tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-379791202012-02-16T16:45:59.509-08:00Fr. Mike Manning, SVD. is the host of "The Power of Love," a weekly television show on TBN that is produced by Wordnet Productions. This blog is a compilation of the many questions that Catholics from all walks of life have asked him. Please feel free to ask your questions and Fr. Mike will find a way to answer them. God's blessings be upon you always.Editor @ Parishworld.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11351018547370080019noreply@blogger.comBlogger551100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37979120.post-65111325224479513072007-07-26T13:42:00.000-07:002007-07-26T13:43:30.427-07:00

I've just returned from a month in the Philippines. My primary purpose was to give three retreats to the Divine Word Missionaries who are working thoughout the many islands of the country. I first traveled north of Manila to the town of Bagio. I was surprised to find that this mountain town was chilly most of the time. I had expected nothing but perspiration and humidity. The climate was

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A statement making the rounds in many Christian circles runs something like this: "Those homosexuals are finally getting what they deserve. A person can abuse God's law for only so long. The Lord will eventually catch up with him. AIDS is God's way of bringing back sanity to sexual behavior. AIDS is God's way of wreaking vengeance on sinners."The AIDS epidemic does seem to be a natural result of

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We all know suffering. Sometimes the suffering comes from our own mistakes and choices. We don’t turn on the light when we entered a room and thus fell and broke a leg. We smoked too much and now have a bad case of emphysema. Sometimes we suffer persecution when we discipline our children or stand up to a person at work who’s doing wrong.Sometimes we suffer as innocent victims. As we grow old our

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Mary is nothing without Jesus. She has no power of her own. Still, when we read the Bible, we find that she has a key role in bringing Christ and His salvation to the world. The angel asks her permission to allow the Word to become flesh.Especially in the Gospel of Luke, we see a significant place of Mary in the story of Jesus. She is a good and faithful follower of Jesus. She is with him under

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The kingdom of God will be taken away from them and given to a people that will produce its fruit.Matthew 21, 43.God is anxious that we bear fruit in our lives. We have all been entrusted with gifts from God.God wants us to cultivate trim, water and let the fruit of our talents to affect the world in which we live. God has made an investment in us.He’s empowered us. He expects results.So many of

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When I awake each morning, I turn my thoughts to the Holy Spirit and say a prayer to Him. It's an ancient prayer called "Come, O Creator, blest." I came to know of the prayer when I started high school. Through the prayer, I've developed a deep love and friendship with God the Holy Spirit. I've included parts of the prayer in the little "Pocket Prayers" that I'll be glad to send you free of

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I think that the most dangerous and destructive words we can say to another person are, "I'm better than you are." These words whether spoken or implied cause division, racism, prejudice and war. I can either succumb to the words and be defeated or I can begin to fight to prove that I'm better than the speaker.Whether we succumb or fight back we awaken in our hearts a deep insecurity. We are

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Regretfully, many Catholics like me were not raised with love and appreciation for reading the Bible. In my own home we didn't read the Bible, and in grade school I had only a cursory exposure to the sacred Book. When I went to Mass, the Scriptures were read in Latin, and I followed along with a book that had an English translation.In the 1940s Pope Pius XII opened the Bible to study by Catholic

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Prior to the Reformation, Catholics were not reluctant to read the Bible. Those Catholics who were educated were able to center their spirituality around the Bible. I am thinking of outstanding Scripture scholars like Origin, Jerome, and Augustine. Thomas Aquinas based his theology on a deep understanding of the Bible. Until the printing press was invented, education of the masses was at a very

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Catholics believe that salvation is a free gift from God. When Jesus died and rose He paid the price for our sins. That salvation is a wonderful gift. I receive that gift by an act of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This gift is not something that I can earn. It's outright free. But now the question arises, "Do I have to do anything once I have that gift?" Well, of course. The gift from the Lord

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Jesus is born. He lives today.Ø I’ve seen him born in the young prostitute that came to confession in my parish. "I absolve you of your sins in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."Ø I've seen him born in the widow whose life has been struck an awesome blow by the death of her beloved husband of 40 years. Christ said, "I promise life for your husband. I promise his love and life

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Jesus told a story about a man giving his servants some money. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand and to a third a thousand. The man left on a journey and returned. He was happy to learn that the ones with five and two thousand doubled their money. The one with the thousand played it safe. He didn't risk passing the money into the hands of an investor who might lose the

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Catholics and Protestants share the same New Testament. For a while Luther considered Hebrew, James, Jude and Revelation as inferior and put them at the end of his New Testament translation. Calvin seems to have had reservations about 2 and 3 John. Eventually all differences were reconciled and the Protestants and Catholics agreed with the fourth-century church councils which established the

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The worst way to react to discouragement is to pretend that it isn't there, that it isn't bothering us. We need honestly to accept discouragement with all its attendant fear and heartache. Denial can turn discouragement into a big, ugly, long-lasting monster.For a Christian, the frailty of discouragement can be a doorway to greatness. Paul said, "I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships,

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What do we pray for at this time when personally and nationally our souls feel an emptiness after the tragedy of September 11? I've thought of the importance of praying for a change of heart for the people who want to do us harm. God is more powerful than the bombs. God is more powerful than the fear.I believe that God can turn the hearts of those who want to do us harm. He can touch our hearts

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By all means, pray. God's power is the key to the coming together of your life. When I was in a similar situation, God responded to my prayer in this way: two friends, quite independently of each other, introduced me to a fast growing organization called, Adult Children of Alcoholics. Both my friends had parents who were alcoholics.When I mentioned that there were drinking problems in my family,

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As a Catholic priest, I sometimes wonder why so few people go to Church on Sundays and then I wonder why so many other Catholics are going to Protestant Evangelical Church.Once I asked a leader of the Assembly of God for the Spanish speaking in Southern California just why so many Catholics were joining his denomination. In a very polite and quick way he responded.He said that he experienced four

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God is generous. Jesus explains this in his story about the owner of the vineyard who gives the same salary to the men who worked one hour as to those who worked eight hours. This kind of generosity is more than we can comprehend. Today if the owner of a store gave the same pay to the person who worked one hour as to the person who worked eight hours, there would be a strike.To grasp the force of

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Discerning God's will is often difficult, but He has given us several means to do it. The first way is devout prayer, which includes listening. We often ask God in prayer to guide us, but we don't wait in silence for an answer! Another problem is that if we do listen, God's answer may be something we prefer not to hear.Our prayer to find God's will should be combined with the reading of Scripture

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Why should I have to go to Church? I can experience God so much better on a trip to the mountains or the beach or even looking at an exquisite flower. When I come to Church, all I seem to get are distractions.There's something in my that wants to agree with you. When you want to think holy thoughts, Church seems to be filled with crying babies, and bored people. Let me strike a balance by saying

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To grow spiritually, we need to think spiritually. That may involve reading the Bible frequently, listening to "Christian tapes," reading spiritual books, attending seminars, sharing ourexperiences of God with others, and spending time quietly listening to Him. In our fast-paced society, we often feel we should be doing something all the time, but God often calls us to be still and listen,

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Today indulgences do not have a prominent place in the spirituality of most Catholics. As Catholics strive to be more united with Protestants, the church's abuse of indulgences at the time of the Reformation is an embarrassment to many Catholics. Unfortunately, the wholesome applying of Christ's merits to ourselves and others was tarnished in the past by selling of indulgences.In 1967 Pope Paul

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Feeling inferior is not a sin. Feelings are not wrong. They are neither good nor bad. Our concern should be with what we do with our feelings. Do feelings lead us to good or bad actions? Feeling inferior is wrong when we use the feeling to excuse ourselves from not developing our God-given talents. As long as we say, "I can't do that because I feel inferior" or "I'm afraid to go there because I

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Catholics believe the words of Scripture, "This is my body...this is my blood" (Mark 14:22-23). The bread and wine become Jesus Christ. This amazes me. When Jesus wants to love, He acts in ways that are greater than our wildest imaginings. What an overwhelming gift! His very self! Eucharist is a common Catholic word. It means gratitude or thanks. In this sacrament we see the desire of a lover to

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To know Jesus is a process similar to knowing your husband or wife, child, or friend. The question "Do you know Jesus?" can imply you've reached a plateau where you know all. That's unrealistic. You never know a person fully. Knowledge of a person is an unending quest. An infant knows his or her mother, a child knows a friend, a teenager knows the girl he feels undying love for, newlyweds profess

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Sometimes we feel alone. There might be a whole bunch of people around us but we still feel alone. These moments are very painful. We don't know where to turn. All seems lost.There are to ways to react to this loneliness. We can throw up our hands in despair. We can give in to a deep depression. We can move to suicide.There's another way of reacting. We can face our emptiness and consciously turn

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God wants me to be happy by relaxing in His power. But I have often responded by choosing anxiety or even despair rather than "letting go and letting God." I have preferred to deal with the tangible rather than with God's power. I will be happy when I praise God with my mouth, study Him with my mind and submit to His will in my everyday actions.I will not be happy when I am concerned primarily

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Patience furthers peace of mind and soul. If we are patient, we release from our shoulders an unnecessary burden of anxiety and control. To choose patience is to have wisdom. My model for patience is the way God deals with me and my sins. Instead of coming down hard with punishment for my failings, God patiently urges me to change my ways.Tests of patience can be found in1) being patient with our

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Great question. As a priest, I must admit I wrestle with that question a lot. On one level, I deeply enjoy being a priest. I love the chance to talk about God. I love the study of Scripture that I have to do to prepare for sermons and talks. I love celebrating the Mass. I am in touch with the sacred, the most sacred things in life. I also love the chance to minister to people during important

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Once again we prepare for Christmas. With so many distraction from buying, writing, visiting and partying, having a profound experience of Jesus this year can be difficult. We need a bit of quiet time to pray and set a direction for the coming weeks. Reading the Bible is important. The Gospel accounts in Luke and Mathew are good. Fortified with the Word of God, we then can search out ways to

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When I think of Advent I think of the word "prepare." We are preparing for the coming of Our Lord into our lives at Christmas. When I think of preparing I think of what a young person goes through as they prepare to join a team. There person has to prepare in three ways: physical, mental and spiritual.Physical: they have to discipline their bodies with running and other exercises. they have to

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I marvel at many Protestants who greet me with the title: "Father". They do so very much against their principles but out of a loving desire not to cause further division. In the backs of their minds I think they are confounded as to how a Christian could take on such a title in direct violation of Christ's words, "Call no man Father" (Matthew 23, 2-10).Let me explain. In His life as a servant,

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Vestments are an attempt on our part to be in touch with a sacredness beyond our wildest imagining. They take on a new meaning in the context of Jesus' transfiguration. Jesus, in humble human form, was suddenly transformed in the midst of a world that was ready to crucify Him and bring Him down; the apostles saw Him in His glory and power. When we wear vestments and clothes of celebration we are

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Recently I've heard about some Catholic priests going to jail for molesting children or getting girls pregnant. What's going on?In recent years the media have exposed the crimes of some Catholic priests. For example, a few years ago seven priests in Los Angeles were said to have had sexual relations with one woman. The other night a network newscast told of the indictment of a priest who was

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The Catholic Church defined the existence of purgatory at the Council of Florence in 1439 and also the Council of Trent. However, many Catholics believed in the reality of purgatory long before these councils convened. The practice of praying for the dead can be found in liturgies in the early centuries.The Council of Trent taught, in accordance with Scripture (Num. 20,12; 2 Macc. 12:44) that God

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The BMW, the cell phone and the tailored suit said he was rich. He was out of place among the sorted, disheveled street people huddled around the storyteller.The crowd of homeless was spellbound as the storyteller crafted a joke. When he suddenly stopped speaking, the heads of the crowd collectively tilted forward in anticipation. And then the storyteller cried, "I already painted her feet." and,

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God is a great talker. He has spoken to us at many times and in many places. Much of what He has said has been written down by those who loved to listen to Him. What He's said has been put into a collection of books which, today, we call, the Bible.What kind of books are in this collection? Stories, poems, histories, songs, wise sayings, promises of love, prophecies, and advice on how to live and

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I sometimes wish that my love for Jesus could be a private affair. Often I would like to be a Christian who goes alone to some mountaintop and reads Scripture and other spiritual readings. In this secluded world, I could experience God in meditation on streams, clouds, and the stirs in my heart. Sounds idyllic.The problem with Jesus is that He says that to love Him properly, I must also love

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Here's an email I received after appearing on the Larry King Live program. My response follows.Hi Fr.Mike, I was with a group of people in a bible study last night when the Larry King Show was aired. Our bible study group was talking, so I could not devote my full attention to what was being said, but I did notice that you were seated next to John Macarthur in the studio. Here are my observations

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I live in San Bernardino, California . I'm the pastor of a parish that was in the middle of the coming together of the Grand Prix and the Old fires. Some of our people have lost their homes. One man lost his lumber business. Many people had to leave their homes.This week has been very difficult. I found myself spending much time in front of the TV trying to learn of the latest developments. In a

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Actually "ritual" can seem like bad things until you realize that you can't very well get through your day without them. Think about the ritual of getting up, shaving, brushing your teeth, showering, dressing, eating breakfast and reading the newspaper. Quite a ritual. If someone breaks it, we feel a bit ill at ease. We find a security in rituals. They make living easier to get through.We

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I have found myself thinking this way when I am with Protestant brothers and sisters. "Jesus is the source of all unity,"they say. "Let's keep our eyes on Him and not worry about doctrine."Then I started to think about how inaccurate this line of thinking is. Most doctrines are centered on Jesus; they clarify the reality of the revelation we experience in Jesus. It's hard to ignore vital

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We often say the words, "Thank you." We use the words in various levels of importance. If you open the door for me, I say "Thank you." If you say, "God bless you." when I sneeze, I say, "Thank you."There's a deeper level of "Thank you." If you make a big sacrifice of your time or your money to help me out, my "Thank you" is more heartfelt and important.There's a third level of thanks. This comes

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Trust is necessary for us to get through life. We need to trust ourselves to reach for our dreams. We need to trust others to do the vitally important work of accepting our fragile, vulnerable selves. And we need others.Trust is extremely difficult to hold onto. Perhaps because of personal failures in our past, we shy away from trusting ourselves. We know that nine times out of ten we are going

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We spend a great deal of our lives waiting. When we're children we wait to be teenagers. When we're teenagers we wait to be grown ups. When we're grown up, we wait to be married. Then when we're married we to have children. Then when we have children we wait for them to move on. Then we wait to retire so we can do all the things we've been waiting to do all our lives.On another level we wait in

Editor @ Parishworld.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11351018547370080019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37979120.post-88980302819485357732007-07-26T12:41:00.000-07:002007-07-26T12:42:11.492-07:00

I'm learning in school that everything in the world is evolving. As a Catholic can I believe that?Yes, you can believe in evolution. Thanks to the discoveries of people like Charles Darwin, we understand that creation evolves. These modifications come about over a long time because of for example, weather changes and ways of gaining better self protection. So an animal might develop more fur or

Editor @ Parishworld.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11351018547370080019noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37979120.post-47263550548981719132007-07-26T12:40:00.000-07:002007-07-26T12:41:17.681-07:00

One day Jesus came upon a young man who had been born blind. With his usual deep love and sensitivity, the Savior touched the man's eyes with some mud and spittle. The action allowed the man to see.What a wonder- to be in darkness all of your life and then suddenly to be able to see. I can feebly try to understand the enormity of the miracle by closing my eyes for a few moments and then try to

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The Jewish host on a radio program you believe that Christianity is the true religion?" Now that is a basic question, isn't it? I answered, "Yes. Jesus is the Son of God, the revelation of the Father's love. Yes, Jesus is the key to everyone's salvation."I have thought much about Jesus. I have asked the important questions about Him. Did He actually live some two thousand years ago? I have

Editor @ Parishworld.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11351018547370080019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37979120.post-34214005081022625342007-07-26T12:38:00.000-07:002007-07-26T12:39:26.481-07:00

We must be careful not to disregard healthy feelings of guilt because they are often a signal from God that all is not well with our moral life. Guilt can be a sign that we are hurting ourselves and/or others, in addition to hurting our relationship with the God.At other times we should disregard false guilt imposed on our good and wholesome actions. For example a person may have been told about

Editor @ Parishworld.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11351018547370080019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37979120.post-2424320204638146572007-07-26T12:36:00.000-07:002007-07-26T12:37:35.832-07:00

God is continually requesting that we be humble. Humility is not a popular word in light of the struggle we all face to get ahead in our world. One has to be bigger and better and make sure that everyone else knows that you are bigger and better.But humility is good. I don't mean the groveling that is an unhealthy humility. That kind of humility is really an escape from doing the things that I

Editor @ Parishworld.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11351018547370080019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37979120.post-21615272201632592502007-07-26T12:31:00.000-07:002007-07-26T12:36:18.188-07:00

Why do Catholics say that their worship, the Mass, is a sacrifice. The sacrifices of the Hebrew Bible are ended. Christ was the last sacrifice. Do you think that you are sacrificing, killing, Jesus every time you celebrate your Mass?Jesus is the last sacrifice. He has died once and for all. He will not die again. In the Mass we "represent" the death of Christ. In a way that transcends time, we

Editor @ Parishworld.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11351018547370080019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37979120.post-40165072310906066092007-05-04T13:51:00.000-07:002008-12-11T20:53:20.929-08:00

By Fr. Mike Manning, SVDThat's like asking if you can send your child to any college he chooses. It all depends on who the teachers are and what they are teaching. If you are a Catholic, I advise you to be discreet in choosing a Bible class. Remember that there can be differences in understanding the revelation of Jesus. You might find a non-Catholic teacher who plays down the importance of Peter

Editor @ Parishworld.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11351018547370080019noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37979120.post-32100043516485115022007-05-04T13:41:00.000-07:002008-12-11T20:53:21.081-08:00

By Fr. Mike Manning, SVDThe Catholic views the Bible as a vital source of revelation inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the way for us to learn of the revelation of the Father in Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The revelation of the Father comes to us in two forms, both valid: that which first came through word of mouth; and then the New Testament record of some of that oral tradition.After

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By Fr. Mike Manning, SVDWhen Christ came to his home town at the beginning of his ministry, he clearly stated his mission statement, his platform for his ministry. He stood for freedom from slavery and oppression.Have you thought much about what is your personal mission statement, what is your platform? The question is a good challenge. Where are you going? How are you going to get there. What

Editor @ Parishworld.nethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11351018547370080019noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37979120.post-76626498274255844162000-03-13T12:43:00.000-08:002010-03-13T12:46:28.333-08:00

Questions & CommentsDo you you have a questionn for Fr. Mike? Or do you simply want to leavew a comment for him? please leave your questions or comments below. God bless.

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