Theology Vocation Terms (Introduction & Chap. 1)

discernment

discernment

the process of discovering what God wants of you in a given situation

free will

the capacity to choose among alternatives. ______ is "the power, rooted in reason and will... to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility" (CCC, 1731). True freedom is at the service of what is good and true.

fruits of the Holy Spirit

the perfections that the Holy Spirit form in us as the "first fruits: of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church identifies twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity.

primary vocation

the specific path God has for someone on his path to holiness. Marked by vows and/or sacrament. The traditionally recognized _____ are marriage, priesthood, and consecrated life.

vocation

the calling or destiny one has in this life and the hereafter.

beatific vision

the contemplation of God in heavenly glory, a gift of God which is a constitutive element of the happiness (or beatitude) of heaven.

canonization

the solemn declaration by the Pope that a deceased number of the faithful may be proposed as a model and intercessor to Christian faithful and venerated as a saint on the basis of the fact that the person lived a life of heroic virtue or remained faithful to God through martyrdom.

charism

a specific gift or grace of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefits the Church, given in order to help a person live out the Christian life, or to serve the common good in building up the Church.

communion of Persons

a complete giving of self, shown perfectly in the life of the Divine Persons of the Blessed Trinity.

complementarity

a way to describe two realities that belong together, producing a whole that neither is nor can be alone

covenant

a solemn agreement between human beings or between God and a human involving mutual commitments or guarantees

Deposit of Faith

the body of saving truths and the core beliefs of Catholicism that are contained in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition and faithfully preserved and handed on the Magisterium. ______ contains the fullness of God's Revelation.

Disciple

a person "who accepted Jesus" message to follow him... Jesus associated his disciples with his own life, revealed the mystery of the Kingdom of God to (them), and gave them a share in his mission, his joy, and his sufferings.

Eastern Churches

"Churches of the East in union with Rome (the Latin Church), but not of Roman rite, with their own liturgical, theological, and administrative traditions," such as those of the Byzantine, Coptic, and Syriac rites (CCC, Glossary).

evangelical counsels

"in general, the teaching of the New Law proposed by Jesus to his disciples which lead to the perfection of Christian life... The public profession of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience is a constitutive element of state of consecrated life in the Church" (CCC, Glossary)

evangelize

to proclaim "Christ and his Gospel by word and the testimony of life, in fulfillment of Christ's command" (CCC, Glossary).

holiness

the state of being set apart for God

laity

all the baptized faithful except those who have received the Sacrament of Holy Order or who have taken solemn vows in consecrated life.

law of self-giving

the principle that encapsulates one's call to communion and self-donation with another. It means that you can discover your true self only through a sincere gift of self (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 24)

lay ecclesial movements

associations of laypersons who come together with a common purpose and way of life

Magisterium

the official teaching authority of the Church. Jesus bestowed the right and power to teach in his name on Peter and the Apostles and their successors-that is, the pope and the college of bishops. The authority of the ______ extends to specific precepts of the natural law because following these precepts is necessary for salvation.

Original Sin

the personal sin of the first two people, called Adam and Even, which in an analogous way describes the fallen state of human nature into which all generations are born. Adam and Eve transmitted ________ to their human descendants. Christ Jesus came to save the world from ________ and all personal sin.

sacrament

an efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is given to those who receive it, through the work of the Holy Spirit.

saint

the "holy one" who leads a life in union with God through the grace of Christ and receives the reward of eternal life. The church is called the communion of saints, of the holy ones.

the Fall

the disobedience of Adam and Eve, which introduced sin, death, and their effects into the world

universal call to holiness

the call to all Christians, no matter their state of life, to be sanctified. It is based on Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount: "So to be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt. 5:48)