Lord, Save Us from ‘Cute’ Saints!
Pat McCloskey, OFM
October 29, 2020
“Cute” isn’t all bad, but this way of looking at saints hides the wideness of God’s mercy.
Posts from:
Pat McCloskey, OFM
Pat McCloskey, OFM, is the Franciscan advisor for St. Anthony Messenger and the writer of its "Ask a Franciscan" column.
Confession Helps in Many Ways
Pat McCloskey, OFM
October 13, 2020
Confession has been a really sore spot for me but, having been raised a Catholic, I do love the Church and all the other sacraments. I am sure there are priests I could go to for confession, but I feel so uncomfortable and always feel that God already knows my sins and what I am sorry for.
St. Francis and His Time with the Sultan
Pat McCloskey, OFM
October 7, 2020
How did St. Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malik al-Kamil become friends?
Who Informed the Biblical Writers?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
September 28, 2020
How did the gentlemen who gathered together to write the Bible do so? Where did their information come from? The holy Bible is beautifully written. When was it written? How did they know all the details?
Ultimately, God inspired them to convey the unique divine self-revelation that we find in the Bible. We need to accept the Bible on its own terms. We may mistakenly think of it as entirely eyewitness accounts in which the biblical writers act like court reporters, giving us a verbatim account.
Who Wrote the Gospel of John?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
August 27, 2020
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.
One of Life's Great Losses
Pat McCloskey, OFM
July 29, 2020
How do I understand and find peace in the death of a parent?
Please accept my condolences on the death of your father or mother. Allow yourself to grieve properly but without being absolutely consumed or paralyzed by this death. Joining a support group for people who have recently lost a loved one may be helpful. If not, consider seeking individual grief counseling.
Confronting Racism
Pat McCloskey, OFM
July 29, 2020
I have a family member who seems to harbor a racist attitude. How do I respond when I hear this person make thinly veiled racist statements?
These comments probably reflect what this family member considers “normal, ” “what everyone knows, ” or wishes were true. At some level, this family member is protecting how he or she sees the world what he or she needs to be true. Otherwise, this person may have to ask life-changing questions and make equally radical changes.