Q: Why did Christ wait until approximately 2,017 years ago to appear on Earth when man (Homo sapiens) is about 200,000 years old? A: Theologians call this theological issue the “scandal of the particular.” Which is to say, Why did God reveal Himself in Jesus in a particular time and …

We can learn as our children grow. Solomon asked God for wisdom and God should have told him to listen to his children. I learned the concept of “inside voice and outside voice” when my oldest child started grade school. She explained to me one day when her brother and …

Have you ever found yourself doubting your faith? I am not talking about serious doubt. I am referring to “pop-up” doubts. You are driving to work and, without prompting, your mind wanders to the funeral you attended last week. You ask yourself: “What if there is nothing after death?” This …

Q: I recently became aware that not all parishes or even dioceses have women serving as ministers within the liturgy. What is the church’s teaching on women lectors, acolytes (servers), and extraordinary ministers of holy Communion? A: Those who assist at the liturgy, whether as lectors, servers, or ministers of …

By Jeanne Hunt Do you have enemies? Are there people you can’t stand because they have caused you great harm? Most of us might have a short list of enemies: a few politicians, a high school basketball coach, the girl who dumped you in college. And then there is the …

Q: I am making my final arrangements and have been trying you decide between traditional burial and cremation. I have some concerns about cremation from a religious point of view, although it is the best financial option. Does the Church have a preference between burial and cremation? A: The Church …

Hope has long gathered dust in my closet of virtues. Always quick to correct the grammatical misuse of the adverb, “hopefully,” I was just as quick to label “whimp” when hope was used in any reference. Faith – that takes courage; love – that takes strength. But hope? In mid-June, …

Have you ever dropped out or given up? Do you have piles of uncompleted projects? “Never, never, never give up,” said Winston Churchill after the London blitz. “Move forward, at all cost, move forward,” said Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain at the battle of Gettysburg. “I have fought the good fight. I …

By Sister Constance Veit, L.S.P. In college I grew in my Catholic faith and had a strong experience of religious pluralism. I was involved in the Newman Center daily but I also had many non-Catholic friends and even frequented Hillel House, the Jewish student center. Several of my Jewish friends …

Have you ever been a square peg? As I examine my own life, I can see those times when I decided to ignore God’s “round hole” vision for life and force my “square peg” self into God’s plans. It seems, we want to impose our version of reality on God’s …