Tue, 22 Sep 2026 19:35:37 -0400WeeblyTue, 22 Sep 2026 22:30:00 GMThttps://padrepioclevelandfaithanswers.weebly.com/faith-answers-home/when-we-forget-about-god-do-things-go-bad​Yes, indeed they do. But it’s important to understand what “go bad” actually means. Interestingly, if someone forgets about God, meaning they turn from God, they may still have a so-called “good life” as defined by the fallen and sinful world. Thus, an atheist might become very wealthy, and be popular and successful in a worldly way. But if they lack God, while gaining the whole world, the condition of their life is still quite bad from the perspective of truth and regarding true happiness.  
 
On the other hand, if the question simply means that you do not actively think about God for a moment or two, but still love Him and have faith, that’s different. God does not punish us just because we forget to think about Him all day, every day.  
 
Let’s look at that question with some analogies to better answer it:  

•  If a fish were to forget to live in water, would things go bad for the fish?  
• If a person were to forget about eating, would that cause a problem?  
• If a car were to be without fuel, would that make the car stop?  
• If a plant were put in a closet without any light, would that do harm to the plant?  

Of course, the answer to all these questions is “Yes.” A fish is made for water, humans need food, a car needs fuel to operate, and a plant needs light to survive. So it is with us and God. We are made to live in the life of God. Therefore, if by “forgetting about God” we mean we separate ourselves from God, then this is bad and we cannot find true fulfillment in life. If this continues unto death, then we lose God and life for eternity.  
 
The bottom line is that without God we lose everything, including life itself. And if God is not in our lives, we lose that which is most central to who we are. We lose ourselves and fall into a life of sin. So don’t forget about God!]]>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 22:30:00 GMThttps://padrepioclevelandfaithanswers.weebly.com/faith-answers-home/if-god-made-us-to-become-saints-how-can-we-do-soThis is a question we should ask ourselves every day of our lives! The answer to this question is never-ending.  
 
It’s true, we are made to be saints. God made us to be one with Him forever in Heaven. We call this holiness, sanctity or saintliness. But how do we become saints?  
 
First, we seek the truth. Truth is discovered by faith. Faith is not just believing in something we cannot know for sure. It’s not just wishful thinking. Faith is knowledge. Certain knowledge. We ultimately obtain faith by allowing God to speak to our inner consciences and reveal that which is true. This happens when two things are present. First, we engage our minds in the truth, such as in the Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the teachings of the saints, etc. Second, reading the truth is not enough. We also need the “gift” of faith, meaning that when we hear the truth, God needs to confirm it as “true” in our consciences. God’s voice first revealed the truth through the Scripture, the Church, or the saint, but then God tells us in our souls that this is His Truth. When this happens, we must believe. When this happens, we are gifted with faith. We know, with deep interior certitude, that which God revealed.  
 
Second, this process of coming to know the truth in faith is strengthened by prayer. When we pray, it’s like adding fuel to a fire. The fire, which is faith, grows in intensity. As it grows in intensity, we grow in faith.  
 
Third, we must live what we come to know through faith. This is an act of our wills. When we choose to live the faith we come to know, we grow in charity, holiness, and saintliness. We become saints.  
 
Though this is a greatly simplified explanation of the path to holiness, it should point you in the right direction.]]>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 22:30:00 GMThttps://padrepioclevelandfaithanswers.weebly.com/faith-answers-home/what-would-be-a-reason-for-me-to-get-into-purgatory​Let’s start with the painful truth. The only way to enter into the full glory and splendor of the Beatific Vision, thus seeing God face-to-face and being in perfect communion with Him, is to be forgiven of every sin AND to be purified of every attachment to sin. This is a glorious invitation and a demanding endeavor!  
 
Purgation of all sin and all attachment to sin is not an option. Only when we are perfect in every way will we be ready to enter into what the saints have called “Divine Union” or “Mystical Marriage.” Think of it this way: If you are attached to sin in your life, even the smallest imperfection, that attachment cannot enter into the presence of God. God is all holy and pure love. God wants you to be in union with Him, but He will not accept your sinful attachments.  
 
The first step is forgiveness, but that’s the easy part. God, in His mercy, will forgive us of our sins if we are sorry and ask for forgiveness. The second step is to become completely detached from all remnants of sin. For example, if you have a habit of being critical of others in your speech and you confess this, then you can be assured you are forgiven of all past sins of being critical. But forgiveness does not mean you have been purified of the “attachment” you have to that sin. In this case, an attachment to the sin of being critical is the disordered tendency to find fault with others. An attachment is different from a temptation. An attachment is a habit you voluntarily formed.  
 
Purgation is the process of breaking every sinful habit you have and detaching from all habitual sins and even imperfections so that you can be attached to God and His holy will alone. But how on Earth do you do this? In the end, you don’t do it by yourself. Instead, you allow God to come into your soul and purify it of all sinful habits and attachments. And that will hurt! But it will be a purifying hurt that will be freeing.  
 
Purgatory refers to the purification process of all attachments we still have when we die. Ideally, we would go through the process of purification here on Earth, before death, so as to enjoy Divine Union here and now. But when we do not complete the process here on Earth, Purgatory will complete this process after death.  
 
If that sounds gloomy, it’s not. It’s beautiful when understood and embraced.]]>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 22:30:00 GMThttps://padrepioclevelandfaithanswers.weebly.com/faith-answers-home/are-demons-tricking-us-by-labeling-crystals-as-healing-stones-that-can-supposedly-give-us-good-luck-courage-love-money-and-other-worldly-possessions-could-crystal-energy-be-opening-us-up-to-demons​The quick answer is “Yes,” the occult or “New Age” belief that crystals provide some sort of spiritual healing power is not from God. In fact, it is often a deception from the evil one who seeks to distort God’s creation by trying to turn something beautiful within creation into something allegedly magical.  
 
First of all, there are many forms of crystals, such as quartz, diamonds, jasper, turquoise, amethyst, sapphire, ruby, and many more. Crystals are part of God’s creation, and they are quite beautiful! Even the Book of Revelation in the Bible uses crystals to symbolically depict the walls of the new Heavens that await. We read in Revelation 21:18–20:  
 
The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, clear as glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every jewel; the first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.  
 
So, crystals are good! They are from God. They are part of creation and they are beautiful to behold. With that said, anything that is good can be used in a way that is not from God. The modern fascination with crystals as “healing stones” and the claims of “crystal energy” have been around since the beginning of time. These are deceptions by which the evil one tries to turn part of God’s creation into a false god, which is a violation of the First Commandment: “I am the Lord your God…You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2–3). In other words, attributing spiritual power to crystals is akin to creating a false god.  
 
It should be noted that some of God’s creation actually does provide healing power. This is where we get medicine, but medicine is a scientific discovery of the natural healing power of certain plants and minerals. This form of healing power is not spiritual in nature; it’s natural and scientifically based. On the other hand, the claims that crystals have some sort of “energy” is not scientifically based. Instead, this belief is a spiritual claim, which means we must evaluate this claim from a spiritual perspective.  
 
From a spiritual perspective, the claim that crystals have some form of spiritual “energy” and the like stems from various occult practices that are today commonly grouped together under the “New Age” movement. But, of course, these practices are not “New.” They go back to the beginning of time. Even the Bible identifies various occult practices and condemns them. One of the clearest modern-day teachings on these issues can be found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church under the title of “Divination and magic” (CCC #2115–2117). Read that citation for a better understanding of the Church’s teaching.  
 
Why do some people believe that crystals have spiritual energy? Perhaps it’s because all people are spiritual beings and, therefore, deep down we all want to find some form of spiritual fulfillment. And when God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not central in our lives, we look for spiritual fulfillment in other ways. But the only other “spiritual” path is the path of deception by which satan and his demons try to mislead us and turn us from God. Oftentimes, they try to do this by presenting us with false spiritualities that can sound good but are not based on Truth. Most of the time, when people are drawn into “spiritual” practices found within the occult and New Age, they do so with good intentions. But good intentions that are not based in the Truth of God will ultimately lead us to spiritual destruction. Therefore, make sure you reject these false spiritualities and turn only to God as He has been revealed to us in the Person of Jesus Christ, our Lord and one true God.]]>Tue, 28 Jul 2026 22:30:00 GMThttps://padrepioclevelandfaithanswers.weebly.com/faith-answers-home/some-friends-were-talking-about-reading-horoscopes-going-to-fortunetellers-tarot-cards-and-stuff-what-does-the-church-think-about-this​Believe it or not, that stuff is real! But let's explore what is meant by “real.”  
 
Regarding horoscopes, do our birthdates really have an influence upon who we are, our personality, or what we do? No. Sorry, but it’s simply not true. In some ways, relying on a horoscope is about as reliable as relying upon a comic book! You should choose not even to read them “for the fun of it” because there is always a hidden temptation to wonder if they have an element of truth. But since a horoscope is not based on anything true, then it’s best not even reading it—not even for a laugh.  
 
What about tarot cards and fortunetellers? The goal of both is to try and discover the future. Only God knows the future. The Catholic Church teaches this about knowing the future: “God can reveal the future to his prophets or to other saints. Still, a sound Christian attitude consists in putting oneself confidently into the hands of Providence for whatever concerns the future, and giving up all unhealthy curiosity about it” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2115). Furthermore, the Catechism says, “All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil” the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone” (#2116).  
 
Yikes! That’s pretty clear! What needs to be known is that even if someone seeks “guidance” from tarot cards, Ouija boards, fortunetellers, or the like just for fun or for curiosity, they are dabbling in something that is clearly forbidden by God. In fact, persons getting involved with all of this may even be opening themselves up to demonic influence without even knowing it. Why? Because the only way that one of these practices can be “real” is if a demon works through them giving some sort of false guidance about the future.  
 
So, when it is said that this stuff is “real,” it means that it is a real danger and can really influence us in a negative way.  
 
What’s important to believe is that God is the only one who knows the future. And generally speaking, God does not reveal the future to us. If God decides to use a saint or a prophet to reveal the future, in some way, He will do it on His own initiative and for our good. This is rare and is not something we ever need to seek out. God will do this Himself. For our part, regarding the future, we only need to enter more deeply, each day, into a relationship of trust in God’s divine providence.  
 
If you have been involved in one of these forbidden practices, I encourage you to simply go to confession. In that sacrament, God will free you from any mistakes you’ve made and help you rely only on His grace!]]>Tue, 14 Jul 2026 22:30:00 GMThttps://padrepioclevelandfaithanswers.weebly.com/faith-answers-home/ive-seen-people-hang-rosaries-over-the-rear-view-mirrors-in-their-cars-and-some-people-wear-rosaries-around-their-necks-is-it-ok-to-do-thatFirst of all, let me give a simple answer and say that I think these practices are fine. I know many devout people who love our Lord and His Blessed Mother who hang rosaries from their cars’ rear view mirrors. For them, it is a way of letting their love for Mary show forth for all to see. The same would be said for those who wear them around their necks. If someone chooses to do either of these practices, they are most likely doing so out of a devotion to and love for our Blessed Mother. While some do not hang the rosary from their mirror or wear it around their neck, they may always have it in their pocket. At night, they may sleep with it wrapped around their wrist. Keeping the rosary close to us is similar to wearing a cross or scapular or hanging a sacred picture in your room. Rosaries are blessed objects and, for that reason, are good to have around.  
 
It must also be said that the Rosary is, first and foremost, an instrument of prayer and one of the best prayers we can pray. The following are some quotes from the saints regarding the rosary.  
 
“Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day be led astray. This is a statement that I would gladly sign with my blood.” St. Louis de Montfort  
 
“Of all prayers the rosary is the most beautiful and the richest in graces…love the Rosary and recite it every day with devotion.” St. Pope Pius X  
 
“How beautiful is the family that recites the Rosary every evening.” St. Pope John Paul II  
 
“There is no surer means of calling down God’s blessings upon the family… than the daily recitation of the Rosary.” Pope Pius XII  
 
“The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying.” Pope Leo XIII  
 
“Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world.” Pope Blessed Pius IX  
 
"If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors.” Pope Pius XI  
 
“Our Lady has never refused me a grace through the recitation of the rosary.” St. Pio of Pietrelcina  
 
“The greatest method of praying is to pray the Rosary.” St. Francis de Sales  
 
“One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world.” St. Dominic]]>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 22:30:00 GMThttps://padrepioclevelandfaithanswers.weebly.com/faith-answers-home/do-devotions-to-mary-have-any-biblical-foundation​Strictly speaking, the Bible does not explicitly say, “Pray the rosary and other devotions to Mary.” But, of course, that’s a somewhat obvious answer. The real answer to your question has to do with the biblical foundation of those practices.  
 
There are numerous ways that devotion to Mary is found in the Bible. Here are some of those ways.  
 
First, the Rosary, which is the most common devotion to our Blessed Mother, is primarily Scriptural. On each bead of the rosary, we pray the words of the Angel Gabriel to Mary, as well as the words of St. Elizabeth to Mary. “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” And, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:26-46). Additionally, we pray the “Our Father” prayer, which is directly from Jesus, and the “Glory Be” prayer, which is echoed in Scripture many times. So, yes, the Rosary is biblical in that sense. We are primarily repeating passages from Scripture. Additionally, in praying the Rosary, we are to meditate upon one of twenty different Scriptural stories during each of the twenty decades. So the prayers are Scriptural and the meditations are Scriptural.  
 
Second, devotion to Mary in general comes to us from the fact that Jesus lived the Fourth Commandment perfectly. That Commandment says, “Honor your father and mother.” Jesus honored His mother perfectly, and we are to imitate Jesus in all He does. Therefore, we are to honor His mother, too.  
 
Third, at the Cross Jesus said to the Apostle John, “Behold, your mother.” And in giving Mary to John, the Church has always seen that Mary is given to all of us. We are all to behold our mother in the person of Mary.  
 
Fourth, Jesus gave Peter the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven and said that whatever he binds on earth is bound in Heaven (Matthew 16:19). He gave Peter the gift of infallibly leading the Church into all truth. We believe that this gift of infallible teaching did not stop with Peter but was passed on through the ages to all his successors, the popes. The popes have definitively taught, through countless ages, the value of honoring our Blessed Mother. So though this last point is not a direct biblical call to honor our Blessed Mother, it is an indirect biblical command through the teaching of the Church founded by Christ in the Scriptures.  
 
It would require a book to detail all the ways in which Mary is spoken in the Old and New Testaments. Hopefully, the thoughts above help.]]>Tue, 16 Jun 2026 22:30:00 GMThttps://padrepioclevelandfaithanswers.weebly.com/faith-answers-home/why-did-god-choose-mary-to-be-the-mother-of-jesus-why-was-she-so-young​These two questions are actually hard to answer with accuracy. In many ways, the answers remain a mystery.  
 
From a theological perspective, we can say that God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus because she, herself, was the Immaculate Conception. This means that she was the only fitting mother for God in the flesh. Mary was conceived in the womb of her mother in a miraculous way in that she was conceived without sin. God chose to bestow upon her a “preservative grace,” meaning, God preserved her from all stain of sin, including Original Sin, at the moment of her creation in the womb of her mother. Of course, He did this so that she would be a fitting vessel for God the Son to become incarnate in her womb. The grace that preserved her came from the Cross of her Son Jesus, but it transcended time so as to free her at the moment of her conception. Thus, her Son was her Savior, even though He had not yet been born in time. If that’s confusing, try to ponder it for a while. It’s a great mystery of faith and a deep one also.  
 
Additionally, Mary chose to remain free from sin throughout her life. Just as Adam and Eve were born without sin, so was Mary. But unlike Adam and Eve, Mary never freely chose to sin throughout her life. This made her the perfect vessel for the Son of God. Her body and soul were perfect, making her the perfect instrument.  
​
But this only answers your question from one perspective. You might also be wondering, “But why Mary?” This is a question that is hard, if not impossible, to answer. It’s most likely a matter of God’s mysterious will. Perhaps God, who can see all things and knows all people even before they are born, looked at all women from all time and saw that Mary was the one who would never freely choose to sin. And perhaps for that reason God chose to gift her with the Immaculate Conception. But this is ultimately a mystery of faith that will be revealed only in Heaven.  
 
As for your second question, “Why was she so young?” this might be easier to answer from a historical perspective. Today, in the twenty-first century, it’s uncommon for a fifteen-year-old girl to marry and have a child. But it wasn’t that way back then. When Mary had Jesus, she was seen, not as a dependent child, but as a young woman ready to start a family. So it’s always important to try to understand the culture of the time when considering questions of history.]]>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 22:30:00 GMThttps://padrepioclevelandfaithanswers.weebly.com/faith-answers-home/did-mary-the-mother-of-jesus-christ-have-other-children-after-jesus​The short answer to this question is “No.” Let’s explore further.  
 
Most likely you are asking this question because some Scripture passages seem to suggest that Jesus had brothers and sisters. For example, here are two such passages:  
 
Mark 6:3– Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?”  
 
Matthew 13:55-56– Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Are not his sisters all with us?  
 
Should we conclude from these passages that Jesus had brothers and sisters in a literal way, meaning Mary and Joseph had other children in addition to Jesus? Certainly not.  
 
Below is a brief answer to this question that is taken from Chapter 3 – The God-Man and His Mother of the book My Catholic Faith!  
 
The Virgin Mother  
 
Scripture is quite clear that Mary conceived Jesus in a virginal way – by the power of the Holy Spirit. Additionally, it is the constant teaching of the Church that she always retained her virginity. She had no other children and never engaged in the marital act with Joseph. Sometimes this is confusing since there are references in the Scriptures to Jesus’ brothers and sisters. But this language was commonly used in reference to cousins. This shouldn’t confuse us if we understand the language of the time. In fact, this language is still a common practice in other cultures of our day. People from various African countries commonly refer to those within their own village as their brother or sister when they are with them outside of that village.  
 
God’s plan was that Mary have one Son for various reasons. It was especially so because we are all called to become brothers and sisters of Christ through spiritual adoption. Therefore, if Jesus had had blood brothers or sisters, it would have undermined his spiritual brotherhood with them. It would have made their relationship with Jesus different. God desires this deeper spiritual relationship with all people. Mary is the only blood relation to Jesus; thus, she shares a special bond with Him that no one else does. It had to be that way if God were to become true man. Interestingly, even Mary’s deepest bond with Jesus does not come as a result of her physical blood relationship. It comes, first and foremost, by her spiritual motherhood. She is united with her Son primarily by her perfect faith and obedience. It is this bond that surpasses the natural one.]]>Tue, 19 May 2026 22:30:00 GMThttps://padrepioclevelandfaithanswers.weebly.com/faith-answers-home/do-animals-go-to-heaven​Every priest hears this question from children! It seems that the deep affection children (and all people) have for their pets leads them to a strong desire for a “yes” to this question. So the answer is…”yes,” “maybe,” “not exactly,” and “you can hope!”  
 
This difficult question does not have a clear and absolute answer. Therefore, any of the above answers could be correct. However, let’s offer some clarity and possibilities regarding the afterlife and animals.  
 
First of all, when we humans die, that is, when we die in this age in history before Jesus returns to establish “The new Heavens and Earth,” we believe that our body and soul separate. The body dies and is “laid to rest” until Jesus returns in all His glory and brings about the resurrection of the body. Until then, the body is dead. However, human spirits live on. Our spirit cannot die and, thus, Heaven (or Purgatory or Hell) awaits our spirits after earthly death. Only humans, angels, and God have eternal spirits. Animals do not. Therefore, for now, when an animal dies, it is dead and there is no spirit that lives on in Heaven.  
 
But wait just a moment! There is hope that your pet, and all creatures, will rise again. How and why? The reason you can have this hope is because from the very beginning of time, in the original state of holiness (the Garden of Eden) there were animals. So, even though animals do not have eternal spirits, they are physical and have what we may call an animal soul. An animal soul does die when the animal dies, but there is no telling what might happen at the resurrection of the dead! When Jesus returns in all His glory and all humans rise from the dead, will animals and all living creatures also rise? This is something you can hope for.  
 
Furthermore, Isaiah 11:6 speaks prophetically about this new age to come. That passage says, “Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them.” So is this a literal statement? Is it proof that animals will rise? Or is it just symbolic and figurative? Hard to tell. However, for that reason, it is worth having hope that animals will have some share in the new Heavens and Earth to come!]]>