What About Sins of Omission?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
June 24, 2025
I cannot find an examination of conscience for sins of omission. Does such a list exist?
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Is Gambling a Sin?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
May 14, 2020
Is it a sin to place a bet on a horse race? What about lotteries or betting on sports contests? What does the Catholic Church think about playing slot machines? At times it seems that the Church opposes gambling, but ...
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Is Scrupulosity a Sin?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
May 14, 2020
Q. I'm having a difference of opinion with a friend who says that scrupulosity is a sin. I say it is not. What does the Catholic Church teach on this?
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Minimum Age for Readers at Mass?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
May 14, 2020
Q. Is there a minimum age before someone can be designated as a reader at Mass? Must that person be confirmed? A. There is no minimum age, and having received the Sacrament of Confirmation is not a requirement. Carrying out this ...
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Why Did John the Baptist Baptize?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
May 14, 2020
Q. During Advent we hear Gospel readings about John the Baptist and his ministry. This month we celebrate Jesus' Baptism by John. This, however, was not a Jewish practice, was it? Why was John baptizing in the first place?
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A Piece of Bamboo
Francesca Notowidigdo
May 14, 2020
It is difficult to say if my love for all creatures, great and small, developed because I was named after Saint Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and the environment. Or if I was born with an innate understanding of ...
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A Mass without Borders
Nancy Wiechec
May 14, 2020
The pope was speaking about injustice and oppression, saying that transformation and conversion come with “tears that purify our gaze and enable us to see the cycle of sin.” He had come to the border at the end of his ...
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