Theology III Final Study Guide [INCOMPLETE]

so theres finna be like marriage and holy orders stuff, plus some morality like object/intention/circumstance, double effect, cooperation, yadda yadda, and finally the ten commandments as well so yeah. this is a copy and paste of all my study guides on individual units put into one cus im lazy (but the ten commandments stuff is new... might make into its own thing later.)

Sacraments of Service

Sacraments dedicated to one’s vocation and serving other members of the Church, which are Marriage and Holy Orders.

Marriage

Indissoluble covenant between a man and a woman where the couple share a total gift of self with one another, which when done healthily can strengthen society. The purpose is for the couple to help each other get to heaven, give the total gift of self to one another, raise children in the faith, and reflect Christ’s love for the Church. Can only be received once, unless one spouse dies; in that case, the living spouse is free to marry again, as the only thing that can break the bond of this sacrament is death.

Holy Orders

A man’s commitment to serving as a deacon, priest, or bishop. During the sacrament, he receives three things: grace from the Holy Spirit to serve the people of God, ability to celebrate the sacraments (appropriate to his office), and sacramental character. Only men can receive this sacrament because Jesus only called men to be His apostles, and being male is required to act in the person of Christ who died for His Bride, the Church.

Divorce

Civil dissolution of a marriage, which separates a couple even though they are still married in the eyes of God.

Annulment

Declaration of the nullity of a marriage. Can only be received if a requirement for the sacrament was not met when it was received, and therefore was never valid to begin with.

Free

Quality of Christian marital love that indicates that the marriage is not forced or manipulated upon either party.

Total

Quality of Christian marital love that indicates that the love between the spouses is unconditional and complete.

Faithful

Quality of Christian marital love that indicates that the love is exclusive to the two spouses and forsakes all others.

Fruitful

Quality of Christian marital love that indicates that the spouses are open to the possibility of children.

Domestic Church

The family, which serves as the “Church at home.” This is where children are first raised in the Catholic faith at home by their parents.

Consanguinity

Relation through a common ancestor(s).

Disparity of Cult

Marriage between a baptized Catholic and a non-baptized person/someone from a different religion.

Matter of Marriage

The couple themselves/marital act

Form of Marriage

Public exchange of vows

Minister of Marriage

The spouses

Marital Act

Also called the interpersonal act or the conjugal act, is meant to be unitive (bringing the two together as “one flesh“) and procreative (generative of new life).

Natural Family Planning (NFP)

Observation and charting of a women’s fertility, so that a couple can abstain from the marital act while she is fertile to avoid having children while also respecting the fact that life comes from the marital act. This is done in the physical, mental, financial, or other circumstance that a family cannot logically have children at a given time.

Last Supper

Gospel passage where Jesus shares the bread and wine with His apostles as He extends His priesthood to them. This is when the sacraments of Holy Orders and Eucharist were instituted.

Matter of Holy Orders

The Laying On of Hands

Form of Holy Orders

Consecratory Prayer

Minister of Holy Orders

Bishops

Deacons

Men who have received the first level of Holy Orders and make up the diaconate. Their job is to proclaim the Gospel as a minister of the Word, minister Holy Communion & bring the Eucharist to the sick, baptize, prepare couples for marriage and be a witness to it, give homilies, read the petitions/Prayer of the Faithful, and preside at graveside services.

Priests

Men who have received the second level of Holy Orders and make up the presbyterate. Their most central duty is to celebrate the Eucharist/mass; they do this as they act in persona christi to serve the Body of Christ, the Church.

Bishops

Men who have received the final level of Holy Orders and make up the episcopate. They celebrate all of the sacraments, govern their church/diocese and form its clergy, be a primary teacher of the faith, and sanctify the people.

Celibacy

The practice of abstaining from marriage that is upheld by priests and bishops. This is a practice in the Catholic Church because this way, the priests/bishops are able to give their entire lives on serving God with no other distractions or commitments. In this way, they can serve as a father to the entire Church, not just one particular family.

Contraception

The prevention of pregnancy (via birth control pills or other means) which is taught to be morally unacceptable by the Church.

Transubstantiation

When the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. In a Eucharistic miracle, both the substantial and accidental forms change, but at Mass it is only the substantial form that transforms.

Real Presence

Mystery of Faith declaring that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist, and it is the Body and Blood of our Lord in every particle although the appearance of bread and wine remain.

Eucharist

Source and summit of the Christian life which embodies Christ himself; through this sacrament of initiation, we receive Him directly. It has many other names, such as the Holy Sacrifice (making Christ’s sacrifice present), Holy Communion (we are united with Christ), and the Breaking of the Bread (rite Jesus used, symbolizing how we come into communion with Him). To receive, a person must be baptized, be of the age of reason (like 7 or so), have no mortal sin (if they do, they must go to confession first), and fast for an hour before receiving. The effects of this include being transformed and strengthened in Christ, bringing us more in union with God, koinonia, and forgiving venial sins, to name a few.

Words of Institution/Concentration

The words Jesus said at the Last Supper when he instituted the sacrament of the Eucharist that the priest also says at Mass to consecrate (transform the substantial form of) the bread and wine.

Grace

The free and undeserved Divine Life of God given to us as a gift through the sacraments to make us more like God and be adopted as his children.

Sacrament

An outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace. Efficacious signs because they actively work through Jesus to give us grace, which is their purpose. Word comes from the Latin term “sacramentum,” which was an initiation oath into the Roman army that grants soldiers a new status and purpose, just as these do.

Sacramental Character

Indelible and permanent mark on our souls that changes us for good by enabling us to participate in Christ’s priesthood. Three sacraments bestow this: baptism, confirmation, and holy orders (This is why you can only receive these sacraments once).

Sacraments of Institution

Three sacraments that lay the foundation for the Christian life, which are Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.

Sacrifice at Calvary

The sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross at Calvary Hill which is made present at every Mass.

Moral Law

Roadmap of objective (unchanging, even despite personal beliefs) standards for human behavior established by God and supported by the Church. Since the ultimate goal of the human life is happiness, God gives us this as guidelines to achieve that happiness in Him.

Virtue

Habitual and firm disposition to do good that must be practiced in order to improve. There are cardinal and theological of these.

Cardinal Virtue

Virtues which the moral life hinges on and are strengthened when put into action.

Theological Virtue

Virtues infused into our soul at Baptism that enable us to relate to God.

Prudence

Cardinal virtue resembling practical wisdom, and the ability to look ahead and make the right decision.

Justice

Cardinal virtue which helps us give what is right to others and treat others fairly.

Fortitude

Cardinal virtue granting us courage to do the right thing, even if it is difficult, and persisting.

Temperance

Cardinal virtue of moderation, where we limit ourselves to an honorable amount of something instead of giving in to our desires.

Faith

Theological virtue which helps us believe in the truths that Christ revealed to us and the Church teaches.

Hope

Theological virtue that grants us the ability to trust in salvation and that things will get better (in Heaven with God).

Charity/Love

Theological virtue represented by loving everyone in the same way that Christ loves us, in the giving of the entire self despite the sins of others. This means willing to the good of others, despite any sacrifice that may come with it.

Moralistic

Misguided behavior which reduces faith to a checklist of sorts. This disposition induces pride on those who “check off all the boxes” as they feel they are morally superior.

Grace

Free and undeserved help God gives us.

Actual Grace

God’s intervention in our daily lives to give us strength and knowledge in what is right.

Sanctifying Grace

Presence of God’s life in our souls received in the sacraments.

Rational Soul

How we are made in the image and likeness of God and are made distinct from the rest of creation. This grants us intellect and free will, and the ability to be in communion with God.

Intellect

Ability to reason.

Free Will

Ability to act on knowledge.

Protoevangelium

The first annunciation of the Messiah and salvation just after the Fall in Genesis 3:15.

Vocation

One’s calling: everyone has this calling to be holy and to be saints, which means we must live lives of heroic virtue and sacrificial love.

Fiat

Saying yes to God and His plan/calling.

Vice

Bad habit built up from sin.

Incarnation

The fact that God became man to save us, show us the love of God, be a model of holiness, and make us partners of divine nature.

Paschal Mystery

Jesus’ Passion, Death, Resurrection and Ascension that saves us from sin and death and opens the gates of Heaven.

Concupiscence

Inclination to sin.

Happiness

Ultimate goal of the human life that can only be found in God, as St. Augustine said: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” We were made for God’s love, and won’t truly be happy without Him. So, God gives us the moral law to achieve this happiness by following Him. As Jesus says in John 10:10, “I have come so that you may have life-and have it to the full.”

Moral Relativism

The false idea that an action can be justified and deemed morally acceptable because of their personal beliefs which permit the act.

Dignity

The intrinsic value that all humans posses due to being made in the image and likeness of God.

Conscience

Comes from the Latin word “c-u-m scientia” meaning “with knowledge,” as this is a practical judgement of reason made by the intellect which also serves as a person’s inner sanctuary where they can hear the voice of God. This regards the good/evil of an act in light of objective moral standards (a.k.a. the moral law) which it interprets and applies to our actions. This is not a feeling or gut-instinct, nor is it a majority opinion, as these things don’t always match up to the reality of what is right or what is wrong. Sacred Scripture affirms its existence, and so does human experience as in our souls we sort through moral questions and hear the promptings of the moral voice inside us. This is formed over an ongoing, lifelong process by constant enlightenment by moral truth according to the Commandments and Christ & the Church’s teachings so it can apply these to real life situations. This may be poorly formed due to poor formation as a child, lack of regular examination & prayer, ignorance of Christ, bad example from others, and habitual sin, among other reasons. The better formed these are, the more trustworthy they will be.

Nature of Conscience

The exercise of moral conscience is both an obligation and a right because we must follow it faithfully, but we are rightfully not forced to act against it/be prevented from following it. A good conscience does not create its own moral standards, but it instead seeks to know and applies moral truths, and it makes judgements according to objective moral law, like a judge. However, this is not infallible, as there is a possibility of error in one’s judgement.

The New Commandment

Christ’s universal call to holiness, which a good conscience should follow by desiring to imitate Christ and love God and others. Charity is key to this commandment, and it should be the conscience’s companion and priority.

Spiritual Direction

Counsel of a spiritually wise person on your spiritual journey through life.

Examination of Conscience

Reflection of one’s actions based on the moral law

Beatitude

Meaning “bliss” or “happiness,” these are promises from Christ which exceed material goods, as they bring light to the fact that things don’t make us happy, but instead it is self-sacrifice and living as a disciple of Christ and deepening our union with Him through love and service. These are counterintuitive and paradoxical as through the worldly eyes, they don’t make much sense; however, they display the portrait of a happy person.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Beatitude which serves as a reminder to us that we are dependent on God, and we are to be grateful for the gifts he provides us.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Beatitude which goes into how sin hurts God and others, but God is there to comfort us when we are suffering or in need. This is also a reminder to forgive others who hurt us as well.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

Beatitude which reminds us to be patient with others instead of retaliating against injustice quickly, as meekness is “strength under control,” or gentleness and using power justly and with restraint.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Beatitude which reveals how we must seek to deepen our relationship with God and strive for holiness in our everyday lives.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”

Beatitude which tells us that we are to forgive and pray for those who hurt us, so that God may grant His mercy upon us in this same way.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Beatitude which tells us to have a pure heart, meaning we must hold love for God dear and stay away from anything that may jeopardize our relationship with Him. We must have this outlook and live the holy life, which can be done in many ways; an example could be helping others out of sincere compassion instead of harboring selfish intentions.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”

Beatitude which reminds us that we are to puts the needs of others before our own and strive for the right relationships in order to establish peace and unity among others in our lives.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Beatitude which shows us that hardship is the way to eternal life, and that if we endure through adversity, we will find ourselves on the right path towards salvation.

Our Father

The “perfect prayer” Jesus gives to us which summarizes the Gospels.

Metanoia

The Greek term for repentance or a turning away from sin and towards Christ.

The Golden Rule

Another teaching touched upon by Jesus which is that we are to “do unto others as you have them do to you.”

Kingdom of God

The reign of God’s peace, justice, and love which Jesus proclaims and ushers in as He is the model or moral living.

Grace

A free and undeserved gift from God which helps us to live up to the expectations of being a disciple of Christ.

Impediment to Freedom

Obstacle that can limit our freedom and thus limit our blameworthiness or responsibility for a particular action.

Ignorance

Impediment of Freedom where one has a lack of knowledge that something is wrong.

Vincible Ignorance

Ignorance because of a failure of due diligence on our part, meaning that we could have easily gained the particular knowledge we needed, and that we still hold some moral responsibility for our ignorance.

Invincible Ignorance

Ignorance that could not have been overcome, potentially due to culture, mental illness, never hearing the Gospel before, etc. We are not morally responsible for this ignorance because it was impossible for us to have gained the knowledge we needed.

Inadvertence

Impediment to Freedom where one is doing something wrong unintentionally or because they weren’t paying attention.

Duress

Impediment to Freedom where one bears stress to sin due to an outside threat or pressure to commit the sin.

Inordinate Attachment

Impediment to Freedom where one has an addiction or obsession with something that causes them to commit a sin.

Fear

Impediment to Freedom where one commits a sin due to fear of consequences that may occur if they don’t commit the sin in question.

Habit

Impediment to Freedom where one has engaged in an impulsive and repeated wrong action that is done without thinking due to the habitual nature of the action.

Incarnation

The fact that the Son of God assumed mankind to save us. Through this, Jesus reveals to us who God is and what it means to be human.

Free Will

The power—based in reason and will—to perform deliberate actions and make choices between good and evil. This is on one’s own moral responsibility, because since we have the freedom to act, we are therefore responsible for those actions (and the more we know, the more responsible we are). This is given to us so that we can choose to love Him and love others as He has loved us; in fact, this freedom is the very thing that makes love possible.

Passions

Emotions/feelings that incline us to act (or not act), which are changes the body and soul undergo as a response to something. These emotions are amoral in themselves, but they can become moral or immoral once they are acted upon.

Sermon on the Mount

One of Jesus’ gatherings to teach the people in Matthew 5-7, where he gives us the Beatitudes, the Golden Rule, and the Our Father prayer, as well as taking the Law of Moses one step further by warning against anger, being like the hypocrites, and that one cannot serve both God and material fortune, and preaches that pure intentions must accompany righteous actions and that we must trust in God instead of earthly possessions. This sermon is comparable to how Moses went up Mount Sinai and retrieved the 10 Commandments, as in a similar way, Jesus went up the mountain here and gave us His new law, which is a fulfillment of the Law of Moses.

Eternal Law

Plan of divine wisdom directing all acts and movements.

Natural Law

The rational creature’s participation in the eternal law, which written on every human heart and is a universal, intuitive sense of right vs. wrong.

Physical Law

Mechanical laws of nature imposed on us.

Revealed/Divine Law

Laws revealed by God.

Old Law

Revealed Law found in the Old Testament (typically rooted in the Ten Commandments).