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QUESTION OF THE MONTH #88 (April 2008)
Question:
Are there certain Sacraments that I can only recieve once? (H.K., Westfield, NJ)
Answer:
You may only receive the following Sacraments once: Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders. These particular sacraments
imprint a "character in the soul" -- i.e. imprinting a spiritual mark in the soul that lasts forever.
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QUESTION OF THE MONTH #87 (March 2008)
Question:
I am a Roman Catholic who is very drawn to the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
I am not, however, Ukrainian in ethnic origin. My question is this: can a non-Ukrainian become a regular
parishoner at a Ukrainian Catholic Church? (T.M., New York City)
Answer:
You may become a parishioner of a Ukrainian Catholic Church without any difficulty as we both share the same Church and
doctrinal beliefs, though our rites differ. If you plan to join any one of our parishes simply speak to the pastor and
he will direct you in the proper manner.
As the late Pope John Paul II once stated concerning the Catholic Church at large, the (Universal) Church breathes with two lungs
(one is the Western Church and the other is the Eastern Church).
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QUESTION OF THE MONTH #86 (February 2008)
Question:
Why are there birds in the icon of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple? (C.K., Westfield, NJ)
Answer:
The birds in the icon of the Presentation of Our Lord in the Temple (Stritennia in Ukrainian),
are a pair of turtle doves. I will explain the significance below.
Under the law of Moses, every woman who gave birth to a male child was excluded from temple for 40 days. Those 40 days were
a period of "purification" for the woman. After the 40 days, the mother would go to the temple and offer a year old lamb and a young pigeon or
turtle dove. If the mother was very poor, she would offer up a pair of pigeons or a pair of turtle doves as a sacrifice.
As a sign of her humility, the Blessed Mother went to the temple after 40 days and offered up a pair of turtle doves as an offering. Thus, you see the
pair of turtle doves in the icon.
For greater understanding of the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord, please see our February 2003 Question of the Month (i.e. in our archived section via the
link above).
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QUESTION OF THE MONTH #85 (January 2008)
Question:
I recently attended a Ukrainian Catholic Wedding. Can you tell me what the
significance of the crowns that the bride and groom wears during the ceremony? (S.A, Wayne, NJ)
Answer:
The crowns (or wreaths) that a bride and groom wear during the most solemn and reverent part of the wedding ceremony symbolize
the glory and honor with which God crowns the couple. They are crowned as king and queen of their home.
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