Dear Father Joe: Sometimes, there are so many distractions at Mass that I can’t concentrate. It’s really frustrating – what can I do?

Thưa Cha Joe: Đôi khi, có quá nhiều yếu tố gây sao nhãng tại buổi Thánh Lễ khiến con không thể tập trung. Con thực sự cảm thấy nản lòng – con có thể làm gì đây?

Làm thế nào để ứng phó với tình huống này mà không phán xét họ, thưa Cha?

One of my dear friends died. She was a daily communicant and a faithful member of her Church.

I feel your heartbreak, and as a priest, I know it well. I have walked with six distinct congregations.

I don’t know how to deal with all the pressure I am feeling.

Fr. Joe answers questions on Catholic practice vs. Protestant practice.

The answer to it is really revelatory of the difference between how God is and how we are.

We are called each day to think of and act on the word Love.

This is, in fact, a struggle that everyone who regularly goes to confession knows, and I pray that you see that in and of itself as the beginning of a blessing.

What do I do or how do I live so I know I am doing what God wants?

Your pain right now is a testament to your love. You loved your husband and were loved by him.

There are days I just can’t take it anymore and I struggle with guilt about how I feel.

Your question reflects a heart of love, and I am so grateful for it.

I have a friend who says everything was much more reverent before the 1960s and that we should go back to the way things used to be. This is making me question what happens at Mass on Sunday.

Linh mục của tôi nói ai cũng là người kỳ thị màu da hết, và tôi nghĩ thế thật là điên. Vậy tôi làm gì được?

My priest said that everyone is racist, and I think that’s nuts. What am I supposed to do about it anyway?

God bless your heart for asking this question; it shows you respect and honor the family and the sacrament of marriage.