All ACRE

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