minds of many. It is important to know not just the reasons for the male-only priesthood of the Catholic Church, but also to be able to differentiate these reasons from some common assumptions that are NOT true as to why Catholic priesthood is limited to men. […]
on January 10 / by Chris Cammarata
Absolutely! Not only can the mother have her child baptized, but she should. No child should be punished for the circumstances of his/her birth. Obviously, the ideal is that every child be born in a happy, holy Catholic family with a loving father and mother. However, the Church knows that reality is often far different […]
on January 10 / by Edin Michael
You kind of have answered the question yourself. It is exactly because God is loving. God did not create us out of his neccesity but rather out of his great love. Since we are created out of love God has endowed us with free will (CCC 1730). Now what is free will? It is simply […]
on January 9 / by Chris Cammarata
“Why is there evil in the world?” I think this is one of the most common and most difficult questions in apologetics. I had to take my time with this one! Get ready for a long answer. To answer this, we’ll look at the following points. Feel free to find the section that’s most relevant […]
on January 9 / by Jacob Jose
The Syriac word ‘Danaha’ means Sunrise or Dawn. The feast of Danaha is celebrated to commemorate the Baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan. During the baptism of Jesus, the heaven opened and God the Father manifested himself and declared to the whole humanity that Jesus was His beloved Son. The Holy Spirit in form […]
on January 9 / by Edin Michael
What is Soul? The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the human person, created in the image of God, is a being at once corporeal and spiritual (CCC 362). The reason behind this is the unity found between the body and the spiritual soul that animates it (CCC 364). From this we can come […]
on January 9 / by Edin Michael
Before going into answering the question, first we should determine what do we mean by “historical evidence”. By historical evidence we mean the evidence available for past events or persons which can be verified to a certain degree of reliability. For establishing this one has to answer certain questions: When was the manuscript or artifact […]
on January 9 / by Chris Cammarata
According to tradition, St. Joseph died when Jesus was still growing up (meaning before he ever began his public ministry). The story says that Jesus and Mary were both there with him, to comfort him in his final moments–that is why St. Joseph is also the patron saint of a happy death.
on January 9 / by Edin Michael
Technically God created the world in six days as per the Bible (Genesis 1:31) and “he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done” (Genesis 2:2). Coming into the question while reading the Bible one should always keep in mind that the Bible is a literary work and just like […]
on January 9 / by Chris Cammarata
I did not grow up in an Eastern or Indian culture, but from what I know there is no moral rule that prohibits wearing footwear or sandals on the altar. In fact, it is very common in other countries, so I think this has more to do with traditions and culture. In many Asian cultures, […]
on January 9 / by Jacob Jose
Are you discerning the prospect of an inter-religious marriage? Then this answer is for you. As Catholics, have three vocations: vocation to married life, vocation to religious life and vocation to the single life. A vocation is the path of life that one chooses to grow in holiness and ultimately share in the divine life […]
on January 9 / by Edin Michael
First, we will have to keep in mind that celebrating Christmas on December 25 by the Catholic Church is a matter of custom rather than doctrine. Therefore it should be noted that though the Church chooses this date, she is not declaring this should be held as an obligatory article of faith and that this […]
on January 9 / by Chris Cammarata
Technically today, since God is the creator of all life! All mothers and fathers are participants (we use the term “co-creators”) in God’s act of creation when a child is brought into the world. However, if you’re referring to the creation accounts, then Genesis 1:24-31 tells us that God created human beings on the 6th […]
on January 9 / by Chris Cammarata
No saint is required to reach Jesus. “For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and the human race, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). As Jesus himself says, he is the “gate for the sheep” (John 10:7) and “the way” (John 14:6) […]
on January 9 / by Chris Cammarata
It might be easier to say that it can be okay to marry a person of a different religion. Just to clarify, “different religion” means somebody who is not Catholic. It doesn’t refer to Catholics of two different rites–for instance, a Roman Catholic and a Byzantine Catholic are still the same religion: Catholic. Rules regarding […]
on January 9 / by Chris Cammarata
Much of the debate around tattoos in Christianity comes from Leviticus 19:28, which prohibits tattoos. The reason that Leviticus forbade tattoos is that in the ancient world, tattoos were marks that showed to whom you belonged. Tattoos and brands were given to slaves and to beasts of burden. Sometimes, pagan religions would also give tattoos […]
on January 8 / by Jacob Jose
I would like to use an analogy here to draw the point. Many of you might know the game Cricket. The matches are anywhere between 4 hours to 5 days long. You yourself may be an ardent follower of the game or you might at least know people who are glued to their television screens […]
on January 8 / by Tomas Michael
First, let us understand why Sunday is a special day for us, Catholics and Christians. By setting aside Sunday as the day of the Lord, a person is honouring the third commandment “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day” (cf Ex 20:8) and the words of Jesus at Passover “Do this in memory of me” […]
on January 8 / by Edin Michael
Rape is a horrible crime and what makes it horrible is the fact that one’s body is getting violated by another human being without consent. It is a situation which no girl or woman should face in their lifetime. Having said this, suppose a rape victim gets pregnant, would it be moral to abort the […]
on January 8 / by Chris Cammarata
This question could be referring to a variety of different situations, but it sounds like you’re describing a situation where there are two young people who are in a relationship but not married, so I’ll try to answer it accordingly. It’s going to be a longer answer, so be ready! Chastity, Love, and Use The […]
on January 8 / by Chris Cammarata
The Catechism treats this directly in section 2352 (see also 2354, which concerns pornography), but I will try to expand the answer a little bit. Bear in mind that this question treats some adult themes! Let’s remember, in the first place, that the Church looks at our sexuality and the sexual act as something very […]
on January 8 / by Edin Michael
“Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity.” – CCC 364 In order to answer this question, one must first know what a soul is. A soul, on its most basic level, is the “life principle” or “animating principle” of a body. In other words, the soul is what gives life. Thus every […]
on January 8 / by Edin Michael
Now that is an interesting question! In a very simplistic fashion, time can be defined as a series of events (changes) that fill the past, extends into the present and goes into the future (relational theory of time). What happens when there are no changes or events taking place within a system? The system becomes […]
on January 8 / by Jacob Jose
For Confession to be valid one should repent of their sins and make a firm resolution not to sin again. The disposition one should have is ‘death rather sin’. As we know sin separates us from God. One who continues to sin hoping to confess afterwards will eventually stop going for confession and plunge deeper […]
on January 8 / by Tomas Michael
Well, that was an all-inclusive statement!!! Perhaps some preachers do. But yes, you have a very valid point. Sin never makes sense to a person unless he hears about the unconditional and personal love of God, the Father. Every soul should hear and experience within his heart the gentle voice of God whispering “You are […]
on January 8 / by Tomas Michael
Before going into the answer, it is presumed that by arranged marriage, what is meant is a healthy situation where parents / relatives / elders / family friends etc. bring about proposals for the prospective bride or groom and the final decision is always left to the individual concerned. Any coercion, threats, manipulation in this […]
on January 8 / by Tomas Michael
I hope the issue is about women covering their heads with a veil in prayer. The tradition of women having to cover their head in the Church came about as a result of the exhortation of St. Paul in 1 Cor 11:2-16 and not as you mentioned in the question. In the Church, as late […]
on January 8 / by Edin Michael
Purgatory is the name given to the final purification of the elect (CCC 1030 – 1032). Though the doctrine is not mentioned explicitly in Scripture, it is present in the teachings of Jesus and his apostles. One such example would be Luke 12:43-48 where we find Jesus speaking about a returning master and four different […]
on January 8 / by Chris Cammarata
Actually, there are many differences! A bit of historical background will help. Protestants do not form a single religious group, but many–thousands, in fact. Protestantism traces its origins to the late 15th and 16th centuries in Europe. There were many figures who contributed: John Calvin, King Henry VIII, Ulrich Zwingli… but perhaps most influential was […]
on January 8 / by Chris Cammarata
I’ve never seen an exhaustive list of mortal sins myself, but sometimes pamphlets with examinations of conscience (for going to Confession) will list out some sins. The Fathers of Mercy have one on their website if you search for it. There are two kinds of sins: mortal sin and venial sin. All sin is wrong […]
on January 8 / by Tomas Michael
Well, technically yes; but only in an emergency situation. A reading of the Code of Canon Law, Section 849-878 (available in Vatican site) will give a detailed idea of practical steps to be followed in administering the sacrament of baptism, both in ordinary and extraordinary circumstances. To summarise it, in an emergency situation, when there […]
on January 5 / by Jacob Jose
If only we understand what Holy Mass is, will we be able to understand why it is that Catholics celebrate Holy Mass not just on Sundays but every single day. Holy Eucharist is the greatest of all Sacraments and it is called the sacrament of Sacraments. All other sacraments points to this one Sacrament. Jesus […]
on January 4 / by Chris Cammarata
That is a question which the Catholic Church has been asking for about 2000 years! Across the centuries, countless books have been written about this one Person, but the world would not even be able to contain everything that could be said of him (see John 21:25). Let’s at least begin with a simple catechetical […]
on January 3 / by Jacob Jose
God’s perfect justice awaits every person at the final judgement. Each of us will reap according to what we have sown. Heavenly father does discipline his children because He loves us and wills our greatest good. But it does not happen the way we would imagine. He shows compassion to those in error and calls […]
on January 3 / by Jacob Jose
Apart from heaven and hell, there is a third possibility known as purgatory. Those in purgatory will ultimately enter heaven after being purified. When a person dies, the soul leaves the body. Soul is a spirit. It does not occupy physical space. Even at Jesus’s second coming when the bodies resurrect and reunite with the […]
on January 2 / by Jacob Jose
Something is termed ‘beautiful’ if it reflects God’s own beauty and goodness. Everything God created is beautiful. This includes man and woman, animals and plants, mountains and rivers. Witnessing them evoke a sense of wonder in us and we are immediately drawn to God the omnipotent creator. Beauty therefore is the divine nature in the […]
on January 2 / by Jacob Jose
God does not condemn homosexuals. And the Church does not address them as homosexuals but as ‘persons with same sex attraction’. The Church understands that no persons should be defined by their sexual orientation or impulses. The Church respects and regards their dignity as children of God. Church offers compassion in their trials and calls […]
on January 2 / by Jacob Jose
The magisterium or the teaching authority of the Church comes directly from Christ. The teachings of the Church are the teachings of Christ. Jesus’s mandate to his disciple before leaving earth was to teach people to obey all his commandments. Mathew 28:19. And Jesus also said to his disciples “He who hears you hears me” […]