Must I Obey All Laws?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
November 19, 2025
Aren’t immigration laws as binding as all other laws? Even though someone can campaign to change a law, isn’t that person obliged to obey all current laws?
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.
Is Marriage Really a Sacrament?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
November 18, 2025
How can marriage possibly be a sacrament? Yes, Jesus attended a wedding feast, spoke of the Kingdom of God in terms of a wedding banquet, and used the Genesis creation story to support the idea of union.
Eucharist: Symbol or Reality?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
November 17, 2025
In our missalette for the Solemnity of the Epiphany the prayer over the gifts, the bread and wine, speaks of them as symbolizing Christ. But don’t most priests say they are really the body and blood of Jesus Christ?
Who Assigns Patron Saints?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
November 16, 2025
How is the patron saint of an occupation, a country, or a group of people decided? Specifically, how did St. Nicholas come to be the patron saint of brides, grooms, children, bakers, and pawnbrokers?
Why Are These Symbols Connected With Saints?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
November 15, 2025
I have noticed that many paintings of Saint Jerome include a lion lying at his feet. In other paintings there is a skull. I have noticed similar images in paintings of other saints. I am intrigued by these symbols. What do they mean?
Is a Private Marriage OK?
Pat McCloskey, OFM
November 14, 2025
We decided to get married before God but privately. We knelt down before a crucifix and made our wedding vows before God. Have we committed a sin and, if so, what should we do?
Rich in Poverty
Pat McCloskey, OFM
November 14, 2025
“Rich by reason of its poverty.” That phrase was as difficult to understand in Francis’s day as it is in ours. Celano was not pulling this expression out of thin air.