I recently received this question via email: "I understand that one of the spiritual works of mercy is to admonish sinners. My question is: Aren't we supposed to forgive and forget? Does 'admonish' mean 'to reprimand'?"

I understand the questioner's point, that for a "work of mercy" admonishing sinners can seem decidedly unmerciful. Let's take a closer look.

In Catholic tradition, there are seven spiritual works of mercy:

1. Counsel the doubtful.
2. Instruct the ignorant.
3. Admonish sinners.
4. Comfort the afflicted.
5. Forgive offenses.
6. Bear wrongs patiently.
7. Pray for the living and the dead.

So yes, one important act of charity or mercy that we can do is to "admonish sinners." But what does that mean? More...

Since I posted "Confession by the Numbers" a couple weeks ago, I've received a few emails asking how often we should avail ourselves of this sacrament of Christ's mercy. So, since you asked . . . More...

For many years I’ve had the clear sense that most parishes allot an inadequate amount of time each week for Confession. In my experience, most parishes set aside one hour per week for scheduled Confessions, some set aside two hours, and very few set aside more than that.

What does that all that mean in practical terms? Well, I decided to dust off my calculator to see if there really is a “Confession shortage.” More...