Religion 3 - Chapter 3 Vocabulary

Eucharist Vocabulary

Adoration

Worship. This is the humble acknowledgment by human beings that they are creatures of the thrice-holy Creator.

Age of reason

The age at which a person becomes morally responsible for his or her actions.

Anaphora

Eucharistic prayer that vis prayed by the priest in mass.

It begins with the preface and ends with the Great Amen.

Benediction

A prayer invoking God's power and care upon some person, place, thing, or undertaking

Communion

From the Latin for "mutual participation" or "oneness together": in the sense of Holy Communion, the reception of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist;

Consecration

Dedication to a sacred purpose; to sanctify. This can refer to a church building, person, or object set aside for worship. It can refer specifically to entry into a permanent state of life entered freely in response to the call of Christ and characterized by the profession of vows.

Covenant

A solemn promise or contract regarding future action binding on the participants and fortified by an oath, expressed either in words or in symbolic action.

Epiclesis

The calling down of the Holy Spirit. During Mass, as the priest extends his hands over the gifts of bread and wine, he calls down the Holy Spirit to change them into the Body of Blood of Jesus.

Eucharist

From the Greek for "thanksgiving"; also called the Mass or Lord's Supper.

Excommunication

Excommunication is a censure by means of which a person is excluded from the communion of the faithful in response to a grave, habitual, public sin.

Koinonia (Communio)

Communio is the Latin translation of the Greek koinonia, meaning communion, fellowship, or association. This term was used by St. Luke to describe both the fellowship of believers and the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Mass

Also called the Eucharist or Lord's Supper. This name is derived from the Latin dismissal of the faithful, "Ite, missa est."

Missal

Sometimes called a Sacramentary, a liturgical book which contains the prayers of the Mass for the use of the priest at the altar, along with instructions for the celebrant of the liturgy.

Missalette

A booklet for the use of the laity which generally contains the prayers, songs, and Scripture readings used at Mass.

Monstrance

A vessel of precious metal used for exposing the Blessed Sacrament for adoration. At the center of the monstrance is a glass disc which allows the faithful to view the Blessed Sacrament during exposition.

Paschal Lamb

The pure and spotless lamb prepared for the ritual Passover meal by the Jews. It also refers to Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and establishes a new covenant between God and his people.

Passover

Pesach, Pesah, Pascha—a Jewish feast commemorating the deliverance of their first-born males from death by the blood of the lamb sprinkled on the doorposts while in bondage in Egypt.

Real Presence

The unique and true presence of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ in the Eucharist under the appearances of bread and wine.

Sacramental Presence

The real, true, and substantial existence of Christ's divinity and humanity in the Holy Eucharist under the appearances of bread and wine.

Sacrifice

A ritual offering made to God by a priest on behalf of the people as a sign of adoration, thanksgiving, supplication, and communion. The perfect sacrifice was offered by Christ, the High Priest of the new and eternal covenant.

Spiritual Communion

A conscious, burning desire to receive Holy Communion when unable to do so physically.

State of Grace

The condition whereby one enjoys the friendship of God. One who possesses "sanctifying grace" or "habitual grace" is enabled to know, love, and serve God and others in reference to him.

Tabernacle

An ornamented receptacle in the church in which the consecrated Eucharist is reserved for Communion for the sick and dying as well as for adoration.

Transubstantiation

The scholastic term used to designate the unique change, in a true, real, and substantial manner, of the entire substance of the Eucharistic bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, with his soul and divinity, leaving intact the accidents.

Victim

A living being sacrificed to a deity in the performance of a religious ritual. For Christians, Jesus is the victim, par excellence, by his loving and freely made offering of himself on the Cross to his Father for the salvation of the world.