Q. I recently heard a Catholic evangelist state something to the effect that “grave matter and mortal sin are the exception, not the rule.” Is he saying what I think he is saying?
A.If your question means, “Is this Catholic evangelist on track with his statement?”, my answer is, “Most assuredly.” Despite the many social media commentators who are generally competing for an audience and unconcerned about theological casualties, grave matter and mortal sin are serious but are not lurking in every thought, decision, challenge, or discernment. It is quite possible to engage in daily living, make mistakes, be sorry for them, and never once come close to either grave matter or mortal sin. This is what it means to live as a human being who engages in everyday life.
Q. My young children were very inattentive at Sunday Mass, and I spent most of the time trying to get them settled. Is it necessary for me to go to Mass again because I was not paying attention?
A. “Let the children come to me” (Matthew 19:14). Your children were not a distraction, and your parenting was not a distraction. You attended Mass wonderfully, fully, and completely. There is no need to attend Mass twice because of that. You celebrated the Eucharist as a family. What a blessing!