Did John the Baptist go to heaven right after death?

By Paul Dion, STL

Read these words of Jesus which you will hear in this Gospel story about John the Baptist: "History has not known a man born of woman greater than John the Baptizer. Yet the least born into the kingdom of God is greater than he" (Matthew 11:11).

We're talking about Jesus' first cousin here. This is the precurser of the Messiah. His father was a priest. He was still in the womb of his mother when he leapt for joy when Elizabeth and Mary met when Mary was in the early stages of her pregnancy with Jesus. John dedicated his entire life to the mission of spreading the word and the love of God. John was a straight talking prophet calling for the repentance of the Chosen People. John himself washed Jesus in the waters of baptism from the Jordan.

How then can Jesus say, "Yet the least born into the kingdom of God is greater than he."? So, when John died, the greatest of all prophets, he didn't go to the kingdom of God on the Archangel Express?

That's right. Although John had seen the Anointed One and heard of his wonderful works, he, like Moses, did not enter into the Kingdom during his lifetime. Why not? Let it all hang out. You know that you have an answer and you also know that you have questions. Fire away. Let us know.

Of course if you don't want to do that, check out the article "Rejoice in Hope - John the Baptist: "Gaudete Sunday" and you will find the answer.

If you still need to get something off your chest, we await your sentiments with open arms and a sharpened pencil. Post your comments below.

God bless you all.

Do you really believe in the True Presence of Jesus at Communion?

By Paul Dion, STL

The true presence of Jesus in the form of Bread and Wine is the burning question this week. It is addressed to all of us who receive communion as Catholics. We approach the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist easily and sometimes without much reverence and consciousness about what we are doing.

We even forget sometimes that we may not be in the proper state of soul to approach the Sacrament. We have come to listen to the ideas that are floated around that the Eucharist is a reality so full of love that God would not want us to miss out on it.

We have listened to the "popular" wisdom that says that "after all, there are a lot of people worse than I. I am OK for communion because I really don't do any really, really bad things."

We talk ourselves into thinking that if St. Peter could deny Jesus three times and get to be the Head Man, then we too have the right to approach the Sacrament.

Think about it a little bit. Are we softening Jesus? Are we forgetting that He is the person who told Pontius Pilate, "You wouldn't have any power if it had not been given to you from above."

Are we forgetting that this is the person who told us, "If you do not eat my flesh and drink my blood you will not have eternal life."?

These are not words that should make us think that Jesus is the negotiating type. If we do not behave according to His expectations of us, we have no right to approach the communion rail.
Why do so many of us seem to have forgotten this?

"Do you really believe in the TRUE PRESENCE of Jesus Christ in the consecrated Bread and Wine of the Eucharist?"

Think about it. This is an anonymous opportunity for you to speak the truth from the bottom of your soul about this question.

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS PRESENT BODY AND BLOOD IN THE HOST AND THE CHALICE OF COMMUNION? Do you really keep your soul clean before receiving communion? Do you really believe that Jesus is present, Body and Blood and Soul in the Tabernacle?

We at ParishWorld.net think that we have to talk about this in the open for the good of the Church Community. Help us out. Post your innermost and honest thoughts - in complete anonymity if you wish.

"What are the four marks of the True Church?

By Paul Dion, STL

Brothers and sisters, it is a catechetical teaching that there are four marks of the true Church. These marks are rather easy to memorize because they are contained word for word in the Apostles' Creed. That's your clue.

You may already know them off the top of your head, but you may not know what the deep significance of each one is.

The question is, "What are the four marks of the True Church?"

The challenge is, take a guess at what the one(s) that you don't quite get are really meant to signify. Is one of them that the true Church has always kept Latin as the sole and unique language of its public liturgy, i.e., the Mass?

Share your thoughts with us. Post a comment.

Is there such a thing as sinning by omission?

By Paul Dion, STL

Most of the time when we seek guideposts for our behavior, we look for guidance concerning the acts that we should do to be righteous.  By the same token we seek to name the acts that we should not do so as not to commit sin.  It is therefore common practice to run to the Ten Commandments in our mind thereby reminding ourselves to do the acts that they dictate to us.  When we have done that we also tend to realize that these same commandments tell us to avoid certain behaviors because they are bad.

The question before us now though aims at something different.  The question is, “Is it sinful to refrain from doing good things that are expected from us by God?”  To be practical, the question could be:

“Is it sinful not to pray?”

“Is it sinful not to go to confession for long periods of time? [Years, for example]

“Is it sinful to avoid helping someone who needs help when it would be possible, in fact, to render aid?

“Is it sinful to stay away from visiting parents confined in a nursing home?

“Is it sinful to refrain from supporting the parish where we attach our religious practice?

“Is it sinful to not instruct our children about God and about praying to God?

In short, is it sinful to lurk in the shadows and not be a participating member of the Communion of Saints?

Click here for the answer to the Burning Question.

"What is Faith?"

By Paul Dion, STL


How many times you have heard from me, "This is not an intellectual exercise."

Now is the time to put this axiom to the test. We are not looking for left-brained answers this week. (OK, you lefties, stop gloating!) We are getting really basic and fundamental here, but the simplicity of the question may stun you, so think it over.

"WHAT IS FAITH?"
 

I beg of you to refrain from "Googling" this one. If you've thought of this before, you have an opinion. If this is a new question, thank God that you are getting a chance to delve into your conscience about it.

Post a comment today. Share your thoughts with us about this very incisive topic. And see what we others are saying as well as our recap of this important question.

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"Do Catholics believe our salvation is a sure thing?"

By Paul Dion, STL

Lk 18:9-10: "Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else. "

This is a very powerful lesson from Jesus Himself. He has jumped into the argument two millennia before many of us have either heard it or used it ourselves. We usually hear it when someone says, "Lord, you can take me now, I'm ready." Or as I have heard a few times before in my life, "My father died suddenly but he told me that he was saved, so I don't worry about him." Lately we hear declarations like, "I'm glad that I am a Christian (Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, etc.) it sure is easier to get to heaven from here."

That is not the lesson that Jesus gives us in this Gospel story as told by St. Luke. The question is:

"Do we as Catholics believe that we can ever be sure that we are saved and therefore a lock to get to heaven?"

CLICK HERE to see the answer to this Burning Question.

"Is it a sin to look to the horoscope for serious "guidance" in our lives?"

By Paul Dion, STL

Hey, Bro, what sign are you?
Aquarius, dude. You?

Pisces. Slick and smoothe in your wave.

What's your lady's sign?

She's a Scorpio. Good fit, I'll say.

My, my, what is going on here? This is a conversation that I overheard just outside the door of the Adult Confirmation catechism session. Two nice Catholic young men sizing one another up to see if they were going to be able to have a stable and friendly relationship if their Zodiac signs were right. I just shook my head and made a note that the next time I am in the room with this group that I would have a little fun with them about star alignments and what they mean to us...and what they don't mean.

Why would Catholics be intrigued by such fantasies? Would western Catholics have the same "matches" and "mismatches" as eastern ones? Would I be in in trouble if my western "pisces" were to be in conflict with my eastern "ox"?

When I was in parochial school some years ago, we were warned by the nuns that believing in the dictates of the Zodiac was against the first comandment. That didn't stop some of us from checking the horoscope in the newspaper every day to see what was going to happen to us the next day. (We had an evening newspaper.) Our big excuse was that it was only fun. Our big reason was that the stuff we read never happened anyway. I have to admit that a couple of us were more serious about checking out the stars than others.

Our question this week therefore is: "Is it against the first commandment to look to the horoscope for serious "guidance" in our lives?

Don't just say "yes" or "no", give us a reason why you have the opinion that you throw out on the table.

Click here to read the answer to the burning question.

Do you applaud after the homily?

By Paul Dion, STL

I am 70 1/2 years old. I have an advanced degree in Theology. I don't think that I have missed a Sunday Mass 10 times in my life. I have participated in the Holy Mass hundreds of times on Sunday and during the week. I have done this in hundreds of churches in at least 10 countries plus the West Bank.Needless to say I have listened to countless homilies and slept through more than I can count.

But last Sunday, four days after the 70.5 point of my first glimpse of the light of day, I had a new experience. After the homily, the church broke out in applause. Please notice that we are not talking about applause that happens at the beginning of Mass as the bishop walks into the Church. It is not the applause that spontaneously happens as the Bishop or some other dignitary walks out of the church after Mass. We are talking about applause immediately after the homily.

ParishWorld.net could not help but investigate to see if this was against Church law or maybe even against the common morality. We did find out that the question is not a new one. In fact we discovered some quotes from some of the Old Testament Prophets.

ParishWorld.net is asking why people would applaud after a homily. We are sure that those of you who read ParishWorld.net have opinions about this question. Please let us know what it is.

Would you applaud after the homily? What would you signify by your applause?

The liturgical correctness of the delivery?

The theological content of the speech?

The oratorical brilliance, the grammatical quality?

The linguistic mastery?

The magnificence of Biblical understanding and communication?

The sharpness of the priest's wit and the ability to manipulate secular and religious punditry?

Please let us know. Also here's a related article on applause at Mass that is sure to interest you.
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Why don't we invoke saints from the Old Testament?

By Paul Dion, STL

To the members of the Communion of Saints, the hands, feet, eyes, ears and hearts of the Mystical Body, in the name of Jesus the Resurrected Lord and Savior through His very own Lifestyle Magazine, ParishWorld.net, blessings and prayers to you all.

This is a question that I have been asked twice in the last six or seven weeks. If you would like to share your thoughts or answers, we welcome you to do so. Please click here to post an swer.

I gave an answer that was similar to the one that you can find here. I have to say that this answer is very complete, short, clear and easy to understand. Please enjoy it. Parishworld.net offers it to you as one of the small gifts that the Church offers you for the month of All Saints.

CLICK HERE to view the answer to this Burning Question.

Is it a sin to wear a rosary as a piece of jewelry?

By Paul Dion, STL


About one year ago a dear friend of ours gave my wife a wonderfully crafted, dainty and beautiful golden rosary specifically made to wear around her neck. At the time we both were deeply impressed by the craftsmanship and the captivating beauty of the piece.

About a week or two ago a thought ran across my mind. I had not seen my wife wearing the wonderful rosary. This surprised me somewhat because my spouse is very deeply spiritual and profoundly modest. She is so modest that she hardly ever wears the diamond ring that she inherited from my mother.

I couldn't get over it, so one Sunday morning I asked her, "Why don't you wear the beautiful rosary that you received from our dear friend?"

Her answer was tentative, but sure, "Someone told me that it is not right to wear a rosary around your neck."

I had this Popeye reaction, "Well shiver me timbers and blow me down!"

I won't tell you my reaction, but I did practice good intellectual honesty and went around asking various friends and acquaintances if they thought that it was proper to wear a rosary as a piece of jewelry. I got a lot of answers, some right, some not so right.

Now ParishWorld.net is asking you:

"Is it proper or not to wear a rosary around your neck as a piece of jewelry?"

Post your comments below.

Click here to view our answer.

Was the Blessed Virgin Mary a Virgin Forever?

By Paul Dion, STL

It is rather rare that we get to make contact with the same topic three of four times in the same two week span. Usually, something comes along and we answer it, get it off our minds and don't remember it before publishing time.

Lately though, three times over the last two weeks the question of the perpetual virginity of the Mother of Jesus has been discussed. For that reason, we have decided to place it before you, Dear Readers, because we consider the question to be of high importance.

The question surfaces during conversations when we talk about the gospel story where we here the disciples tell Jesus, - "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You." (Matthew 12:46-47) Jesus answers, "My mother and my brothers are those who do the will of my Father."

When St. Paul wrotes to the Galatians, he says at one point, - "But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lords brother." (Gal. 1:19)

There are many other passages that mention Jesus' brothers.

The one passage that called forth the most dynamic discussion was this one, - "And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife, and kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus." ("Matthew 1:24-25)

The burning question then is this: Was the Blessed Virgin Mary a Virgin Forever?

Poat a comment below and let us know what you think.

Or click here to view the answer to the Burning Question.

"What would you ask of God?"

By Paul Dion, STL

Be careful what you ask for. This is the kind of question that everyone likes. There is no wrong answer. Or so we think.

Let's start with the saying, "Be careful what you ask for."

That having been said, there is a story in the bible about a young man who was destined to be king of his country some day. He knew it ahead of time because God had promised his father that his first son would inherit the throne. It is to be supposed that this young man knew many things about the world. His father was a rough and tumble man who had won many a battle in his day. At one point, when he was quite young, he had killed the one person who was the largest threat to the nation. He had been chosen by God to be king and God made a promise to him that his son would also be king and the son would some day build God a house, fit for God and not for humans.

One night the son got a vision that most of us dream of at least once in our life. God appeared to him and asked: "Ask something of me and I will give it to you."

Are you ready for this? What would you answer? Think about it a moment, and talk to yourself with the request that you would make and what you would do with the grant. Think about what would make you happy.

You may think that there is no wrong answer to this question. That may be true, but there are some that are better than others. Go ahead, tell yourself what your answer is to God's question: "Ask something of me and I will give it to you."

Before you click to compare your answer to that of the young man try to think of the name of the King and the name of the Son. Hint: They were distant relatives of Jesus. Now you can compare your answer to the young man's by clicking below.

Click here to view the answer to this Burning Question.

Is it OK for God to get angry?

It sure looks that way.
By Paul Dion, STL

So often in our culture, as children we are reprimanded by our parents when we get angry because it isn't "nice." We are trained as we grow up that anger is not a "nice" emotion. We are so often told to "control ourselves" rather than to show anger.

OK, so what about God? He doesn't seem to have any problem with anger.

He sure took care of His Adam and Eve problem nicely. He wasn't afraid to use the old 40 day rain trick at one point. Fire and brimstone worked rather well against Sodom and Gomorrha. Turning a woman into a salt statue sure taught her a lesson, didn't it?

When God saw humans building a tower in Babel, He came and visited the project, didn't like what He saw and so dispersed everyone by giving them each a different language. Ten plagues against Egyptians sure made life rough on them for a while.

Jesus had his moments too. He had a pretty sharp tongue that shows that He had no fear of showing His inner heat.

God has a history of getting angry. Is this wrong? How can God get away with it and I can't? I get angry, I hit someone and I go to jail. Are we missing something?

Try your hand at this one. There is more than just a lesson of disobedience and punishment. So, what is in it for us when God gets angry?

Post a comment today or just view what others are saying.

"Why is it a sin to miss Mass on Sunday?"

By Paul Dion, STL

Why is it a sin to miss Mass on Sunday? Maybe we should ask "Why is it a sin to "skip" Mass on Sunday?

The second question might be the more correct one. After all, there are several reasons why simply missing Mass on Sunday is not sinful. We all know them well; taking care of a sick child; helping a parent to deal with a violent child; being too ill to get out of bed; having to travel across time zones because there is no other choice for a good reason and many more.

"Skipping" Mass is a lot more serious, because at the very least it shows a "what the heck!" attitude. Before you plunge into your answer, let us tell you about a very religious person that we know who has an invalid husband and a job that requires her to work strange hours on the weekend. She participates in the Holy Mass at least three mornings every week.

Most weeks, she is there four times, but very rarely on Sunday. So she misses Mass just about every Sunday. With all of this information, jump in here and tell the world what you think about why it is a sin (and when it is) to miss Mass on Sunday.

CLICK HERE to see the ParishWorld.net answer to this Burning Question.

Can a Catholic person marry a non-Catholic person?

By Paul Dion, STL

This is an important topic for Catholics. There are a lot of "street corner" opinions about it. Like everything else it is possible to find a friend of a friend who is an "expert" Catholic and who "knows about these things". Surely there are many of you who wonder about this topic. Please respond. This is an important element of Catholic life in the "trenches"?

Is it permitted for a Catholic person to marry a non-Catholic person in a Catholic church ceremony?

If you want to just say "yes" or "no" you may do so. If you have other comments that you would like to add, you may do that too.

May God bless you all.


(Click here to view the many wonderful articles that await you in www.ParishWorld.net, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine. Be informed, be inspired, be blessed. )

Is it better to be a lukewarm Catholic or an on-fire Protestant?

By Paul Dion, STL

Tell us what your sincere opinion is: Is it better to be a lukewarm Catholic or an on-fire Protestant?

I was in San Diego last weekend and as usual I was taking a break from my intellectual pursuits and working with my orchids. At one point I had to stand upright and give my aching back a "breather". As I finished stretching and twisting I saw two very fetching young ladies standing in front of me, not too far from my front door.

They asked me if I was interested in talking about God. I said that talking about God is one of my favorite and quasi on-going activities. I pointed out that at the moment I was helping God make my orchids gather enough strength to blossom fully by Easter which was going to be upon us in five short months.

Then I attacked, "Do you believe in Easter?", I asked. I surprised them.

They said "yes". I said, "Good".

"How important is it to you?" I fired back.

"Oh, very" was the reply.

Then one of them got the message that they were not in charge of the conversation. She noticed that I was not quoting verses and chapters. Smooth lady!

"You're Catholic, aren't you?, she asked.

"Yes, I am" I answered. "I've been Catholic all my life and I am not about to negotiate that away."

They said that they understood. We talked for about ten more minutes on the difficulties of the life of door-to-door missionaries. We separated with smiles and promises of interchanging prayers.

These two young ladies are door to door missionaries. All of us have met some of these people before. Have we ever asked ourselves why none of them that we have met are Catholic?

Do we sometimes wonder whether it would be better to be a Protestant door to door missionary than a lukewarm Catholic? Do we sometimes ask ourselves if it would be better to be a zealous Boy Scout master for a Presbyterian church than a so-so Catholic who never offers anything to the Church? Would it be better to be working for the Episcopalian Home Economics group teaching people how to cook for one person and enjoy it rather than to sit by and wonder why the Catholic church doesn't do things like that?

You know that these are "Burning Questions" that come up in conversation all the time. What do you feel about these things? Don't be shy, tell the world what you REALLY think.

CLICK HERE to view the ParishWorld.net answer to this Burning Question.

Is Gambling a Sin?

By Paul Dion, STL


Catholics have often been accused of being very loose with their morals with regards certain human activities. After all, we drink, we dance, we play cards and we even gamble.

Gambling is considered to be rather nasty because it seems to take away from God the determination of what is going to happen next. It puts the welfare of the gambler at the mercy of the "odds" and not into the hands of God where it belongs.

Gambling is an insult to God's Providence. The gambler is trying to achieve a treasure that has not been foreseen by God, thereby manifesting a lack of trust in the all - loving Creator and Savior.

Now, in any man's language, isn't that a sin? So tell me, Gambler, are you holdin' or foldin' as God looks you in the eyes and dares you to up the ante?

You're right, the Burning Question of the week is, "Is it a sin to gamble?"

Are you reading this from the "hot spot" at your favorite casino? What about the recreational trips to the casino? Church Bingo? Are they all sins? Where do we draw the line?

Share your thoughts with us. Post a comment today.

Is it Better to Pray or To Study the Faith?

By Paul Dion, STL
 

This week's "Burning Question" is a challenge that you are going to have to churn out of the depths of your hearts and souls.

"Is it more effective to pray than to study the tenets of a religion when seeking a spiritual home community?"

Take a look at this and at yourself and throw your convictions out on the table.

God bless you all with health, peace and happiness.

Catholic? Who me? RESPONSE TO ANONYMOUS

Anonymous wrote to us again.  Our response is highlighted in yellow.

I am a blessed, highly favored, can't be cursed, Christian. I am saved [You will know if you are saved or not when God judges you when you die.  Until then, you are redeemed, not yet saved.]by the blood of Jesus who died on a cruel cross at Calvary as he took all the sins of the world apon (sic) him for us because he loved us so much. I am sanctified, Holy Ghost filled by his power. Living for Jesus. It does state in the bible [you mean Bible, right?] that in order to get to the Kingdom of God, you must follow the Lord Jesus.  [It says a lot more than that]God sent his only son to save the world not condemn it. When a person dies, he is "absent from the flesh and present with the Lord".  [Are you sure that he is present with the Lord?  How do you know?]He would have had to accept Jesus into his heart and ask for forgiveness of his sins in life. The Bible says if you reject the Lord Jesus, then the Father will reject you. He stated to go out as fishermen [Fishermen, really?  Not apostles?]and spread the good word. That Jesus came and abolished the Laws. [100% wrong, Anonymous.  “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.”  Matt. 5;17, King James Version] We celebrate a persons life at there death and funeral, provided they have not rejected HIM. [So you only celebrate the funeral of those who have not rejected Him.  Are you the one who knows who has and who has not rejected Him or is that left up to God alone to decide?]The bible also states even the righteous man falls short of the Glory of God, but if you follow the Lord and to stay in the word ( the Bible), pray and talk to the Lord as a relationship not a religion, minister to others to bring them aboard for salvation, ( remember fisherman). [Anonymous, we don’t bring anybody on board for salvation.  We bring the word and the example to them to help them to open their hearts to the presence of God and to accept His invitation to be disciples of His.  That’s all.  Salvation is His work, not ours.]  As Christians we do not pray for a dead body's soul, as once they take there (sic) last breath they are either in heaven or hell. There is no such thing as purgatory. No mention of that in the Bible at all. I respect that we all love and adore the same God, but following the exact teachings of the Bible is important. [Anonymous, you yourself are preaching to us and yet it is clear that you are now a very profound student of the Bible] I never got a bible when I was a catholic. [When you were Catholic you were read from the Bible every time you went to Mass.  You prayed the psalms.  You prayed the Our Father.  You had the Bible staring you in the face.  If you owned a missal, (most Cathlics did) you had about 45% of the Bible in your hands full time.  Were you listening?  Were you reading?]They stated only certain people were allowed to have it. [This is 100% wrong.  I am 75 years old and I got my first Bible when I made my first communion at age 7.  Spare us from your ignorance.]  We as followers of Christ are all saints !!!! You do not pray to anyone other than The Lord God Almighty. We honor mother Mary but do not pray to her. [In avoiding praying to the Saints and Mary you are denying 20 centuries of Christian practice.] We pray to the Lord directly. We ask for a relationship with him. [You ask for a relationship with Him?  Have you forgotten the words of the covenant?  He has given us His word that we are His people and He is our God.  Do you think for a single moment that you can cause Him to enter into a relationship with you on your terms, outside of His Eternal covenant?  You have the arrogance to say  “I am a blessed, highly favored, can't be cursed, Christian. I am saved…”  yet you do not accept that He has reached down and given you the grace of a relationship with Him without your having to pray for it.] That is what he want (sic)from us and to lead a righteous life. No getting drunk after the funeral....to be drunk is a sin. I am not saying you can't have a glass of wine but without the intention of getting drunk. All in all have a blessed and wonderful day, yours in Christ 

I will and I will also eat His flesh and drink His blood in conformance with the New and Everlasting Covenant, (John 6, remember that one?) all the while trying to figure out where you are coming from.

RESPONSE TO "ANONYMOUS"

ParishWorld.net Theology Editor responds to the recent comment of "Anonymous."


"You say you are asking Him to forgive when u are actually praising mary;"  We write Mary
Right you are.  By praising Mary in God’s presence, we are letting Him know that we are sorry for our sins and that we trust that by showing Him our deep reverence for His Mother that He will be generous with His merciful forgiveness of our trespasses.  What better way to show some atonement for our sins than to show Him that we are glad to talk to His mother in prayer.  We can praise her night and day if we want.  It is God that we adore, not her.  Do you adore God, or do you worship him?  Do you know the difference?
"the bible says not to pray repetitiously" The Bible?  Notice upper case “B” Are you afraid to quote the person who is credited in the Bible with that instruction?  Are you afraid to say that it is in the Gospel of Matthew?  We Catholics know our Bible too.  We Catholics also know that the instructions that are present in the Bible have a personal source.  We know that the personal source of the instruction is God Himself, and in the case of the instruction you mention about prayer, it is Jesus Himself, God Incarnate.  Yes, we Catholics believe that Jesus is God.  Do you?
You don’t quote Jesus but just say “the bible” because for you the Bible is a weapon that you use to sustain your hatred against Catholics.
Jesus, remember Him? told His disciples not to pray like the Pagans by repeating and using many vain sounds [that’s from the Greek, by the way].  This is the way of praying of the Pagans…the mantra.  This comes from the spiritualities of the Middle and the Far East and Jesus and His disciples knew this.  It’s a shame that you don’t.  So we pray by repeating the same prayer over and over again, but it is a prayer and it keeps rolling the spiritual thoughts through our consciousness.  We do not multiply sounds in the hope that the sounds themselves will have a spiritual effect.  That would be superstition.
"many other cults have prayer beads too" Thanks for the insult, Anonymous. But look at it this way.  Catholicism is a cult.  Catholicism and Orthodoxy are the first Christian “cults”.  The Bible that you so proudly refer to comes from Catholicism and Orthodoxy.  So you too, Mr/Ms Protestant must be a member of a cult.  Oh, maybe not.  I forgot Martin Luther, that Catholic Augustinian Monk upgraded your Protestantism to the level of an honest to goodness Religion.  Too bad I forgot about that.  Jesus must be very glad that Luther got Him that upgrade.
"..its not a new thing or a catholic thing...it is pagan...outright pagan:  Do you think for a single instant that we Catholics do not know where prayer beads come from?  Why do you Protestants constantly, in season and out of season throw that at us?  Do you think we are stupid?  Oh yeah, I forgot that too, yes, you do.  I do know that you don’t know that the Rosary is a meditation prayer dedicated to the 20 great historically important moments of Jesus’ life.  While we are praising Mary, we are thinking of Her Son who is going through life on His mission to save us.  Did you know that, Anonymous?  So while we are praising her, we are adoring Him.  Pretty neat trick.  Right?
It is also important to straighten out the definition of Pagan.  Notice I used the upper case there.  I have noticed that your computer doesn’t seem to have a shift key on it.  You have all the important words in your comment starting with a lower case letter.  So, do you know the definition of Pagan?  Really.  The Muslims use prayer beads.  Are they Pagans?  For all you know, you are a Pagan too.  Consider the Bible that you so proudly flaunt around.  Have you read it through, from page 1 through to the final Amen in the book of Revelation?  Do you know that the Bible is the source of God’s pedagogy to reveal himself to us?  If you use the Bible to win arguments against Catholics, you are the Pagan.  Think about that.  I mean it.
"Hail Mary..." how is that asking Jesus to forgive you?" I explained that to you above.  By the way, you do know that “Hail Mary”…is from the Bible, right?
"the Lords Prayer" is not a prayer but a model or outline on how to pray..but u all have to say it over and over again like robots  Ah, yes.  We’re back there again.  Plus, “The Lord’s Prayer” is not a prayer.  Well, in that case, Anonymous, call it “the Lord’s Plan for Prayer.”  You have to be consistent in your thought process.  You’re reaching here, I know you are.  You hate us “cultists” so badly that you’ll say anything to get us riled up.  You’re an interesting person.  Here’s why I think so.
You don’t pray the “Hail Mary;” you don’t pray the “Lord’s Prayer” because it is not a prayer to begin with. So you probably don’t pray too much.  Do you pray when you awaken in the morning?  Do you pray before meals?  Do you pray in the evening before retiring?  Do you pray during the day?  Do you pray for the people you love?  Do you pray for your enemies?  Do you pray the Bible?  Do you pray Hannah’s prayer?  Do you pray Solomon’s prayer?  Do you pray Moses’ prayer?  Do you pray Samson’s prayer?  How about the prayer of Abraham when he is bargaining with God about the people to be saved from Sodom and Gomorrah?  Do you pray Zechariah's prayer?  Do you pray Mary's "Magnificat"? Do you pray the Psalms?  That’s a lot of prayer.  Do you do any of it?  I doubt it, and here’s why:  I repeat, you don’t have enough respect for the Bible to write it with an upper case “B”.  That, Anonymous, is Paganism.