Why and when do people cross themselves?
What jobs can women do in the Church?
Are there any rules about what is or isn’t acceptable to wear? (No tattoos, no jewelry, etc?)
How can you ask the saints to pray for you while praying to God at the same time? (This isn’t the first time I’ve asked that question, but it’s still confusing to me)
Also can you define some of the words I’ve been hearing: Chrismation, Catechumen, Logos, Liturgy (I sorta know what the last one means but not enough to use it in a sentence).
Hello, and welcome! These are all great questions.
1.
Why do people cross themselves? A ritualistic symbol in the Orthodox Church. It is also viewed as a prayer in its own right, as it conveys love for God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths. The sign of the cross is an outward, physical manifestation of what we believe. It conveys the importance of the cross as a symbol of Christ’s victory over death and His Glorious Resurrection.
2.
When do people cross themselves? At the invocation of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), mentioning of the Holy Theotokos (The Virgin Mary), at the beginning, or end of a prayer, and before, or after venerating an icon. Really there's no wrong time, but generally watching, and following others will work until you get the feel of it for yourself.
3.
What jobs can women do in the Church? Women can lead, and participate in the Parish Council. The Parish Council leads the church in all administrative matters to include the large decisions concerning the future of the parish. Lead, and participate in teaching Sunday School classes, and many other lay ministries. Chant, or sing in the choir. This list isn’t exhaustive, and I’m surely forgetting things.
4.
What is or isn’t acceptable to wear? A good rule of thumb here is to keep it modest. So, the less cleavage showing the better, and a skirt/dress should come down to at least the finger tips with the arms down to your sides. On that note it’s unlikely you’ll get thrown out for not following these guidelines, but you may get a few looks. The idea is we’re not trying to attract attention to ourselves as it could distract people from the real purpose they’re in the church which of course is Christ. This applies to men as well.
5.
How do you ask the Saints to pray for your while also praying to God at the same time? The Saints are the church triumphant, and we ask them to pray for us the same way I’d ask you to pray for me. The idea is that they are alive in Christ as Christ is the God of the living, and not the dead. So, we ask them to pray to Christ for us. If this is something that you’re uncomfortable with I’d not focus too much on it as it’s something that you will likely become more comfortable with over time as you learn more about why we do it.
6.
Chrismation: Sealing of the Holy Spirit with Chrism (oil). This goes hand in hand with baptism, and occurs directly after. In addition if you've already had a trinitarian baptism you may, in some instances at the discretion of the bishop, be brought into the Church by chrismation alone as you've already been baptized. This is typically an "ask your priest" subject for converts unless you know that you've never been baptized, or that it was not in a trinitarian manner.
Catechumen: An individual learning about Orthodoxy as part of their catechism (instruction).
Logos: The Son of God, Christ.
Liturgy: Usually used in reference to the Divine Liturgy which is the primary worship service of the Orthodox Church.
