3/15/24 - Canon Ross Bourgeois, ICKSP

Canon Ross Bourgeois, ICKSP serves as Parochial Vicar at Most Precious Blood of Jesus Parish in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Canon Bourgeois was ordained in 2019.     In Today's Show: In the Gospel of John 12:20-26, we read the story of the Greeks who approached the Apostle, Philip, with a request that they be allowed to see Jesus.  Philip mentions the request to Andrew, then they both inform Jesus that a group of Greeks are asking to see Him. Then we read, "And Jesus answered them, saying "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified."  From there, Jesus goes on to predict His death and a few other matters. My question is: In regard to the request of the Greeks, was Jesus' answer a yes or a no? We know that the priest kisses the altar at the beginning of mass. Catholics also have this tradition of kissing relics and other sacred objects including statues, crosses and images. Personally, I feel a little uncomfortable kissing relics and such. Where did this tradition come from and what does it mean? I confessed a sin as venial but now I worry that it may have been mortal because I was aware of what I was doing. After confession, I typically receive Communion. If this sin was truly mortal and I didn't confess "properly" am I still living in a state of sin and receiving improperly? Can St. Patrick's Day be viewed as a "cheat day" during Lent? I am Protestant and have a lot of questions about the Catholic faith. Where can I turn for answers that I can trust that aren't tainted with modernist ideologies? Obviously it was important enough for Jesus to come back from the resurrection to teach the apostles how to baptize others, but how was the Christian baptism different from the one Jesus received? Discussing the readings of the first and fourth Fridays of Lent. Was there a particular reason these readings were chosen? What is their deeper connection to Our Lord and Holy Week? Why did they stop capitalizing "His/He/Me/Myself" when referring to Jesus and God in most Bibles and religious books?   Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!