Ask a Franciscan
The Litany of the Blessed Virgin
Q. In our parish a group of us gather before Mass to pray the rosary and the Litany of the Blessed Mother. From where did the Litany of the Blessed Virgin come? And what do the titles “Mirror of Justice,” “Seat of Wisdom,” “Mystical Rose,” “Tower of David,” “Tower of Ivory,” “House of Gold,” “Morning Star” and “Ark of the Covenant” mean?
Did Jesus Have a Soul?
I’ve been a Catholic for 70 years and have tried to understand the mystery of the Trinity. The other day I wondered, Did Jesus have a soul? Nothing is ever easy.
Read More →
Blessing of a Home
The Book of Blessings directs that the blessing should not be given unless those who live in the home are present—you don’t just bless empty living quarters.
Read More →
What Is Excommunication?
All excommunications are meant to be medicinal. They are a kind of shock therapy intended to make sinners aware of the seriousness of their sin and their spiritual condition and call them to conversion.
Read More →
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 ...
Read More →
A Priest’s Prayer
I am not doing what I should in order to enter the gates of heaven. Could you send me a daily prayer? I need to change my life, but do not know where to begin.
Read More →
‘I Believe’ or ‘We Believe’ in the Nicene Creed?
On Sundays and holy days of obligation, we recite the Nicene Creed. We begin by saying, “We believe in one God….” Although this is the first person plural, this prayer’s Latin text reads “Credo” (“I believe,” first person singular).
Read More →