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-What
is a Sacrament?
A
Sacrament is a visible act performed by a minister of the
Church by which an invisible grace is given to our souls.
-Do
the Sacraments always give grace?
Yes,
the Sacraments always give grace to those who receive them
worthily.
-Should
we have a great desire to receive the Sacraments?
Yes,
we should have a great desire to receive the Sacraments
because they are the chief means of our salvation.
-How
many Sacraments are there?
There
are seven Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion,
Penance, Ordination, Matrimony, and Prayers over the sick.
-What
is Baptism?
Baptism
is a Sacrament, which cleanses us from original sin and gives our soul the new life of sanctifying
grace.
-What
other graces does Baptism give us?
By
Baptism we become Christians, i.e. children of God, members
of the Church, and heirs of heaven.
-Is
Baptism absolutely necessary for
salvation?
Yes,
Baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation because Christ
has said: ‘Unless a man be born again of water and the
Holy Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’
-Who
is the minister of Baptism?
The
minister of Baptism is the priest.
-How
is Baptism performed?
Baptism
is performed by immersing the child into the water three
times, giving the name, and saying at the same time, ‘This
servant of God is baptized in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
-Why
is the child immersed into the water three times?
The
child is immersed three times in memory of Our Lord’s
remaining in the tomb for three days.
-How
soon should a child be baptized?
A
child should be baptized as soon as possible after a week of
his/her birth.
-What
sin do parents commit who put off for a long time, or
entirely neglect, the baptism of their children?
Parents
who put off for a long time, or entirely neglect the baptism
of their children commit a very grievous sin because they
deprive the child of the grace of baptism and endanger
his/her right to eternal life. The Church does not bury
those who die without being baptized.
-Can
baptism be repeated?
No,
baptism cannot be repeated if performed by a lawful minister
of the Church and in the right way.
-What
kind of name should be given a child at baptism?
If
the given name is not a Saint’s name, it is advisable that
a
Saint’s name also be given as a second name.
-What
is a godfather?
A
godfather is a Christian man who sponsors the child for
membership in the Church at the baptism.
-What
is the function of the godfather?
The
function of the godfather is to hold the child in his arms
and act as a spokesman for him at the baptism.
-Can
a non-Armenian Church member be a godfather at the baptism
of an Armenian child?
The
godfather at an Armenian Baptism must be a member of the
Armenian Apostolic Church because he is sponsoring the child
to become a member of the Armenian Apostolic Church. You
cannot sponsor someone to become a member of a certain
society unless you are a member of it.
-What
does the child promise through his godfather at baptism?
The
child promises through
His godfather at baptism to renounce the devil and all his
works, and to live according to the teachings of Christ and
His Church.
-
What does the child ask at baptism through his godfather?
The
child asks for faith, hope, love, and baptism.
-What is the duty of a godfather after baptism?
The
duty of a godfather after baptism is to see that the child
is brought up as a good Christian and a good Church member
is, cooperation with the parents.
-Who
should be chosen as godfather at baptism?
Only
those members of the Church who know their faith and live up
to the duties of their religion should be chosen as
godfather for baptism.
-What
is Confirmation?
Confirmation
is a Sacrament by which we receive the Holy Spirit in order
to make us strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of
Jesus Christ.
-When
does Confirmation take place?
Confirmation
takes place immediately after Baptism.
-How is Confirmation administered?
Confirmation
is administered by anointing with Holy Chrism (Myron) the
nine parts of the body, saying a special prayer for each
part.
-Which
are the nine parts of the body of the newly baptized child
that are anointed at Confirmation?
They
are the forehead, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands, heart,
back and feet.
-What
is Holy Chrism (Myron)?
Holy
Chrism is a mixture of olive oil and essence of forty three
kinds of fragrant flowers, balms, and various kinds of
incense.
-Who
consecrates the Holy Chrism?
His
Holiness the Catholicos alone consecrates the Holy Chrism in
an elaborate
and sacred ceremony assisted by the bishops and priests of
the Church.
-What
is the Sacrament of Penance?
Penance
is the Sacrament whereby the sins, which we have committed
after Baptism are forgiven.
-When,
did Our Lord institute the Sacrament of Penance?
Our
Lord instituted the Sacrament of Penance when He breathed on
His Apostles and gave them power to forgive sins, saying:
“Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them;
and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.” This
power was given by Christ to His Apostles and through them
to their successors, the bishops and thereby the priests
of the Church.
-What
is sin?
Sin
is disobedience to the commandments of God.
-Is
temptation a sin?
No,
temptation is not a sin, if the act to which we are tempted is
not committed.
-How
is a sin committed?
A
sin is committed by thought, by word, and by deed.
-How
many kinds of sin
are there?
There
are two kinds of sin: Mortal sin and Venial sin.
-What
should the penitent do to receive Forgiveness?
Three
conditions are required on the part of the penitent to
receive forgiveness: Contrition, confession, and doing
penance.
-What
is contrition?
Contrition
is a sincere sorrow for our sins, together with a firm
purpose to sin no more.
-How
may we have a firm purpose to sin no more?
We
may have a firm purpose to sin no more by avoiding not only
sin itself, but also the dangerous occasions of sin.
-How can we obtain a sincere sorrow for our sins?
We
can obtain a sincere sorrow for our sins by earnestly
praying for it, and by reminding ourselves that by our sins
we have offended God, Who is infinity good to us.
-What
consideration, concerning Our Savior will lead us to sorrow
for our sins?
We
must consider that Our Savior died for our sins and that by
sinning grievously we crucify Him again.
-What
is confession?
Confession
is to accuse ourselves of our sins before a priest for the
purpose of obtaining forgiveness from God.
-How
can we make a good
confession?
We
can make a good confession by:
1.Being
humble and sincere.
2.Praying
heartily for the grace to wake a good confession.
3.Examining
carefully our conscience.
4.Taking
time to make a good act of contrition.
5.Resolving
by the help of God to renounce out sins and to begin a
new life for the future.
-In
what manner must we make our confession to the priest?
We
must go to the Church; kneel before the priest in the
presence of God; make the sign of the Cross saying: “In
the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit”. Then recite “Our Father” and then say: “I
have sinned against the all Holy Trinity, the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit. I confess before God, and before
the Holy Mother of God and before all the Saints and before
thee, father, all the sins, which I have committed. For I
have sinned in thought, word, and deed, willingly and
unwillingly, knowingly and unknowingly, I have sinned
against God.” Then we mention whatever sin we may have
committed and tell our priest about any problem weighing on
our conscience; and finally ask him for Absolution.
-What
do we mean by doing penance?
We
mean to carry out the obligations imposed upon us by the
priest.
-Why
do we have to do a penance after our confession?
We
have to do a penance after our confession so that we may
make some reparation to God for our sins, and that we may
receive help to avoid them in the future.
-What
must we do in addition to the penance imposed on us by the
priest or when he does not impose any Penance?
We
must:
1.Do
acts of charity.
2.Increase
our social works to the Church.
3.Read
the Holy Bible and other religious books.
4.Give
more time for private prayers and Church attendance.
5.Deprive
ourselves of some particular pleasures we especially like,
6.Endure
our hardships and sufferings patiently.
7.Observe
the days of abstinence.
-What
is a day of abstinence?
A
day of abstinence is a
day on which we are not allowed the use of meat, dairy
products and eggs.
-Which
are the days of abstinence?
The
days of abstinence are:
1.All
Wednesdays and Fridays of the year except those falling in
the period between Easter and Ascension day.
2.Weekdays
of Lent and Holy Week.
3.Weekdays
preceding certain great holy days.
-Why
does the Church command also abstain?
The
Church commands us to abstain so that we may mortify the
flesh and satisfy God for our sins.
-Is it a duty to
contribute to the support of our Church?
Yes,
it is a duty to contribute to the support of our Church
according to our means, so that God may be duly honored and
worshipped and the Kingdom of His Church advanced.
-Who
is the minister of penance?
The
minister of penance is the priest.
-How does the priest forgive sins?
The
priest forgives sins in the name of God, when he
pronounces the words of absolution
-What is absolution?
Absolution
is a pronouncement made by the priest in the name of Jesus
Christ for the forgiveness of the sins of the penitent.
-How should we ask absolution from the priest?
After
confessing our sins and receiving the instructions of the
priest, we must say: “Reverend Father, I hold thee as my
reconciler and intercessor with the only begotten Son of
God, that by the power given thee, thou wilt release me of
the bond of my sins, I pray thee.”
-What
are the words of absolution said by the priest?
The
words of absolution said by the priest are: “May God, the lover
of man, have mercy upon thee and grant thee forgiveness of all thy
sins, both those which thou hast confessed and those which
thou hast forgotten. Therefore, with the priestly authority,
and by Divine command that whatsoever you loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven, I absolve thee of all
participation in sin committed in thought, in word, and in
deed, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit, and I re-instate thee in the Sacraments of the
Holy Church, that whatsoever good thou mayest do, may he
accounted to thee for good and for the glory in the life to
come. Amen.”
-What
is Holy Communion?
Holy
Communion is the Sacrament, in which we receive, under the
appearance of bread and wine, the true Body and Blood of our
Lord,
-Who instituted Holy Communion?
Christ
instituted Holy Communion at the Last Supper the night
before He died.
-how did Christ institute Holy Communion?
Christ
instituted Holy Communion in this way:
He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to
His Apostles, saying: “Take and eat, THIS IS MY
BODY”: then He took a cup of wine, blessed it,
and giving it to them said: “Drink ye all of this; THIS IS
MY BLOOD OF THE NEW COVENANT which is being shed for many unto the forgiveness of sins;” finally He gave His Apostles the
commission: “Do this in
remembrance of Me.”
-What
did Christ, mean when He said ‘Do this in remembrance of
Me’?
When
Christ said: “Do this in remembrance of Me,” He gave to
the Apostles the order
to do this sacred ritual as a memorial of His passion
and death, suffered for the salvation of mankind,
-How are the bread and wine changed into the Body and Blood of Christ?
The
wine and bread are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ by the power of
the Holy Spirit, to whom, all things are possible.
-Is
Holy Communion a Sacrament only?
Holy
Communion is not a Sacrament only, it is also a sacrifice as
the Armenian word ‘Badarak” describes it.
-What
is sacrifice or
Badarak?
A sacrifice is the offering of
a victim by a priest to God. In this Holy Sacrifice Christ,
through the ministry of the priest, offers Himself to God
under the elements of bread and wine.
-What
is
this sacred act called?
This
sacred act is called
Divine Liturgy or Holy Mass.
-Is
the Divine Liturgy one and the same sacrifice with that of
the Cross?
The
Divine Liturgy is the same sacrifice as that which Christ
Himself offered on the Cross to His heavenly Father.
-For
what purpose is this sacrifice or the Divine Liturgy
offered?
This
sacrifice is offered
1.As
a memorial of the Passion and Death of our Lord.
2.To
satisfy
the justice of God for the sins committed against Him.
3.To
be united with Jesus Christ, the source of our spiritual
life.
4.To
thank Him for all His
benefits to us.
5.To
obtain all other graces and blessings through Jesus Christ
-How
must we attend the Divine liturgy
We
must attend the Divine Liturgy with reverence, with
attention and with devotion.
-What
is necessary to receive Holy Communion worthily?
To
receive Holy Communion worthily it is necessary to have:
1.A
right intention
2.To
go to confession and receive the absolution of the priest.
3.To
be fasting for at least six hours or from midnight before
partaking of Holy Communion unless, for reasons of health,
one has obtained permission from his priest to take medicine
or light nourishment.
-Is
it a sin
to receive Holy Communion, without confession?
Yes, it is a great sin to receive Holy Communion without
confession as St. Paul said, “He that eats and drinks
unworthily, eats
and drinks judgment to himself.”
-How should we
prepare ourselves for Holy Communion?
We
should prepare ourselves for Holy Communion by:
1.Thinking
of our Divine Redeemer. Jesus Christ, Whom we are about to
receive into our hearts.
2.Examining
our conscience to recall to our mind all the sins we have
committed since our last confession.
3.Making
reconciliation with those of our fellow men with whom we are
not on good terms.
-When,
is Holy Communion received?
Holy
Communion is received during the Divine Liturgy immediately after the “Der Voghormia” (Lord
Have Mercy) and “Chrisdos badarakial” (Christ is
Sacrificed) are sung by the choir and the curtain is
withdrawn.
-What
should we
do after Holy Communion?
Alter
Holy Communion we must spend some time in prayer, thanking
Our Lord for the grace we have received, renewing our
promises of love and obedience to him, and asking Him for
blessings for ourselves, our families, our community and our
Church in general.
-How
often are we to receive Holy Communion?
We
are instructed to receive Holy Communion:
1.At
least on five greater Holy Days of the Church, Christmas,
Easter, Transfiguration (Vartavar), Assumption (St. Marys
Day), Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
2.As
often as we can; without fail at Easter and Christmas
time.
3.When
entering a hospital during an illness.
4.When
in need of strengthening ourselves spiritually.
-How
is Holy Communion administered?
Holy
Communion is administered in both kinds; the priest puts a
small portion of the Holy Body (consecrated bread) dipped in
the Precious Blood (consecrated wine), into the month of the
person communicating.
-How
are small babies given Holy Communion?
The
priest simply touches the lips of
the small babies with his
finger, which
has previously been dipped in the Precious Blood
(consecrated wine).
‘This is called Communion by lips.
-What
is the Sacrament of Matrimony?
Matrimony
is the Sacrament by which the Church consecrated the union
of a man and a woman, for life in a lawful marriage.
-Who
instituted the Sacrament of Matrimony?
God
instituted the Sacrament of Matrimony by creating Adam and
Eve and by uniting them in marriage.
-What
special grace does the Sacrament of Matrimony bestow upon
those who receive it worthily?
The
Sacrament of Matrimony’ gives to those who receive it
worthily a special grace to:
1.Make
them, a unit in the kingdom of God,
2.Make
them instruments of the increase of the family of God, i.e.
His Holy Church.
3.Give
them strength to perform parental duties.
-What
are some of the
parental duties?
Some
of the parental duties are:
1.To
bring up their children in the fear of God
2.To
love and be faithful to one another.
3.To
bear patiently the difficulties of their state.
-Who
has the authority to perform, the Sacrament
of marriage?
Only
those who have the priestly order have the authority to
perform the Sacrament of marriage.
-What
are the principal requirements of the Church for a lawful
marriage?
The
requirements are:
1.To
be of proper age.
2.To
he in good health.
3.Not
to be of close kinship.
4.To
have mutual agreement.
5.To
have a witness at the marriage (best man). This witness
should be preferably of our faith, at least a Christian.
6.To
be of the same faith.
-What
should a good Church member do to prepare for a holy and
happy marriage?
To
prepare for a holy and happy marriage, a good Church member
should:
1.Pray that God may direct his/her choice.
2.Seek
the advice of the parents and the priest.
3.Practice
the moral virtues, especially temperance and chastity.
4.Regularly attend the Church
and frequently receive Holy Communion. It is an obligation
for the man and woman to receive Holy Communion a few days
before the marriage ceremony.
-What
is the sixth commandment of the Church?
The
sixth commandment of the Church is not to marry within
certain degrees of kinship, nor to solemnize marriage at the
forbidden times.
-Which
are the times on which the Church forbids to solemnize
marriage?
The
times in which it is forbidden to marry without special
permission are
1.period
of Lent.
2.Holy
Week and the week after Easter.
3.All
days of abstinence..
4.All
Sundays.
-What
are the certain degrees of kinship within which we are
forbidden to marry?
We
are forbidden to marry with a first cousin or any relative
closer than a first cousin.
-Does
the Church encourage mixed marriage, outside of our faith?
No,
the Church does not encourage mixed marriages because they
often bring about family discords, indifferentism, and
neglect of the proper religious training of the children in
our faith.
-What
is Ordination?
Ordination
is the Sacrament through which men receive the power and the
grace to perform the sacred duties of priests, bishops, and
other ministers of the Church.
-What
are some of the requirements to receive Holy Orders
worthily?
To
receive Holy Orders worthily it is necessary to:
1.Have
a calling for the ministry and be of excellent character.
2.Have
the prescribed age, learning, and physical perfection.
3.Have
the sincere intention to devote his life to the sacred
ministry and be free from selfish motives.
-What
are the chief powers of the priest?
The
chief powers of the priest are:
1.To
perform the Divine offices and all the rituals of the
Church, except the consecration of a Church.
2.To
preach the word of God.
3.To
administer all the
other Sacraments except Ordination.
4.To
govern his parish according to the canons of the Church.
-Why
is the office of a priest honorable?
The
office of a priest is honorable because he is a
consecrated person; he administers the holy mysteries of
the Church; he has devoted his whole life for the good of
the Church.
-What
is an ordained person called?
The
ordained person is called a minister of God.
-Who
is the minister of the Sacrament of Ordination?
The
bishop is the minister of the Sacrament of Ordination.
-What
are the main Holy Orders in the Armenian Church?
The
main Holy Orders or ranks in the Armenian Church are Clerk
(Chorister), Deacon, Priest, Vartabed, Bishop, Patriarch,
and Catholicos.
-How
is power given to the ministers of the Church?
The power is given to all
ministers of the Church by the imposition of hands; however,
a priest, a bishop, and the Catholicos are, in addition,
consecrated by the anointment of Holy Myron.
-When
is this Sacrament administered?
This
Sacrament is administered when the sick one is in great pain
and in need of comfort and healing.
-How
is this Sacrament administered?
This Sacrament is administered
by reading the Gospel and other prayers prescribed for the
occasion, by hearing the confession of the sick person, and
by giving Holy Communion.
-What
other ceremony accompanied these prayers in the earlier days
of the Church?
In the earlier days of the
Church the priest used to anoint certain parts of the body
of the sick with the Holy Chrism (Myron). From this ceremony
the Sacrament derived the name of Last Anointment or Extreme
Unction.
-When
is it advisable to call the priest to visit the sick?
It is advisable to call the
priest to visit the sick in any serious illness even
though there be no apparent danger of death, as it is the
duty of the priest to visit the sick and to administer to
his spiritual needs.
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