The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-11-06

day, is he exempt from the law during
the remainder of the day?
The obligation of fasting applies
TO the whole day, and is considered
as one moral act The law allows
only one full meal, taken towards the
middle of the day, the food permitted
in the morning and evening being
moderation of the law. Because the
precept of fasting applies to the whole
day, once the obligation has been
broken. either wilfully or through for
getfulness, it has been broken for that
day and cannot be renewed. Conse-
quently the person would be free to
cat full meals for the remainder of
the day.
If the law of fasting or abstinence,
however, is violated by eating some
kind of food that is forbidden, a new
sin is committed each time that this
food is eaten. Even when the amount
OF forbidden food, that is taken a sec
ond time during the day, is very small,
it might easily constitute a mortal sin;
as the will is judged to give its APP
proval Of the previous act in which the
person ate a considerable amount of
The forbidden food.
We confess we do not discern
perfect consistency in this interpre
tation of the law of fasting and absti-
nence We are free however to follow
in the case reputable authority, and
our authority on the question proposed
is st. Alphonsus and other theolo
gians.
If a person says noVena in all
piety, receives Holy Communion and
has Mass said for a perfectly rea-
sonable intention, why does he not
receive the request?
The first and most essential ele-
ment of efIicacious prayer is humility
and humility does not ask why"
our judgment Of what is best for us is
measured by our own vision and is
very limited Gods view embraces
the present and the future, even
eternity He knows better than We
what is for our own good As He is Our
Father, He will certainly give to us
what we need. Your prayers will
have their due reward, either in
receiving what you ask for, or in re-
ceiving something else of much great
er value God will be faithful to His
own promise: ASK and YOU shall
receive
Please explain when person COM
nits a mortal sin by reading?
Reading in itself is an Indifferent
act. Sin is a violation of the law of
God. When reading leads to sin or to
grave danger of sin, the reading itself
becomes sinful. Because some books
ordinarily have this effect, the Church
out of love for her children has for
hidden them to be read.
Is it mortal sin to read about
divorces, ETC., in the daily papers?
This question is answered in the
previous one. The daily paper, how
over, that prints such scandals will
have a more severe Judgment. The
argument that one is free to make
public whatever is true is certainly
not according to good morals.
Why is it a sin for one person to
see an immoral play and perfectly
right for another person?
IL the play is immoral, no one has
q right to see it.
is it possible for a priest to know
the temperament of a penitent who
confesses to him two or three times
during the year?
If the priest is a good discerner of
character he may succeed 1t would
be much more to the advantage of the
renitent to confess at least once a
month.
Where can obtain a late map of
ireland giving railroads, etc.
Inquire at any general book store.
Is an offering made to the priest at
the baptism of child obligatory, or
customary?
1t is customary There is no more
an obligation to make an offering to
the priest at the time of baptism,
than there is when one receives the
Sacrament of Penance, or Holy Etl-
charist or any other sacrament. The
offering made is an aims given to
the priest, out of gratitude to God.
Through the divine bounty the infant
has been adopted by baptism as the
child of God. 1t is through the
priest this honor is received from
God Through the priest also, by
the aims we give him, we acknowledge
our gratitude to God.
Does the Church forbid the use of
holy water for animals that are sick?
The Church not only allows holy
water to be used in such cases, but
she has in her ritual prayers that may
be said by the priest for the cure of
sick animals. In doing so the priest
is instructed to sprinkle the animal
with holy water.
If one is in doubt whether a certain
act be sin, must he seek advice be-
fore he acts?
One is never free morally to act
when his conscience is in doubt One
of the duties of our confessor is to