Ask Father Mike
How do we live well in a world of change?
Q. I’m someone who has a very hard time dealing with change. I like to make sure that the things I have and the relationships I’m in with friends and family are long-lasting, even permanent. It saddens me greatly to think that one day I might not have these relationships.
How do we find freedom amidst suffering?
Q. I don’t understand how I am free. I didn’t choose to exist. I’m stuck here. I didn’t choose to have anxiety and depression. I’m stuck. Life is not worth it. If God is so good, why doesn’t he do something? Why doesn’t he give me an answer?
How can we avoid a ‘greenhouse faith’?
Q. It used to be easy to believe in Jesus when I was younger, but with all the suffering in the world and in my life, I just don’t know. Why is it harder for me now than when I was younger?
When a loved one’s death tests our faith
I have been having a really hard time trusting God lately. Ever since a family member died, I keep blaming God and finding it difficult to keep my faith. Do you have any thoughts on what I can do?
‘Test of Three’ can help us eliminate gossip
Q. I know that you have commented on gossip in the past, but I sometimes struggle with practical ways to determine whether I should share information. Do you have any advice?
Is envy a big deal?
Q. I’ve been told that I have a streak of envy in me, but I don’t even know what that means. Besides, there are so many worse sins than envy, so why should I even care?
What does it mean for me to share my faith?
I wrote last month to someone who had asked about how to best direct a friend to a good parish that will connect him with people who will help him come to know God and be able to better follow Christ.
When sharing the faith, don’t just rely on the ‘three Ps’
I have a co-worker with whom I get along very well who has taken a deeper interest in Catholicism. How do I best direct him to a parish that will make him feel welcome and engage him in a personal way?
When long liturgies keep family from attending Mass
Q. My family refuses to go to Mass because there are too many “extras” (like baptisms), too much singing and too many announcements. Why can’t we have a “low Mass” without all of that stuff? Isn’t the Church supposed to adapt and keep up with all the people?
How can I pray better instead of just rambling?
Q. I know that prayer needs to be a part of my life, but I never know what to say. I find myself either daydreaming or just rambling to God. How can I pray better?
Renouncing, not just confessing, our sins
Q. I’m not sure what to do. I’ve been praying and I’ve been to confession (repeatedly), but I seem to commit the same sins. Even worse, I know that Jesus promised that we would receive a closeness to God when we call out for him, but I haven’t experienced that.
Integrity needed more than ‘authenticity’
Q: I value authenticity and loathe hypocrisy, and I want to simply be true to myself. How can I do that if I constantly am told what to believe and how to behave by the Church?
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