Lap 3: Life in Christ - Vocations Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering the theological concepts, vocations (Marriage, Priesthood, Religious Life, and Committed Single Life), and vocational discernment from the Life in Christ study guide.

Universal Calling to Holiness

The foundational calling shared by all people to become holy and grow closer to God.

Particular Vocation

A specific way of living out the universal call to holiness (such as Marriage, Holy Orders, Religious Life, or Committed Single Life) that is primarily about who a person is rather than what they do.

Covenant

A solemn, sacred, permanent, and indissoluble exchange of persons that establishes a lasting family bond.

Contract

An agreement centered on exchanging specific responsibilities, services, or goods, rather than a total exchange of persons.

Sacrament

An outward sign of an inward grace instituted by Christ.

Unitive Purpose of Marriage

The purpose of marriage where husband and wife unite by giving themselves completely to each other in a loving, fruitful, and permanent relationship.

Procreative Purpose of Marriage

The purpose of marriage where the husband and wife remain open to having children and bringing new life into the world as co-creators with God.

Exclusivity (Marriage Property)

The property of marriage wherein each spouse gives themselves entirely to one person and cannot give themselves in the same way to anyone else.

Indissolubility (Marriage Property)

The property of marriage stating that a valid marriage covenant is permanent and meant to endure for life.

Free (Marriage Element)

The element of marital consent requiring that both individuals choose to marry without external forces, pressure, coercion, or ulterior motives.

Total (Marriage Element)

The element of marriage in which the man and woman give themselves completely to one another, devoted to no one else.

Faithful (Marriage Element)

The promise of husband and wife to remain loyal and honor each other all the days of their lives through sickness and health, good and bad.

Fruitful (Marriage Element)

The open disposition of a married couple to welcome children lovingly from God and raise them in the Catholic faith.

Civil Divorce

The secular legal dissolution of a marriage, which may be necessary to protect an innocent spouse or child in cases of abuse, abandonment, or adultery, but does not dissolve the sacramental bond.

Annulment

A formal declaration by the Church, after a thorough sacramental investigation, that a valid sacramental marriage never existed from the start due to an impediment.

Melchizedek

The first person Scripture calls a priest; known as the 'Priest of God Most High,' he offered bread and wine and prefigured Jesus Christ's priesthood.

In Persona Christi

A Latin phrase meaning 'in the person of Christ,' describing how an ordained priest acts through Christ's authority rather than his own when celebrating the sacraments.

Evangelical Counsels

The three public vows taken in religious life: poverty (living simply without focusing on material goods), chastity (giving oneself completely to God), and obedience (following God's will and religious superiors).

Monasticism

A religious way of life where individuals renounce worldly pursuits to dedicate themselves entirely to spiritual devotion; derived from the Greek 'monachos,' meaning 'living alone.'

Hermetic Monasticism

An isolated, contemplative form of monasticism where individuals live alone away from society to focus on solitude, prayer, and contemplation, exemplified by St. Anthony of Egypt.

Cenobitic Monasticism

A communal contemplative form of monasticism where religious live and work together in community, exemplified by St. Benedict and St. Scholastica.

New Monasticism

An active form of religious life in which members live and serve directly in society by preaching, caring for the sick, and helping the poor, exemplified by St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi.

Ora et Labora

A Latin phrase meaning 'Pray and Work,' serving as the motto of Benedictine communal monasticism.

Everyday Single Life

The state of simply being unmarried, which does not require discernment, does not necessarily involve a lifelong commitment, and lacks formal vows.

Committed Single Life

A deliberate state of life in which an unmarried person remains celibate, intentionally dedicating their life to God, His Church, and others through their gifts and profession.

Asceticism

The spiritual practice of making sacrifices for God—such as fasting, prayer, and almsgiving—to foster holiness and prepare oneself to love God and others.

Discernment

The ongoing spiritual process of discovering what is from God and what is not, distinguishing between good and evil, and aligning one's desires with God's plan.