Yoga, Forgiving the Devil, and Mary’s Free Will

What this episode covers

Fr. Josh answers questions about whether Catholics should do yoga, whether we should forgive the Devil, and whether Mary truly had free will. **Glory Story (5:00) **Feedback (9:19) *Yoga (10:58) * Hi Fr. Josh, I thank the Lord for leading me to your podcast. I am learning a lot with regards to the beauty of our Catholic faith, though late in the game. Anyway, my question is about yoga. I have read that it stems from another religion and it's called a practice. I am currently attending classes at the gym because I find that among the many I have tried, it works for my aches and stiffness. I consider it as mindful stretching as opposed to a practice of the philosophy it purports to be. My question is: am I violating my Christian faith if I view yoga as just a workout and not the religious practice that others view it? Any information will be appreciated and again, thank you. Joi Should we forgive the devil? (21:50) Hey, Fr. Josh! I'm going to get right to it: should we forgive and love the devil? God loves and forgives everyone, right? Does that include the devil? And if it does include the devil, does that mean we should also love and forgive the devil because we are to imitate Christ? My gut feeling is no. We should just steer clear of the devil entirely and leave it up to God to fight and interact with him. I'm not sure about forgiving the devil for his many temptations and assaults against us, but I'm positive we're not meant to love him, right? I would love to know your view on the matter and if the Catholic Church has an official opinion on this. Thank you so much for any help you can provide! D Did Mary have free-will? (32:33) Hi Fr. Josh, I love your podcast and I’ve been listening for some time. Here is my question: Would it have been a sin to deny the angel Gabriel and not have Jesus? And if it would have been a sin to deny God’s plan, and Mary was born without sin, did she have no other option than to accept? So would she not have had free will? Thank you and God Bless!! John *Resources: * Preorder Pocket Guide to Adoration by Fr. Josh Johnson Email your questions about Lent and other topics and feedback to Fr. Josh at [email protected] Text “askfrjosh” to 33-777 to subscribe to the shownotes list for the chance to win a free copy of Fr. Josh’s new book! Broken and Blessed by Fr. Josh Johnson Jeff Cavins Young Adult Pilgrimage with Fr. Mike Schmitz in June 2020 Support Ask Father Josh (Your Catholic Question and Answer Podcast)