Through prayer the Christian experiences a communion with God through Christ in the Church. Proto-Evangelium:The proto or first Gospel: the passage in Genesis (3:15) that first mysteriously announces the promise of the Messiah and Redeemer. Creation:The act by which the eternal God gave a beginning to all that exists outside of himself. Humility:The virtue by which a Christian acknowledges that God is the author of all good. The revelation of his divine sonship is the principal dramatic development of the story of Jesus of Nazareth. Roman Curia:The bureaucracy that assists the Pope in administering his duty of pastoring the Catholic Church. Eschatology:From the Greek word eschaton, meaning "last." The Eucharist celebrates the new Passover, in which Jesus "passes over" to his Father by his death and resurrection, thus anticipating the final Passover of the Church in the glory of the Kingdom. Venial Sin:Sin which does not destroy the divine life in the soul, as does mortal sin, though it diminishes and wounds it. Stations of the Cross:A series of fourteen meditations on incidents in the suffering and death of Christ. Friday Penance:In commemoration of the sufferings of Christ, Catholics perform some act of self-denial every Friday. Priest:Someone who is ordained to minister within the Church. Viaticum:The Eucharist received by a dying person. Infallibility:The gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church whereby the pastors of the Church, the pope and bishops in union with him, can definitively proclaim a doctrine of faith or morals for the belief of the faithful. S.V.P. See Works of Mercy. Jesus, like all people, experienced death and in his soul joined the others in the realm of the dead, where he descended as savior, proclaiming the gospel to the spirits imprisoned there in order to free the just ones who had gone before him. Judgment, Rash:A fault against the eighth commandment committed by one who assumes the moral fault of the neighbor to be true without sufficient foundation. Lent:The liturgical season of forty days which begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with the celebration of the Paschal Mystery (Easter Triduum). Christ is called the second or new Adam because he ushered in the new creation by forgiving sin and restoring humanity to the grace of God's friendship lost by original sin. Venial Sin:Sin which does not destroy the divine life in the soul, as does mortal sin, though it diminishes and wounds it. A properly disposed member of the Christian faithful can obtain an indulgence under prescribed conditions through the help of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints. Pulpit:Comes from the Latin word "pulpitum", meaning staging platform, from which the priest proclaims the Gospel readings of the Mass and preaches the homily. Pastoral Care:The caring work of the Church, particularly that exercised by Ordained Ministers. Genuflection:A reverence made by bending the knee, especially to express adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Scandal:An attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil. Consecrated Virgins:Women who have decided with the Church's approval to cling only to the Lord and to live in a state of virginity "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven" and are consecrated in that state by a solemn rite. Seamless Garment of Life:Refers to Jesus' robe, which legend says it was seamless. First Communion:Reception of the sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time. The Church is called the communion of saints, of the holy ones. Primacy:See Pope. These introductions provide a smooth entrance to a reading and context for the listeners. Poverty:The condition of want experienced by those who are poor, whom Christ called "blessed," and for whom he had a special love. Providence:The dispositions by which God guides his creation toward its perfection yet to be attained; the protection and governance of God over all creation. It is the spiritual food for one's "passing over" to the Father from this world. X The revealed truth of the Holy Trinity is at the very root of the Church's living faith as expressed in the Creed. Pride:One of the seven capital sins. Wisdom:A spiritual gift which enables one to know the purpose and plan of God; one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Q Satan or the devil, the Evil One, and the other demons were at first good angels, created naturally good, who became evil by their own doing. Pentecost Reconciliation, Sacrament of:The sacramental celebration in which, through God's mercy and forgiveness, the sinner is reconciled with God and also with the Church, Christ's Body, which is wounded by sin. Pope:The successor of St. Peter as Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the universal Catholic Church. Preceded by the resurrection of the dead, it will coincide with the second coming of Christ in glory at the end of time, disclose good and evil, and reveal the meaning of salvation history and the providence of God by which justice has triumphed over evil. Liturgical Prayers traditionally conclude with the doxology "to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit"; the final doxology of the Lord's Prayer renews the prayer's first three petitions in the form of adoration and praise. Theophany:A revelation or visible appearance of God, as in the case of Moses at Mount Sinai. N Easter Triduum Septuagint:A pre-Christian Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made by Jewish scholars, and later adopted by Greek speaking Christians. Sanctuary Lamp:A lamp which is kept burning in front of the tabernacle in Catholic churches as a sign and a reminder that Jesus is really present. See Priesthood. He was the first among the Apostles, and their head; the pope is his successor as Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the universal Church. The priest at Mass is referred to as the Celebrant. Lent:The liturgical season of forty days which begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with the celebration of the Paschal Mystery (Easter Triduum). Made of two planks of timber, one placed across the other. The main duties of the Priest are; preaching, celebrating Mass, administering the other sacraments and exercising a role of leadership within the Church. Virtues, Theological:Gifts infused by God into the souls of the faithful to make them capable of acting as his children and of meriting eternal life. Describes a person whose prayer life includes meditation from which they gain spirtual understanding. Pastor means "shepherd" Nun:A member of an enclosed religious order of women. In a more specific sense, the catechetical period following immediately after the reception of Baptism by adults. Vestments:Garments worn by Ministers of the Church when celebrating Mass or administering the sacraments. Sacred Heart Moreover, Mary too is sometimes called Mediatrix in virtue of her cooperation in the saving mission of Christ, who alone is the unique mediator between God and humanity. Peace:One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Galations 5:22-23. Viaticum:The Eucharist received by a dying person. A human person is neither the author nor the supreme arbiter of his life, of which God is sovereign master. Whit means White, in earlier times the newly baptized wore the white robes of Baptism on This day. An indulgence is partial if it removes part of the temporal punishment due to sin, or plenary if it removes all punishment. The tradition of the Church identifies twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit. Paraclete:A name for the Holy Spirit. Sacred Scripture: the books which contain the truth of God's Revelation and were composed by human authors inspired by the Holy Spirit. December 25 It has as its purpose to serve the priesthood of all the faithful by building up and guiding the Church in the name of Christ, who is Head of the Body. Christ paid the price of his own sacrificial death on the cross to ransom us, to set us free from the slavery of sin, thus achieving our redemption. Trinity:The mystery of one God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Irreligion directs us away from rendering to God what we as creatures owe him in justice. PX:a monogram of the first two Greek letters for 'Christus'. In a more specific sense, the catechetical period following immediately after the reception of Baptism by adults. It is usually disc-shaped and thin for convenience and there are two sizes; the larger is used by the Priest at the altar. Matthew, Mark and Luke all give a common view of Jesus and they are called the Synoptic Gospels. The term refers to the Church's condemnation of modern scientific thinking that said truth changed. Satisfaction (for Sin):An act whereby the sinner makes amends for sin, especially in reparation to God for offenses against him. Iconoclasm was condemned as unfaithful to Christian tradition at the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 787 A.D. World:Creation, or the earth, or even the universe. A shrine or place of pilgrimage. Mother of God:A title given to Mary because she is the mother of Jesus who is both God and man. Precepts of the Church:Positive laws sometimes called commandments made by Church authorities to guarantee for the faithful the indispensable minimum in prayer and moral effort, for the sake of their growth in love of God and neighbor. Jesus recognized the Temple as God's dwelling, and a house of prayer; he even identified himself with the Temple by presenting himself as God's definitive dwelling place. Prayer of the Faithful:See "Bidding Prayers" Penance, Sacrament of:The liturgical celebration of God's forgiveness of the sins of the penitent, who is thus reconciled with God and with the Church. Virgin Birth:The conception of Jesus in the womb of the Virgin Mary solely by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit makes the Church "the temple of the living God". Obedience:The submission to the authority of God which requires everyone to obey the divine law. Yahweh (Yhwh):The personal name of the God of Israel, revealed to Moses on Mt. 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