Ask a Franciscan

By Pat McCloskey, OFM

Examining My Conscience Why aren’t the corporal works of mercy the focus of an examination of conscience before receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation? I have tended to be scrupulous regarding sins to confess. Now I wonder, in light of Jesus’ explanation of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31–46), whether this would be a better place to start my examination of conscience.

Pat McCloskey, OFM

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WE HAVE A DIGITAL archive of Q & As, going back to March 2013. Just click: • the Ask link and then • the Archive link. Material is grouped thematically under headings such as forgiveness, Jesus, moral issues, prayer, saints, redemption, sacraments, Scripture—and many more! T here is nothing to prevent someone from including this in an examination of conscience. It could, however, cause even more problems for an individual inclined to be scrupulous: “Did I really do enough in the situation when . . . ?” An exclusive focus on the corporal works of mercy might cause a person to overlook a sin not specifically addressed in that passage from Matthew’s Gospel: murder, bank robbery, adultery, theft, for example. Reviewing one’s observance of the Ten Commandments is not the only way to be “properly disposed” to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Jesus’ parable does not cancel out the Ten Commandments.

The usual way of examining one’s conscience has the danger of not taking sins of omission as seriously as they deserve.

When Did It Change? When did Saturday night Mass for Sunday start to be allowed?

First, please remember that Judaism in Jesus’ day considered that a “day” began with sunset of the previous day. Jewish feasts still follow that custom. Although some Christians accepted this calculation for their own celebrations, most people considered a “day” to go from midnight to midnight.

There were already late afternoon and evening Masses before Vatican Council II (1962–65). Until 1953, however, Catholics were normally expected to fast from everything (water included) from midnight before receiving Communion. In the decree entitled “Christus Dominus,” Pope Pius XII granted local bishops permission to allow late afternoon or evening Mass before a Sunday, holy day of obligation, or other major feast—as long as the Mass did not begin before 4 p.m. I have a very clear memory of participating in a parish Mass for the feast of Mary’s assumption on a late afternoon one August 14. This was sometime before 1962.

In 1953, the eucharistic fast was changed to no solid food or alcoholic drinks for three hours before Communion. Other liquids could be taken up to one hour before Communion.

On May 25, 1967, St. Paul VI approved “Eucharisticum Mysterium,” which made late afternoon or evening Masses more common. Pastors were instructed to explain that the biblical concept of “day” extended from sunset to sunset; later Saturday afternoon was already “Sunday.” The eucharistic fast was changed to one hour before receiving Communion, with no restriction on when medicine could be taken.

As happens with some frequency in the Catholic Church, a liturgical practice already permitted for a particular region can later be extended to the whole Church.

Quick Questions and Answers

I had an attorney draw up a living will regarding my health, specifically not to have a feeding tube. Since then, I have wondered if I did the correct thing.

You did well to make this provision, but you might have done better if you had drawn up a medical power of attorney, which gives more discretion to the person you select to make these decisions should you be unable to do so. By definition, a living will tends to cover medical procedures available only at the time it was drawn up.

Why does the prophecy of Simeon come before the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt? Luke 2:40 says that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph eventually settled in Nazareth.

The massacre of the Holy Innocents and the consequent flight into Egypt occur only in Matthew’s Gospel, which says nothing about where Mary and Joseph lived before Jesus was born. Only the Gospel of Luke says that Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth before and after Jesus’ birth.

Shame and embarrassment about certain sins I have committed have caused me to avoid going to confession lately and decreased my reception of Communion.

We are all sinners! A mortal sin requires grave matter, full knowledge, and full consent. If you don’t think all three were present, you don’t need to confess this. Your continued reception of Communion has probably helped you chart a new course. This is probably true of many saints, and yet they kept making their conversion deeper and thus more generous.

Can people who die before being baptized be saved? The Catechism spoke of Baptism of water (sacrament), blood (martyrdom), and desire (those preparing for Baptism).

Yes, they can be saved. If those categories were understood very strictly, that would mean that the majority of people who lived before Jesus would have no possibility of being saved. That is not what the Catholic Church now teaches.

What can I say to a young person who says that pain and illness prove there is no God, that God is simply in our minds and is not, therefore, real?

Some answers are too simple—and convenient—to be true. This explanation of human suffering (mostly caused by other people misusing their God-given freedom) directly contradicts God’s self-revelation in Scripture as a compassionate God. If, in fact, there is no God, then compassion will soon be seen as entirely optional, something that resembles a hobby. Like it or not, we all eventually become like the God whom we worship or deny. The mental image of God that is being rejected by these people is not what the Bible teaches anyway.

What caused St. Anthony of Padua to go to Italy?

He got sick as a missionary in North Africa and was heading home, but his ship ended up in Sicily, where he stayed with the friars. Because they were going to the annual chapter (meeting) of the friars in Assisi, he joined them. This was in 1220; St. Francis was there, but we do not know if they met. There were several thousand friars at this chapter. When the chapter ended, Anthony went with the friars from Emilia Romagna (Bologna area).

Know that we care. Let us pray for you during these uncertain times. Submit your prayer requests to StAnthony.org or Franciscan.org

The Franciscan Friars, Province of St. John the Baptist 1615 Vine St, Ste 1 Cincinnati, OH 45202-6492 friarworks@franciscan.org 513-721-4700, ext. 3219