Ask a Franciscan

Was Jesus Born in December?

Pat McCloskey, OFM October 21, 2024

Do we celebrate Christmas in December because we know he was born in that month? If not, why is his birth celebrated then?

What about Limbo?

Pat McCloskey, OFM May 9, 2020

Are unbaptized souls in a state of eternal happiness outside heaven or do they go to hell forever? I pray for my granddaughter’s soul.

Withdrawing Food and Water?

Pat McCloskey, OFM May 9, 2020

Hospitals today really encourage people to have living wills. Is it permissible for patients to choose to have water and food withheld in case of very severe illness? I think this is suicide.

How Do the Saints Help Us?

Pat McCloskey, OFM May 9, 2020

Do you think that saints can help us out? Can you be sure that they are there and that sometimes they talk to you?

A non-Catholic friend asked me how the Scriptures at Mass are selected. Who started this and when was the present system adopted? Vatican II’s 1963 “Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy” called for a wider selection of biblical texts to be ...

Who Was the ‘Beloved Disciple ‘?

Pat McCloskey, OFM March 27, 2020

In the Gospel of John, "the disciple whom Jesus loved " is at the foot of the cross (19:26) and is entrusted with caring for the mother of Jesus (19:27). Who is this disciple and what makes him more loved ...

Person standing in front of a grave with flowers

A Deep Wound

Pat McCloskey, OFM February 26, 2020

How could God take my precious son at age 43 and yet allow rotten people who have stopped believing in God to keep on living? My son was a great Catholic and spent eight years in Catholic schools.

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Ask a Franciscan

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