Home » Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers

A collection of popular questions and answers, provided by Fr. John Memorich

pexels-pixabay-207700

What is a catechumen?

Prayer

Why do we instinctively look “up” when we pray or think about God? Why does the priest say, “Let us lift up our hearts unto God” and then point upward to denote where Heaven is?

Church Attire

My wife and I will be visiting your church for “Friends and Family Day,” and would like to know what the appropriate attire is for the liturgy. Is formal clothing (suite and dress) typically worn?

prokeimenon

What is a Prokeimenon?

pexels-heiner-56542-204993

Social and Moral Issues

Why does it say in the marriage service that a wife must be subject to her husband? Isn’t this a little old fashioned?

I was reading the Book of Romans when I happened upon this verse: “I Tertius, the writer of this letter, greet you in the Lord” (Rom. 16:22). But I thought that St. Paul wrote this epistle. Am I wrong?

pexels-pixabay-265216

In Jesus’ parable of the “Wheat and the Tares,” what are tares?

pexels-jan-van-der-wolf-11680885-19263600

I have a collection of blessed pussy willows from over the years and would like to dispose of them properly. How should I go about this?

pexels-pixabay-87009

I know that we generally pray facing towards the east, yet how would one go about finding east in space?

pexels-eky-rima-nurya-ganda-174710171-15037115

What is the ‘Judgment Seat?’

pexels-pixabay-271168

Social and Moral Issues

I realize it’s probably a defect in my character, but I still have trouble being charitable. Can you offer me any advice?

464497602_8808260272569805_4234646602782746319_n

Why do the priests wear robes?

pexels-cottonbro-5986484

Who are the Sadducees?

pexels-87685054-9028391-3

What draws someone to become a monk or nun?

pexels-valeriia-slobodeniuk-340349257-16442728

Social and Moral Issues

Last week we had a “Friday the 13th.” What does the church say about superstitions such as this?

pexels-ron-lach-10630088

Why are children baptized on or near the fortieth day after birth?

pexels-erika-tamayo-554398995-17317448

I keep noticing on the church calendar that there are a series of “tones” listed for each week. What are these?

John Memorich

I have a Protestant friend who insists that we should not be addressing our priests as ‘Father.’ He quotes the following verse from St. Matthew’s gospel to support his view: “Call no man your father upon the earth: for one is Your Father Who is in heaven” (23:9). How did our tradition of calling a priest “Father” begin? And please, explain this verse.

pexels-yankrukov-5479852

In our services I often hear the phrase “oneness of mind,” yet how is it possible for believers to be of the same mind? How can we think alike? How can we be unanimous? How can we be in total agreement?

pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4584462

Where in the Bible does one find justification for the clergy to forgive the sins of people?

Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next

Search by Category:

Clear Selection