The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-01-31
When a person cannot assist at Mass
is he obliged to say any prayers at


is he obliged to say any prayers at
bone?
When one is not able to assist at
Mass he is under no obligations to
recite any special prayers or have
any special services or devotions on
Sunday. This does not mean that
The Lords Day must not be kept holy
according to the Commandment Of
God. Ii is of obligation to spend at
least some time of the Lords Day
in prayer even though one may not
he able to assist at Mass
What prayers should we say in the
noorning?
There are no particular prayers
specified to be said in the morning
Your prayer book will furnish you
with good selection of prayers. OF
course the Our Father the Hail Mary.
the Acts and the Morning Offering
should be included in our morning
prayers. We should begin the day
well. We can begin it in no better
way than by calling upon ourselves
the blessing of God. The Morning
Offering Will give all the thoughts,
words, actions and sacrifices of the
day to Gods greater glory and make
them fruitful and pleasing to AL
mighty God.
Must there he ring at Catholic
marriage?
The ring is not necessary for the
validity of the Sacrament of Mar
riage. The external evidence of mu-
1ual consent is, however, necessary
for 4 valid marriage The ring has
the approval of Il long custom and
the Church has provided d special
blessing for it.
II priest has the power to forgive
sins why has he not the power to heal
disease?
For the very simple reason that
Christ, the Founder of the Church. has
conferred upon the priest, as a priest,
the power to abSolve from sin, while
lie did not choose to add the power
10 heal from disease. When a priest
possessed the power to cure the sick.
as the APOSTLES and many saints did,
this was special faculty bestowed
by God, but not necessarily connected
with the office of the priesthood.
Certain young men said that the sin
of impurity is only slight sin un-
less one or the other person is mar
ried.
The sin OF impurity is very often
mortal, irrespective Of the state Of the
SINNER At the same time ones state
IN life may be an occasion of this
sin becoming more grievous, as other
virtues besides that Of purity may be
violated. Thus, certain sins of this
Kind in a married person are also
opposed to the virtue of Justice Re-
lationship or the possession of holy
orders also cause such a sin to be-
come more serious.
is it wrong to refuse to inquire into
questions of Catholic morals lest the
knowledge thus acquired might bind
one more strictly?
y Catholic is obliged to know his
religion so we'll that he is certain of
his ground on all moral questions. To
this end he should study his religion
thoroughly, attend sermons and in
StructiOns, and do what is necessary
TO obtain the requisite knowledge for
his state in life. When in doubt a
catholic is obliged to consult his
priest or some one who is able to en-
Tighten him on his obligations as a
Catholic in any moral question that
may arise
Which is the correct expression: To
say the act or to make the act OF
Confiteor?
The usual expression is, to say the
Confteor.
How can enc know whether she
is sick enough to eat meat on fast
days?
Follow common sense and the ad.
vice Of reliable doctor. The law
OF the Church regarding fast and alb.
stlnence is grave law, and must be
obeyed under penalty of sin. The
Church, however. deals with human.
1ty and imposes no law that works
undue hardship on the generality OF
men and women. Hence, her laws
admit of exception in many instances
II ones health requires the use O!
meat on days Of abstinence, the law
OF the Church does not bind. Com
mon sense ought to be sufficient guide
in solving any doubt, and reliable doc
tors are always at hand to pass iudg
ment.
The Catholic Bulletin recent,
stated that the Pope said three mid
night Masses on Christmas. How car
this be since it takes one hour to Sc,
one Mass?
In the first place, it does not re
quire one hour to say Low Mass
The ordinary rule is that it Should
not be said in less than twenty min
utes, nor, generally speaking and bar
ring announcements, etc, take NOR,
than thirty minutes. Again. Til,
Holy Father is the supreme arbiter il
the matter of all rules Of rubrics
Hence he can change them, usually
for sufficient reasons. In the cas-
above If would not 1pn,lire much NOR