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Christ & the faith
What does Tewahedo mean?
Tewahedo means being made one. It names the mystery in which the eternal Word truly became human: His divinity and humanity are perfectly united without confusion, change, division, or separation. It is therefore both the Church’s name and her confession about our Lord Jesus Christ.
Read the full answer and sourcesWorship & mysteriesWhy do we make the sign of the cross?
Making the sign of the cross is a bodily confession of the one God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—and a remembrance of Christ’s saving work. The cross is not only an instrument of suffering; in Christ it is the sign of salvation, victory, blessing, and discipleship.
Read the full answer and sourcesWorship & mysteriesIs fasting only about food?
Fasting includes abstaining from food according to the Church’s order, but it does not end there. It restrains bodily desire and turns the whole person toward repentance, prayer, mercy, reconciliation, and almsgiving.
Read the full answer and sourcesChrist & the faithWhy do we honor St. Mary and the saints?
Worship belongs to God alone. We honor St. Mary as the Mother of God and honor the saints because the grace of God shines in their lives. Their intercession is prayer offered for others; God alone gives grace, help, and salvation.
Read the full answer and sourcesWorship & mysteriesWhy is incense used in worship?
Incense is offered to Christ with reverence in the Church’s ordered worship. Its rising fragrance recalls prayer ascending before God and calls the gathered faithful to stand with attention, repentance, and honor before the holy mysteries.
Read the full answer and sourcesScripture & sacred traditionWhy is Ge’ez used in worship?
Ge’ez is the received liturgical language through which the Church has preserved Scripture, prayer, theology, and the hymnody of St. Yared. Learning its meaning in Amharic or another understood language helps worshippers participate attentively while honoring the inherited language.
Read the full answer and sourcesChrist & the faithWho is Jesus Christ?
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son and Word of God, one of the Holy Trinity, who became truly human from St. Mary for our salvation. He is perfect God and perfect man, our Lord, Savior, and life.
Read the full answer and sourcesChrist & the faithWhat does the Church believe about the Holy Trinity?
We believe in one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The three are distinct persons, equal and eternal, sharing one undivided divinity, will, power, and glory.
Read the full answer and sourcesChrist & the faithWhy did the Son of God become human?
The Son of God became human for our salvation: to restore the fallen image, reconcile humanity to God, conquer sin and death through His Cross and Resurrection, and give us life in communion with Him.
Read the full answer and sourcesScripture & sacred traditionHow should I begin reading Holy Scripture?
Begin with prayer, read a manageable passage regularly, and listen for Christ within the whole story of salvation. Scripture is received in the Church, so personal reading grows alongside the liturgy, the fathers, trusted commentary, and the guidance of teachers.
Read the full answer and sourcesChrist & the faithWhy does the Church pray the Creed?
The Creed is the Church’s concise, shared confession of the apostolic faith: the Holy Trinity, creation, the Incarnation and saving work of Christ, the Holy Spirit, the one Church, baptism, resurrection, and the life to come.
Read the full answer and sourcesWorship & mysteriesWhat is happening in the Divine Liturgy?
In the Divine Liturgy the Church gathers as the Body of Christ to hear the Word, offer thanksgiving and prayer, remember and proclaim Christ’s saving work, and receive His holy Body and precious Blood. Earthly worship joins the praise of heaven.
Read the full answer and sourcesWorship & mysteriesWhat are the seven mysteries of the Church?
The seven mysteries are Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist, Penance, Unction of the Sick, Matrimony, and Priesthood. Through visible signs, prayer, and ordained ministry, the Holy Spirit grants the grace of Christ for birth, healing, communion, vocation, and service in the Church.
Read the full answer and sourcesWorship & mysteriesHow do I prepare for Holy Communion?
Prepare by repentance, reconciliation, prayer, fasting according to the Church’s direction, attentive participation in the Divine Liturgy, and confession under your spiritual father’s guidance. We approach with faith and holy fear because we receive Christ’s true Body and precious Blood.
Read the full answer and sourcesSpiritual lifeWhat are repentance and confession?
Repentance is a truthful return of the whole person to God; confession is naming our sins honestly before God in the presence of a priest. Through the Church’s ministry Christ grants absolution, healing, counsel, and strength for a changed life.
Read the full answer and sourcesSpiritual lifeHow can I begin a steady life of prayer?
Begin simply and faithfully: set a regular time, stand before God with reverence, make the sign of the cross, and pray with Scripture and the Church’s received prayers. Speak honestly to God, listen to His Word, and return even when attention or feeling is weak.
Read the full answer and sourcesWorship & mysteriesWhy does the Church order the year with fasts and feasts?
The Church year teaches us to live within God’s saving work rather than only remember dates. Fasts prepare and turn the heart; feasts proclaim and celebrate what God has done in Christ, in St. Mary, and in the saints.
Read the full answer and sourcesScripture & sacred traditionWho is St. Yared, and what is zema?
St. Yared is the great Ethiopian teacher and hymnographer through whom the Church received her ordered tradition of sacred chant. Zema is Scripture, theology, season, melody, and liturgical action woven together as praise—not religious entertainment.
Read the full answer and sourcesRelationships & belongingWhy do I need a local parish and Sunday school if I can learn online?
Christian formation is more than collecting information. In a local parish we worship with a real community, receive pastoral care, learn to serve, and grow through relationships that an online resource cannot replace. A local Sunday school gives age-appropriate teaching within that shared Church life.
Read the full answer and sourcesSpiritual lifeCan I return to Church if I have doubts or have been away for years?
Yes. Christ calls the weary, the questioning, and the repentant to come near. You do not need to solve every question before walking through the church door. An honest return begins by bringing both faith and uncertainty to God within the patient life of the Church.
Read the full answer and sourcesFaith in life todayDoes anxiety, depression, or seeking therapy mean that my faith is weak?
No. Mental distress is not a reliable measure of someone’s faith. The Church cares for the whole person, so prayer, confession, community, and pastoral care can stand alongside assessment and treatment from qualified mental-health professionals. Receiving appropriate help can be an act of truth, stewardship, and hope.
Read the full answer and sourcesFaith in life todayHow can I use social media without losing my attention and peace?
Social media can serve learning, connection, and witness, but it can also train the heart toward distraction, comparison, anger, and careless speech. The Christian question is not only, “Is this allowed?” but also, “What is this habit forming in me, and does it help me love God and my neighbor?”
Read the full answer and sourcesRelationships & belongingWhat does a Church-centered courtship look like?
Courtship is a truthful, prayerful discernment of whether two people can enter Christian marriage; it is not a private imitation of marriage before the covenant exists. It needs freedom, mutual respect, chastity, clear intention, wise counsel, and enough time for character to become visible.
Read the full answer and sourcesSpiritual lifeWhat should I do when a habit feels stronger than my will?
Do not fight in secrecy. Self-control grows by grace, truth, repeated practice, and accountable help; dependence may also require clinical treatment. Repentance is not denial of the problem. It is turning toward Christ while taking concrete steps that protect life and restore freedom.
Read the full answer and sourcesFaith in life todayHow should I respond when ethnic division enters my family, church, or community?
Receive language, ancestry, and local culture with gratitude, but do not turn them into idols or weapons. Every person bears God’s image, and in Christ we are called into a communion stronger than hostility. Peacemaking tells the truth about injustice while refusing contempt, collective blame, and revenge.
Read the full answer and sourcesSpiritual lifeWhere is God when I am suffering?
God is not absent from the person who suffers. In Christ, He entered human sorrow, carried the Cross, and opened suffering toward resurrection. The Church does not teach us to call evil good; she teaches us to lament truthfully, receive help, remain with Christ, and hope beyond what we can presently see.
Read the full answer and sourcesFaith in life todayHow do I discern my purpose when work and money feel overwhelming?
Your worth is received from God, not earned by salary, title, or comparison. Work can become faithful service when it is honest, useful, and ordered toward love of God, care for family, and good for neighbors. Money is a trust to manage, not a master that tells you who you are.
Read the full answer and sourcesSpiritual lifeDoes forgiving someone mean that I must trust them again or remain in harm?
No. Forgiveness releases personal vengeance to God and asks for freedom from hatred; it does not call evil good, cancel justice, or instantly rebuild trust. Reconciliation needs truth, repentance, safety, and willing participation. Trust can be restored only through consistent fruit over time.
Read the full answer and sourcesFaith in life todayDo faith and science have to compete?
Faith confesses God as Creator and receives the meaning, dignity, and purpose of creation from Him. Science studies patterns and processes within that creation through disciplined observation and testing. Because their questions and methods are not identical, honest scientific work and faithful Christian life need not be enemies.
Read the full answer and sourcesRelationships & belongingHow can I honor my family when their expectations conflict with my conscience or calling?
Honoring family includes gratitude, careful listening, truthful speech, and responsible care; it does not mean obeying sin, accepting coercion, or surrendering every adult decision. Christian maturity receives the wisdom of elders seriously while making choices before God with a formed conscience and appropriate counsel.
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