Q) I know that I make excuses. My family members point that out to me, and my friends (my very close friends) have told me that my excuse-making makes it difficult to trust me. But most times they don’t feel like excuses to me. They seem like the real reasons I’m late or don’t do what I had said I would do. How can I tell the difference between excuses and real reasons?
Q) Lent is right around the corner, and I never seem to know what to do for the season. I’ve tried giving things up, but it always seems a bit hollow. What should I do?
Q) With the start of every new thing (new year, new season, new stage in life), I find it difficult to stop and consider the previous year, earlier season or earlier stage in life. I find myself doing the same things over and over. There seems to be no end in sight. What do I do?
Q) I’ve been told that I can pray to God, and that he hears my prayers and answers them. I’ve been frustrated though, because it seems like it doesn’t do anything. Am I missing something?
Q) I have a friend with whom I am trying to share the Gospel. He has great questions, and I like trying to offer intelligent and rational answers, but I’m not sure if he has faith yet. What should I do?
Q) I sometimes feel like a hypocrite when I say that I believe in God and am Catholic, but then I don’t always live the way I should live as a disciple of Jesus. I try to follow God, but I keep failing, and I feel like a phony.