Catholics should remember those who gave their life for country and freedom, just as everyone else does on Memorial Day. Perhaps even doing so at mass is a particular way for Catholics to celebrate the day. It’s not a sin to be patriotic and to remember that some things are indeed worth fighting for when other means have not secured our freedoms. People have sacrificed much for our freedom and gratitude is our response on Memorial Day.
At the same time, we should also pray for peace and hope for solutions that will not require war and bloodshed. Lastly, we should also try to unite with the poor who are often victimized by war, sometimes intentionally. Can we see Christ in all of these people? That is where we might…

Must a Catholic have a wake or a funeral–my friend’s wife doesn’t want one for her dying Catholic husband?
While not speculating about the dynamics of their relationship, it is the right of every baptized Catholic in good standing to receive the funeral rites of the Church. These include the Vigil (Wake), the Mass of Christian Burial, and burial or internment of one’s remains in a Catholic cemetery.
It’s important to remember that the Rite of Christian Funerals is as much for the living as they are for the deceased. All of the symbols used in the funeral rites are the same as those used at Baptism. The sprinkling of the casket with holy water, preferably from the baptismal font, is a reminder…

Jesus did not ask Peter this question 3 times because he was hard of hearing or slow to comprehend Peter’s answers! The fact that Jesus asks Peter this question – “do you love me?” – three times is very significant.

Certain holidays have greater importance in a given region or culture than in others because of the widely divergent traditions that are collectively called Hinduism. But some Hindu festivals are observed widely throughout India. Among these are Holi, the spring festival which commemorates the slaying of the demon Holika by Prahlad, a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Bonfires are lit to commemorate Prahlad’s escape from the demon; revelers throw colored water and powder at each other in celebration. The Durga Puja, falling in September-October, is a time dedicated to worship of the mother goddess Durga. Devotees prepare large images of the mother goddess and processions and worship services take place over a…

I’m sorry to tell you that this is not allowed. Catholic prayers are said at Catholic weddings; Buddhist prayers are said at Buddhist weddings.
The principle here is that one should always avoid the practice of “syncretism”; that is, the combination of the rites and prayers of various religious traditions into an amalgam which is truly expressive of none of them. Granted, there are some quite beautiful prayers in other religious traditions. At first glance it may seem like a good idea to try to include one in your ceremony. But experience has shown that it just doesn’t work. Trust me on this one. I’ve seen it tried.
Instead, use the very beautiful prayers that are already included in the Rite of Christian…

The Acts of the Apostles, which is a sequel to Luke’s Gospel, is an action-packed thriller, to borrow from today’s vernacular. It’s hard to imagine reading the Acts of the Apostles and NOT coming away with a sense of enthusiasm and eagerness to proclaim the Good News! In fact, I often recommend to people that they begin their study of the New Testament by reading the Acts of the Apostles even before delving into the Gospels. In many ways, we can most easily relate to the Acts of the Apostles because it is most similar to our own experience: followers of Jesus striving to proclaim the gospel after the Ascension of Jesus, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Some of the most well-known and inspiring stories in the…

Hindu religious texts are some of the world’s oldest sacred writings. A group of texts known as the Vedas, containing hymns and sacrificial formulas, originated in North Indian oral traditions and were written down from roughly 1500-500 BCE. These texts are described as “heard” and considered to be divinely revealed, as opposed to later “remembered” writings which are considered to be of human origin. Then the Upanishads, philosophical works that develop the spiritual teachings of the Vedas, emerged during the first millennium BCE. One particularly significant later text, embedded within a foundational epic called the Mahabharata, is the Baghavad Gita, the “Song of God.” It contains…

While I am unaware of any canonized saints who the Church would not consider in union with the Catholic faith, I do know that we share a number of saints with the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox Churches. These primarily include the early Church Fathers such as Ignatius of Antioch, Augustine of Hippo, John Chrysostom, Irenaeus of Lyons, and many others from the first millennium of Christianity.
Of course, this deals with those who are recognized publicly by the Church as saints worthy of veneration – those who are in “the Christian Hall of Fame,” if you will. We admit of countless others who are “uncanonized” saints, those faithful Christians who have entered into the presence of God for all eternity.…

The biblical authors loved numbers. Some numbers are good. Some are bad. Some numbers are repeated so often that we can rightly become a bit suspicious. For example, you might be surprised to know that the number forty occurs nearly 200 times in the Bible. The Israelites wandered the desert for 40 days; Moses remained on the mountaintop for 40 days; Jesus spent 40 days in the desert. It is obvious that this number is being used as a symbol and not strictly to communicate fact. Specifically, the number forty represents a significant period of time during which a person’s faithfulness is tested and can be judged or determined. Other numbers are used frequently in the Bible to convey symbolic meaning.
The number…

The protests that have gripped the Middle East in recent months have had secular triggers: rampant poverty, high unemployment, government corruption and political oppression. While religious voices have been a part of the upheavals, they have not been at the forefront. Protesters clamor not for an Islamic state but for democracy and individual freedoms, ideas that some see as Western imports foreign to Islam. However, religion is so deeply rooted in culture – and vice versa – that the nascent process of political change in the Muslim world must chart its own distinctively Muslim course. Political turmoil exposes other fractures in society, as revealed by recent sectarian clashes in Egypt. In Egypt and…

While I’m not sure exactly what you mean by a “secular prayer service” (since the phrase is an oxymoron), for purposes of discussion, I’ll assume that you mean a prayer given in a public setting such as a prayer breakfast or even a service where many differing religions are present such as an event marking “World AIDS Day” or the like. The fact of the matter is that Catholic chaplains, whether military or hospital or police chaplains are often asked to participate in prayer services where people of diverse religious traditions will be present. They can do so in good conscience. Obviously, the nature of the prayer will be dictated by the type of service in which it will take place. While, as Christians,…

Mary is the English translation of the Hebrew name Miriam (in Latin, it’s Maria). There are different possible meanings for the name Mary. Some sources say that it means “bitter,” while others suggest that it means something more like “beloved” or “the sublime one.” Whatever the meaning, it seems likely that Mary was named after Miriam the sister of Moses, who was a well-known woman in the Jewish tradition.…

John’s Gospel describes Jesus forming a “whip of cords” (John 2:15) and using it to drive out them out of the temple. How can we reconcile Jesus’ apparent anger with the notion of anger being a deadly sin? First, we don’t know that Jesus was angry. We do not have a description of his inner state of mind. What we do have is a description of bold behavior – fierce action. There is a difference between being angry and being fierce. In fact, Jesus’ disciples describe his actions in this scene as reminiscent of a passage from Scripture: “Zeal for thy house will consume me.” (Psalm 69:10) In other words, the disciples characterized Jesus’ demeanor as being zealous, not angry. Finally, for those who dismiss…

Pope Paul VI, in his encyclical Humanae Vitae (On Human Life), clearly states there are at least “two meanings of the conjugal act: the unitive meaning and the procreative meaning” (HV #12).  Certainly a husband and wife who cannot conceive a child are called to continue to express their love for one another (the unitive meaning).  Sex is a gift and gifts are to be accepted and enjoyed.  Just as a couple who are past child bearing years can relax and enjoy sex even more as their love deepens and ripens with age, so too can those who unfortunately cannot conceive still grow in their love for one another and express that love through their sexual union.
Secondly, the couple has no control over the natural rhythms…

Yes, you may. While it may not be a sacramental marriage, a wedding is a wonderful time to share your friends’ joy. As you would at any other celebration with other Christians or people of other religious traditions, respectfully attend and participate to the extent that you can in conscience.
Most other traditions don’t have communion as a part of their marriage rite, but if they do, politely decline since it would be dishonest to participate in communion in a church with whom we are not in full communion. By the way, I find that a table setting always makes a nice wedding gift. That way they will always have a place for you at their table when you come to visit!…

According to the formula of the Church established at the Council of Nicaea in the year 325, Easter is celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox. (Note that the ecclesiastical designation of the spring equinox and the full moon does not always correspond to the astronomical designation.) This date was chosen in keeping with the date of the Jewish Passover, from which Easter, the Christian Passover, was derived. Eastern and Western Church authorities have defined the spring equinox and the full moon differently, however, and since the Gregorian reform of the calendar, the date of Easter in the Eastern and Western Churches is not always the same. Following the formula, Easter…

Catholics believe that Christ was conceived in Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, and not through a human father. (See Luke 1: 26-38). Though there are other religions that feature stories of miraculous conceptions and births, that fact alone is not evidence that the virgin birth was just a narrative detail that was lifted from some other place. Take the Gospels, for example. If you are looking for historical facts about Jesus’ life, that’s clearly where you will go, given that they were based on the oral tradition that came from eyewitness testimony. It’s worth noting that both Matthew and Luke make a clear reference to Mary’s virginity.
If you look at what the Church believes about Jesus, the virgin…

Not true. Catholics may donate their bodies to science. However, it does require some special logistics for the funeral and burial. This is not hard to do since most tissue banks are very appreciative of the donation and work very hard to respect the wishes of the family. The Catholic funeral rite has three parts: the Vigil, the Funeral Mass, and the Burial Rite. The Vigil and the Funeral Mass can happen soon after your death, with or without the body, depending on the type of donation. However, the Burial Rite may take place much later. It is required that when they have finished with your body that your remains be given a Christian burial. Bodies which have been donated to science are always cremated. As such, the cremated…

Yes, you should. Your presence there is about paying your respects to your deceased friend. It is not about making a statement. Also, remember that it is HIS minister, not yours. Go to the service, be respectful, comfort the family and pray for the repose of his soul. Participate in the service to the extent that you are able to in conscience. Most Protestant traditions do not offer communion at funerals, but if they do, politely decline as it would be dishonest to participate in communion with a church with whom we are not in full communion. The best thing to say to the family is “I am very sorry for your loss.” Remember, at funerals the family will seldom remember anything you said, but they will never forget that…

Q: Why did Mary and Jesus’ brothers go looking for him and why did Jesus turn them away? (Matthew 12:46-50)
In Matthew 12:46-50, while Jesus is preaching, his mother and brothers come looking for him. When someone points them out to Jesus, he answers, “’Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.’” (Matthew 12:48-50). (Note that the word used for “brother” in the original text is the word that is also used for cousins, half-siblings, and other kin. See the New American Bible explanatory notes for Mark 6:3. )
Why did Mary…