Ask a Franciscan
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?
The Our Father, Amen, and Holding Hands
Would you say if there is still an amen at the end of the Our Father? At Mass, I realize a prayer has been inserted between the main body of the prayer and when the priest says amen.
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Anointing the Sick and Baptism
The catechumens in my RCIA group asked me these questions: Can permanent deacons administer the Sacrament of the Sick? Can a non-baptized person receive the Sacrament of the Sick? Can a baptized person who is not a Catholic receive the Sacrament ...
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Can We Sing the Our Father?
Why can’t we sing the Our Father at Mass? When I asked our parish organist, the response was that our parish was told not to do this.
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Why Is God’s Name So Important?
I don’t understand why the name of God was so important to the Israelites. I thought God’s name was simply “God.”
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Is There More Power in Praying for One Person?
Q: When I pray a petition, I can't help feeling that if I pray for one person only, the prayer will be stronger or more effective than if I pray for 20 people at once. For example, is "Please help David" ...
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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.
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