Ask a Franciscan
Who Wrote the Gospel of John?
I was surprised to read in an earlier “Ask” column that John the Apostle did not write the Gospel of John. Who did?
We are not entirely sure. First, I should point out that only around the year AD 125 were Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John first identified by Papias as the authors of the Gospels. Some Gospels presumed to be written by other prominent Christians were not accepted into the Bible—the Gospel of Thomas, for example.
The Holy Family’s Arrival in Nazareth
According to Luke, the Holy Family went to Nazareth a little more than 40 days after Jesus was born. Matthew’s Gospel suggests it may have been several years later. Which was it?
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‘Consubstantial’ Explained
What exactly does consubstantial mean, and by what authority was it inserted into the Nicene Creed?
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Was Mary a Virgin During Childbirth?
From time to time, I have heard the expression that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin in partu. What does this term mean?
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Examining My Conscience
Why aren’t the corporal works of mercy the focus of an examination of conscience before receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation?
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Was Saint Nicholas Real?
Books say Nicholas died in 342 A.D., but they don’t say when he became a saint. They also say that, while many miracles were performed, they were not recognized by the Catholic Church and he was dropped from the Roman ...
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