Each weekday, you'll find a new question and answer. Check back for the new question and scroll down to see previous day's entries! Let us know what you think - - or question! -- by emailing us at tcanswer@osv.com.
Why Break the Legs?
Q. The Gospel of John says that the soldiers broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus so that their bodies wouldn’t remain on the cross on the Sabbath day that followed (see John 19:31-32). I don’t get it—what difference would it have made to break their legs?
M.N., Greenville, S.C.
A. First, a blessed Good Friday to all our readers.
According to those who have studied the grim mechanics of crucifixion, in order to breathe adequately, the crucified victim periodically had to push himself up using his legs. Breaking the legs prevented him from doing that, thus hastening his death; he would suffocate.
The people asked Pilate to break the legs of Jesus and the two thieves crucified with Him so that they would die quickly, allowing their bodies to be taken down from the crosses before the Sabbath (which began at sunset). They broke the legs of the thieves, but not of Jesus, because they discovered that He was already dead. But just to make sure, one soldier (according to tradition, named Longinus) thrust his lance into Jesus’ side (Jn 19:33-34).
As it turns out, that scenario fulfilled Messianic prophecies (as John pointed out): “Not a bone of it will be broken” and “They will look upon Him whom they have pierced” (Jn 19:36-37; see also Ex 12:46; Num 9:12; Ps 34:20; Zech 12:10).
God Laughed?
Q. Where in the Bible does it say, “God laughed”? Mother Angelica told us on the air some time ago, but I don’t remember which book says it and who it was He was talking to.
L.K., via email
A. Several Psalms in the Bible speak of God laughing at the wicked, because He is amused by the foolishness of mere human beings thinking that they can defy Him and ultimately get away with it.
For example: “The wicked plot against the just and grind their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at them, knowing their day is coming” (Psalm 37:12-13). See also Psalm 2:4 and Psalm 59:8.
Was This Sin Forgiven?
Q. Nine years ago, after our fourth child, my wife had her tubes tied. Emotionally, she was having trouble handling three kids and thought a fourth would put her right over the edge. At the time, we were cafeteria Catholics, had used contraception on and off, and we rationalized that what my wife was doing was under “diminished capacity.” (It never occurred to us that God might give us the grace we needed.)
I have confessed our sin of sterilization. My faith journey has led me to become an assenting Catholic. As there is no possibility of life, I asked a priest in confession if my marriage act was now sinful in nature. His response was that as we had four kids, we were obviously open to the possibility of life, and that “God is merciful.” My conscience is telling me that my marriage act must be open to life — that either we need to be celibate or else I must convince my wife to undergo a surgical reversal. Was our sin once and for all forgiven, or is it ongoing?
Name withheld
A. Here’s a reply from TCA columnist Father Francis Hoffman, J.C.D.:
To answer your question, we need first some context.
When we sin, God calls us to conversion through the voice of our conscience. But true conversion requires true contrition. If a thief repented of his theft, an unmistakable sign of contrition would be restitution of the stolen property to the owner. In the case of sterilization, an unmistakable sign of conversion would be the reversal of the operation.
However, this may not be possible for some people because of the cost or because of the opposition of one of the spouses. Even if the reversal is unsuccessful, the attempt at reversal is a sign of true contrition, and that is what heals the soul. Nonetheless, the confessor should not mandate reversal of the sterilization in order to receive absolution, but he could suggest reversal if the case warrants it.
In other cases, the confessor could suggest that the couple refrain from sexual relations during those times when the woman would most likely be fertile, and in this way their behavior would model Natural Family Planning. Ultimately it is the Lord who reads the human heart, and he would know if the spouses were truly repentant.
Still, other cases could be more complicated. For instance, one spouse could be truly repentant of the sterilization, while the other may still be opposed to more children. In that case, the cessation of intimate relations could put an undue strain on the marriage. It would not be prudent for the confessor to require no further sexual relations in this situation.
Having said all that, let me affirm that you are of course right when you say that every conjugal act of marriage must be open to life. But if it is physically or morally impossible to be open to life, as in the cases just noted, you may still have marital relations when one of the partners is sterilized.
To prevent confusion, I should state here that couples may never have marital relations if the woman is on the pill. The pill — as commonly used today — is potentially abortifacient. Here, a new and much graver sin is involved: the cooperation in the destruction of a human life.
In this case, I would suggest that you follow your conscience, because God’s grace is leading you powerfully in that direction: either refrain from marital relations, or undergo a surgical reversal. Your sin has been forgiven, but your conversion is ongoing.
Prayer for the Devil?
Q. I really enjoy The Catholic Answer. My husband and I have been reading it for at least two years.
I also enjoy watching the lives of saints in movies. I have learned so much through their lives. I see how much they sacrifice for the sinners, and a question came to me.
I am not sure if it impossible or dumb, but I was wondering if it would make any sense to pray for the conversion of the devil. He is the main cause of human sins. Maybe if we pray for that, everybody would be close to God.
Please guide me on this. I do not want to be away from God and sometimes I have the feeling this idea does not come from God. I am very confused. Please pray for me—thanks!
A.B., Brooksville, Fla.
A. Thanks for the kind words about the magazine! And thanks for raising an intriguing question.
It would certainly make sense to pray for the devil’s conversion if there were any chance of his converting. But the Church clearly teaches that unlike human beings, the devil (and all the demons) no longer have the possibility of salvation. The choice they made against God long ago was definitive and irrevocable; they will never repent and turn back to God. (See the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 391-393.) So the Devil cannot be converted, and it’s useless for us to pray for his conversion.
The situation is similar for human beings who have died rejecting God. Up until death they had the chance to repent and be saved, even if it meant undergoing a considerable purging to prepare them for heaven. But once such people died (rejecting God), they no longer had the chance to be saved; they had made a decision that can never be changed.
Did St. Peter Have Children?
Q. One of the recent readings in Mass referred to Mark as Peter’s son (1 Peter 5:13). Now I know St. Peter used “son” as an affectionate term, but it made me think. We know St. Peter had a mother-in-law. What else do we know about Peter as a married man? Did he have children of his own?
S.A., Savannah, Ga.
A. Here’s a reply from TCA columnist Father Ray Ryland, Ph.D., J.D.:
We read that Peter’s mother-in-law was healed by Jesus in Mark 1:29-31. The Gospel account tells us that immediately she assumed the duties of hospitality for Jesus and the other guests. These are duties that a wife would normally carry out. This detail in the account suggests, but only suggests, that Peter’s wife may not have been living at that point. We know nothing about any children of his.
Luke 18:28–30 seems to tell us something about Peter’s marital status. “And Peter said, ‘Lo, we have left our homes and followed you.’” Impetuous Peter, the one always blurting out his thoughts, practically demanded to know what would become of him and the other apostles. Jesus replied, “Truly, I say to you, there is no man who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive manifold more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life”.
Addressed not only to Peter but also to the other apostles, Jesus’ words seem to imply that all the apostles were now living celibate lives as they followed Him in being prepared to become His successors.
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