Father Robert McTeigue is a member of the Society of Jesus. A professor of philosophy and theology, he has taught and lectured worldwide, and is a member of the National Ethics Committee of the Catholic Medical Association. He is host of the "The Catholic Current" via The Station of the Cross Catholic Media Network and the iCatholicRadio app (weekdays at 5PM Eastern).

 

 

• I have been told that we cannot know for sure by our own knowledge if we are in a state of grace. Can you please elaborate on this?
• Is missing mass a mortal sin if I don't know how to drive and no one is able to take me to mass?
• I am a new convert, old in age. Our priest says baptism wipes away all sins so you only confess sins after your baptism. Coming into the church you get 'conditionally baptized,'' even if you were previously baptized. So, to make a general confession, should I only be confessing sins post-Baptism or should I encompass my entire life? It feels very necessary.
• I donate to a homeless shelter where I believe they use the money wisely. I do not give money to homeless people on the streets because I think some of that money will go to alcohol or to drugs. By saying no to those homeless, am I ignoring Jesus's call to help others in need?
• How can one get a proper formation in scholastic philosophy and theology without attending a seminary? Any good scholastic manuals or books you would recommend?
• I was married 30 years ago in the Catholic Church. Less than a month later, my husband literally never came home. Just left. I was very blessed and my family helped me through that devastation and I filed a divorce. Since then, I've lost my way in the church because of the divorce. My question though (while I am Catholic, he was not): Is there any way to be forgiven and take communion and confession again? Every time I walk in a church I cry, as I miss it so much.
• I just finished reading the Life of Brother Lawrence, a very uplifting book. In a chapter about "Practicing the Presence of God", he states; "the first means is a new life, received by salvation through the blood of Christ." In my church, they stopped passing the cup with the blood of Christ after the pandemic. What does he mean by that?
• At what point in church history was the foundation of the Mass established as it pertains to the usage of organs and other instruments? I'm sincerely wondering if you can explain some of the changes that you've noticed over the years and how, if at all, you may have soured on how music is often used in the sacred liturgy at places like Saint Typical's (which I wholeheartedly agree with, by the way).
• I agree we can have no souvenirs of sin in Heaven. Can you explain in slow, simple steps how to rid ourselves of this danger?
• I hear you talk a lot about the importance of preaching. Has that always been important to you, or did that develop during your priesthood?
• Other than prayer, how can we support our parish priests? I think people forget that priests are people too. It seems like most of the time you are just "used" for blessing this thing or that statue, and that your time is not respected.