To the first question, God has not revealed to us the exact details concerning a departed soul's awareness of Earthly (temporal) events. So, while it 'might' be possible, it is rather unlikely because if the person is to enter heaven, they are either a) undergoing a purification of their soul in order to arrive at a perfect love of Almighty God or b) already in heaven where they are consumed in love & adoration of God. Their complete love of God would naturally extend to God's children still on their Earthly pilgrimage.

To the second question: In God's providential wisdom, he does permit some of the Saints in heaven extraordinary gifts of intercession concerning prayer requests from those still on Earth. Notable examples: the Blessed Mother, St. Joseph, & "fan favorite" St. Anthony (patron of lost things!).

That being said, it is highly encouraged for Christians to pray for their deceased loved ones and it never hurts to ask for their prayers in return. Our prayers will be answered in one way or another in accordance with the loving will of the Father.

I cannot speak for ALL priests. When I was ordained, I celebrated versus populum each and every day and really didn’t think anything of it. However, after some time celebrating mass ad orientem in the Novus Ordo and the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite, I prefer celebrating mass ad orientem. It is easier for me to pray the mass when celebrating ad orientem. But, no. It doesn’t feel weird facing the congregation because that is what I grew up with and what I was trained in.

When we are speaking to someone, we face them. It seems odd and foreign to our normal posture to speak to someone while facing others. The orientation of the priest versus populum or ad orientem has repercussions in how we view what we are doing.

No, questioning can lead us to a greater knowledge and love of the truth. St. Anslem described the Christian life as “Fides quaerens intellectum”, that is faith seeking understanding. We have faith and we seek a greater and deeper understanding of the mysteries of God.

What is next on your journey? Contact a parish where you are from and speak with the priest or the Director of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program. They will lead you on your next step towards coming into full communion with the Catholic Church.

Should you need any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Peace in Christ,
Fr. Daniel F. Firmin

No. Telling someone you love them even if your views are not similar is not boastful. Our love for people goes beyond agreement on issues and opinions.

Quick Answer: It would have been best to let the priest hearing your confession know that you did not feel subjectively guilty for the sin and that you felt it may have been justified. Most priests are happy to address such concerns so as to help you make the best confession possible.

Longer Answer:

1. A distinction exists between objective and subjective guilt. That is,something can be always and forever immoral objectively, but the person committing this immoral act may have no subjective feeling of guilt after completing the act. The lack of subjective guilt feelings may stem from a habit of sinning in this particular way, so that the sensitivity to sin flowing over into one’s emotional life (feelings) is lessened or even completely removed. Receiving the Blessed Sacrament in a state of grievous sin can blunt one’s sensitivity to sin. Additionally, it seems that a culture that forcefully promotes sin and which frequently uses erroneous philosophical principles (often unspoken assumptions) that allow for such approval can dull the subjective knowledge of the natural law in us to a certain degree.
2. It is possible for one to be mistaken about the moral law or church law and its application to a given situation, even to the extent of believing something is a sin when it is not. For instance, sometimes revealing a truth about someone that harms his reputation is necessary, but the person revealing could believe it to be gossip or detraction, even though it is not.
3. The lack of knowledge (ignorance)and the circumstances (lack of freedom) can reduce one’s subjective responsibility for an act that is immoral, even to a great degree. If this is so in your case, the sin may have been venial and not strictly required sacramental confession.
4. At least the fear of hell (imperfect contrition or attrition) and a sincere desire to, with God's help, not sin in that way in the future are required for the confession of mortal sins to be valid (effect the forgiveness of sins). Guilt feelings are not required for confession to “work”.
5. It would be good to study what the Church’s Magisterium has said about the particular act about which you are concerned. Praying and asking for the light of understanding can assist in re- aligning one’s passions with objective reality.

Any priest can do a house blessing! There is not a stipend attached to it at all. However, if you would like to give the priest a little gift for doing it, that would be fine. Reach out to your local priest and ask him.

No. Holy water remains holy because it is blessed, and selling it or buying it does not make it unholy. However, the person who sells or purchases Holy Water (water that has been blessed by a priest or deacon) commits the sin of simony (the selling or purchasing of holy or spiritual things). Therefore, the person who does this becomes unholy, not the water.

Does the Catholic Church permit the faithful to pray the prayers appropriate to the chotki?

Yes.

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Are the chotki prayers of Eastern Orthodox origin?

Doubtfully.  To my knowledge, the chotki prayers were said by the eastern monks in ancient times before the Great Schism.  They are still said by non-Roman Rite Catholics in full union with Rome.

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Does the Church have anything to say about the chotki prayers?

In The Raccolta (1946 version), an official collection of prayers of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church,

“Jesus Son of David have mercy on me.” is indulgenced with 500 days and a plenary indulgence (given the usual conditions) if it is said every day for a month.

Therefore, the Catholic Church highly recommends this short prayer to the Son of God (and by logical extension other variants of the Jesus Prayer).

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Is it ok to pray the chotki instead of the holy rosary due to the difficulty I find meditating on the mysteries and saying the prayers?

The repetition of the Jesus prayer is a spiritually fruitful way to pray.  However, there is a particular greatness to the rosary and it should not be given up too easily. Numerous saints have affirmed the excellence and privileged efficacy of the rosary. The Blessed Virgin Mary at both Fatima and Lourdes explicitly requested the rosary to be prayed.  Moreover, at least twelve encyclicals and several other papal documents exist on the subject the holy rosary, exhorting the faithful directly and indirectly to pray it regularly, with Leo XIII affirming its miraculous origin.

Perhaps focusing on a word or very small part of a mystery while reciting the Hail Marys would help.  Alternatively, you could simply announce the mystery at the beginning of the decade and focus on the words of the Hail Marys until meditating upon the mysteries becomes more natural.

Priests are not as mean as you think! If you go to confession and explain to the priest that it has been a few years since your last confession he will walk you through it. Each time I sit in the confessional, there is always someone I have to help through the Act of Contrition or an examination of conscience. Many people avoid going to confession, you’re not the only one! People come in and haven’t been to confession in decades. I think the longest away from the sacrament of confession that I have heard has been 60 years.

The purpose of Confirmation is to receive the Holy Spirit so that we can be witnesses to Jesus Christ in the world.

The words the bishop says are, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Sponsors are for good gifts! ;) A sponsor is supposed to be someone who models for us what it means to be a good Catholic, a good disciple of Christ.

This has been a subject of debate for a long time. The early church confirred the Sacrament of Confirmation on people when they were young, right after baptism. The Eastern Churches still do this. Many dioceses in the United States confirm in the 8th or 9th grade. A few have the Sacrament of Confirmation before First Communion in the 2nd grade. The Sacraments of Initiation are Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Eucharist is a symbol of being fully initiated and fully in union with the church, a full member of the Church. Some Dioceses preserve that order and others have gone with a different order. There is no age specified for confirmation.

No

Praise God for your conversion and his work in your life! Thankfully, there is no sin or evil that we choose that is beyond the Lord’s mercy, provided that we turn away from it with sorrow and humbly ask for His forgiveness. The Lord can surely forgive your decision to get a tattoo that is evil or contrary to the Christian faith.

Two suggestions:

1. I have heard of similar situations where people have had the tattoo removed OR had an artist “Christianize” the current tattoo. This can relieve you of a permanent reminder of the Occult and instead, you’ll have a reminder of Christ the Victorious King who conquers all evil.
2. If you are Catholic, I highly encourage you to visit with your local priest in order to renounce your past involvement with the Occult. We have some beautiful and powerful prayers that were specifically written to break any bonds, promises, or oaths that may have invited demonic influence in a person’s life. This is a powerful spiritual remedy and can provide a greater experience of the freedom that the Lord Jesus desires for your life.