Appendix
A

Glossary

absolution The act by which a priest, through the power given to the Church by Jesus Christ, forgives a penitent’s sins during the sacrament of reconciliation.

Advent The four-week period devoted to preparing spiritually for Christmas, the day that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.

amen A Hebrew word meaning, “So be it,” said at the end of most prayers.

angel A free spiritual and intellectual creature that never had a mortal body and serves as God’s messenger and servant.

annulment A declaration by the Church that a marriage is invalid or “null” because one or both of the parties did not have the ability to fulfill the obligations of marriage or because a particular impediment prevented it from being the true covenant relationship that God intends marriage to be.

Annunciation The moment when the angel Gabriel appeared to the Blessed Virgin Mary and announced that she would bear the Christ child through the power of the Holy Spirit.

anointing of the sick One of the seven sacraments, a sacrament of healing that provides spiritual comfort and strength to those who are seriously ill or in danger of death.

Apostles’ Creed A profession of faith or “symbol of faith,” summarizing the beliefs of the Catholic Church in prayer form and recited during the sacrament of baptism and during the renewal of baptismal vows.

Ascension The moment the risen Jesus ascended body and soul into heaven.

Assumption A Church teaching that the Virgin Mary was taken up to heaven, body and soul, at the end of her earthly life. The feast day marking this event is August 15.

baptism The first of the seven sacraments, baptism frees believers from original and actual sin, gives them new birth, joins them to Christ in a permanent way, and incorporates them into the Church.

Beatitudes A series of teachings Jesus gave during the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3–12). The word beatitude means “happiness” or “blessedness.”

bishop A successor to the apostles and a member of the college of bishops who is typically head of a particular diocese, or local church, assigned by the pope.

Blessed Sacrament Another name for Eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ under the appearance of bread and wine. It often refers to the reserved Eucharist kept in the tabernacle for adoration by the faithful.

canon law The official laws and rules of the Catholic Church, which includes the Code of Canon Law, decrees by the Holy See (Vatican), and laws and decrees by bishops and religious superiors.

catechism A manual of doctrine used to teach the faith.

catholic With a lowercase “c,” this word means “universal.” Eastern Orthodox Churches and some Protestant denominations use the word “catholic” in their creeds.

Communion The body and blood of Jesus Christ received by Catholics at Mass and during sacramental celebrations.

confession The part of the sacrament of reconciliation (sacrament of penance) when a penitent confesses his or her sins. Sometimes it is a term used to describe the sacrament of reconciliation through which any sins that have been committed since baptism are forgiven by the absolution of a priest.

confirmation A sacrament by which the baptized continue on their path of Christian initiation, are enriched with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and are more closely linked to the Church. As a result of this sacrament, marking them with an indelible seal of the Holy Spirit, those who are confirmed are made strong and more firmly committed to Christ by word and deed, and to spread and defend the faith.

creed A statement of a community’s belief, also known as a symbol of faith.

covenant A solemn agreement that contains promises but also imposes obligations.

deacon A member of the ordained clergy who has the capacities to baptize, officiate at weddings, distribute Communion, proclaim the word of God, preach the homily at liturgies, celebrate Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and preside at funerals. They may not celebrate Mass, hear confessions, confer holy orders, or administer the anointing of the sick. Transitional deacons are men working toward the priesthood; permanent deacons are men who will remain deacons for the rest of their lives. Unlike priests, permanent deacons may be married.

Decalogue Another name for the Ten Commandments given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

diocese A portion of the People of God in a particular geographic area, headed by a bishop.

disciple A follower of Jesus Christ.

encyclical A letter written by the pope and distributed to the universal Church and often to the world at large in order to convey Church teaching on a particular matter.

Eucharist One of the seven sacraments, Eucharist is the memorial of the sacrifice of the cross, a meal in which the body and blood of Jesus Christ is present under the appearance of bread and wine. It is considered the “source and summit” of the Christian faith. It also refers to the form of blessed bread and wine in which the Lord Jesus is really, truly and substantially present.

evangelization To proclaim the Gospel in order to bring others to Jesus Christ.

excommunication A penalty that removes a Catholic from communion with the Church, excluding him or her from participating in the Eucharist and other sacraments due to a grave offense against the faith.

Good News The root meaning of the word “gospel,” it refers primarily to the story of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus as they are found in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament. The term also refers to the reflection on the life and death of Jesus in the other books of the New Testament.

Gospel The account of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as revealed in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament.

grace A supernatural gift that God bestows on men and women to allow them to participate in the divine life, to help them live as children of God, and to enable them to achieve eternal salvation.

holy orders One of the sacraments of commitment or service, when a man is ordained a bishop, priest, or deacon.

Holy Spirit The third person of the Holy Trinity. When Jesus ascends to his Father, he, together with the Father, sends the Spirit—also known as the Paraclete, the Advocate, and the Consoler—to dwell in the hearts of believers and in the Church.

Immaculate Conception The term used for the Catholic dogma that states the Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, preserved from original sin in anticipation of the role she would play in bringing God’s Son into the world. The feast day for this event is December 8. This doctrine, which concerns Mary’s conception, is often confused with the way Jesus was conceived, virginally.

Incarnation The doctrine that the second person of the Trinity assumed human flesh and, in Jesus Christ, was at once truly human and truly God.

Lent The 40-day season of spiritual preparation before Easter, usually marked by prayer, fasting, and works of charity.

liturgy The Church’s official public worship, separating it from private prayer. The Catholic Mass and the sacraments are examples of liturgy.

magisterium The Church’s teaching authority, which is founded on the authority of the first apostles and which rests today with the pope and the college of bishops.

Mass A liturgical action in which Catholics gather to pray, receive the word of God, and celebrate the Eucharist.

matrimony One of the sacraments of commitment or service, also called marriage, referring to the covenant relationship established between a man and a woman. The marriage partnership serves the well-being of the spouses and the procreation and upbringing of children. To be a sacrament, a marriage must be between two baptized Christians.

Nicene Creed A profession of faith that was begun by the Ecumen-ical Council of Nicea in 325 and is recited by the faithful during Mass.

original sin Refers, first, to the sin of prideful disobedience by Adam and Eve, humanity’s first parents, in the Garden of Eden, and secondly, to the consequence of that sin in us. All humans (except Jesus and the Virgin Mary) inherit this sin, which is washed away during baptism.

Passion Refers to the suffering and death Jesus Christ endured, from the Last Supper to his Crucifixion.

penance Another name for the sacrament of reconciliation. In this sacrament, the faithful who confess their sins to a priest, and who are sorry for those sins, receive from God, through the absolution given by the priest, forgiveness of any sins they have committed since baptism, and at the same time are reconciled to the Church. Penance is also the word used to describe either an interior disposition or exterior action that moves a person away from sin and its consequences and closer to God.

Pentecost Commemorates the day described in the Book of Acts when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles. The solemnity of Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter.

pope The bishop of Rome and head of the college of bishops and successor to St. Peter, the first pope, he is the vicar of Christ on Earth and pastor and head of the universal Church.

priest A man ordained by a bishop through the sacrament of holy orders to serve the Church. He shares in the bishop’s tasks of teaching, leading, and making holy the People of God.

prophet Someone sent by God to proclaim God’s word and to speak in God’s name.

purgatory A place of purification for those who have died in God’s grace and friendship but need to be purified further in order to enter heaven.

reconciliation Another term for the sacrament of penance or confession. (See penance.)

Resurrection With a capital “R,” refers to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead three days after his Crucifixion. With a lower case “r,” it refers to the resurrection of all people after death. Resurrection of the body means that our mortal bodies will become incorruptible and will be reunited with our souls through the power of Jesus’ Resurrection.

Rosary A prayer to Mary composed of a series of Hail Marys and Our Fathers and other prayers recited in a repeated pattern. It also refers to the string of beads used to count the prayers.

sacraments The seven sacraments, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, that are signs and means through which the faith is expressed and strengthened: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, reconciliation or penance, anointing of the sick, holy orders, and matrimony.

saint A holy person who has lived an exemplary life of faith while on earth and now resides in heaven with God for all eternity. Saints serve as models of the Christian life and as intercessors with God for their fellow Christians. The pope can canonize a deceased person as a saint of the Church, but any deceased person who is in heaven is a saint, whether the Church officially declares it to be so or not.

Scripture The writings contained in both the Old and New Testa-ments.

Sign of the Cross A common Christian prayer that acknowledges and honors the Holy Trinity. A person forms a cross by marking forehead, heart, and each shoulder, first the left and then the right, with the right hand while saying the following words: “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

soul The spiritual part of human beings that lives on after the body dies.

Ten Commandments The essence of the “Old Law” given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai. Also known as the Decalogue.

Tradition With a capital “T,” refers to the living faith that is not necessarily contained in Scripture but is handed down from generation to generation, first by the apostles and now by their successors, the bishops.

Transfiguration The moment when Jesus was transformed and appeared between Elijah and Moses in the presence of the disciples Peter, James, and John. A voice from heaven spoke, revealing not only Jesus’ divinity and his role as the divine word of revelation but also his role as the suffering servant of God.

transubstantiation The term used to describe the change of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ during the Eucharistic celebration.

Trinity The central Christian doctrine about God, affirming that there are three persons in one God: Father, Son, and Spirit. Each person of the Trinity has existed since before time began and each is fully divine and distinct from the other, and yet they are one.

Virgin Mary The Mother of Jesus Christ, who was chosen by God to bear his son through the power of the Holy Spirit. She is known by many names, including Saint Mary and Mother of God.

vocation A person’s “calling,” which has its origins in God. The Church teaches that every person has a vocation, which is part of God’s plan.

Word of God All of God’s revelations to humanity as expressed in human words in the Old Testament and New Testament. It is also a reference for Jesus.