Unit One Vocations Vocab

Unit 1: Living Our Christian Vocation

Terms List

1. Actual graces: God’s interventions and support for us in the everyday moments of

our lives. Actual graces are important for conversion and for continuing growth in

holiness.

2. Agape: “Unconditional love.” A Greek word used in Scripture and by the early

Christians to describe a self-giving love that puts aside one’s own immediate

self-interest for the interest of another.

3. Age of reason: The age at which a person can be morally responsible. This is

generally regarded to be the age of seven.

4. Beatitudes: The teachings of Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount in which he

describes the actions and attitudes that should characterize Christians and by which

one can discover genuine meaning and happiness.

5. Charism: A special gift or grace of the Holy Spirit given to an individual Christian or

community, commonly for the benefit and building up of the entire Church.

6. Church: The term Church has three inseparable meanings: (1) the entire People of

God throughout the world; (2) the diocese, which is also known as the local Church;

(3) the assembly of believers gathered for the celebration of the liturgy, especially the

Eucharist. In the Nicene Creed, the Church is recognized as One, Holy, Catholic, and

Apostolic—traits that together are referred to as “Marks of the Church.”

7. Disciple: Comes from a Greek word meaning “a learner.” A disciple of Jesus is one

who has made the decision to learn from him.

8. Doctrine: All Church teaching in matters of faith and morals.

9. Dogma: A truth that the Church’s Magisterium has declared as binding and divinely

revealed–infallible, free from error by the Holy Spirit.

10.Eros: “Romantic love.” A Greek word to refer to passionate, infatuated, sexual love

between persons.

11. Grace: the free and undeserved help that God gives to people to respond to his call

to become children of God

12.Holiness: A state of being like God–a state of goodness, freed from sin and evil; a

virtue that involves applying one’s actions and mind to God.

13.Lumen Gentium: “Light of the Nations” a document written during Vatican II that

defines the nature and mission of the Church. It if from this document that we receive

our call to “Universal Holiness”

14.Paschal Mystery: The work of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ mainly

through his Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension.

15.People of God: Another name for the Church, the name is scriptural in origin and

refers to God’s plan from the beginning of time to call a people to himself.

16.Philia: “Affectionate Love.” A Greek word used to describe the feeling of affection felt

for parents, siblings, family members and close friends.

17.Sacraments of Christian Initiation: The three Sacraments—Baptism, Confirmation,

and the Eucharist—through which we enter into full membership in the Church.

18.Sacramental graces: The gifts proper to each of the Seven Sacraments.

19.Sacred Chrism: Perfumed olive oil that has been consecrated. It is used for

anointing in the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders.

20.Sanctifying grace: The grace that heals our human nature wounded by sin and

restores us to friendship with God by giving us a share in the divine life of the Trinity.

It is a supernatural gift of God, infused into our souls by the Holy Spirit, that continues

the work of making us holy.

21.Tradition: This word (from the Latin, meaning “to hand on,” refers to the process of

passing on the Gospel message. Tradition, which began with the oral communication

of the Gospel by the Apostles, was written down in Scripture, is handed down and

lived out in the life of the Church, and is interpreted by the Magisterium under the

guidance of the Holy Spirit.

22.“Universal Holiness”: the teaching that all people are called to be holy (like Christ)

and that each person has a unique role to plan in God’s plan.

23.Vocation: A call from God to all members of the Church to embrace a life of holiness.

Specifically, it refers to a call to live the holy life as an ordained minister, as a vowed

religious (sister or brother), or in a Christian marriage. Single life that involves a

personal consecration or commitment to a permanent, celibate gift of self to God and

one's neighbor is also a vocational state.