Ask A Catholic II

[civ_king]

How many rosaries would I need to say as penance for stealing a rosary?

What am I, a priest?
I have no idea, that is for the confessor to decide

PS you made my day

 

[_random_]

What am I, a priest?
I have no idea, that is for the confessor to decide

PS you made my day

Glad to hear it. For what it's worth, this is somewhat based on a real scenario. I was looking through my school's lost and found, found one of those cheap plastic ones, started fiddling with the beads a little, and put it in my pocket without thinking about it. I put it back in the lost and found today, so I imagine the penance would be pretty light.
1) Is fiddling with a rosary in a non-prayerful manner sinful?
2) What is a typical penance like?

 

[Jehoshua]

@timtofly

clearly you know nothing about the Catholic Church if you think we believe the pope is God on earth. I would actually laugh at you if I didn;t think you actually believed what you said

@_Random_

The penance dealt out at confession depends on the priest so there is really no 'typical' penance. For example St Philip Neri gave a priest a penance to repeat a sermon he ha many times each sunday to make people think he only had one good sermon and increase his humility. Another one from St Philip Neri had a person with an aversion to cats carry his cat around Rome for a day. On the other hand I have been given some exceedingly light penances on occasion where I have almost said "really?" to the priest they were that light, for example three hail mary's or "think aout how you pray".

@Domination3000

I am aware the quote in scripture is in reference to God and money. I just used the term in reference to the fact that its a similar situation if one claimed to be protestant and catholic. Its an impossibility and you cannot equally adhere to both. Oh and the Catholic Church is the original Church founded by Christ and so although it is correct to say that it was originally a term generally for all christians this it true in so far that in the begining all christians belonged to the Catholic Church (although within a century or so the heresies started popping up as we see in the writings of St Ignatios of Antioch and others).

 

[GenMarshall]

Does God enjoy punishing me? I have, for a while thought it was his twisted sense if humor just to punish me. Taking away my job, and other misfortunes in my life.

Why I am asking here, is because.... ....I am sort of a lapsed Catholic.

(Also to get it out of the way, perhaps explain to others what a "Lapsed Catholic" is. It's most certainly not someone who committed apostasy.)

 

[civ_king]

Does God enjoy punishing me? I have, for a while thought it was his twisted sense if humor just to punish me. Taking away my job, and other misfortunes in my life.

Why I am asking here, is because.... ....I am sort of a lapsed Catholic.

(Also to get it out of the way, perhaps explain to others what a "Lapsed Catholic" is. It's most certainly not someone who committed apostasy.)

Go confess your sins, perform the penance, go to Mass regularly, pray the rosary, take part in Eucharistic Adoration and listen.

 

[Jehoshua]

I would hardly think so. Not to mention blaming God for all ones problems is an incorrect view. Often ones problems are caused precisely due to humanity, or the natural processes of the world. The thing is one must have true faith in God and continue in fidelity to Him and all he commanded despite the trials of this life and continue on the path to sanctification as the trials of the world although difficult are mere obstacles on the path to God.

As to being a lapsed Catholic, I concur with Civ_king. Going to confession and after that, mass and eucharistic adoration if possible would help you. Confession lifts the weight of sin from your shoulders, and communion when undertaken in the understanding of the real presence of Christ strengthens the spirit to endure within the world. I would also encourage you to learn, even the most ardent and faithful catholic must continually study the faith and enter into deeper understanding of the mysteries of Christ.

-

oh and if your interested, you should go onto Catholic Answers (an online catholic forum). Perhaps you can find some help there, it has many faithful catholics, converts, returned lapsed catholics and cradle catholics alike and has many catholics who are much better informed in matters of the Faith than myself or Civ_King.

 

[Jehoshua]

@Random

fiddlign with a rosary in a non-prayerful manner is not sinful, however sacrilegious usage of one is ill advised. I know a lot of catholics find it extremely annoying that people actually wear rosaries who are not even catholic and who often live lifestyles gravely contradictory to the gospel.

 

[Takhisis]

Does God enjoy punishing me? I have, for a while thought it was his twisted sense if humor just to punish me. Taking away my job, and other misfortunes in my life.

What? Did an angel come down to you to tell you you'd been fired?

 

[PeteAtoms]

What's the funniest joke about Catholics that you will laugh at without being offended?

 

[GenMarshall]

Going to confession

Oh I am scared of that already .

What's the funniest joke about Catholics that you will laugh at without being offended?

Photons have mass? I didn't even know they were Catholic

 

[Jehoshua]

Oh I am scared of that already .

It is sort of frightening before you go, but once your done its not that bad really and you actually feel it wasn't so bad afterwards. Not to mention the weight lifted off your shoulders.

-

oh and you will probably want an act of contrition, as in confession you usually are asked to give one. Heres one by Pius XIII: http://www.truecatholic.us/pope/perfectcontrition.htm

 

[NBAfan]

Oh I am scared of that already .

Just go to a Church you hardly ever go to. No chance of anyone knowing you.
It's worth a shot anyway.

 

[Jehoshua]

Just go to a Church you hardly ever go to. No chance of being embarrassed.
It's worth a shot anyway.

Not really a chance of being embarrased. Ages ago when I went to my first confession in several years I was exceedingly nervous about the whole thing, but there was no embarrasment or condemnation from anyone, as I said the confessor does not condemn and in general is very supportive. Same thing when I went to my first mass in the extraordinary form I was welcomed warmly by people and there was no real embarrassment.

Generally people will be supportive rather than condemnatory towards a returning lapsed catholic, or anyone who's going to mass for the first time in a while or ever.

 

[civ_king]

What's the funniest joke about Catholics that you will laugh at without being offended?

Here is my favorite Catholic joke

Jesus was walking along one day, when He came upon a group of people surrounding a lady of ill repute. It was obvious that the crowd was preparing to stone her, so Jesus made His now-famous statement, "Let the person who has no sin cast the first stone."

The crowd was shamed and one by one began to turn away. All of a sudden, a lovely little woman made her way through the crowd. Finally getting to the front, she tossed a pebble towards the woman.

Jesus looks over and says, "I really hate it when you do that, Mom."

CivGeneral, say something along the lines of "Bless me Father, for I have sinned, it has been many years since my last confession, please help me"

 

[GhostWriter16]

The penance dealt out at confession depends on the priest so there is really no 'typical' penance. For example St Philip Neri gave a priest a penance to repeat a sermon he ha many times each sunday to make people think he only had one good sermon and increase his humility. Another one from St Philip Neri had a person with an aversion to cats carry his cat around Rome for a day. On the other hand I have been given some exceedingly light penances on occasion where I have almost said "really?" to the priest they were that light, for example three hail mary's or "think aout how you pray".

Just for the sake of discussion, isn't this a bad idea, since it inhibits the rest of the Church from learning more?

Jesus was walking along one day, when He came upon a group of people surrounding a lady of ill repute. It was obvious that the crowd was preparing to stone her, so Jesus made His now-famous statement, "Let the person who has no sin cast the first stone."

The crowd was shamed and one by one began to turn away. All of a sudden, a lovely little woman made her way through the crowd. Finally getting to the front, she tossed a pebble towards the woman.

Jesus looks over and says, "I really hate it when you do that, Mom."

But seriously, why couldn't Mary have thrown the stone? She was supposedly sinless wasn't she?

Another unrelated question but one I am interested in.

Jehoshua said earlier that people throw themselves into Hell to escape the pain of God's precense, and God allows them to choose it. That does make sense, however, why doesn't God just annihilate them? That way they are just gone, and can't suffer at all?

This is a contradictory question, since I myself haven't answered it, but I am interested if any of you have any theories.

 

[civ_king]

Just for the sake of discussion, isn't this a bad idea, since it inhibits the rest of the Church from learning more?





But seriously, why couldn't Mary have thrown the stone? She was supposedly sinless wasn't she?

Another unrelated question but one I am interested in.

Jehoshua said earlier that people throw themselves into Hell to escape the pain of God's precense, and God allows them to choose it. That does make sense, however, why doesn't God just annihilate them? That way they are just gone, and can't suffer at all?

This is a contradictory question, since I myself haven't answered it, but I am interested if any of you have any theories.

No, normally you are supposed to go to a priest at your neighbourhood parish so they can guide your spiritual growth.

She could have, however that wouldn't be sending the right message

God does not annihilate stuff, it just isn't His style I suppose, plus if they are annihilated them people will do whatever because to them nonexistence isn't a punishment.

 

[GhostWriter16]

No, normally you are supposed to go to a priest at your neighbourhood parish so they can guide your spiritual growth.

How does this relate to my question exactly?

She could have, however that wouldn't be sending the right message

Or Mary could simply not have been in the crowd

But, wouldn't desire to throw the stone have been sin anyways?

God does not annihilate stuff, it just isn't His style I suppose, plus if they are annihilated them people will do whatever because to them nonexistence isn't a punishment.

That's true, though he could always annihilate them after letting them suffer for a little while.

That said, there's nothing wrong with that answer, its not like I could do any better, I was just curious.

 

[civ_king]

How does this relate to my question exactly?



Or Mary could simply not have been in the crowd

But, wouldn't desire to throw the stone have been sin anyways?



That's true, though he could always annihilate them after letting them suffer for a little while.

That said, there's nothing wrong with that answer, its not like I could do any better, I was just curious.

I must have misinterpreted your question, please rephrase it

Or that, but if she was it wouldn't have worked very well as a teaching thing and what good mother messes with her son teaching people.

Nope, it would be execution of the law

They have made their bed and they must sleep in it.

 

[GhostWriter16]

I must have misinterpreted your question, please rephrase it

Sure. Basically, sure preaching one sermon over and over might humble the priest, but it will also limit the intake of new knowledge by the congregation, so it is harming more people than just the priest who is preaching. Isn't this a bad thing?

Or that, but if she was it wouldn't have worked very well as a teaching thing and what good mother messes with her son teaching people.

Yeah, obviously. That question was more for humor than anything.

Nope, it would be execution of the law

Except that Roman Law didn't allow it.

Or was Mary not bound to obey Roman Law since she was sinless? (According to Catholic theology.)

They have made their bed and they must sleep in it.

Fair point.

In that regard, another question: Is it possible to go your entire life without sinning? If not, is it possible to go your whole life without mortally sinning?

Is there any possible way for an atheist to be saved? If the answer is "No" does this still apply if they are in a country like North Korea or something and were never able to hear about God?

 

[Arakhor]

Well, not being an officer of the law, it might well have been sinful to execute someone, but I believe the idea is that the Virgin Mary was born without sin and never accrued any either.