Mehen Midterm

actual grace

grace given for particular concrete needs in life; can be given to anyone, not just Christians; not the same as sanctifying grace

administer

to give or convey something to another; a minister administers a sacrament

covenant

an agreement that creates a family bond; much stronger that a contract; salvation history is essentially a history of covenants with man, initiated and fulfilled by God

covenant exchange

an exchange of objects or things of value as part of entering into a covenant agreement

disposition/disposed

one's attitude or readiness to receive a sacrament

efficacious

having the desired effect

ex opere operato

"by the deed done;" means that sacraments are valid regardless of the un/worthiness of the minister or the poor/good disposition of the recipient

extension of the incarnation

the sacraments are extensions of the Incarnation because they continue the reality of God's intangible grace made concrete in Jesus Christ

form

the words and gestures of a sacrament (N., I baptize you in the Name of the Father.....)

fruitful reception

the sacramental graces are successfully received by the recipient

illicit

a sacrament performed incorrectly, not all (or none) of the rules have been followed

incarnation

the en-flesh-ment of God in Jesus at the moment He was conceived in Mary's womb

licit

a sacrament performed correctly, all the rules have been followed

matter

the physical component of a sacrament (bread, oil, etc.)

primordial sacrament

Jesus Christ as the very first instance of intangible grace made tangible

sacrament

outward sign of inward grace; a sign that conveys what it signifies, which is grace; God's intangible grace given in a tangible way (which is miraculous)

sacramentals

objects or actions that help encourage a pious disposition; some sacramentals may be blessed by a priest or bishop; they do no give grace as the sacraments do, but they can help dispose us to receive grace. Ex: holy water and holy chrism, rosaries, the sign of the cross, devotional medals, scapulars, etc.

salvific

saving

sanctifying grace

saving grace, the gift of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ; the sacraments convey sanctifying grace

state of grace

having God's grace; being in communion with God and therefore able to receive sacraments such as the Eucharist and Confirmation; a person must be baptized and free of mortal sin

Valid

the sacrament takes place, the grace is poured out

invalid

the sacrament does not actually take place because of a problem with the matter or form

apostolate

the particular way God calls and equips each one of us to be an apostle

baptism of desire

receiving the grace of Baptism upon death, because Baptism was desired and not completed through no fault of the would-be baptizand

baptism of blood

receiving the grace of Baptism upon death, because the would-be baptizand was martyred for the faith before ordinary Baptism could be completed

baptizand

person who is baptized

baptizein

Greek word meaning "to plunge or immerse"

catechumen/catechumenate

person studying to be baptized and enter into the mysteries of the Christian faith/process of studying for this

chrism

oil blessed on Holy Thursday for use in sacraments

concupiscence

the tendency to sin that remains even after Baptism

conditional baptism

when a person is believed to have been baptized correctly, but we are unsure, so we baptize again with the understanding that if the first was valid, this one is unnecessary

confirmand

the person being confirmed

indelible

permanent, can't be removed even after death

laying on of hands

ancient ritual of conferring authority from one person to another; used in Confirmation and Holy Orders

mortal sin

a sin of grave matter, undertaken with full knowledge and complete consent; since it is a conscious turning from God, it incurs automatic excommunication

pentecost

recorded in Acts 2, the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and Mary as promised by Christ; the birthday of the Church (since without the Holy Spirit, we cannot be the Body of Christ); occurred on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost

sin of commission

a sin that is a concrete act (stealing)

sin of omission

a sin that is NOT doing something we know we should do (not going to Mass)

solidarity

unity or agreement of feeling or action

trinitarian formula

the words, "N., I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

type/typology

study and interpretation of types and symbols in the Bible, between the Old Testament and the New

venial sin

a sin that is either not grave matter, or not undertaken with full knowledge or full consent; since it is NOT a conscious turning from God, it harms our relationship with God but does not cut ourselves off from him completely

adoration

a formal occasion of worshipping Christ in the Eucharist

age of reason

age at which a young person is thought to possess intellectual faculties enabling meaningful free choice and personal responsibility

apax

a word that is only seen one time and never used anywhere else: the word "epiousios" in the Lord's Prayer is an apax. We only find it in the Lord's Prayer in the Bible, and nowhere else. This makes translation a problem. It is normally translated "daily" in "daily bread," but it is more literally "supersubstantial" - Give us this day our supersubstantial (or supernatural) bread

benediction

a prayer service, usually at the end of an Adoration session, blessing God

communicant

person who is able to receive Communion; has received First Communion and has not incurred excommunication

communion

another word for Eucharist; also, to be in intimate union with someone

consecration

act of dedicating to a sacred purpose; in Mass, the consecration is the act that corresponds to transubstantiation

eucharist

from the Greek word eucharistein, which means "to give thanks;" the sacrament of Communion

excommunication

to lose the gift of the Holy Spirit and communion with God, and thereby to lose our spiritual connection with the whole Body of Christ

automatic excommunication

we excommunicate ourselves from the communion of the Holy Spirit when we turn away from God knowingly

formal excommunication

after years of discussion with the Holy See, persistence in publicly teaching error as though it were Catholic teaching will result in a formal notice of excommunication, which is also published in Catholic periodicals for the protection of the faithful

mass

from the Latin word missa, or "dismissal/mission;" the idea is that when we receive the Word and Sacrament of Our Lord, we are given an apostolic mission and the graces to undertake it successfully

monstrance

a very ornate object used to hold up the Blessed Sacrament for Exposition, to be adored; this object helps demonstrate (or show) the Eucharist

paschal lamb

Jesus as the Perfect Sacrifice, the Unblemished Lamb (fulfillment of the sacrifice of the unblemished lambs at the original Passover in Egypt) offered by God the Father for the atonement of our sins

passover

ancient celebration of the Jews in remembrance of all the miraculous acts of God (10 plagues, Angel of Death, escape from Pharaoh, pillar of cloud and fire, etc.) associated with the salvation of the Jews from Pharaoh and culminating in the receiving of the 10 Commandments and the Sinai Covenant; this celebration is fulfilled by Christ on Holy Thursday and celebrated daily in the Catholic Mass

real presence

refers to the fact of Jesus' Presence in the Eucharist, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity; Jesus is really, truly, and substantially present in the Eucharist

spiritual communion

prayer, stemming from ardent desire to receive Communion when unable to do so, that the graces of Communion and closeness to Christ will be granted by God

tabernacle

the golden box in a Eucharistic chapel, used to reserve the Eucharist that was not consumed at the last Mass

transubstantiation

moment when the substances of bread and wine become the substance of Jesus Christ, leaving only what Aristotle & Aquinas would call the "accidents" of the sensory characteristics of bread and wine

absolution

act of absolving (clearing of guilt) a penitent of his sins; this act of the priest is on behalf of God, from whom the grace comes

confessor

the priest hearing confessions

contrition

sorrow for sins

examination of conscience

process of examining our actions/thoughts/attitudes to be aware of when we have sinned so that we know what to confess

extreme unction

means "last anointing;" when Anointing of the Sick is given to a dying person

general absolution

when a priest/bishop, in an emergency situation, grants absolution (from the sacrament of Confession) to a large group all at once

last rites

a set of 3 sacraments given to a dying person in this order: Confession (if possible), Anointing of the Sick (Extreme Unction), and the Eucharist (Viaticum)

penance

can refer to the sacrament of Confession; also, making reparation for sins we have committed

penitent

the person confessing his sins

reconciliation

can refer to the sacrament of Confession; reuniting with someone, in this case, God

satisfaction for sins

making reparation for sins we have committed

seal of confession

the requirement that confessors never refer to anything they've heard in the confessional

viaticum

means "food for the journey;" when the Eucharist is given to a dying person

apostolic succession

the transfer of apostolic authority, through the laying on of hands, to bishops

bishop/episcopate

highest level of Holy Orders; has full apostolic authority; bishop means "overseer"

cardinal

a papal advisor; almost always, but not by necessity, a bishop (there have been a couple of lay cardinals); a cardinal does not receive any additional sacrament or level of Holy Orders in order to be a cardinal

celibacy

a form of chastity by which a person declines all sexual behaviors, even chaste ones

chastity

the correct moderation of the sexual appetite; all persons are called to chastity that is in accord with their state in life (unmarried, single, dating, religious)

deacon/diaconate

the first level of Holy Orders, sharing partially in apostolic authority; deacon means "servant"

diocese

geographical area over which a bishop has authority

episcopal college

college, or collection, of bishops around the world; the magisterium is basically the various voices of the Episcopal College

evangelical counsels

vows taken by religious persons after years of discernment

poverty (evangelical counsel)

all possessions and wealth (but also debt) are given to the religious order

chastity (evangelical counsel)

see above; for religious, celibacy is the appropriate form of chastity

obedience (evangelical counsel)

will obey the head of the religious order in all matters

petrine authority

the authority given to Peter as the head of the Apostles, and shared by his successor, the Bishop of Rome

priest/presbyterate

the second level of Holy Orders, sharing substantially in apostolic authority; priest means "elder"

religious

person who belongs to a religious order (Jesuits, Cistercians, Ursulines, Dominicans, etc.) or is ordained to Holy Orders

holy orders

the sacrament or rite of ordination as a member of the clergy

ordination

the action by which holy orders are conferred on someone

annulment

a decree of the Church (from a marriage tribunal) that - after close and careful testimony and examination - what had been believed to be a sacramental marriage bond, was not actually a sacramental bond; "declaration of nullity;" an annulment is NOT a declaration of dissolution; an annulment is declared if it is found that on the day of the wedding, something essential was missing at the moment of consent

conjugal

having to do with marriage; "conjugal bliss" etc.; "conjugal love" usually refers specifically to the marital act, which is sex

consummation

to finalize or make perfect; a sacramental marriage bond is consummated by the marital act (sex); without sexual consummation, a marriage is not a sacrament

divorce

a civil declaration stating that the civil marriage union is dissolved

domestic church

the family

impediment to matrimony

a reason that two persons cannot enter into a valid covenant of matrimony: already married, already related, etc.

indissoluble

cannot be dissolved (a covenant, such as a sacramental marriage bond, is indissoluble)

marital act

sex

tribunal

court or group within the Church that reviews the annulment application and decides if an annulment should be decreed