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I am an aspiring teen who is looking to strengthen my Catholic faith, however, there are some things going on in my life that I feel I should settle and get confirmation on what to do first before doing other things. So this message, while a lot of stuff, is really important to me, and I am willing to do all that you recommend and tell me to do.
So, to start, I have a bit of a problem with worrying; however, I get confused when I should or should not be concerned or inquire further about something.
A couple of examples of this are, to start, a couple of kids I know who are doing drugs.
They are not close friends, and I doubt they would listen to me if I told them to stop or tried to talk to them, so should I just leave it be?
What should I do there?
Another thing is with my uncle and his pet dog. They feed the dog from the table, and it is very unhealthy for them.
Should I tell him that and try and talk to him about not doing that?
Or should I leave it be, as it's not my pet?
The final case is my family history. My Grandpa (unfortunately, has passed, God bless him) apparently was involved with a criminal group. I don't know anything about this for sure, nor do I have any evidence outside the fact that they were married, but,
Do I need to inquire with my Grandma, who is still alive, about the matter to see if I can help put away the criminals?
I don't even know if she has any contact with those people, nor do I know this regarding the rest of my family. All they have are stories (or at least my father does, my grandma in some of them), but that doesn't feel like enough evidence.
Should I leave it be?
Oh, and one last story. I am ashamed to say this, but when I was a sophomore in high school, I looked at a girl inappropriately (stared is more accurate). I think she noticed, though I am not 100% sure.
Do I need to find that girl now (I am a senior in high school, so this was a long time ago) and apologize?
I don't want to make her uncomfortable or come off as weird doing so.
Also, I have worked to try and stop watching certain (I'm not going to say exactly what they are) inappropriate videos on platforms such as YouTube. However, they should not be allowed on the platform, and the fact that they are, violates the rule that website has set up.
So am I obligated to go back, find those videos, and report them?
Doing so gives the possibility they could be taken down, which is good. Because I am worried that kids would stumble upon some of that stuff (for some, it's not hard to just come across without prior searching or even wanting to find it, at least, I believe this is the case). However, I get tempted when I watch those videos, and I am trying to stay away from things that cause me temptation.
So, what should I do?
I know that I should pray to God and ask what I should do, but I am struggling with my anxieties and worries, and I don't trust myself to make a decision or if I am just tricking myself into hearing what I want to hear when I pray. I could really use the help with these, so I can finally move forward in my life. I want to be close and connected with God, but I feel that these are barriers. Please, respond soon on what I should do, I would be ever so grateful.
Some general questions I have are how do you pray to saints?
Can I ask them for help with difficult tasks and perhaps their intervention, or is that paganistic?
Also, how can Saint Michael be a saint if he is an angel? (I thought saints had to be alive.)
Finally, is it a sin to wait to go to Confession, or is it not? Or is it sort of a gray area?
Please Help me, Father, to get a grip on my faith and understand these things. I am willing to do whatever it takes in order to right these wrongs or act in the way God intends. I only need direction.
I would really appreciate answers to some of these questions, they will really help me move forward with my faith. I am sorry it's so much; I've had all this bottled up for so long.
Thank you so much for any help you can give me.
God Bless,
Anonymous
{ Can you help an aspiring teen looking to strengthen their Catholic faith by addressing some issues and answering some questions? }
Mike replied:
Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for your questions.
First, none of us are priests. We are just Lay Catholics with a calling to Catholic Apologetics.
I'll do my best to address as many questions as possible, but the type of questions indicates to me that what you really need is a good Spiritual Director. This would be a very faithful pastor or priest in one of your nearby Catholic parishes or maybe a local convent or monastery near you. I'm not trying to blow you off. It's just that the nuances of your particular situation are unique to you and can best be addressed by a priest that knows you (who, again, is faithful to the Church). Also, we have a five-question limit for each e-mail you send us. This ensures that the quality of each answer will be good instead of getting a billion questions in one e-mail which will never get answered.
You said: I am an aspiring teen who is looking to strengthen my Catholic faith.
For all the issues brought up in your e-mail, the first step is to start praying the Rosary daily.
You can find a free Rosary here or within your local parish.
Then I would start by reading the Catechism of the Catholic Church either in book form or on the web. This page gives you an array of Catechism to choose from:
If you feel these kids who are doing drugs would be open to what you have to say, talk to them.
If you don't think they would be interested, just keep them in your daily prayers and Mass intentions when you go to Mass on Sunday.
If you feel your Uncle would be open to your view, tell him. If you don't think he would be open to it, just keep him in your prayers.
RE: Your Grampa. If you have direct information which could help the police, tell them; otherwise just pray for the criminals and of course, both your grandpa and grandma.
The questions you have asked of a sexual nature, really should be directed to a Spiritual Director who is faithful to the Church.
You said:
Some general questions I have are, how do you pray to saints?
Can I ask them for help with difficult tasks and perhaps they're intervention, or is that paganistic?
Also, how can Saint Michael be a saint if he is an angel?, (I thought saints had to be alive.)
Finally, is it a sin to wait to go to Confession, or is it not? Or is it sort of a gray area?
You pray to the saints the same way you pray to Jesus and Mary. This is not paganistic nor does it undermine the sole mediation of Jesus, rather it is glorifying the Life, Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ IN the Body of Christ (which are the saints in Heaven and those Christians (us) pilgrimaging their way on Earth.) Christ is the Head, the Body of Christ, is the Body. Yes, you can ask the saints for help with strain task and ask for their intervention.
I do so weekly. Every time before I start work, I say the St. Joseph the Worker prayer. Everything St. Joseph did in his life, he could not have done without Jesus working in and through him. Protestants don't understand this because they reject the Catholic teaching on the Eucharist.
The word "Saint" means "Holy" so as Saint Michael is holy because he is in Heaven, so too, we (hopefully future saints) hope to be in Heaven with him.
On Confession: The United States Bishops have recommended that the faithful go to Confession at least once a month.
If someone struggles with the sins of the flesh, they should first go to Confession before receiving Holy Communion and in its place, say a Spiritual Communion. (See below.)
Spiritual Communion
O Lord Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.
I love you above all things, (with all my mind, with all my heart, and with all my soul).
I love you because you are infinitely good and worthy of all my love.
Since I cannot receive You now sacramentally, at least come spiritually into my heart.
I embrace myself entirely to You and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Come Lord Jesus and glorify Yourself through my weak, broken body.
Amen.
Finally, I would strongly recommend you read questions and the answers in our database.
Just go here and type in the key words you are interested in, right under the word site map:
This is why you need a very good Spiritual Director, faithful to the Church. It's important for your generation of teens to know they were created for a specific purpose or calling in life; both in discerning their marital vocation and their secular vocation..
In reference to their marital vocation:
For many, it's the TRUE married life, which is open to bringing many children into the world through the conjugal embrace of (the opposite sexes|spouses). I know one couple in Massachusetts that has 10 children!!!
Despite the sexual confusion we hear in the mainstream media and cable media, this is what a man and woman's body were designed and created for: to bring forth new life!!!
For some it is the single life either as a single Christian or religious man or woman.
Praying on a regular basis will help one discern their calling.
I hope this helps,
Mike
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