The first thing to have in mind is that in the case of religious vocation, that the Church has to test and “discern” vocations and ordain or disqualify someone who is interested in the priesthood or religious life. Even marriage, the Church can decide that one isn’t fit to be married and deny them the
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It is very wrong to think that God would reject the prayers of someone in the state of mortal sin. The image of God as “Good shepherd” or as a loving Father is diminished when one is overly scared that God won’t answer their prayers because they are in sin. God is a loving father
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Full Question: Is it superstitious to trust in your Rosary for protection? Answer: I do not think there’s anything wrong with believing in the protection that God and his saints offer by using some sacramental. However, if you believe that by merely carrying a rosary in your person, and not using it, that the rosary
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Masturbation happens in every culture, across every period of history, and it’s the way most adolescents discover what they enjoy before embarking on adult sexual relationships. However, if it’s becoming an obsession that inhibits other aspects of your life, or you belong to a religion or philosophy that forbids masturbation, then it’s possible to curb
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The Bible never explicitly mentions masturbation or states whether or not masturbation is a sin. The Scripture most frequently pointed to in regards to masturbation is the story of Onan in Genesis 38:9-10. Some interpret this passage as saying that “spilling your seed” on the ground is a sin. However, that is not precisely what
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This is the traditional protocol of the “privilège du blanc.” President Donald Trump’s first visit to Pope Francis captured the world’s attention for various reasons, both because of their differences of perspective on sensitive issues and also because both Melania and Ivanka wore a black dress and veil to meet the Holy Father. The Holy See
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I believe that we live in an age where fallen-away Catholics don’t really know what they’ve left, non-Catholics don’t really know what they’re missing, and many Catholics don’t really know what they’ve got. They don’t really know the Mass. The Mass is the climactic form of Christian worship and within it is contained the greatest miracle on
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Think to a time when you were hungry. Remember how it felt, a bit uncomfortable, right? You may have even said, “I’m starving!” But you knew that in a short time the next meal would be there for you. Knowing that a good meal was awaiting you allowed your slight hunger to actually whet your
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Masturbation happens in every culture, across every period of history, and it’s the way most adolescents discover what they enjoy before embarking on adult sexual relationships. However, if it’s becoming an obsession that inhibits other aspects of your life, or you belong to a religion or philosophy that forbids masturbation, then it’s possible to curb
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For most of us living in the Northern Hemisphere fresh fruits and vegetables are now in abundant summer supply for our sustenance and enjoyment. But how often do we really consider the hard work and long hours that farmers, ranchers and farmworkers exert to put food on our table? It appears most of us do
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