Abraham
Hebrew for "father of a multitude", and founder of the nation of Israel
Angel
spiritual creature who glorifies God without ceasing
Annunciation
The visit of the Archangel Gabriel to announce that she would be the Mother of God
Apostolic Succession
the truth that the bishops of the Church who, through their ordination, can trace their authority in an uninterrupted, unbroken chain of succession directly back to the Apostles and Christ
Ascension
Christs return to heaven 40 days after His resurrection
Assumption
the dogma that teaches that the Blessed Virgin Mary was taken body and soul into heaven immediately upon her death
Baptism
the first of the seven sacraments
Canonization
the Churchs official process by which she declares someone a saint
Catechumenate
a process used in the early Church to educate and prepare those who wished to become Catholic
Catholic
Greek meaning "universal"
Christ
Greek for anointed; used to refer to Jesus because he accomplished perfectly the divine mission of priest, prophet, and king
Church
the entire assembly of the people of God all over the world; comes from the Greek word ekklesia
Communion of Saints
the unity in Christ of all the redeemed, especially those on earth and those who have died and are in heaven or Purgatory
Confirmation
one of the Sacraments of Initiation; it completes the Baptismal cycle by a special outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit
Covenant
a solemn promise between people or between God and man
Deposit of Faith
the definitive revelation of Christ given to the Apostles, and through them, to the entire Church as Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition
Divine Inspiration
the special guidance that the Holy Spirit gave to the human authors of the Bible to ensure that there are no errors in God's Word
Divine Revelation
God making Himself known to us
Dogma
a revealed truth solemnly defined by the Magisterium of the Church
Ecumenism
the efforts to reunite all Christians on earth and to cooperate among faith traditions in achieving common goals
Eucharist
comes from the Greek word meaning thanksgiving; the Sacrament by which bread and wine are consecrated by a priest and become the true Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus
Evangelization
the mission given by Christ to the apostles to preach the gospel to the whole world and make converts in every nation
Four Marks of the Church
the four characteristics of the Church mentioned in the Nicene Creed; they are one, holy, catholic, and apostolic
Heaven
the eternal state of supreme happiness with God
Hell
the eternal state of separation and exclusion from Gods presence; the dwelling of Satan and the other fallen angels
Holy Orders
the sacrament by which men are ordained to the priesthood or the diaconate
Idolatry
the worship of idols, or false gods
Immaculate Conception
the dogma defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854 that states that from the moment of her conception in her mothers womb, Mary was free from the stain of original sin
Incarnation
from the Latin meaning to become flesh, the mystery of the union of both the divine and human natures in the person of Jesus Christ
Indulgence
the remission before God of the temporal punishment due to the sin whose guilt has already been forgiven
Infallibility
the gift given by the Holy Spirit to keep the Church free from error in the matter of faith and morals
Kingdom of God
the spiritual kingdom that begins here on earth and is perfected at the end of time; it is a kingdom of love, peace, and justice
Laity
the faithful who have been made a part of the People of God through Baptism; anyone who is not a priest or religious
Last Supper
the meal during which Jesus instituted the Eucharist; the last meal Jesus shared with his apostles in the upper room before his death
Liturgical colors
colors that represent certain seasons in the Church year
Liturgy
comes from the Greek word meaning a public work
Magisterium
the highest official teaching authority of the Church, which is entrusted to the pope and bishops together
Manna
wafer-like bread that tasted like honey which came down from heaven the Hebrews on their journey through the desert
Martyr
come from the Greek meaning witness; someone who suffers or dies for the sake of Christ
Mass
the Catholic Churchs most important act of worship established by Christ at the Last Supper
Nicene Creed
the statement of beliefs that was developed at the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) and clarified at the Council of Constantinople (381 AD)
Novena
a devotional prayer to a particular saint or group of saints, usually done over nine days, seeking their intercession for a particular need
Original Sin
the sin of Adam and Eve that separated mankind from God; it was the loss of the grace of original justice and holiness
Paschal Mystery
the work of redemption accomplished through Jesus Passion, death, resurrection, and ascension
Penance
another name for the Sacrament of Gods forgiveness of sins that reconcile us to Himself
Pentecost
the birthday of the Church, when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the upper room after Jesus Ascension into heaven
Pope
the successor of St. Peter, the Bishop of Rome, the Vicar of Christ; the supreme authority and shepherd of the entire Catholic Church worldwide
Prayer
a conversation with God
Precepts of the Church
Laws that must be followed by all Catholics
Purgatory
a state of final purification after death but before entrance into heaven for those who have died in a state of grace that are imperfectly purified
Redemption
the act of Jesus in suffering, dying, and rising to secure our salvation
Resurrection
Jesus rising from the dead after three days; confirms all of Jesus teachings
Sacrament
outward signs of grace given to us by God through which we share in Gods divine life
Sacramental
material objects, things, or actions set apart or blessed by the Church to help bring people closer to God by increasing respect for the Sacraments
Sacred Scripture
another name for the Bible
Saint
men and women who have lived lives of extraordinary faith and heroic virtue and who have been officially declared to be in heaven forever
Sanctifying Grace
the free gift given to us by God through the sacraments which gives us a share in Gods divine life
Schism
a break or rupture in the unity of the Church
Saint Peter
chosen by Christ Himself to be the first pope and head of the Church
Saint Thomas Aquinas
the patron saint of Catholic theology, came up with the Five Ways that reason could be used to prove the existence of God
The Ten Commandments
the moral code God gave to the Hebrews at Mount Sinai; also known as the Decalogue
Theological Virtues
the gifts of faith, hope, and charity given to us by God through Baptism
Tradition
refers to the Churchs teachings that were given by Christ to the apostles and passed down to their successors through the ages
Transubstantiation
the miracle by which Eucharistic bread and wine become the Body and Blood
Trinity
the mystery of God as three Divine Persons yet still one God
Virtue
behavior showing high moral standards
Worship
praise
Vatican II
an ecumenical council held from 1962 - 1965 guided by Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul Vi
Heresy
the obstinate denial by a baptized person of some truth that must be believed with divine faith. Examples include that Jesus was never crucified or rose from the dead
Faith
the theological virtue by which one believes in all that God has revealed