Q. I have very strong feelings for a male friend of mine. It is all the more complicated by the fact that he is discerning a vocation to the priesthood. I feel like I am sinning whenever we go out, even if it is with a group of friends.
A. Good for you and good for him. Isn’t it wonderful to be a human being? Isn’t it wonderful to be attracted to another person and enjoy his company? Isn’t it wonderful that we have the privilege of discerning what the Holy Spirit may be asking us to consider? These are all moments of grace and of life. Be thankful, not concerned and worried.
Q. Can my horrible and terrible thoughts make something bad happen? I know this sounds silly, but I really worry about it.
A. The only person who has any reaction to your thoughts, good or bad, is you. The only power your thoughts have is the power to influence your feelings and your emotions. You have no other power. In a sense, you are both the generator and the receptor, the producer and the consumer of your thoughts. End of story.