I was a teenage college student and still savoring my recent experience of conversion. I had been "born again," saved by Christ from sins that would have destroyed me, and I was eager to share my faith with other kids who seemed headed for delinquency.

Dear Grace: What is the Catholic Church's teaching on masturbation? Is it viewed as a mortal sin or as a venial sin? Could it prevent us from getting into heaven?

It was no accident that when Jesus challenged us to suffer in union with Him, He used the image of the yoke, which is an instrument not for one but for two. Christ gets into the yoke with us, and that is how the burden becomes light (cf. Mt. 11:30)! Yoked to Him, walking the via Crucis (Way of the Cross), leads inexorably to the via Lucis (Way of Light).

Dear Grace, I would like to know what is behind the abstinence of meat on Fridays of Lent. Being a Catholic, I was asked that question and I was unable to answer it. Please answer this in your column during Lent if possible.

Dear Grace, Someone asked me with a question about why we have Lent and also why we do not fast for the entire forty days. Could you please explain the message behind Lent and why we do not fast every single day of the forty days?

What is Shrove Tuesday? Also, do you have any idea why my parish has always had a pancake dinner on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday?

My spouse has a problem with pornography, but denies it is a sin. I need to understand better this issue. What religious teachings or argument can I use to help?

Prayer is necessary, but it's not easy. "[F]or we do not know how to pray as we ought" (Rom 8:26). We know how to pray in a superficial way, but not as we ought.

Its election year in America. Time to endure that painful process where politicians, pollsters and pundits all vie for the national spotlight. Truth is stretched beyond recognition. Promises vaporize. Supposed chaos will prevail if we do not elect some enlightened candidate to save the nation.

Recently I read an article about the effects of abortion, which included "post abortion syndrome." Could you please explain what that is?