Select a Letter below: |
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| Absolution: The forgiveness of sins. The priest speaks the words of absolution in confession: I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. |
Adoration: Directing the highest honour to God alone, in love and reverence. This is accomplished through prayer and various liturgical ceremonies, most especially the Mass. |
| Advent: The Church's year begins with the season of Advent, which comprises approximately the four weeks before Christmas. Advent is a time of expectation of the coming of Christ. |
| Altar: The table, usually of stone, on which the Mass is celebrated. The altar should be consecrated (blessed and dedicated), and contain relics of a saint. |
| Amen: A Hebrew word meaning so be it, or, truly, it is true. |
| Angels: The servants and messengers of God. Purely spiritual beings with intelligence and free will. |
| Angelus: A special prayer commemorating Christ's birth, which is said in the morning, at noon, and in the evening. Once it was recited publicly in many European countries. |
| Apostles: The first bishops of the Church. There were twelve originally, appointed directly by Jesus. Paul and Barnabas were later included, as were the gospel writers John and Matthew. |
| Ark of the Covenant: The sacred chest of the Israelites which carried the stone tablets on which were inscribed the Ten Commandments. |
| Ascension: The ascent of Christ into heaven, on the fortieth day after the Resurrection. |
| Ashes: The ashes of blessed palms, placed on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday to remind us of our mortality, and of the need to do works of penance. |
| Ave Maria: Latin words meaning Hail Mary. |
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| Beatific Vision: The direct vision and experience of God enjoyed by all the blessed in Heaven. |
| Beatification: A step in the process of being declared a saint by the Church. After beatification, the person under consideration is referred to as Blessed. ( For example: Blessed Pope John XX111 ) |
| Beatitudes: The standards or conditions for perfect happiness as given by Our Lord in Matthew 5:3-12 and in Luke 6: 20-23. They are of central importance in the teachings of Jesus. |
| Bishop: A man who has received the highest level of the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Bishops ordain priests, deacons and other bishops. A diocese is an area under the jurisdiction of a bishop. The Apostles were the first bishops, and received their authority directly from Christ. |
| Blessed Sacrament: The Eucharist. The consecrated bread and wine; that is, the true Body and Blood of Christ.. |
Blessing: A blessing is given by making the Sign of the Cross and by reciting a prayer asking for God's favour in a particular situation. It is usually done by clergy, but can also be given by lay people.
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| Canonization: A declaration by the Pope that a person of particular virtue is now in heaven. After canonizatiom a person is known as Saint. ( For example: Saint Therese of Lisieux ) |
| Cardinal: Cardinals are bishops chosen by the Pope to be his principal assistants, either in the Church government in Rome , or around the world. After a Pope dies, Cardinals choose his successor from among their ranks. |
| Catechism: A presentation, usually in book form, of the main teachings of the Church in regard to faith and morals. |
| Catholic: A Greek word meaning universal. |
| Celibacy: The unmarried state of life required of priests and bishops in the Roman Catholic Church. |
| Chapel: A place for divine worship within another building, such as a school or hospital. A large church can also contain a separate chapel. |
| Charity: Love of God and love of one's neighbour. |
| Chastity: Sexual abstinence. Purity. |
| Chrism: A mixture of olive oil and balm blessed by the bishop on Holy Thursday and used in the administration of baptism, confirmation and holy orders. |
| Christ: From the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, meaning Saviour. |
| Christians: The name applied to followers of Christ. All Roman Catholics are Christians.. |
| Church: When we speak of the church, we are sometimes referring to the building, the place of worship. At other times, when we speak of the Church , we mean the Catholic Church, the institution founded by Christ himself. |
| Clergy: Men ordained for religious duties: deacons, priests, bishops. |
| Communion: The receiving of the Holy Eucharist. Sometimes we refer to the Holy Eucharist itself as Holy Communion. |
| Confession: The Sacramental act of telling our sins to a priest. It is sometimes referred to as the Sacrament of Reconciliation. |
| Consecration: The part of the Mass where the bread and wine are changed into the precious Body and Blood of Jesus. |
| Contrition: Sorrow for having offended God. |
| Conversion: A change of heart. A deep, interior turning of oneself to God. Also used to describe the change from non-Christian to Christian, or non-Catholic to Catholic. |
| Council: An assembly of bishops. When the bishops of the whole world assemble with the Pope to exercise authority in Church matters, it is known as an ecumenical council. The last such council was known as the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). |
| Creed: A set of beliefs, such as the Apostles Creed, containing the chief truths taught by Christ. |
| Cult: Similar to devotion (see definition of devotions below). We speak of the Cult of Saints, by which we mean the honouring of those who are with God in heaven. (Not to be confused with religious sects ) |
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| Deacon: A permanent deacon is a man who is ordained to serve in the Church. He is not a priest, nor is he preparing for the priesthood. Deacons who are not referred to as permanent , are those men who become deacons while advancing to the priesthood. |
| Demon: Evil spirit |
| Devotions: Prayers, or prayer ceremonies, directed toward some special area of religious life, such as the Blessed Sacrament (Holy Hour) or Christ's suffering (Stations of the Cross). |
Doctrine: When we speak of Catholic doctrine we mean the teachings of the Church. |
| Diocese: A Church district under the direction of a bishop. |
| Disciple: One of the followers of Jesus during his lifetime. Sometimes used in reference to the Apostles, although it includes a much wider number. |
| Dogma: The teachings of the Church ( see Doctrine above). |
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| Easter: The day on which Christ rose from the dead. The greatest feast in the Church year. |
| Elevation: At Mass, the raising of the host after consecration. |
| Eucharist: The Body and Blood of Jesus which has been consecrated during the Mass. Sometimes it means the entire celebration of the Mass. |
| Eucharistic Sacrifice: Another name used for the Mass. |
| Eucharistic Fast: The abstaining from food and drink (except water and medicine) which is required for one hour before receiving Holy Communion. |
| Excommunication: A penalty by which a baptized Catholic is cut off from the Sacraments and loses his or her rights in the Church through committing certain serious offences such as heresy (see below) or abortion. |
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| Fasting: Self-denial in eating. We are required to fast one hour before receiving Communion. Those 18 and over are also required to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. |
| Feast Days: Special days of religious observance throughout the Church year. The greatest feast day in the Church year is Easter. Certain feast days commemorate saints and usually fall |
| Funeral Mass: A special Mass for the dead. Formerly called a Requiem Mass. Also called today the Mass of Christian Burial.l on the anniversary of the saint's death. |
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| Genuflection: Bending the knee, as a sign of reverence, when passing before the tabernacle. |
| Good Friday: The Friday before Easter Sunday, commemorating the Crucifixion of Our Lord. |
| Gospel: The first four books of the New Testament. During the Mass, the priest or deacon does a Gospel reading just before the homily (sermon or talk). |
| Grace: A free gift of God to all persons, bringing us his saving and strengthening influence. It is the gift of Himself, his presence and life within us. The principal means of grace are the sacraments, prayer and good works. |
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| Habit: The dress of a particular religious order of priests or nuns or brothers. Also refers to good moral habits, which are virtues, and bad moral habits, which are vices. |
| Heaven: The state of those who, having achieved salvation, are in glory with God and enjoy the beatific vision ( see above). |
| Hell: The state of those who die in mortal sin (involving serious matter). It is a state of eternal separation from God, not willed by God, but the result of knowingly and expressly choosing evil. |
| Heresy: The obstinate denial by a Catholic of any truth which must be believed as a matter of divine and Catholic faith. It involves deliberate resistance to the authority of God and his Church. ( see excommunication above). |
| Holiness: Moral and spiritual excellence; closeness to God. Doing the will of the Father in everything. It requires the grace of God, and human effort. |
| Holy Water: Water blessed by the Church, and used in certain ceremonies, such as Baptism. |
| Host: The bread consecrated at Mass. After the consecration it is more properly referred to as the Sacred Host. |
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| Incarnation: God the Son taking a human body in Jesus Christ. |
| Incense: A substance which when burned produces a sweet-smelling smoke. Used in ceremonies to signify, among other things, the ascent of prayer to God. |
| Indulgence: The Church, using the authority given her by Christ, designates certain spiritual acts as guaranteeing the remission (reduction) of time spent in Purgatory (see below). This remission is known as an indulgence. |
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| Judgment: There are two judgments: the Last Judgment by Christ at the end of the world and after the general resurrection, and the Particular Judgment which takes place after a person's death, followed by entrance into heaven, hell or purgatory. |
| Justification: The grace, conferred in baptism, which detaches a person from sin and makes him or her pleasing to God. It was won for us by Christ's sacrifice on the Cross. |
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| Lent: A preparation time of fasting, penance and almsgiving leading up to Easter. It has 6 Sundays and 40 weekdays, and lasts from Ash Wednesday until the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. |
| Litany: A prayer in the form of a responsive petition, usually recited by the priest and responded to by the congregation. For example: St. Therese of Lisieux...Pray for us. |
| Liturgy: The participation of the People of God in the celebration of divine worship. It encompasses various norms established by the Church in regard to the words used and the actions performed during a divine service. |
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| Magisterium: The teaching function and authority of the Church. This authority is personalized in the Pope and the bishops, as the successors to St. Peter and the Apostles respectively. |
| Martyrdom: The giving up of one's life for the faith, or in defence of virtue. A person who does this is called a martyr. |
| Mary: The Mother of God. She has many titles, such as the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady, Our Blessed Mother, St. Mary. |
| Mass: The central act of worship in the Catholic Church. Sometimes referred to as The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. |
| Mercy: The love and goodness of God, manifested to us especially in times of need, which we must also display to others. The Corporal Works of Mercy are: to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to shelter the homeless, to visit the imprisoned, to visit the sick and to bury the dead. |
| Messiah: A Hebrew word meaning Saviour (see Christ above). |
| Morality: The Church is a teacher of morality , instructing us in the standards of right conduct, and in how we can, and must, conform our behaviour to those standards. |
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| Nun: A member of a religious order of women who take solemn vows. |
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| Ordination: The act of conferring holy orders on a deacon, priest or bishop. The ceremony by which a person becomes a deacon, priest or bishop. |
| Original Sin: The sin of Adam, passed on to all persons. |
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| Palms: Leaves from a palm tree which are blessed and distributed during Passion Sunday in Lent to commemorate the triumphant entrance of Christ into Jerusalem. |
| Parish: A territory within a diocese ( see above) encompassing a community of the faithful served by a pastor ( parish priest) and his staff. ( For example: The Parish of St. Therese, Courtice ). |
| Penance: The spiritual conversion of mind and heart involving sorrow for sin and the resolve to make amends. Prayer and fasting, for example, are two examples of acts of penance. |
| Piety: The quality of being sincerely devoted to God through religion. |
| Pope: The visible head of the Church, the successor of St. Peter, and the vicar (representative) of Christ on earth. Sometimes referred to as the Holy Father or the Pontiff. |
| Priest: An ordained man who, in addition to the office of ministry and preaching, acts in the Person of Christ at the Eucharistic Sacrifice, and offers it to God in the name of all the people. In addition, he has the power to forgive sins through the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). |
| Protestants: Our Christian brethren who separated from Catholicism in the 16th century. There are over 250 denominations, but about eight major ones, such as Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans and Presbyterians. |
| Providence : The protective care of God. |
| Purgatory: The state or place of purification for those in venial sin (involving less serious matter) before they can enter heaven. |
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| Real Presence: The true presence of Jesus Christ, body, blood, soul and divinity, is contained in the Holy Eucharist under the appearances of bread and wine. |
| Redemption: The deliverance of mankind from sin and damnation through the divine plan of salvation, whereby God sent his only Son to die on the Cross as the expiation (paying the penalty) for our sins. |
| Relics: The physical remains and belongings of saints. |
| Reliquary: A receptacle, varying in size or shape, containing the relics of a saint or other sacred object. Many reliquaries have a glass 'window' or lid to allow for viewing the object. |
| Resurrection: The rising of Our Lord from the dead after his suffering and death on the Cross on the day we call Easter Sunday. Also refers to the rising of our own body to be united with our soul at the end of the world. |
| Revelation: This refers to God's revealing of himself to his creatures, and making known to them the hidden purpose of his will. Revelation is transmitted through the Bible and through Sacred Tradition, which is everything handed down through the Apostles to their successors the bishops, including authority. The word revelation also refers to the last book of the New Testament. |
| Rite: The customary observances of a particular Church, its liturgy and discipline and so on. Most Catholic churches in Canada belong to the Western or Roman rite. There are, however, a number of Eastern rite Catholic Churches in Canada , such as the Ukrainian Catholic Church, where the ceremonies appear quite different, though they retain the essentials of universal Catholicism. |
| Rosary: A form of mental or vocal prayer centred on the mysteries or events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. The beads used to keep count of the prayers are called Rosary beads. |
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| Sacrament: The principal means of obtaining grace (sharing in the life of God). Sacraments are the visible signs of the hidden reality of salvation, the signs by which the Holy Spirit spreads the grace of Christ through his Church. Generally we speak of seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. |
| Sacrilege: A violation of what is sacred, such as the desecration of sacred places or violence against the clergy. |
| Saint: A person who has died and who is in glory with God in heaven. |
| Salvation: The freeing of persons from sin and its effects, reconciliation with God through Christ, and being joined with God forever in the glory of heaven. |
| Sanctuary: The part of the church containing the altar. |
| Sign of the Cross: Used to express our belief in the Holy Trinity, and to ask for a blessing on ourselves and others. The fingers of the right touch the forehead, then below the breast, then left shoulder and right shoulder, while saying: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. The action is sometimes referred to as Blessing yourself. |
| Sin: The free and deliberate violation of God's law by thought, word or action. (See Hell and Purgatory above). |
| Soul: The spiritual, immortal part of a person, by which he or she is most especially in God's image. |
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| Tabernacle: A receptacle in the sanctuary area where the Blessed Sacrament is kept. |
| Theology: Knowledge of God and religion. It involves the study of Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the teachings of the Church. |
| Transubstantiation: The change of the entire substance of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ at the consecration of the Mass. |
| Trinity: The existence of God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. |
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| Vatican City : An independent Papal state in the city of Rome , the seat of government of the Roman Catholic Church. |
| Vestments: Garments worn by the priest at the altar. |
| Vice: Grossly immoral conduct. |
| Virtue: The habit of doing good and avoiding evil. |
| Vocation: A call from God to a way of life. Whether it is a call to be a priest or nun, or to any of various secular occupations, it is part of God's general call to holiness. |
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Answers have been adapted from the following sources:
Catechism of the Catholic Church . CCCB, 1994
Chapman, G. Credo: A Catholic Catechism . Primeau and Associates, 1983
Hardon, John A. Pocket Catholic Catechism. Doubleday, 1989.
Foy, F. Catholic Almanac. Our Sunday Visitor, 1998.
Kelley, B. ed. St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism. Catholic Book Publishing, 1969 Barber, Kathleen. ed. The Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Oxford University Press, 1998 |
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