Catholic Q&A with Father Mike

Fr. 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.

Thursday

Ah Philippines

I've just returned from a month in the Philippines. My primary purpose was to give three retreats to the Divine Word Missionaries who ar...

Isn't the Scourge of Aids a punishment from God?

A statement making the rounds in many Christian circles runs something like this: "Those homosexuals are finally getting what they dese...

Is there any value in suffering?

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 an...

Why do Catholics give so much attention to Mary? Aren't they taking away from Jesus?

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 Chris...

are you bearing fruit?

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 bea...

We have the best lawyer on our side

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 Cr...

I'm Better than you

I think that the most dangerous and destructive words we can say to another person are, "I'm better than you are." These words...

Why isn't Bible reading and Bible study stressed more for Catholics?

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 ...

How did the Catholic reluctance to read the Bible begin?

Prior to the Reformation, Catholics were not reluctant to read the Bible. Those Catholics who were educated were able to center their spirit...

Do Catholics feel they have to work out their Salvation?

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 wonde...

Christmas

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 you...

Developing our Talents

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 ...

Whats the difference between Catholic and Protestant Bibles?

Catholics and Protestants share the same New Testament. For a while Luther considered Hebrew, James, Jude and Revelation as inferior and put...

How can I keep from feeling discouraged?

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 d...

Our Faith after September 11

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 thou...

Because my Father was an Alchohalic, Im having problems as an adult. Should I just pray or can i do something else?

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 p...

As a Catholic priest I sometimes wonder why...

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 t...

God is generous.

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 a...

How can i find God's will for me?

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 lis...

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

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 exquisi...

My Faith seems to be stagnating. How can i grow spiritualy?

To grow spiritually, we need to think spiritually. That may involve reading the Bible frequently, listening to "Christian tapes," ...

What is an indulgence?

Today indulgences do not have a prominent place in the spirituality of most Catholics. As Catholics strive to be more united with Protestant...

Is it a sin to feel inferior?

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 feeling...

Is Jesus really present in Eucharist?

Catholics believe the words of Scripture, "This is my body...this is my blood" (Mark 14:22-23). The bread and wine become Jesus Ch...

Do Catholics "Know" Jesus?

To know Jesus is a process similar to knowing your husband or wife, child, or friend. The question "Do you know Jesus?" can imply ...

Lonliness and Lent

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...

Why am I not happy?

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 ...

Why is patience important?

Patience furthers peace of mind and soul. If we are patient, we release from our shoulders an unnecessary burden of anxiety and control. To ...

Why don't Catholic priests get married?

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...

Prepare for Advent

Once again we prepare for Christmas. With so many distraction from buying, writing, visiting and partying, having a profound experience of J...

Preparing for Christmas

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. Whe...

Why are priests called "Father"?

I marvel at many Protestants who greet me with the title: "Father". They do so very much against their principles but out of a lov...

Why do priests wear such elaborate vestments when Jesus wore such simple clothes

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 contex...

Recently I've heard about some Catholic priests...

Recently I've heard about some Catholic priests going to jail for molesting children or getting girls pregnant. What's going on? In ...

What is Purgatory

The Catholic Church defined the existence of purgatory at the Council of Florence in 1439 and also the Council of Trent. However, many Catho...

The Quest for Values

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 aroun...

As a Catholic i have not read the Bible much. Can you make this book less intimidating to me?

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 lov...

Is a relationship wirh Jesus a private affair?

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 a...

Salvation of non-Christians

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...

San Bernardino Fire

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 th...

Why do Catholics have so many rituals?

Actually "ritual" can seem like bad things until you realize that you can't very well get through your day without them. Think...

Why do Catholics talk about Doctrine so much? Why not just talk about Jesus?

I have found myself thinking this way when I am with Protestant brothers and sisters. "Jesus is the source of all unity,"they say....

Thank you

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 "Th...

Why is Trust difficult for me?

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...

Waiting...

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 up...

What about evolution?

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. Th...

What do you see?

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...

Why am I a Christian?

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 a...

Why do I feel guilty?

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 l...

The Word Humble is an important word in the Bible

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 wor...

Why do Catholics say that their worship, the Mass, is a sacrifice?

Why do Catholics say that their worship, the Mass, is a sacrifice. The sacrifices of the Hebrew Bible are ended. Christ was the last sacrifi...

Friday

Would you encourage a Catholic who wants to go to a non-denominational Bible study?

By Fr. Mike Manning, SVD That's like asking if you can send your child to any college he chooses. It all depends on who the teachers are...

Isn't the written word all we need of God's revelation? Why do Catholics also need Tradition?

By Fr. Mike Manning, SVD The Catholic views the Bible as a vital source of revelation inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the way for ...

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