Question: Why do we put ashes on our forehead on Ash Wednesday? Answer: Ashes are a symbol of mourning, mortality, and penance. After all, “you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:19). That was God’s reminder to Adam after he commited the original sin. During Old Testament times, God’s people would cover themselves with ashes in times of mourning, or to make … Continue reading
Question: I have a Protestant friend who is considering becoming Catholic. I’ve taken him to Mass a few times and we’ve had a few conversations about our beliefs. But, usually when I ask him about converting, he just says, “I’m still thinking about it.” Is there anything more I can do? Answer: Well, patience is key. If it was up to us, we would have … Continue reading
YOUTH 2000 Retreat Scheduled for Owensboro, Kentucky on March 9, 10 & 11 at Brescia University Pope John Paul II continually called upon the youth of the Church to be instruments and leaders of a new effort to bring the Gospel to the world. In Rome at the XV World Youth Day, he challenged the young people to “set the Eucharist at the center … Continue reading
Question: Does “ask and you shall receive” mean that we should expect to get anything from God as long as we pray for it? Answer: The passage you are referring to is Mt 7:7 – “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” A passage from John’s gospel is similar to it: “if … Continue reading
Question: I know that it is good to pray FOR the souls in Purgatory, but can we also pray TO them? Short answer: From what I can tell, the Church has not definitively settled this question. There is certainly nothing that explicitly forbids it. As such, it remains a topic that is up for debate, and it is for each individual Catholic to decide whether … Continue reading
Question: I am a cradle Catholic who has become disenchanted with the Church. What books would you recommend I read that will convince me to come back? Answer: It is very admirable of you to give Catholicism a second chance. Some people give little thought to abandoning the Church of their youth, yet I see from your words that you consider this to be a … Continue reading
Question: What is the history of the rosary? Answer: [The following is from “A Brief History of the Rosary,” This Rock magazine, Dec. 2002. Used with permission] The Catholic Encyclopedia (vol. 13, p. 184–189) recounts that in the early centuries of the Church monks would recite the Psalms as part of their rule of life. Since learning the Psalms was necessarily restricted to those who … Continue reading