DICTIONARY OF CATHOLIC TERMS

A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z

Abortion:
Deliberate termination of pregnancy by killing the unborn child.
Such direct abortion, willed either as an end or a means, is
gravely contrary to the moral law. The Church attaches the
canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against
human life.

Abraham:
The man of faith and patriarch of Israel with whom God made a
covenant which promised him land in which to live and many
descendants, a great people for whom the Lord would be their
God. Through Abraham God formed the people to whom he
would later give the law by revelation to Moses. With the advent
of Christ, the people of Israel would serve as the root to which
the Gentiles would be grafted by their coming to believe.

Absolution:
Part of the sacrament of penance. It is the formal declaration by
the priest that a penitent's sins are forgiven.

Abstinence:
Refraining from certain kinds of food or drink as an act of self-
denial. Usually refraining from eating meat. Official days of
abstinence from meat for Catholics are Ash Wednesday and
Good Friday.

Acedia:
A less common synonym for sloth, one of the seven "capital"
sins.

Acolyte:
A liturgical minister appointed to assist at liturgical
celebrations. Priests and deacons receive this ministry before
they are ordained. Lay men may be installed permanently in the

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 1 of 82
:
 ministry of acolyte through a rite of institution and blessing.

Adam:
According to the creation story in Genesis, the first man. From
this story the Church has learned that humanity was originally
created in a state of holiness and justice and that the first
ancestors of the human race lost this state for themselves and
all humanity by their sin, original sin. Christ is called the
second or new Adam because he ushered in the new creation
by forgiving sin and restoring humanity to the grace of God's
friendship lost by original sin.

Adoration:
The acknowledgment of God as God, Creator and Savior, the
Lord and Master of everything that exists. Through worship and
prayer, the Church and individual persons give to God the
adoration which is the first act of the virtue of religion. The first
commandment of the law obliges us to adore God.

Adultery:
Marital infidelity, or sexual relations between two partners, at
least one of whom is married to another party. The sixth
commandment and the New Testament forbid adultery
absolutely.

Advent:
The liturgical season of four weeks devoted to preparation for
the coming of Christ at Christmas.

All Saints Day:

The day on which Catholics remember all the saints of the
Church, whether officially canonized or not. It is celebrated on
November 1st.

All Souls Day:

The day on which Catholics remember the dead and pray for
them recognizing that they may still need to be brought to
perfection. It is observed on November 2nd.

Almsgiving:
Money or goods given to the poor as an act of penance or

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 2 of 82
:
 fraternal charity. Almsgiving, together with prayer and fasting,
are traditionally recommended to foster the state of interior
penance.

Altar:
The center and focal point of a Church, where the sacrifice of
Christ on the cross is made present under sacramental signs in
the Mass. Among the Israelites the altar was the place where
sacrifices were offered to God. The Christian altar represents
two aspects of the mystery of the Eucharist, as the altar of
sacrifice where Christ as the sacrificial victim offers himself for
our sins and as the table of the Lord where Christ gives himself
to us as food from heaven.

Amen:
A Hebrew word meaning truly; it is so; let it be done, signifying
agreement with what has been said. The prayers of the New
Testament and of the Church's liturgy, and the Creeds,
conclude with amen. Jesus used the word to introduce solemn
assertions, to emphasize their trustworthiness and authority.

Analogy of Faith:
The coherence of the truths of the faith among themselves and
within the whole plan of Revelation.

Anamnesis:
The remembrance of God's saving deeds in history in the
liturgical action of the Church, which inspires thanksgiving and
praise. Every Eucharistic Prayer contains an anamnesis or
memorial in which the Church calls to mind the Passion,
Resurrection, and glorious return of Christ Jesus.

Anaphora:
The Eucharistic Prayer, the prayer of thanksgiving and
consecration which is the heart and summit of the celebration
of the Mass.

Angel:
A spiritual, personal, and immortal creature, with intelligence
and free will, who glorifies God without ceasing and who serves
God as a messenger of his saving plan. Meaning "Messenger".

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 3 of 82
:
 In the Bible they are described as carrying messages from God
to Humans.

Angelus:
A form of prayer said 3 times per day; morning, noon and
evening.

Anger:
An emotion which is not controlled by reason or hardens into
resentment and hate, becomes one of the seven capital sins.
Christ taught that anger is an offense against the fifth
commandment.

Annunciation:
The visit of the angel Gabriel to the virgin Mary to inform her
that she was to be the mother of the Savior. After giving her
consent to God's word, Mary became the mother of Jesus by
the power of the Holy Spirit. The feast day is March 25.

Anointing:
A symbol of the Holy Spirit, whose anointing of Jesus as
Messiah fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament. Christ in
Hebrew - Messiah means the one anointed by the Holy Spirit.
Anointing is the sacramental sign of Confirmation, called
Chrismation in the Churches of the East. Anointings form part
of the liturgical rites of the catechumenate, and of the
Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Orders.

Anointing of the Sick:

One of the seven sacraments, also known as the sacrament of
the dying, administered by a priest to a baptized person who
begins to be in danger of death because of illness or old age,
through prayer and the anointing of the body with the oil of the
sick. The proper effects of the sacrament include a special
grace of healing and comfort to the Christian who is suffering
the infirmities of serious illness or old age, and the forgiving of
the perSon's sins.

AntiChrist:
The deceitful one referred to in the New Testament, associated
with the mystery of iniquity which will precede the second

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 4 of 82
:
 coming of Christ, through which people will be led away from
the truth to follow a false messianism, by which man glorifies
himself and human achievement in place of God and his
Messiah come in the flesh, in whom the kingdom will be
fulfilled.

Apostasy:
The total repudiation of the Christian faith.

Apostle:
One who is sent as Jesus was sent by the Father, and as he
sent his chosen disciples to preach the Gospel to the whole
world. He called the Twelve to become his Apostles, chosen
witnesses of his Resurrection and the foundation on which the
Church is built. The apostolic office is permanent in the
Church, in order to ensure that the divine mission entrusted to
the Apostles by Jesus will continue to the end of time. The
bishops receive their office as successors of the Apostles
through the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Apostles' Creed:
A statement of Christian faith developed from the baptismal
Creed or symbol of the ancient Church of Rome, the see of St.
Peter, first of the Apostles. The Apostles' Creed is considered
to be a faithful summary of the faith of the Apostles.

Apostolate:
The activity of the Christian which fulfills the apostolic nature
of the whole Church by working to extend the reign of Christ to
the entire world.

Apostolic Succession:
The handing on of apostolic preaching and authority from the
Apostles to their successors the bishops through the laying on
of hands, as a permanent office in the Church.

Apparition:
An appearance to people on earth of a heavenly being Christ,
Mary, an angel,or a saint. The apparitions of Jesus in his risen
body to his disciples occurred between Easter and his
Ascension into heaven.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 5 of 82
:
 Ascension:
The taking up of Jesus into Heaven forty days after the
resurrection and witnessed by the Apostles. Ascension
Thursday is celebrated forty days after Easter.

Ascesis:
The practice of penance, mortification, and self-denial to
promote greater self-mastery and to foster the way of
perfection by embracing the way of the cross.

Ash Wednesday:
The first day of Lent. By tradition Catholics have ashes
sprinkled on their foreheads to mark repentance. They also fast
and abstain from eating meat.

Assumption:
The taking up of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, into Heaven.
Celebrated on August 15.

Atheism:
The denial in theory and/or practice that God exists. Atheism is
a sin against the virtue of religion required by the first
commandment of the law.

Ave Maria:
Latin words meaning; "Hail Mary". The first words of the most
popular prayer that Catholics address to Mary.

Baptism:
The first of the seven sacraments which gives access to the
other sacraments. Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of
forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ, who died
for our sins and rose for our justification. Baptism,
Confirmation, and Eucharist constitute the sacraments of
initiation by which a believer receives the remission of original
and personal sin, begins a new life in Christ and the Holy Spirit,
and is incorporated into the Church, the Body of Christ. The rite
of Baptism consists in immersing the candidate in water, or
pouring water on the head, while pronouncing the invocation of

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 6 of 82
:
 the Most Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Baptismal Font:
Large container of water often made of marble and placed at
the entrance of the Church. At it, the priest or deacon pours the
water that is used in the Baptism of the candidate entering the
Church.

Base Communities:
Groups of 10 to 20 people gathered for scripture reading and
discussion. Using these discussions to make decisions about
conditions in their community.

Beatification:
The first step in the process by which a dead person is officially
declared to be a Saint.

Beatific Vision:
The contemplation of God in heavenly glory, a gift of God which
is a constitutive element of the happiness of heaven.

Beatitude:
Happiness or blessedness, especially the eternal happiness of
heaven, which is described as the vision of God, or entering
into God's rest by those whom he makes partakers of the divine
nature.

Beatitudes:
The teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount on the
meaning and way to true happiness. These teachings reflect the
promises made to the chosen people since Abraham; they
portray the countenance of Christ and describe His charity.

Benediction:
A short service in which the consecrated Host is placed in a
monstrance where it can be seen and venerated by the people.

Bible:
Derived through Latin from the Greek word "biblia" or "books"
the diminutive form of "byblos" the word for "papyrus" or
"paper", which was exported from the ancient Phoenician port

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 7 of 82
:
 city of Biblos. Sacred Scripture: the books which contain the
truth of God's Revelation and were composed by human
authors inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Bible contains both the
forty-six books of the Old Testament and the twenty-seven
books of the New Testament.

Bible Vigil:
A post-Vatican II liturgical ceremony in which the Bible is
prominently displayed on the Church altar and the service
consists of readings and reflection on biblical texts.

Biblical Inspiration:
The gift of the Holy Spirit which assisted a human author to
write a biblical book so that it has God as its author and
teaches faithfully, without error, the saving truth that God has
willed to be consigned to us.

Bidding Prayers:
Prayers which are said at Mass after the Creed for the needs of
the world and the Church. Also referred to as; "The prayer of
the Faithful."

Bishop:
From the Greek word "episcopos" meaning "overseer". A
bishop is in charge of the Church in a local area. One who has
received the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, which
makes him a member of the episcopal college and a successor
of the Apostles. He is the shepherd of a particular Church
entrusted to him.

Blasphemy:
Speech, thought, or action involving contempt for God or the
Church, or persons or things dedicated to God. Blasphemy is
directly opposed to the second commandment.

Blessed Sacrament:
A term Catholics use when referring to the consecrated Host-
especially when it is reserved in the Tabernacle. A name given
to the Holy Eucharist, especially the consecrated elements
reserved in the tabernacle for adoration, or for the sick.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 8 of 82
:
 Blessing:
A short prayer, usually accompanied by the sign of the cross,
asking God's favor on persons or objects. A blessing or
benediction is a prayer invoking God's power and care upon
some person, place, thing, or undertaking. The prayer of
benediction acknowledges God as the source of all blessing.
Some blessings confer a permanent status: consecration of
persons to God, or setting things apart for liturgical usage.

Body of Christ:
The human body which the Son of God assumed through his
conception in the womb of Mary and which is now glorified in
heaven. This same Body and Blood, together with the soul and
divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ are sacramentally present in
the Eucharist under the appearances of bread and wine. The
Church is called the Mystical Body of Christ because of the
intimate communion which Jesus shares with His disciples; the
metaphor of a body, whose head is Christ and whose members
are the faithful, provides an image which keeps in focus both
the unity and the diversity of the Church.

Breviary:
A book containing the prayers, hymns, psalms and readings
which make up the Divine Office (a form of prayer said by the
Clergy.)

Calumny:
A false statement which harms the reputation of others and
gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.

Canon Law:
The rules, canons or laws, which provide the norms for good
order in the visible society of the Church. Those canon laws
that apply universally are contained in the Codes of Canon Law.
The most recent Code of Canon Law was promulgated in 1983
for the latin Western Church and in 1991 for the Eastern
Church.

Canon of the Mass:

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 9 of 82
:
 The central part of the Mass, also known as the Eucharistic
Prayer or "Anaphora," which contains the prayer of
thanksgiving and consecration.

Canon of Scripture:
The Church's complete list of sacred books of the Bible.

Canonization:
The solemn declaration by the Pope that a deceased member of
the faithful may be proposed as a model and intercessor to the
Christian faithful and venerated as a Saint on the basis of the
fact that the person lived a life of heroic virtue or remained
faithful to God through martyrdom.

Canticle:
From the word for "song," these Scripture selections are poetic
hymns which are often sung in the liturgy. These canticles
come from both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Some examples are Daniel 3:52-90; Habakkuk 3:1-19; Luke 1:46-
55; Luke 1:68-79; Philippians 2:6-11; and Colossians 1:15-20.

Capital Sins:
Sins which engender other sins and vices. They are
traditionally numbered as seven: pride, covetousness, envy,
anger, gluttony, lust, and sloth.

Cardinal Virtues:
Four pivotal human virtues derived from the latin carbo,
"pivot": prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. The
human virtues are stable dispositions of the intellect and will
that govern our acts, order our passions, and guide our
conduct in accordance with reason and faith.

Catacombs:
System of tunnels used by early Catholics as hiding places
when they were being persecuted.

Catechesis:
An education of children, young people, and adults in the faith
of the Church through the teaching of Christian doctrine in an
organic and systematic way to make them disciples of Jesus

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 10 of 82
:
 Christ. Those who perform the ministry of catechists in the
Church are called "catechists".

Catechism:
A popular summary or compendium of Catholic doctrine about
faith and morals and designed for use in catechists.

Catechist:
Someone who teaches Christian doctrine, especially in Parish
or School.

Catechumen:
A person who is preparing for Baptism. The catechumenate is
the formation of these catechumens in preparation for their
Christian Initiation, and aims at bringing their conversion and
their faith to maturity within the occlusal community. The
candidates are anointed with oil of catechumens by which they
are strengthened in their conversion from sin and renunciation
of Satan.

Cathedral:
The official Church of the bishop of a diocese. The Greek word
cathedra means chair or throne; the bishop's "Chair"
symbolizes his teaching and governing authority, and is located
in the principal Church or "cathedral" of the local diocese of
which he is the chief pastor.

Catholic:
One of the four marks or notes of the Church, taken from the
Nicene Creed. The Church is catholic or universal both because
she possesses the fullness of Christ's presence and the means
of salvation, and because she has been sent out by Christ on a
mission to the whole of the human race.

Catholic Church:
The Church established by Christ on the foundation of the
Apostles, possessing the fullness of the means of salvation
which he has willed: correct and complete confession of faith,
full sacramental life, and ordained ministry in apostolic
succession.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 11 of 82
:
 Celebrant:
The one who presides at a religious service. The priest at Mass
is referred to as the Celebrant.

Celibacy:
The state or condition of those who have chosen to remain
unmarried for the sake of the kingdom of heaven in order to
give themselves entirely to God and to the service of his
people. In the latin Church, celibacy is obligatory for bishops
and priests. In some Eastern Churches, celibacy is a
prerequisite for the ordination only of bishops; priests may not
marry after they have been ordained.

Ceremony:
Formal practice or custom established as proper to honor a
special occasion.

Chalice:
The cup used at Mass to hold the wine.

Character, Sacramental:
An indelible spiritual mark which is the permanent effect of the
sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, by
which a person is given a new permanent configuration to
Christ and a specific standing in the Church; the reception of
these sacraments is never repeated.

Charism:
A specific gift or grace of the Holy Spirit which directly or
indirectly benefits the Church, given in order to help a person
live out the Christian life, or to serve the common good in
building up the Church.

Charismatic Renewal:
A movement within the Church which aims for renewal by being
attuned to the power of the Holy Spirit working in the lives of
individuals and communities.

Charity:
The theological virtue by which we love God above all things
for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 12 of 82
:
 God.

Chastity:
The moral virtue which, under the cardinal virtue of
temperance, provides for the successful integration of sexuality
within the person leading to the inner unity of the bodily and
spiritual being. Chastity is called one of the fruits of the Holy
Spirit.

Choir:
A group of persons trained to lead in the singing at liturgical
celebrations.

Chrism:
Perfumed oil, consecrated by the bishop, which signifies the
gift of the Holy Spirit. Chrism is used for consecration in the
sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders.

Chrismation:
The name used in the Eastern Churches for the sacrament of
Confirmation, from the "chrism" or "myron" used in the
anointing.

Christ:
From the Greek translation of the Hebrew Messiah, which
means "Anointed." It became the name proper to Jesus
because he accomplished perfectly the divine mission of priest,
prophet, and King, signified by his anointing as Messiah,
"Christ".

Christ the King:

A feast celebrated on the last Sunday of the Church's year
acclaiming Christ as King of the Worlds.

Christian:
A name derived from that of Christ himself. The name refers to
all those who have been anointed through the gift of the Holy
Spirit in Baptism; hence, the followers of Christ, the members
of the Christian Church. According to acts 11:26 "it was in
Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians".

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 13 of 82
:
 Christmas:
The feast of the nativity, the birth of Jesus.

Church:
The name given the "convocation" or "assembly" of the People
God has called together from "the ends of the earth." In
christian usage, the word "Church" has three inseparable
meanings: the People that God gathers in the whole world; the
particular or local Church diocese; and the liturgical assembly.
The Church draws her life from the word and the Body of
Christ, and so herself becomes Christ's body. In the Creed, the
sole Church of Christ is professed to be one, holy, catholic, and
apostolic.

Ciborium:
A bowl or chalice-shaped vessel to hold the consecrated Hosts
for the distribution of Holy Communion.

Circumcision:
The rite prescribed in Judaism and other cultures which
involves cutting off the foreskin of a male. Circumcision was a
sign of the covenant between God and his people Israel and
prefigured the rite of Christian initiation in Baptism. Jesus was
circumcised eight days after his birth in accord with Jewish
law.

Clergy:
A term applied to men who have been Ordained for ministry
within the Church. Bishops, Priests and Deacons are members
of the Clergy.

Cloister:
A place of religious seclusion.

College of Cardinals:
A collection of cardinals that offers counsel to the Pope, elects
new popes and governs the Church in between popes.

Collegiality:
The principle that all the bishops of the Church with the Pope at
their head form a single "college," which succeeds in every

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 14 of 82
:
 generation the "college" of the Twelve Apostles, with Peter at
their head, which Christ instituted as the foundation of the
Church. This college of bishops together with, but never
without, the Pope has supreme and full authority over the
universal church.

Commandment:
A norm of moral and/or religious action; above all, the Ten
Commandments given by God to Moses. Jesus summarized all
the commandments in the twofold command of love of God and
love of neighbor.

Communion:
Holy Communion, the reception of the body and blood of Christ
in the Eucharist. More generally, our fellowship and union with
Jesus and other baptized Christians in the Church, which has
its source and summit in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Communion under both kinds:

Receiving Holy Communion under both of the forms of bread
and wine. It is becoming increasingly common for Catholics to
receive Holy Communion in This way, particularly on special
occasions.

Communion of Saints:
The unity in Christ of all the redeemed, those on earth and
those who have died. The communion of saints is professed in
the Apostles' Creed, where it has also been interpreted to refer
to unity in the "holy things" communio sanctorum, especially
the unity of faith and charity achieved through participation in
the Eucharist.

Concelebration:
The celebration of Mass by several Priests together.

Conclave:
The meeting of the Cardinals in complete seclusion, when they
assemble to elect a Pope.

Concupiscence:
Human appetites or desires which remain disordered due to the

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 15 of 82
:
 temporal consequences of original sin, which remain even after
Baptism, and which produce an inclination to sin.

Confession:
An essential element of the Sacrament of Penance and
Reconciliation, which consists in telling one's sins to the
priestly minister. By extension, the word confession is used to
refer to the Sacrament of Penance itself.

Confessor:
A Priest who hears confessions.

Confirmation:
One of the ensemble of the Sacraments of Initiation into the
Church, together with Baptism and Eucharist. Confirmation
completes the grace of Baptism by a special outpouring of the
gifts of the Holy Spirit, which seal or "confirm" the baptized in
union with Christ and equip them for active participation in the
worship and apostolic life of the Church.

Conscience:
The interior voice of a human being, within whose heart the
inner law of God is inscribed. Moral conscience is a judgment
of practical reason about the moral quality of a human action. It
moves a person at the appropriate moment to do good and to
avoid evil. An examination of conscience is recommended as a
preparation for the reception of the Sacrament of Penance.

Consecrated Life:
A permanent state of life recognized by the Church, entered
freely in response to the call of Christ to perfection, and
characterized by the profession of the evangelical counsels of
poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Consecrated Virgins:
Women who have decided with the Church's approval to cling
only to the Lord and to live in a state of virginity "for the sake of
the kingdom of heaven" and are consecrated in that state by a
solemn rite.

Consecration:

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 16 of 82
:
 The dedication of a thing or person to divine service by a
prayer or blessing. The consecration at Mass is that part of the
Eucharistic Prayer during which the Lord's words of institution
of the Eucharist at the Last Supper are recited by the priestly
minister, making Christ's Body and Blood his sacrifice offered
on the cross once for all sacramentally present under the
species of bread and wine.

Contemplation:
A form of wordless prayer in which mind and heart focus on
God's greatness and goodness in affective, loving adoration; to
look on Jesus and the mysteries of his life with faith and love.

Contemplative Prayer:
Form of prayer developed in the monasteries.

Contraception, Artificial:
The use of mechanical, chemical, or medical procedures to
prevent conception from taking place as a result of sexual
intercourse; contraception offends against the openness to
procreation required of marriage and also the inner truth of
conjugal love.

Contrition:
Sorrow of the soul and hatred for the sin committed, together
with a resolution not to sin again. Contrition is the most
important act of the penitent, and is necessary for the reception
of the Sacrament of Penance.

Convent:
The place where a community of Nuns live.

Conversion:
A radical reorientation of the whole life away from sin and evil,
and toward God. This change of heart or conversion is a central
element of Christ's preaching, of the Church's ministry of
evangelization, and of the Sacrament of Penance and
Reconciliation.

Corpus Christi:
A Latin phrase meaning; "The Body of Christ". The feast of

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 17 of 82
:
 Corpus Christi commemorates the institution of the Eucharist
and is celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday.

Council:
An assembly of representatives from the whole Church called
together by the Pope to make decisions.

Council, Ecumenical:
A gathering of all the bishops of the world, in the exercise of
their collegial authority over the universal Church. an
Ecumenical Council is usually called by the successor of St.
Peter, the Pope, or at least confirmed or accepted by him.

Covenant:
A solemn agreement between human beings or between God
and a human being involving mutual commitments or
guarantees. The Bible refers to God's covenants with Noah,
Abraham, and Moses as leader of the chosen people, Israel. In
the Old Testament or Covenant, God revealed his law through
Moses and prepared his people for salvation through the
prophets. In the New Testament or Covenant, Christ established
a new and eternal covenant through his own sacrificial death
and Resurrection. The Christian economy is the new and
definitive covenant which will never pass away, and no new
public revelation is to be expected before the glorious
manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Covetousness:
A disordered inclination or desire for pleasure or possessions.
One of the capital sins, it is proscribed by the ninth and tenth
commandments.

Creation:
The act by which the eternal God gave a beginning to all that
exists outside of himself. Creation also refers to the created
universe or totality of what exists, as often expressed by the
formula "the heavens and the earth".

Creed:
A brief, normative summary statement or profession of
Christian faith, e.g., the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed. The

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 18 of 82
:
 word "Creed" comes from the latin credo, meaning "I Believe,"
with which the Creed begins. Creeds are also called symbols of
faith.

Cross:
The instrument of execution on which Christ died; a symbol of
the unique sacrifice of Christ as sole mediator between God
and man. Jesus invited his disciples to take up their cross and
follow him, in order to associate with his redeeming sacrifice
those who were to be its first beneficiaries. Catholics begin
their prayers and actions with the sign of the cross "in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen." A devotional cross with the figure of Jesus suspended
on it is called a "Crucifix". Made of two planks of timber, one
placed across the other. Used as the instrument of execution in
Roman times.

Crucifix:
A cross with the figure of the crucified Jesus upon it. Used by
Catholics to bring to mind the sufferings of Christ.

Crusades:
Military expeditions undertaken by the Christians of Europe
from the 11th to the 13th centuries to reclaim the Holy Land
from the Muslims.

CWL:
Catholic Womens League: An organization promoting religious,
education and social welfare and represents Catholic women's
interests on national and international bodies.

Deacon, Diaconate:
A third degree of the hierarchy of the Sacrament of Holy Orders,
after bishop and priest. The deacon is ordained not to
priesthood but for ministry and service. Deacons are ordained
to assist the bishop and priests in the celebration of the divine
mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution of Holy
Communion, in assisting at and blessing marriages, in the
proclamation of the gospel and preaching, in presiding over

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 19 of 82
:
 funerals, and in dedicating themselves to the various ministries
of charity. While the Churches of the East have always had a
functioning order of deacons, in the West the permanent
diaconate was reestablished by the Second Vatican Council.

Deanery:
Several parishes form a Deanery. This unit is administered by
one of the Priests' of the Deanery who has the title; 'Dean'.

Decalogue:
The Ten Commandments (literally, "ten words") given by God to
Moses on Sinai. In order to be faithful to the teaching of Jesus,
the decalogue must be interpreted in the light of the great
commandment of love of God and neighbor.

Definition, Dogmatic:
A solemn declaration by an ecumenical council or by the Pope
that a doctrine is revealed by God and must be believed by the
Universal Church; such definitions are called infallible, and
must be adhered to with the obedience of faith.

Deposit of Faith:
The heritage of faith contained in Sacred Scripture and
tradition, handed on in the Church from the time of the
Apostles, from which the Magisterium draws all that it proposes
for belief as being divinely revealed.

Descent into Hell:

An article in the Apostles' Creed referring to the victory over
death and sin which Christ won by being "raised from the
dead." Jesus, like all people, experienced death and in his soul
joined the others in the realm of the dead, where he descended
as savior, proclaiming the gospel to the spirits imprisoned
there in order to free the just ones who had gone before him.

Despair:
The abandonment of hope in salvation and the forgiveness of
sins.

Detraction:
Disclosure of another's faults and sins, without an objectively

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 20 of 82
:
 valid reason, to persons who did not know about them, thus
causing unjust injury to that person's reputation.

Deuterocanonical books:
"Deuterocanonical" means "second canon" . This terms refers
to the seven additional books in the Old Testament (and the
additions to two others) that the Catholic Church believes are
part of the canon of Scripture inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Development, Doctrinal:
Growth in the understanding of God's revelation, which
continues though the contemplation and study of believers,
theological research, and the preaching of the Magisterium.

Devil/Demon:
A fallen angel, who sinned against God by refusing to accept
His reign. Satan or the devil, the Evil One, and the other
demons were at first good angels, created naturally good, who
became evil by their own doing.

Diocese:
A "particular Church", a community of the faithful in
communion of faith and sacraments whose bishop has been
ordained in apostolic succession. A diocese is usually a
determined geographic area; sometimes it may be constituted
as a group of people of the same rite or language. In Eastern
churches, an eparchy.

Disciple:
Those who accepted Jesus' message to follow him are called
his disciples. Jesus associated his disciples with his own life,
revealed the mystery of the kingdom to the disciples and gave
them a share in his mission, His joy, and his sufferings.

Dispensation:
Exemption from a Church law in a particular case for a special
reason.

Divine Office:
The Liturgy of the Hours, the public prayer of the Church which
sanctifies the whole course of the day and night. Christ thus

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 21 of 82
:
 continues his priestly work through the prayer of his priestly
people.

Divorce:
The claim that the indissoluble marriage bond validly entered
into between a man and a woman is broken. A civil dissolution
of the marriage contract divorce does not free persons from a
valid marriage before God; remarriage would not be morally
licit.

Doctrine/Dogma:
The revealed teachings of Christ which are proclaimed by the
fullest extent of the exercise of the authority of the Church's
Magisterium. The faithful are obliged to believe the truths or
dogmas contained in divine revelation and defined by the
Magisterium.

Doxology:
Christian prayer which gives praise and glory to God, often in a
special way to the Three Divine Persons of the Trinity. Liturgical
Prayers traditionally conclude with the doxology "to the Father,
through the Son, in the Holy Spirit"; the final doxology of the
Lord's Prayer renews the prayer's first three petitions in the
form of adoration and praise.

Easter:
The greatest and oldest Christian feast, which celebrates
Christ's Resurrection from the dead. Easter is the "feast of
feasts," the solemnity of solemnities, the "Great Sunday."
Christians prepare for it during Lent and Holy Week, and
catechumens usually receive the Sacraments of Christian
Initiation Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.

Easter Tridium:
A three day festival of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the
Easter Vigil.

Eastern Churches:
Churches of the East in union with Rome, the Western Church,

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 22 of 82
:
 but not of Roman rite, with their own liturgical, theological, and
administrative traditions, such as those of the Byzantine,
Alexandrian or Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Maronite, and
Chaldean rites. The variety of particular churches with
distinctive traditions witnesses to the catholicity of the one
Church of Christ, which takes root in distinct cultures.

Ecclesiastic/Ecclesiastical:
Pertaining to or of the Church (Greek/Latin: ecclesia). Hence
ecclesiastical government is Church government; an
ecclesiastical province is a grouping of Church jurisdictions or
dioceses; an ecclesiastic is a Church official.

Economy:
The structure and organization of productive work or activity in
a society, forming the basis for financial support and stability of
individuals, families, and society. The morality of economic
activity is judged according to the seventh commandment;
economic activity is one of the principal points addressed by
the Church's social doctrine.

Economy of Salvation (Divine Economy):

From a Greek word oikonomia, literally "management of a
household" or "stewardship" which refers to God's revelation
and communication of himself to the world in time for the sake
of the salvation of all humanity; hence, the economy of
salvation. The Fathers of the Church distinguished oikonomia
from theologia; the latter term refers to the mystery of the
internal life of the trinity. The economy of salvation, on the
other hand, refers to God's activity in creating and governing
the world, particularly with regard to his plan for the salvation
of the world in the person and work of Jesus Christ, a plan
which is being accomplished through his Body the Church, in
its life and sacraments; hence, the "sacramental economy".

Ecumenical Council:
A gathering of all the bishops of the world, in the exercise of
their collegial authority over the universal Church. An
Ecumenical Council is usually called by the successor of St.
Peter, the Pope, or at least confirmed or accepted by him.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 23 of 82
:
 Ecumenism:
Promotion of the restoration of unity among all Christians, the
unity which is a gift of Christ and to which the Church is called
by the Holy Spirit. For the Catholic Church, the Decree on
Ecumenism of the Second Vatican Council provides a charter
for ecumenical efforts.

Enclosure:
That part of a convent or monastery to which outsiders are not
permitted.

Encyclical:
A pastoral letter written by the Pope and sent to the whole
Church and even to the whole world, to express Church
teaching on some important matter. Encyclicals are
expressions of the ordinary papal magisterium.

Envy:
Resentment or sadness at another's good fortune, and the
desire to have it for oneself. One of the seven capital sins, envy
is contrary to the tenth commandment.

Eparchy:
A "particular Church", a community of the faithful in
communion of faith and sacraments whose bishop has been
ordained in apostolic succession. A diocese is usually a
determined geographic area; sometimes it may be constituted
as a group of people of the same rite or language. In Eastern
Churches, an eparchy.

Epiclesis:
The prayer petitioning God to send the Holy Spirit so that the
offerings at the Eucharist may become the Body and Blood of
Christ and thus the faithful, by receiving them, may themselves
become a living offering to God. In every sacrament, the prayer
asking for the sanctifying power of God's Holy Spirit is an
"epiclesis".

Epiphany:
The feast which celebrates the manifestation to the world of the
newborn Christ as Messiah, Son of God, and Savior of the

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 24 of 82
:
 world. The feast of epiphany celebrates the adoration of Jesus
by the wise men, magi, from the East, together with his Baptism
in the Jordan and the wedding feast of Cana in Galilee.

Episcopal/Episcopate:
Pertaining to the office of bishop Greek: episkopos), hence
episcopal consecration, the episcopal college, episcopal
conferences. Episcopate is a collective noun referring to all
those who have received sacramental ordination as bishops.

Epistle:
From the Greek word meaning "letter," This word refers to the
21 books in the New Testament that were written as letters to
instruct and encourage the members of the early Church.

Eremitical Life:
The life of a hermit, separate from the world in praise of God
and for the salvation of the world, in the silence of solitude,
assiduous prayer, and penance.

Eschatology:
From the Greek word eschaton, meaning "last." Eschatology
refers to the area of Christian faith which is concerned about
"the last things," and the coming of Jesus on "the last day":
our human destiny, death, judgment, resurrection of the body,
heaven, purgatory, and hell all of which are contained in the
final articles of the Creed.

Eternal Life:
Living forever with God in the happiness of heaven, entered
after death by the souls of those who die in the grace and
friendship of God. In preaching the kingdom of heaven, Jesus
called all people to eternal life, which is anticipated in the grace
of union with Christ: "This is eternal life, that they may know
you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent".

Eucharist:
The ritual, sacramental action of thanksgiving to God which
constitutes the principal Christian liturgical celebration of and
communion in the paschal mystery of Christ. The liturgical
action called the Eucharist is also traditionally known as the

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 25 of 82
:
 holy sacrifice of the Mass. It is one of the seven sacraments of
the Church; the Holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation.
The Sunday celebration of the Eucharist is at the heart of the
Church's life.

Eucharistic Ministers:
Unordained parishoners chosen by the parish to assist the
priest in the distribution of the elements bread and wine at
communion time during Mass.

Eucharistic Prayer:
The central part of the Mass, also known as the Eucharistic
Prayer or "Anaphora," which contains the prayer of
thanksgiving and consecration.

Euthanasia:
An action or an omission which, of itself or by intention, causes
the death of handicapped, sick, or dying persons sometimes
with an attempt to justify the act as a means of eliminating
suffering. Euthanasia violates the fifth commandment of the law
of God.

Evangelical Counsels:
In general, the teachings of the New Law proposed by Jesus to
his disciples which lead to the perfection of Christian life. In the
New Law, the precepts are intended to remove whatever is
incompatible with charity; the evangelical counsels are to
remove whatever might hinder the development of charity, even
if not contrary to it. The public profession of the evangelical
counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience is a constitutive
element of state of consecrated life in the Church.

Evangelist:
One of the four authors to whom is ascribed the writing of the
Gospels, i.e., Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The term is also
used for one who works actively to spread and promote the
Christian faith.

Evangelization:
The proclamation of Christ and his Gospel Greek: evangelion
by word and the testimony of life, in fulfillment of Christ's

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 26 of 82
:
 command.

Eve:
According to the creation story in Genesis, the first woman;
wife of Adam. God did not create man a solitary being; from the
beginning, "male and female he created them". Because she is
the mother of the eternal Son of God made man, Jesus Christ
the "new adam," Mary is called the "new eve," the "mother of
the living" in the order of grace.

Evil:
The opposite or absence of good. One form of evil, physical
evil, is a result of the "state of journeying" toward its ultimate
perfection in which God created the world, involving the
existence of the less perfect alongside the more perfect, the
constructive and the destructive forces of nature, the
appearance and disappearance of certain beings. Moral evil,
however, results from the free choice to sin which angels and
men have; it is permitted by God, who knows how to derive
good from it, in order to respect the freedom of his creatures.
The entire revelation of God's goodness in Christ is a response
to the existence of evil. The devil is called the Evil One.

Examination of Conscience:
Prayerful self-reflection on our words and deeds in the light of
the Gospel to determine how we may have sinned against God.
The reception of the Sacrament of Penance ought to be
prepared for by such an examination of conscience.

Excommunication:
A severe ecclesiastical penalty, resulting from grave crimes
against the Catholic religion, imposed by ecclesiastical
authority or incurred as a direct result of the commission of an
offense. Excommunication excludes the offender from taking
part in the Eucharist or other sacraments and from the exercise
of any ecclesiastical office, ministry, or function.

Exodus:
God's saving intervention in history by which he liberated the
Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt, made a covenant with

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 27 of 82
:
 them, and brought them into the Promised Land. The Book of
Exodus, the second of the Old Testament., narrates this saving
history. The exodus is commemorated by the Jewish people at
Passover, which for Christians is a foreshadowing of the
"passover" of Jesus Christ from death to life and is celebrated
in the memorial of the Eucharist.

Exorcism:
The public and authoritative act of the Church to protect or
liberate a person or object from the power of the devil (e.g.,
demonic possession) in the name of Christ. A simple exorcism
prayer in preparation for Baptism invokes God's help in
overcoming the power of Satan and the spirit of evil.

Expiation:
The act of redemption and atonement for sin which Christ won
for us by the pouring out of his Blood on the cross, by His
obedient love "even to the end". The expiation of sins
continues in the mystical Body of Christ and the communion of
saints by joining our human acts of atonement to the
redemptive action of Christ, both in this life and in Purgatory.

Extreme Unction:
One of the seven sacraments, also known as the sacrament of
the dying, administered by a priest to a baptized person who
begins to be in danger of death because of illness or old age,
through prayer and the anointing of the body with the oil of the
sick. The proper effects of the sacrament include a special
grace of healing and comfort to the Christian who is suffering
the infirmities of serious illness or old age, and the forgiving of
the person's sins.

Faith:
Both a gift of God and a human act by which the believer gives
personal adherence to God who invites his response, and freely
assents to the whole truth that God has revealed. It is this
revelation of God which the Church proposes for our belief, and
which we profess in the Creed, celebrate in the sacraments, live

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 28 of 82
:
 by right conduct that fulfills the twofold commandment of
charity as specified in the ten commandments, and respond to
in our prayer of faith. Faith is both a theological virtue given by
God as grace, and an obligation which flows from the first
commandment of God.

Faithful, The Christian:

Those who have been incorporated into Christ in Baptism and
constituted as the people of God, the Church. The term "lay
faithful" refers to the laity, all the faithful except those in Holy
Orders and those who belong to a religious state approved by
the Church.

Fall:
Biblical revelation about the reality of sin in human history. The
Biblical story begins with the original sin freely committed by
the first human beings. This primeval event is narrated in
figurative language in the Book of Genesis, which describes
this sin as a "fall" from God's friendship and grace, which they
had received from God not only for themselves but for the
whole human race. In the "fall" of angels, Scripture and Church
tradition see the emergence of Satan and the "devil"; the "fall"
of these angelic spirits was due to their freely chosen rejection
of God and His reign.

Fasting:
Refraining from food and drink as an expression of interior
penance, in imitation of the fast of Jesus for forty days in the
desert. Fasting is an ascetical practice recommended in
Scripture and the writings of the Church Fathers; it is
sometimes prescribed by a precept of the Church, especially
during the liturgical season of Lent.

Father, God:
God, the first Person of the Blessed Trinity. Jesus revealed that
God is Father in a unique way: not only as Creator, the origin of
all things, but also as eternal Father in his relationship to his
only Son, who is eternally begotten of the Father and
consubstantial with the Father.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 29 of 82
:
 Fathers of The Church:
Church teachers and writers of the early centuries whose
teachings are a witness to the Tradition of the Church.

Fear of the Lord:

One of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit which ensures our awe
and reverence before God.

Feast Days:
The annual cycle of liturgical celebrations commemorating the
saving mysteries of Christ's life, as a participation in the
Paschal Mystery, which is celebrated annually at Easter, the
"Feast of feasts." Feast days commemorating Mary, the Mother
of God, and the saints are also celebrated, providing the faithful
with examples of those who have been glorified with Christ.

Filioque:
A word meaning "and from the Son," added to the Latin version
of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, by which the Latin
tradition of the Creed confesses that the Holy Spirit "proceeds
from the Father and the Son".

First Communion:
Reception of the sacrament of the Eucharist for the first time.

First Friday:
See "Sacred Heart".

Font:
A basin or bowl in a Church used for the Baptismal water.

Fornication:
Sexual intercourse between an unmarried man and an
unmarried woman. Fornication is a serious violation of the sixth
commandment of God.

Fortitude:
One of the four cardinal moral virtues which ensures firmness
in difficulties and constancy in doing the good. Fortitude
sometimes called strength, courage, or might is also one of the
seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 30 of 82
:
 Free Will:
Human experience which governs our actions and gives us the
freedom to make choices regarding our full expression of God's
love.

Friday Penance:
In commemoration of the sufferings of Christ, Catholics
perform some act of self-denial every Friday. This used to take
the form of abstaining from meat, but now Catholics may
choose one of several forms of self-denial.

Fruits of the Holy Spirit:

The perfections that the Holy Spirit forms in us as the "first
fruits" of eternal glory. The tradition of the Church identifies
twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit.

General Confession and Absolution:

A communal form of the Sacrament of Penance in which, in a
case of grave necessity, a priest may give absolution to all
persons present at one time, after they have made a general,
but not individual, confession of their sins. For the absolution
to be valid, the faithful must have the intention of individually
confessing their sins in their next individual reception of the
Sacrament of Penance.

Genesis:
The first book of Bible, which describes God's creation of the
world and humanity, and the drama of sin and the hope for
salvation.

Genuflection:
A reverence made by bending the knee, especially to express
adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit:

Permanent dispositions that make us docile to follow the
promptings of the Holy Spirit. The traditional list of seven gifts
of the Spirit is derived from Isaiah 11:1-3: wisdom,
understanding, knowledge, counsel, piety, fortitude, and fear of

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 31 of 82
:
 the Lord.

Gluttony:
Overindulgence in food or drink. Gluttony is one of the seven
capital sins.

God:
The infinite divine being, one in being yet three Persons:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God has revealed himself as the
"One who is," as truth and love, as creator of all that is, as the
author of divine revelation, and as the source of salvation.

Godparent:
The sponsor of one who is baptized, who assumes a
responsibility to assist the newly baptized child or adult on the
road of Christian life.

Good Friday:
The day on which the crucifixion of Jesus is commemorated.

Gospel:
The "good news" of God's mercy and love revealed in the life,
death, and resurrection of Christ. It is this Gospel or good news
that the Apostles, and the Church following them, are to
proclaim to the entire world. The Gospel is handed on in the
apostolic tradition of the Church as the source of all-saving
truth and moral discipline. The four Gospels are the books
written by the evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John which
have for their central object Jesus Christ, God's incarnate Son:
his life, teachings, Passion and glorification, and his Church's
beginnings under the Spirit's guidance.

Gospel, Law of the:

The New Law, prepared for by the Old Law in the time of the Old
Covenant, is the perfection here on earth of the divine law,
natural and revealed. It is the work of Christ, expressed
particularly in the Sermon on the Mount, and of the Holy Spirit,
by whose grace it becomes for us the interior law of charity.

Grace:
The free and undeserved gift that God gives us to respond to

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 32 of 82
:
 our vocation to become his adopted children. As sanctifying
grace, God shares his divine life and friendship with us in a
habitual gift, a stable and supernatural disposition that enables
the soul to live with God, to act by his love. As actual grace,
God gives us the help to conform our lives to his will.
Sacramental grace and special graces (charisms, the grace of
one's state of life) are gifts of the Holy Spirit to help us live out
our Christian vocation.

Grace at Meals:
A short prayer before and after meals thanking God for the food
we eat and asking his blessing on those who prepare it.

Guardian Angels:
Angels assigned to protect and intercede for each person.

Habit:
The distinctive form of dress worn by members of religious
communities.

Hail Mary:
The prayer known in Latin as the Ave Maria. The first part of the
prayer praises God for the gifts he gave to Mary as Mother of
the Redeemer; the second part seeks her maternal intercession
for the members of the Body of Christ, the Church, of which
she is the Mother.

Happiness:
Joy and beatitude over receiving the fulfillment of our vocation
as creatures: a sharing in the divine nature and the vision of
God. God put us into the world to know, love, and serve him,
and so come to the happiness of paradise.

Heaven:
Eternal life with God; communion of life and love with the
Trinity and all the blessed. Heaven is the state of supreme and
definitive happiness, the goal of the deepest longings of
humanity.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 33 of 82
:
 Hell:
The state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God
and the blessed, reserved for those who refuse by their own
free choice to believe and be converted from sin, even to the
end of their lives.

Heresy:
The obstinate denial after Baptism of a truth which must be
believed with divine and Catholic faith.

Hermit:
One who lives the eremitical life. Through silence and solitude,
in prayer and penance, the hermit or anchorite vows, although
not necessarily publicly, to follow the evangelical counsels out
of love for God and desire for the salvation of the world.

Hierarchy:
The Apostles and their successors, the college of bishops, to
whom Christ gave the authority to teach, sanctify, and rule the
Church in his name.

Hierarchy of Truths:
The order hierarchy of the truths in Catholic doctrine, insofar as
they vary in their relation to the central mystery and foundation
of Christian faith, the mystery of the Holy Trinity.

Holy Days of Obligation:

Principal feast days on which, in addition to Sundays, Catholics
are obliged by Church law to participate in the Eucharist; a
precept of the Church.

Holy Hour:
A service in which Jesus is venerated in the blessed sacrament.

Holy Orders:
See Orders, Holy.

Holy Saturday:
The day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.

Holy See:

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 34 of 82
:
 The seat of the central administration of the worldwide Catholic
Church; the name is taken from the seat or diocese of the Pope,
Bishop of Rome and successor of St. Peter as Vicar of Christ
and pastor of the universal Church.

Holy Spirit:
The third divine Person of the Blessed Trinity, the personal love
of Father and Son for each other. Also called the Paraclete
Advocate and Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit is at work with the
Father and the Son from the beginning to the completion of the
divine plan for our salvation.

Holy Thursday:
The day before Good Friday. On This day Catholics
commemorate the supper Jesus held with his disciples on the
night before he died.

Holy Water:
Blessed water, a sacramental whose sprinkling or use is a
reminder of Baptism and a means of sanctification.

Holy Week:
The week preceding Easter, beginning with Palm Passion
Sunday, called the "Great Week" in the liturgies of the Eastern
Churches. It marks the Church's annual celebration of the
events of Christ's Passion, death, and Resurrection,
culminating in the Paschal Mystery.

Homily:
Preaching by an ordained minister to explain the Scriptures
proclaimed in the liturgy and to exhort the people to accept
them as the Word of God.

Homosexuality:
Sexual attraction or orientation toward persons of the same sex
and/or sexual acts between persons of the same sex.
Homosexual acts are morally wrong because they violate God's
purpose for human sexual activity.

Hope:
The theological virtue by which we desire and expect from God

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 35 of 82
:
 both eternal life and the grace we need to attain it.

Host:
The wafer of consecrated bread which Catholics receive at Holy
Communion. It is usually disc-shaped and thin for convenience
and there are two sizes; the larger is used by the Priest at the
altar.

Humility:
The virtue by which a Christian acknowledges that God is the
author of all good. Humility avoids inordinate ambition or pride,
and provides the foundation for turning to God in prayer.
Voluntary humility can be described as "poverty of spirit".

Hymn:
Sacred poetry set to music and meant to raise the hearts of
Christian people to God, especially during liturgical services.

Hypostatic Union:
The union of the divine and human natures in the one divine
Person (Greek: hypostasis) of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Icon:
Religious painting traditional among many Eastern Christians.
Christian iconography expresses in images the same Gospel
message that Scripture communicates by words.

Iconoclasm:
A heresy which aintained that veneration of religious images is
unlawful. Iconoclasm was condemned as unfaithful to Christian
tradition at the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 787
A.D.

Idolatry:
The divinization of a creature in place of God; the substitution
of some one (or thing) for God; worshiping a creature (even
money, pleasure, or power) instead of the Creator.

Immaculate Conception:

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 36 of 82
:
 The dogma proclaimed in Christian Tradition and defined in
1854, that from the first moment of her conception, Mary by the
singular grace of God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus
Christ was preserved immune from original sin.

Immanance:
Belief that God exists throughout all of creation and that
humans can experience God's presence on earth.

Immortality:
The quality of the spiritual human soul whereby it survives the
death of the body and remains in existence without end, to be
reunited with the body at the final resurrection.

Impediment:
An obstacle that makes a person ineligible for performing an
act or receiving a sacrament, e.g., Holy Orders or Matrimony.

Impediments to Marriage:
Something which prevents a person entering into a Church
marriage. For example, certain degrees of blood-relationship
between partners, or where one partner is not baptized. A
dispensation can be obtained from some impediments.

Incarnation:
The fact that the Son of God assumed human nature and
became man in order to accomplish our salvation in that same
human nature. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the second Person
of the Trinity, is both true God and true man, not part God and
part man.

Incipit:
From the Latin word meaning "to begin," this word refers to the
words added at the beginning of a Scripture reading in the
Lectionary. These introductions provide a smooth entrance to a
reading and context for the listeners.

Incredulity:
The willful refusal to assent to revealed truth, or even the
neglect of this truth.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 37 of 82
:
 Indulgence:
The remission before God of the temporal punishment due to
sin whose guilt has already been forgiven. A properly disposed
member of the Christian faithful can obtain an indulgence
under prescribed conditions through the help of the Church
which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies
with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the
saints. An indulgence is partial if it removes part of the
temporal punishment due to sin, or plenary if it removes all
punishment.

Inerrancy:
The attribute of the books of Scripture whereby they faithfully
and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of
our salvation, wished to have confided through the Sacred
Scriptures.

Infallibility:
The gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church whereby the pastors of
the Church, the pope and bishops in union with him, can
definitively proclaim a doctrine of faith or morals for the belief
of the faithful. This gift is related to the inability of the whole
body of the faithful to err in matters of faith and morals.

Initiation, Christian:
The foundations of every Christian life laid by the Sacraments
of Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. The process by which
a non-baptized person is prepared to become a full member of
the Church is called the catechumenate, which was restored in
the Latin Church by the Second Vatican Council, and whose
distinct stages and rites are found in the Rite of Christian
Initiation of Adults.

Inquistions:
Official investigations by the Church of suspected heresies.

Inspiration:
See Biblical Inspiration.

Institute, Religious:
A society whose members, in accord with Church law, live a life

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 38 of 82
:
 consecrated to Christ and shared with one another by the
public profession of the evangelical counsels of poverty,
chastity, and obedience.

Institute, Secular:
A form of consecrated life in which the Christian faithful living
in the world strive for the perfection of charity and work for the
sanctification of the world especially from within.

Intercession:
A form of prayer of petition on behalf of others. The prayer of
intercession leads us to pray as Christ, our unique Intercessor,
prayed.

Intercommunion:
Participation or sharing in the reception of the Eucharist or
Holy Communion by Christians who are not fully united to or in
full communion with the Catholic Church.

Irreligion:
A vice contrary by defect to the virtue of religion. Irreligion
directs us away from rendering to God what we as creatures
owe him in justice.

Israel:
The Jewish people, chosen by God to be his people and named
after Israel (Jacob), from whose twelve sons the tribes of Israel
descend. God formed Israel into his priestly people in their
exodus from the slavery of Egypt, when he made the first or Old
Covenant with them and gave them his Law through Moses.

Jesuit:
Common name for a religious order of priests and brothers in
the Catholic Church. The official name is the Society of Jesus
and the initials after a members name is "S.J.".

Jesus Christ:
The eternal Son of God, who was born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered crucifixion and death, rose from the dead and

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 39 of 82
:
 ascended into heaven, and will come again in glory to judge the
living and the dead. "Jesus," which means "God saves" in
Hebrew, was the name given to him at the Annunciation;
"Christ" is a title which comes from the Greek translation of the
Hebrew Messiah and means "anointed". There are a number of
symbols for the name Jesus which you may see in Churches or
works of art. These are some of them:

IHS:
three letters from the Greek name, Jesus.

INRI:
the initial letters form the Latin inscription written on the
cross: Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum, (Jesus of
Nazareth, King of the Jews).

PX:
a monogram of the first two Greek letters for 'Christus'.

John the Baptist:

The immediate precursor or herald of Jesus. John identified
Jesus as the Messianic Lamb of God and baptized him in the
Jordan River. With prophetic power, John gave witness to
Jesus by his preaching, by the baptism of conversion he
announced, and finally by his martyrdom.

Joseph:
Husband of Mary, venerated as a saint. His feast day is
celebrated on March 19.

Judgment:
The eternal retribution received by each soul at the moment of
death, in accordance with that person's faith and works "the
particular judgment". The "Last Judgment" is God's triumph
over the revolt of evil, after the final cosmic upheaval of this
passing world. Preceded by the resurrection of the dead, it will
coincide with the second coming of Christ in glory at the end of
time, disclose good and evil, and reveal the meaning of
salvation history and the providence of God by which justice
has triumphed over evil.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 40 of 82
:
 Judgment, Rash:
A fault against the eighth commandment committed by one who
assumes the moral fault of the neighbor to be true without
sufficient foundation.

Justice:
The cardinal moral virtue which consists in the constant and
firm will to give their due to God and to neighbor. Original
justice refers to the state of holiness in which God created our
first parents. Commutative justice, which obliges respect for
the rights of the other, is required by the seventh
commandment; it is distinguished from legal justice, which
concerns what the citizen owes to the community, and
distributive justice, which regulates what the community owes
its citizens in proportion to their contributions and needs.

Justification:
The gracious action of God which frees us from sin and
communicates "the righteousness of God through faith in
Jesus Christ" (Rom 3:22). Justification is not only the remission
of sins, but also the sanctification and renewal of the interior
man.

Kingdom of God:
The reign or rule of God: "the kingdom of God is righteousness
and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Rom 14:17). The Kingdom
of God draws near in the coming of the Incarnate Word; it is
announced in the Gospel; it is the messianic Kingdom, present
in the person of Jesus, the Messiah; it remains in our midst in
the Eucharist. Christ gave to his Apostles the work of
proclaiming the Kingdom, and through the Holy Spirit forms his
people into a priestly kingdom, the Church, in which the
Kingdom of God is mysteriously present, for she is the seed
and beginning of the Kingdom on earth. In the Lord's Prayer
"Thy Kingdom come" we pray for its final glorious appearance,
when Christ will hand over the Kingdom to his Father.

Kyrie EleiSon:

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 41 of 82
:
 Greek words meaning; "Lord have mercy". Sometimes said or
sung in Greek during the penitential rite of the Mass.

Laity:
The faithful who, having been incorporated into Christ through
Baptism, are made part of the people of God, the Church. The
laity participate in their own way in the priestly, prophetic, and
kingly functions of Christ. Laity are distinguished from clergy
(who have received Holy Orders) and those in consecrated life.

Last Judgment:
See Judgment.

Last Supper:
The last meal, a Passover supper, which Jesus ate with his
disciples the night before he died. Jesus' passing over to his
Father by his death and Resurrection, the new Passover, is
anticipated in the Last Supper and celebrated in the Eucharist,
which fulfills the Jewish Passover and anticipates the final
Passover of the Church in the glory of the kingdom. Hence the
Eucharist is called "the Lord's Supper".

Latin Rite:
The traditions of liturgy, laws, and practice in the Church in the
West, as distinct from the rites and practices of the churches of
the East.

Law, Moral:
A rule of conduct established by competent authority for the
common good. In biblical terms, the moral law is the fatherly
instruction of God, setting forth the ways which lead to
happiness and proscribing those which lead to evil. The divine
or eternal law can be either natural or revealed positive. Natural
moral law is inscribed in the heart, and known by human
reason. Revealed law is found in the ancient law (Old
Testament), notably the ten commandments, and in the new law
(Law of the Gospel), the teaching of Christ, notably the Sermon
on the Mount, which perfects the ancient law.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 42 of 82
:
 Lay:
Church members who are not ordained.

Lay Apostolate:
Work done on behalf of the Church by Lay people.

Lectern:
The stand from which the Scriptures are read in Church.

Lectionary/Lector:
The official, liturgical book ,lectionary, from which the reader
,lector, proclaims the Scripture readings used in the Liturgy of
the Word.

Lectionary Cycle:
The Scripture readings used in Mass are set in a 3-year Sunday
cycle and 2-year weekday cycle.

Lent:
The liturgical season of forty days which begins with Ash
Wednesday and ends with the celebration of the Paschal
Mystery (Easter Triduum). Lent is the primary penitential
season in the Church's liturgical year, reflecting the forty days
Jesus spent in the desert in fasting and prayer.

Liberation Theology:
Theology that attempts to articulate the faith from the
perspective of a group's experience of its struggle to overcome
oppression.

Life:
Both God's gift of created human life and His divine life given to
us as sanctifying grace. Beyond its ordinary meaning of human
life, Jesus used "life" to signify a share in his own divine
Trinitarian existence, which becomes possible for those who
respond to his invitation to turn away from sin and open their
hearts to God's abiding love. Eternal life signifies that this gift
will last forever in the blessedness of heaven. This gift of God
begins with the "life" of faith and "new life" of Baptism, is
communicated in sanctifying grace, and reaches perfection in
the communion of life and love with the Holy Trinity in heaven.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 43 of 82
:
 Litany:
A form of prayer in which the Priest recites a series of petitions
to God, or calls on the help of Saints. These petitions are
followed by a set response said or sung by the congregation.

Liturgical:
Describes Church practices such as hymns, prayers and
services.

Liturgical Rituals:
Refers to all Church services and ceremonies.

Liturgical Year:
The celebration throughout the year of the mysteries of the
Lord's birth, life, death, and Resurrection in such a way that the
entire year becomes a "year of the Lord's grace." Thus the
cycle of the liturgical year and the great feasts constitute the
basic rhythm of the Christian's life of prayer, with its focal point
at Easter.

Liturgy:
In its original meaning, a "public work" or service done in the
name of or on behalf of the people. Through the liturgy Christ
our High Priest continues the work of our redemption through
the Church's celebration of the Paschal Mystery by which he
accomplished our salvation.

Lord:
The Old Testament title for God that in speaking or reading
aloud was always substituted for the name that was revealed to
Moses and that was too holy to be pronounced: Yahweh. The
New Testament uses this title both of God the Father and in a
new way of Jesus, the incarnate Word.

Lord's Prayer:
The title early Christians gave to the prayer which Jesus
entrusted to his disciples and to the Church (Mt 6:9-13). This
fundamental Christian prayer is also called the "Our Father,"
which are its first words.

Love:

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 44 of 82
:
 See Charity.

Magi:
The wise men who came from the East to pay homage to the
newborn Savior.

Magisterium:
The living, teaching office of the Church, whose task it is to
give as authentic interpretation of the word of God, whether in
its written form (Sacred Scripture), or in the form of Tradition.
The Magisterium ensures the Church's fidelity to the teaching
of the Apostles in matters of faith and morals.

Marks Notes of the Church:

The four attributes (marks or notes) of the Church mentioned in
the Nicene Constantinopolitan creed: "We believe in one, holy,
catholic, and apostolic Church".

Marriage:
A covenant or partnership of life between a man and woman,
which is ordered to the well-being of the spouses and to the
procreation and upbringing of children. When validly
contracted between two baptized people, marriage is a
sacrament (Matrimony).

Martyr:
A witness to the truth of the faith, in which the martyr endures
even death to be faithful to Christ. Those who die for the faith
before having received Baptism are said to have received a
"baptism of blood," by which their sins are forgiven and they
share in the death and Resurrection of Christ.

Mary:
The mother of Jesus. Because she is the mother of Jesus Son
of God and second Person of the Blessed Trinity according to
the flesh, she is rightly called the Mother of God (Theotokos).
Mary is also called "full of grace," and "Mother of the Church,"
and in Christian prayer and devotion, "Our Lady," the "Blessed
Virgin Mary," and the "New Eve". See Virgin Mary.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 45 of 82
:
 Mass:
The Eucharist or principal sacramental celebration of the
Church, established by Jesus at the Last Supper, in which the
mystery of our salvation through participation in the sacrificial
death and glorious resurrection of Christ is renewed and
accomplished. The Mass renews the paschal sacrifice of Christ
as the sacrifice offered by the Church. It is called "Mass" (from
the Latin missa) because of the "mission" or "sending" with
which the liturgical celebration concludes (Latin: "Ite, Missa
est."). See Eucharist; Paschal Mystery/Sacrifice.

Matrimony:
See Marriage.

Maundy Thursday:
See "Holy Thursday".

May Devotions:
Special services held during the month of May to honor Mary,
the mother of Jesus.

Mediator/Mediatrix:
One who links or reconciles separate or opposing parties. Thus
Jesus Christ is the "one mediator between God and the human
race". Through his sacrificial offering he has become high
priest and unique mediator who has gained for us access to
God's saving grace for humanity. Moreover, Mary too is
sometimes called Mediatrix in virtue of her cooperation in the
saving mission of Christ, who alone is the unique mediator
between God and humanity.

Meditation:
An exercise and a form of prayer in which we try to understand
God's revelation of the truths of faith and the purpose of the
Christian life, and how it should be lived, in order to adhere and
respond to what the Lord is asking.

Mercy:
The loving kindness, compassion, or forbearance shown to one
who offends (e.g., the mercy of God to us sinners). See Works
of Mercy.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 46 of 82
:
 Merit:
The reward which God promises and gives to those who love
him and by his grace perform good works. One cannot "merit"
justification or eternal life, which are the free gift of God; the
source of any merit we have before God is due to the grace of
Christ in us.

Messiah:
A Hebrew word meaning "anointed". See Christ; Jesus Christ.

Ministry:
The service or work of sanctification performed by the
preaching of the word and the celebration of the sacraments by
those in Holy Orders, or in determined circumstances, by laity.
The New Testament speaks of a variety of ministries in the
Church; Christ himself is the source of ministry in the Church.
Bishops, priests, and deacons are ordained ministers in the
Church.

Miracle:
A sign or wonder, such as a healing or the control of nature,
which can only be attributed to divine power. The miracles of
Jesus were messianic signs of the presence of God's kingdom.

Missal:
A book containing the prayers of Mass.

Mission:
Trinitarian missions: To accomplish the divine plan of the triune
God for the redemption of humanity, the Son and the Holy Spirit
were "sent" into the world: hence the Trinitarian "missions"
(Latin missus means "sent").Apostolic mission: Just as he was
sent by the Father, Jesus sent his Apostles into the world to
continue his own saving mission. Church as mission: Thus the
Church is missionary by its very nature, continuing the mission
or work of Christ through the Holy Spirit, according to the plan
of God. This apostolic mission of the Church is fulfilled
according to their different states of life by the clergy, laity, and
religious. Missionary activity is sometimes given in a more
specific sense as the work of initial evangelization and

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 47 of 82
:
 establishment of the Church in non-Christian lands.

Mixed Missionaries:
Christians who proclaim the Gospel to non-Christians in a
foreign country.

Modernism:
A heresy condemned by the Pope in 1907. The term refers to
the Church's condemnation of modern scientific thinking that
said truth changed.

Monastic Life:
Consecrated life marked by the public profession of religious
vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and by a stable
community life in a monastery with the celebration of the
Liturgy of the Hours in choir.

Monasticism:
Tradition of taking yourself away from the mainstream of
society for the purpose of developing your spirtual practice.

Monstrance:
An ornate receptacle in which a consecrated host is placed so
that Jesus in the form of bread, can be seen and venerated by
the people.

Morality:
Referring to the goodness or evil of human acts. Human
freedom makes a person a "moral subject" or agent, able to
judge the morality, goodness or evil, of the acts which are
chosen. The morality of human acts depends on the object or
nature of the action, the intention or end foreseen, and the
circumstances of the action.

Mortal Sin:
A grave infraction of the law of God that destroys the divine life
in the soul of the sinner sanctifying grace, constituting a turn
away from God. For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must be
present: grave matter, full knowledge of the evil of the act, and
full consent of the will.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 48 of 82
:
 Moses:
The leader chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of their exile
in Egypt. To him God revealed the divine name, Yahweh, and
the law on Mount Sinai including the Decalogue, by which he
sealed the covenant with his people Israel. As lawgiver, Moses
was a type of Christ, the lawgiver of the New Law.

Mother of God:
A title given to Mary because she is the mother of Jesus who is
both God and man.

Mystagogy:
A liturgical catechesis which aims to initiate people into the
mystery of Christ. In a more specific sense, the catechetical
period following immediately after the reception of Baptism by
adults.

Mystery:
A truth which cannot be grasped by human reason.

Mystic:
Greek word meaning mystery. Describes a person whose prayer
life includes meditation from which they gain spirtual
understanding.

Mysticism:
The process of being contemplative when you meditate and go
within yourself to a quiet place where it is possible to
experience God.

Myth:
A myth is neither historically true or false. Myths transmit truth
that cannot be understood apart from the story.

National Parish:
Parish not based on geographical boundries, comprised of an
ethnic group.

Natural Law:

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 49 of 82
:
 Describes the nature of creation. It represents a common-sense
understanding of the world.

Nature:
The created order. Human nature, though wounded and
weakened by the effects of original sin, continues to participate
in the goodness of God's creative work. Through the
Incarnation the second Person of the Trinity assumed our
human nature, taking flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The
divine nature refers to the one divine substance or essence;
each of the three distinct Persons of the Trinity is entirely God,
who is one by the divine nature.

New Covenant:
The new "dispensation," order or Covenant, established by God
in Jesus Christ, to succeed and perfect the Old Covenant. The
New Law or Law of the Gospel is the perfection here on earth of
the divine law, natural and revealed; this law of the New
Covenant is called a law of love, grace, and freedom.

New Testament:
The twenty-seven books of the Bible written by the sacred
authors in apostolic times, which have Jesus Christ, the
incarnate Son of God, his life, teachings, Passion and
glorification, and the beginnings of his Church as their central
theme. The promises and mighty deeds of God in the old
alliance or covenant, reported in the Old Testament, prefigure
and are fulfilled in the New Covenant established by Jesus
Christ, reported in the sacred writings of the New Testament.

Nicene Creed:
The profession of faith, common to the churches of East and
West, which came from the first two ecumenical councils,
Nicaea and Constantinople: 325 and 381 a.d..

Novena:
Nine days of prayer. It has its origins in the nine days the
disciples spent in prayer awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit
between the Ascension and the Pentecost.

Novice:

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 50 of 82
:
 A person who has been accepted into a religious order and who
is undergoing a period of training and formation before taking
vows.

Novitiate:
The period a novice spends in training.

Nun:
A member of an enclosed religious order of women. Members
of orders which are not enclosed are usually referred to as
religious sisters.

Nuptial Blessing:
Prayers for the blessing of a couple being married, especially of
the bride.

Nuptial Mass:
A Mass which includes the Wedding Service. Not all Weddings
in the Catholic Church are accompanied by Mass. There is no
rule regarding This, it is up to the Bride and Groom.

Obedience:
The submission to the authority of God which requires
everyone to obey the divine law. Obedience to the Church is
required in those things which pertain to our salvation; and
obedience is due to legitimate civil authority, which has its
origin in God for the sake of the common good and the order of
society. The fourth commandment obliges children to obey
their parents. Obedience of faith: The first obedience is that of
faith: to listen and freely submit to the word of God. Obedience
of Christ: Jesus Christ substituted his obedience to the will of
his Father, even unto death, for the disobedience of sin, in
order to bring us the grace of justification and to satisfy for our
sins. Vow of obedience: In imitation of this obedience of Jesus,
as an evangelical counsel, the faithful may profess a vow of
obedience; a public vow of obedience, accepted by Church
authority, is one element that characterizes the consecrated life.

Olkonomia:

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 51 of 82
:
 See Economy.

Old Covenant:
The old dispensation or order, which God established with his
chosen people Israel, through the revelation of the Law to
Moses. See Covenant.

Old Testament:
The forty-six books of the Bible, which record the history of
salvation from creation through the old alliance or covenant
with Israel, in preparation for the appearance of Christ as
Savior of the world. See Bible; Covenant.

Omnipresence:
That God is everywhere.

Orders, Holy:
The Sacrament of Apostolic Ministry by which the mission
entrusted by Christ to his Apostles continues to be exercised in
the Church through the laying on of hands. This sacrament has
three distinct degrees or orders: deacon, priest, and bishop. All
three confer a permanent, sacramental character.

Orders, Religious:
See Consecrated Life; Institute, Religious.

Ordination:
The rite of the Sacrament of Holy Orders by which the bishop,
through the imposition of hands and the prayer of
consecration, confers the order of bishop, priest, or deacon to
exercise a sacred power which comes from Christ on behalf of
the Church.

Original Sin:
The sin by which the first human beings disobeyed the
commandment of God, choosing to follow their own will rather
than God's will. As a consequence they lost the grace of
original holiness, and became subject to the law of death; sin
became universally present in the world. Besides the personal
sin of Adam and Eve, original sin describes the fallen state of
human nature which affects every person born into the world,

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 52 of 82
:
 and from which Christ, the new Adam, came to redeem us.

Orthodox Churches:
Eastern Churches not in full communion with the Catholic
Church. Christians of the Orthodox Churches are separated
from the Catholic Church, schism, yet are in an imperfect but
deep communion with the Catholic Church by reason of our
common Baptism, the profession of the Creed, and the
possession of true sacraments by reason of the apostolic
succession of their priesthood.

Our Father:
See Lord's Prayer.

Our Lady:
See Mary.

Pagan:
A collective term meaning; "Unbelievers"

Palm Sunday:
The Sunday before Easter. It commemorates the occasion when
Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and the people waved
palm branches in his honor. In the Catholic Church This
Sunday is also known as Passion Sunday.

Papacy:
The supreme jurisdiction and ministry of the pope as shepherd
of the whole Church. As successor of St. Peter, and therefore
Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Christ, the pope is the perpetual
and visible principle of unity in faith and communion in the
Church. See Pope.

Parables:
A characteristic feature of the teaching of Jesus. Parables are
simple images or comparisons which confront the hearer or
reader with a radical choice about his invitation to enter the
Kingdom of God.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 53 of 82
:
 Paraclete:
A name for the Holy Spirit. The term was used by Jesus in the
New Testament to indicate the promised gift of the Spirit as
another consoler and advocate, who would continue his own
mission among the disciples.

Paradise:
The symbolic description of the condition of our first parents
before the Fall, who lived in a state of friendship with God in the
happiness of original justice and holiness. Paradise also
signifies heaven, the state of those who live with Christ forever
in the friendship and presence of God.

Parish:
A stable community of the faithful within a particular church or
diocese, whose pastoral care is confided by the bishop to a
priest as pastor.

Parish Council:
A group of people elected by the Parish who, together with the
Parish Priest, look after the various needs of the Parish.

Parish Mission:
A period of spiritual renewal within the Parish, usually
conducted by one or more visiting Priests over the period of a
week or a fortnight.

Parochial Schools:
Private schools run by the parish Church.

Parousia:
The glorious return and appearance of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ as judge of the living and the dead, at the end of
time; the second coming of Christ, when history and all
creation will achieve their fulfillment.

Particular Church:
See Diocese.

Pasch/Paschal Lamb:
Jesus' saving death and its memorial in the Eucharist,

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 54 of 82
:
 associated with the Jewish feast of Passover or Pasch
commemorating the deliverance of the Jewish people from
death by the blood of the lamb sprinkled on the doorposts in
Egypt, which the angel of death saw and "passed over." Hence
Jesus is acknowledged in the New Testament as the Lamb of
God, who takes away the sins of the world; he is the Paschal
Lamb, the symbol of Israel's redemption at the first Passover.
The Eucharist celebrates the new Passover, in which Jesus
"passes over" to his Father by his death and resurrection, thus
anticipating the final Passover of the Church in the glory of the
Kingdom.

Paschal Mystery/Sacrifice:
Christ's work of redemption accomplished principally by his
Passion, death, Resurrection, and glorious Ascension, whereby
"dying he destroyed our death, rising he restored our life". The
Paschal Mystery is celebrated and made present in the liturgy
of the Church, and its saving effects are communicated through
the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, which renews the
paschal sacrifice of Christ as the sacrifice offered by the
Church.

Passion:
The suffering and death of Jesus. Passion or Palm Sunday
begins Holy Week, during which the annual liturgical
celebration of the Paschal Mystery of Christ takes place.

Passion Sunday:
See Palm Sunday

Passions, Moral:
The emotions or dispositions which incline us to good or evil
actions, such as love and hate, hope and fear, joy and sadness,
and anger.

Passover:
See Pasch/Paschal Lamb.

Pastor/Pastoral Office:
The ministry of shepherding the faithful in the name of Christ.
The Pope and bishops receive the pastoral office which they

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 55 of 82
:
 are to exercise with Christ the Good Shepherd as their model;
they share their pastoral ministry with priests, to whom they
give responsibility over a portion of the flock as pastors of
parishes.

Pastoral Care:
The caring work of the Church, particularly that exercised by
Ordained Ministers. Pastor means "shepherd"

Pastoral Letter:
A letter sent from a Bishop to his diocese on a number of
occasions during the year and read out to people at Mass.

Pastoral Ministers:
Used since Vatican II to describe Church workers who have
taken on various roles that once were filled by priests.

Patriarch:
A title given to the venerable ancestors or fathers of the Semitic
peoples, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who received God's
promise of election. In the Church hierarchy, and especially
among the Churches of the East, a patriarch is a senior bishop
with jurisdiction over a larger unit of particular churches,
patriarchate, of a certain rite or region or liturgical tradition.

Patristic:
Pertaining to the writings of the holy Fathers of the Church,
who are privileged witnesses of the apostolic tradition. See
Fathers of the Church.

Pax Christi:
Literally means; "The peace of Christ". It is the name of an
international Catholic movement for peace.

Peace:
One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Galations 5:22-
23. Peace is a goal of Christian living, as indicated by Jesus
who said "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called
children of God". The Fifth Commandment requires us to
preserve and work for peace, which was defined by St.
Augustine as "the tranquility of order," and which is the work of

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 56 of 82
:
 justice and the effect of charity.

Penance:
Interior penance: a conversion of heart toward God and away
from sin, which implies the intention to change one's life
because of hope in divine mercy. External acts of penance
include fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. The observance of
certain penitential practices is obliged by the fourth precept of
the Church.

Penance, Sacrament of:

The liturgical celebration of God's forgiveness of the sins of the
penitent, who is thus reconciled with God and with the Church.
The acts of the penitent contrition, the confession of sins, and
satisfaction or reparation together with the prayer of absolution
by the priest, constitute the essential elements of the
Sacrament of Penance.

Penitent/Penitential:
The sinner who repents of sin and seeks forgiveness. In the
early Church, public sinners belonged to an "order of
penitents," who did public penance for their sins, often for
years. Penitential acts or practices refer to those which dispose
one for or flows from interior penance or conversion; such acts
lead to and follow upon the celebration of the Sacrament of
Penance. See Satisfaction (for sin).

Pentateuch:
The first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Pentecost:
The "fiftieth" day at the end of the seven weeks following
Passover, Easter in the Christian dispensation. At the first
Pentecost after the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus, the
Holy Spirit was manifested, given and communicated as a
divine Person to the Church, fulfilling the paschal mystery of
Christ according to his promise. Annually the Church
celebrates the memory of the Pentecost event as the beginning
of the new age of the Church, when Christ lives and acts in and

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 57 of 82
:
 with his Church.

People of God:
A synonym for the Church, taken from the Old Testament
people whom God chose, Israel. Christ instituted the new and
eternal covenant by which a new priestly, prophetic, and royal
People of God, the Church, participates in these offices of
Christ and in the mission and service which flow from them.

Pericope:
From the Greek word meaning "cutting" or "section," a
pericope describes the Scripture readings at Mass which are
sections of books of the Bible.

Perjury:
Giving one's word under oath falsely, or making a promise
under oath without intending to keep it. Perjury violates the
second and eighth commandments.

Person, Divine:
Hypostasis in Greek; the term used to describe the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit in their real relation to and distinction from one
another within the unity of the Blessed Trinity. Each of the three
divine Persons is God. See Trinity.

Person, Human:
The human individual, made in the image of God; not some
thing but some one, a unity of spirit and matter, soul and body,
capable of knowledge, self-possession, and freedom, who can
enter into communion with other persons and with God. The
human person needs to live in society, which is a group of
persons bound together organically by a principle of unity that
goes beyond each one of them.

Peter, Saint:
Simon, whom Jesus called Peter or Rock, upon whom he would
build his Church (Mt 16:16-19). He was the first to confess
Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God. He was the
first among the Apostles, and their head; the pope is his
successor as Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Christ, and as
pastor of the universal Church.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 58 of 82
:
 Petition:
Asking God for our needs in prayer.

Piety:
One of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit which leads one to
devotion to God. Filial piety connotes an attitude of reverence
and respect by children toward their parents. Piety also refers
to the religious sense of a people, and its expression in popular
devotions.

Pilgrimage:
A journey to a holy place. For example, the Holy Land, Rome
and Lourdes.

Polygamy:
The practice of having more than one wife at the same time,
which is contrary to the unity of marriage between one man and
one woman, and which offends against the dignity of woman.

Pope:
The successor of St. Peter as Bishop of Rome and Supreme
Pontiff of the universal Catholic Church. The pope exercises a
primacy of authority as Vicar of Christ and shepherd of the
whole Church; he receives the divine assistance promised by
Christ to the Church when he defines infallibly a doctrine of
faith or morals. See Papacy.

Postulant:
A person who has applied to join a religious order and is
waiting to be admitted.

Poverty:
The condition of want experienced by those who are poor,
whom Christ called "blessed," and for whom he had a special
love. In imitation of Christ, the Church expresses her concern
for the poor by working for justice and solidarity. Poverty is one
of the three evangelical counsels whose public profession in
the Church is a constitutive element of consecrated life.
Poverty of spirit signifies detachment from worldly things and
voluntary humility.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 59 of 82
:
 Praise:
The form of prayer which focuses on giving recognition to God
for his own sake, giving glory to Him for who he is. In the
liturgy of the Eucharist, the whole Church joins with Christ in
giving praise and thanksgiving to the Father. See Doxology.

Prayer:
The elevation of the mind and heart to God in praise of his
glory; a petition made to God for some desired good, or in
thanksgiving for a good received, or in intercession for others
before God. Through prayer the Christian experiences a
communion with God through Christ in the Church.

Prayer of the Faithful:

See "Bidding Prayers"

Preaching:
The proclamation of the Gospel challenging the listener to
make a commitment. It also means to deliver a sermon.

Precepts of the Church:

Positive laws sometimes called commandments made by
Church authorities to guarantee for the faithful the
indispensable minimum in prayer and moral effort, for the sake
of their growth in love of God and neighbor.

Presbyter:
An elder or priest, a member of the order of priesthood; the
presbyterate is one of the three degrees of the Sacrament of
Holy Orders. Presbyters or priests are co-workers with their
bishops and form a unique sacerdotal college or presbyterium
dedicated to assist their bishops in priestly service to the
People of God. Through the ministry of priests, the unique
sacrifice of Christ on the cross is made present in the
Eucharistic sacrifice of the Church. See Priesthood.

Presentation:
The presentation and dedication of Jesus to God by Mary and
Joseph in the Temple (Lk 2:22-39), in accord with Mosaic Law
concerning the first born. At the Presentation, Simeon and
Anna sum up the expectation of Israel for the long awaited

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 60 of 82
:
 Messiah, the light of the nations and the glory of Israel, but also
as a sign of contradiction. The presentation of the gifts,
especially of bread and wine, is a preparatory rite for the liturgy
of the Eucharist at Mass.

Presumption:
An act or attitude opposed to the theological virtue of hope.
Presumption can take the form of trust in self without
recognizing that salvation comes from God, or of an over
confidence in divine mercy.

Pride:
One of the seven capital sins. Pride is undue self esteem or self
love, which seeks attention and honor and sets oneself in
competition with God.

Priest:
Someone who is ordained to minister within the Church. The
main duties of the Priest are; preaching, celebrating Mass,
administering the other sacraments and exercising a role of
leadership within the Church.

Priesthood:
Of the faithful: The priestly people of God. Christ has made of
his Church a "kingdom of priests," and gives the faithful a
share in his priesthood through the Sacraments of Baptism and
Confirmation. Ministerial: The ministerial priesthood received in
the Sacrament of Holy Orders differs in essence from this
common priesthood of all the faithful. It has as its purpose to
serve the priesthood of all the faithful by building up and
guiding the Church in the name of Christ, who is Head of the
Body. See Priesthood of Christ; Presbyter.

Priesthood of Christ:
The unique high priest, according to the order of Melchizedek.
Christ fulfilled everything that the priesthood of the Old
Covenant prefigured. He offered himself once and for all (Heb
10:14), in a perfect sacrifice upon the cross. His priesthood is
made present in a special way in the Church through the
ministerial priesthood, conferred through the Sacrament of

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 61 of 82
:
 Holy Orders.

Primacy:
See Pope.

Private Revelations:
Revelations made in the course of history which do not add to
or form part of the deposit of faith, but rather may help people
live out their faith more fully. Some of these private revelations
have been recognized by the authority of the Church, which
cannot accept so called "revelations of faith" that claim to
surpass or correct the Revelation of Christ confided to his
Church.

Processions:
A solemn walk for a religious purpose, usually accompanied by
prayers and hymns.

Profession:
The taking of vows on joining a religious order.

Profession of Faith:
The synthesis (creed, "symbol of faith") of the faith which
summarizes the faith professed by Christians. See Creed.

Prophet:
One sent by God to form the people of the Old Covenant in the
hope of salvation. The prophets are often authors of books of
the Old Testament. The prophetic books constitute a major
section of the Old Testament of the Bible. John the Baptist
concludes the work of the prophets of the Old Covenant.

Prophetic:
People in the community who warned others about
consequences of their actions.

Protestant:
A person who believes in Christ and has been baptized, but
who does not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety, but rather
is a member of a Protestant church or ecclesial community
whose roots are in the Reformation, begun in the sixteenth

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 62 of 82
:
 century.

Proto-Evangelium:
The proto or first Gospel: the passage in Genesis (3:15) that
first mysteriously announces the promise of the Messiah and
Redeemer.

Providence:
The dispositions by which God guides his creation toward its
perfection yet to be attained; the protection and governance of
God over all creation.

Prudence:
The virtue which disposes a person to discern the good and
choose the correct means to accomplish it. One of the cardinal
moral virtues that dispose the Christian to live according to the
law of Christ, prudence provides the proximate guidance for the
judgment of conscience.

Psalm:
A prayer in the Book of Psalms of the Old Testament,
assembled over several centuries; a collection of prayers in the
form of hymns or poetry. The psalms have been used since
Jesus' time as the public prayer of the Church.

Psalter:
The book of psalms arranged for liturgical use.

Pulpit:
Comes from the Latin word "pulpitum", meaning staging
platform, from which the priest proclaims the Gospel readings
of the Mass and preaches the homily.

Punishment, Eternal:
The penalty for unrepented mortal sin, separating the sinner
from communion with God for all eternity; the condemnation of
the unrepentant sinner to hell.

Punishment, Temporal:
Purification of the unhealthy attachment to creatures, which is
a consequence of sin that perdures even after death. We must

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 63 of 82
:
 be purified either during our earthly life through prayer and a
conversion which comes from fervent charity, or after death in
purgatory.

Purgatory:
A state of final purification after death and before entrance into
heaven for those who died in God's friendship, but were only
imperfectly purified; a final cleansing of human imperfection
before one is able to enter the joy of heaven.

Racism:
Unjust discrimination on the basis of a person's race; a
violation of human dignity, and a sin against justice.

RCIA:
Stands for Right of Christian Initiation of Adults. A year long
process of entrance into the Catholic Church.

Readers:
Those who read the scripture passages during Mass. Passages
from the Old Testament or the epistles in the New Testament
may be read by lay people. Passages from the Gospel are
always read by a Priest or Deacon.

Real Presence:
The unique, true presence of Christ in the Eucharist under the
species or appearances of bread and wine. The Church invites
the faithful to deepen their faith in the real presence of Christ
through adoration and communion at the Eucharistic liturgy,
and through adoration outside its celebration.

Reason:
Our ability to know the existance of God with certainty through
our hearts and minds.

Reconciliation, Sacrament of:

The sacramental celebration in which, through God's mercy

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 64 of 82
:
 and forgiveness, the sinner is reconciled with God and also
with the Church, Christ's Body, which is wounded by sin.

Redeemer/Redemption:
Jesus Christ, redeemer of mankind. Christ paid the price of his
own sacrificial death on the cross to ransom us, to set us free
from the slavery of sin, thus achieving our redemption.

Reformation:
A movement for reform of certain doctrines and practices of the
Church which began in the 16th Century and led to division
between Catholic and Protestant Churches.

Relic:
Any part of the physcial remains of a saint or items that have
touched the body of a saint.

Religion:
A set of beliefs and practices followed by those committed to
the service and worship of God. The first commandment
requires us to believe in God, to worship and serve him, as the
first duty of the virtue of religion.

Religious Liberty:
A Vatican II doctrine affirming the natural right to be free of
coercion in one's religious beliefs.

Religious Life:
See Consecrated Life.

Remission of Sins:
The forgiveness of sins, which is accomplished in us through
faith and Baptism, as the fruit of the redemptive sacrifice of
Christ on the cross. Christ gave the power to remit sins to his
Apostles, and through them to the ministers of the Church. The
remission of sins committed after Baptism is effected
sacramentally through the Sacrament of Penance and
Reconciliation.

Reparation:
Making amends for a wrong done or for an offense, especially

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 65 of 82
:
 for sin, which is an offense against God. By his death on the
cross, the Son of God offered his life out of love for the Father
to make reparation for our sinful disobedience. We are obliged
to make reparation for personal sins against justice and truth,
either through restitution of stolen goods or correcting the
harm done to the other's good name.

Repentance:
See Contrition; Penance.

Requiem:
A Mass for the dead. It takes its name from the first word of the
prayer with which Mass begins. In Latin This is; "Requiem
aeternam dona eis, Domine."(Lord, give them eternal rest).

Responsorial Psalm:
A psalm which is recited or sung after the first scripture reading
at Mass.

Restitution:
The return of what has been unjustly taken from another.

Resurrection of Christ:
The bodily rising of Jesus from the dead on the third day after
his death on the cross and burial in the tomb. The resurrection
of Christ is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ.

Resurrection of the Dead:

The raising of the righteous, who will live forever with the risen
Christ, on the last day. The eleventh article of the Christian
creed states, "I believe in the resurrection of the body." The
resurrection of the body means not only that the immortal soul
will live on after death, but that even our "mortal bodies" (Rom
8:11) will come to life again.

Revelation:
God's communication of himself, by which he makes known the
mystery of his divine plan, a gift of self-communication which is
realized by deeds and words over time, and most fully by
sending us his own divine Son, Jesus Christ.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 66 of 82
:
 Rites:
The diverse liturgical traditions in which the one catholic and
apostolic faith has come to be expressed and celebrated in
various cultures and lands; for example, in the West, the
Roman and Ambrosian (Latin) rites; in the East, the Byzantine,
Coptic (Alexandrian), Syriac, Armenian, Maronite, and Chaldean
rites. "Rite" and "ritual" are sometimes interchanged, as in "the
sacramental rite" or "the sacramental ritual."

Roman Curia:
The bureaucracy that assists the Pope in administering his duty
of pastoring the Catholic Church.

Roman Ritual:
Liturgical book containing special rites and blessings. Since
Vatican II, this book has been called the Book of Blessings.

Rosary:
A prayer in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which repeats the
privileged Marian prayer Ave Maria, or Hail Mary, in "decades"
of ten prayers, each preceded by the Pater Noster ("Our
Father") and concluded by the Gloria Patri (Glory Be to the
Father), accompanied by meditation on the mysteries of
Christ's life. The rosary was developed by medieval piety in the
Latin church as a popular substitute for the liturgical prayer of
the Hours.

Sabbath:
The Sabbath or seventh "day," on which God rested after the
work of the "six days" of creation was completed, as recounted
in the opening narrative of the Bible. Creation is thus ordered to
the Sabbath, the day to be kept holy to the praise and worship
of God. Just as the seventh day or Sabbath completes the first
creation, so the "eighth day," Sunday, the day of the week on
which Jesus rose from the dead, is celebrated as the "holy day"
by Christians the day on which the "new creation" began. Thus
the Christian observance of Sunday fulfills the commandment
to remember and keep holy the Sabbath day.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 67 of 82
:
 Sacrament:
An efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted
to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us through
the work of the Holy Spirit. The sacraments (called "mysteries"
in the Eastern Churches) are seven in number: Baptism,
Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance or Reconciliation, Anointing
of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.

Sacramentals:
Sacred signs which bear a certain resemblance to the
sacraments, and by means of which spiritual effects are
signified and obtained through the prayers of the Church.

Sacred Heart:
The symbol of the love with which Jesus continually loves the
eternal Father and all human beings without exception.

Sacred Scripture:
The sacred writings of the Old and New Testament that are
believed to be inspired by the Holy Spirit and written by human
hands.

Sacrifice:
A ritual offering made to God by a priest on behalf of the
people, as a sign of adoration, gratitude, supplication, and
communion. The perfect sacrifice was Christ's death on the
cross; by this sacrifice, Christ accomplished our redemption as
high priest of the new and eternal covenant. The sacrifice of
Christ on the cross is commemorated and mysteriously made
present in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Church.

Sacrilege:
Profanation of or irreverence toward persons, places, and
things which are sacred, i.e., dedicated to God; sacrilege
against the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, is a
particularly grave offense against the first commandment.

Sacristy:
The room in the Church where the Priests vests for Mass and
other services and the sacred vessels are kept.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 68 of 82
:
 Saint:
The "holy one" who leads a life in union with God through the
grace of Christ and receives the reward of eternal life. The
Church is called the communion of saints, of the holy ones.

Salvation:
The forgiveness of sins and restoration of friendship with God,
which can be done by God alone.

Sanctifying Grace:
The grace which heals our human nature wounded by sin by
giving us a share in the divine life of the Trinity. It is a habitual,
supernatural gift which continues the work of sanctifying us of
making us "perfect," holy, and Christlike.

Sanctuary:
The part of a church set apart for the principal rites of worship.
A shrine or place of pilgrimage.

Sanctuary Lamp:
A lamp which is kept burning in front of the tabernacle in
Catholic churches as a sign and a reminder that Jesus is really
present.

Satan:
A fallen angel or the devil; the Evil One.

Satisfaction (for Sin):

An act whereby the sinner makes amends for sin, especially in
reparation to God for offenses against him. The penance given
by the confessor in the Sacrament of Penance constitutes such
satisfaction. All true satisfaction for sin must be a participation
in the satisfaction for sin made by Christ through his death on
the cross.

Savior:
Jesus which means "God saves" in Hebrew. The Son of God
became man to achieve our salvation; he is the unique savior of
humanity.

Scandal:

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 69 of 82
:
 An attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil.

Schism:
Refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff, or of communion
with the members of the Church subject to him.

Scripture, Sacred:
The sacred writings of the Old and New Testaments.

Seal of Confession:
The confessor's obligation to keep absolutely secret what a
penitent has told to him in the Sacrament of Penance; also
known as the "sacramental seal".

Seamless Garment of Life:

Refers to Jesus' robe, which legend says it was seamless.

Second Coming of Christ:

See Parousia.

Secular Institute:
See Institute, Secular.

Seminary:
A college where men are trained for the priesthood.

Sensus Fidei:
A supernatural appreciation of the faith (sensus fidei) shown by
the universal consent in matters of faith and morals manifested
by the whole body of the faithful under the guidance of the
Magisterium.

Septuagint:
A pre-Christian Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures
made by Jewish scholars, and later adopted by Greek speaking
Christians.

Sermon:
A talk in which the word of God is explained. Also called a
homily. Only people commissioned by the Bishop are allowed
to give sermons, usually Priests or Deacons.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 70 of 82
:
 Sign of the Cross:
A sign in the form of a cross made by the Christian as a prayer
honoring the Blessed Trinity, "in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit".

Signal Graces:
Signal Graces are those special and unique Graces to help
sanctify us in our state in life.

Simony:
The buying or selling of spiritual things, which have God alone
as their owner and master.

Sin:
An offense against God as well as a fault against reason, truth,
and right conscience. Sin is a deliberate thought, word, deed,
or omission contrary to the eternal law of God. In judging the
gravity of sin, it is customary to distinguish between mortal and
venial sins.

Slander:
See Calumny.

Sloth:
A culpable lack of physical or spiritual effort; acedia or
laziness. One of the capital sins.

Social Justice:
The respect for the human person and the rights which flow
from human dignity and guarantee it. Society must provide the
conditions that allow people to obtain what is their due,
according to their nature and vocation.

Social Sin:
The effect of sin over time, which can affect society and its
institutions to create "structures of sin," by analogy called
"social sin".

Social Teaching:
The teaching (social doctrine) of the Church on the truth of
revelation about human dignity, human solidarity, and the

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 71 of 82
:
 principles of justice and peace; the moral judgments about
economic and social matters required by such truth and about
the demands of justice and peace.

Solemnity
A solemnity is a principal day in the Church's liturgical
calendar. Solemnities celebrate events in the life of Christ,
Mary, and the saints which are of particular importance for the
whole Church, Celebration of these special days begins the
evening before. The following days are solemnities:

January 1
Mary, Mother of God
Sunday between January 2 and January
Epiphany
8
Joseph, Husband of Mary
March 19
Annunciation
March 25
Easter Triduum
March/April (date varies)
Ascension of the Lord
40 days after Easter
Pentecost
50 days after Easter
Holy Trinity
Sunday after Pentecost
Body and Blood of Christ
Sunday after Holy Trinity
Sacred Heart
Friday after Body and Blood of Christ
Birth of John the Baptist
June 24
Peter and Paul, Apostles
June 29
Assumption of the Blessed
August 15
Virgin
November 1
All Saints
November (date varies, but always
Christ the King
Sunday)
Immaculate Conception
December 8
Christmas (Birth of the Lord)
December 25

Son of God:
A title frequently applied to Jesus in the Gospel, signifying his
unique relationship to the Father. The second Person of the
Blessed Trinity is called Son of God in reference to the Eternal
Father. The revelation of his divine sonship is the principal
dramatic development of the story of Jesus of Nazareth.

Son of Man:
The title used by our Lord of himself in the Gospel. This title
connotes a relationship with the eschatological figure of the
"Son of man appearing in clouds and glory" in the prophecy of

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 72 of 82
:
 Daniel.

Soul:
The spiritual principle of human beings. The soul is the subject
of human consciousness and freedom; soul and body together
form one unique human nature. Each human soul is individual
and immortal, immediately created by God. The soul does not
die with the body, from which it is separated by death, and with
which it will be reunited in the final resurrection.

Spirit:
See Holy Spirit.

Spiritual Director:
Person trained to work with people spiritually.

Stations of the Cross:

A series of fourteen meditations on incidents in the suffering
and death of Christ. Pictures of these scenes can be found
round the walls of most Catholic churches.

Stealing/Theft:
Unjustly taking and keeping the property of another, against the
reasonable will of the owner. Stealing is a violation of the
seventh commandment of God, "You shall not steal."

Suicide:
The willful taking of one's own life; a grievous sin against the
fifth commandment. A human person is neither the author nor
the supreme arbiter of his life, of which God is sovereign
master.

Sunday:
The "Lord's Day," the principal day of the week for the
Eucharistic celebration of the Church. Each Sunday Mass
commemorates the resurrection of Christ on the first Easter
Sunday, and is a reminder of the first day of creation for those
who have become a "new creation in Christ".

Supernatural:
Surpassing the power of created beings; a result of God's

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 73 of 82
:
 gracious initiative. Our vocation to eternal life is supernatural.

Superstition:
The attribution of a kind of magical power to certain practices
or objects, like charms or omens. Reliance on such power,
rather than on trust in God, constitutes an offense against the
honor due to God alone, as required by the first commandment.

S.V.P.:
Stands for Society of St Vincent de Paul: A society of men and
women willing to undertake charitable works.

Synod:
A meeting of bishops of an ecclesiastical province or
patriarchate (or even from the whole world, e.g., Synod of
Bishops) to discuss the doctrinal and pastoral needs of the
church. A diocesan synod is an assembly of priests and other
members of Christ's faithful who assist the bishop by offering
advice about the needs of the diocese and by proposing
legislation for him to enact. The words "synod" and "council"
are sometimes used interchangeably.

Synoptic:
Seeing with one lens. Matthew, Mark and Luke all give a
common view of Jesus and they are called the Synoptic
Gospels.

Tabernacle:
The receptacle in the church in which the consecrated
Eucharist is reserved for Communion for the sick and dying.
Reservation of the Eucharist in the tabernacle lends itself to
private devotional visits and adoration of our Lord in the
Blessed Sacrament by the faithful.

Teaching Office:
See Magisterium.

Temperance:
The cardinal moral virtue that moderates the attraction of

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 74 of 82
:
 pleasure and provides balance in the use of created goods. It
ensures the mastery of the will over instinct, and keeps natural
desires within proper limits.

Temple:
The house of worship built in Jerusalem by Solomon as God's
dwelling-place, for the exercise of the priestly rites of sacrifice
in the Jewish religion. After the capture of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
by the Romans, the second temple was destroyed and never
rebuilt. Jesus recognized the Temple as God's dwelling, and a
house of prayer; he even identified himself with the Temple by
presenting himself as God's definitive dwelling place. The Holy
Spirit makes the Church "the temple of the living God".

Temptation:
An attraction, either from outside oneself or from within, to act
contrary to right reason and the commandments of God. Jesus
himself during his life on earth was tempted, put to the test, to
manifest both the opposition between himself and the devil and
the triumph of his saving work over Satan.

Ten Commandments:
The rules of life delivered by God to Moses on Mount Sinai.
They still form the basis of Christian morality.

Testament:
The name given to the two major parts of the Bible; a synonym
for "covenant," as in Old and New Covenants. The Old
Testament recounts the history of salvation before the time of
Christ (46 books), and the New Testament unfolds the saving
work of Jesus and the apostolic beginnings of the Church (27
books).

Theology:
The study of God, based on divine revelation.

Theophany:
A revelation or visible appearance of God, as in the case of
Moses at Mount Sinai.

Time:

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 75 of 82
:
 See Eternal Life.

Tradition:
The living transmission of the message of the Gospel in the
Church. The oral preaching of the Apostles, and the written
message of salvation under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
(Bible), are conserved and handed on as the deposit of faith
through the apostolic succession in the Church. Both the living
Tradition and the written Scriptures have their common source
in the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. The theological,
liturgical, disciplinary, and devotional traditions of the local
churches both contain and can be distinguished from this
apostolic Tradition.

Transcendence:
The belief that God exists at a higher plane, such as heaven.
God is beyond human ability to perceive.

Transfiguration:
The mysterious event in which Jesus, seen speaking with
Moses and Elijah on the mountain, was transformed in
appearance in the sight of Peter, James, and John as a moment
of disclosure of his divine glory.

Transubstantiation:
The scholastic term used to designate the unique change of the
Eucharistic bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.
"Transubstantiation" indicates that through the consecration of
the bread and the wine there occurs the change of the entire
substance of the bread into the substance of the Body of
Christ, and of the entire substance of the wine into the Blood of
Christ even though the appearances or "species" of bread and
wine remain.

Tridentine Mass:
The Latin Mass authorized by the Council of Trent in the 16th
Century. It was the form of Mass used by the Western Church
until 1969 when Pope John Paul VI authorized the use of a
revised Mass which could be said in the language of the
country.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 76 of 82
:
 Triduum:
A liturgical celebration of three days duration, as in the Easter
Triduum.

Trinity:
The mystery of one God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit. The revealed truth of the Holy Trinity is at the very root of
the Church's living faith as expressed in the Creed. The
mystery of the Trinity in itself is inaccessible to the human
mind and is the object of faith only because it was revealed by
Jesus Christ, the divine Son of the eternal Father.

Trinity Sunday:
The Sunday after Pentecost. A day on which special honor is
paid to the Blessed Trinity.

Typology:
The discernment of persons, events, or things in the Old
Testament which prefigured, and thus served as a "type" (or
prototype) of, the fulfillment of God's plan in the person of
Christ. The typology of the Old Testament which is made clear
in the New Testament demonstrates the dynamic unity of the
divine plan of salvation.

U.C.M.:
Stands for "Union of Catholic Mothers", and organization of
Catholic married women for the preservation of faith and
morals in the home.

Unity, Christian:
See Ecumenism.

Vatican:
The official residence of the Pope in Rome. It also refers to the
central government of the Church.

Veneration (of Saints):

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 77 of 82
:
 Showing devotion and respect to Mary, the Apostles, and the
martyrs, who were viewed as faithful witnesses to faith in Jesus
Christ. Later, veneration was given to those who led a life of
prayer and self-denial in giving witness to Christ, whose virtues
were recognized and publicly proclaimed in their canonization
as saints. Such veneration is often extended to the relics or
remains of those recognized as saints; indeed, to many sacred
objects and images. Veneration must be clearly distinguished
from adoration and worship, which are due to God alone.

Venial Sin:
Sin which does not destroy the divine life in the soul, as does
mortal sin, though it diminishes and wounds it. Venial sin is the
failure to observe necessary moderation, in lesser matters of
the moral law, or in grave matters acting without full knowledge
or complete consent.

Vespers:
The evening prayer of the Divine Office.

Vestments:
Garments worn by Ministers of the Church when celebrating
Mass or administering the sacraments. These include the alb (a
long white tunic worn by all ministers); the chasuble (the main
outer-garment worn by the Priest when celebrating Mass); the
stole (a type of scarf worn around the neck). It is worn by all
Clergy when administering the sacraments as well as for Mass.

Viaticum:
The Eucharist received by a dying person. It is the spiritual
food for one's "passing over" to the Father from this world.
With Penance and the Anointing of the Sick, the reception of
Holy Communion as Viaticum constitute the "last sacraments"
of the Christian.

Vicar of Christ:
A title given to St. Peter, head of the Twelve Apostles, and to his
successors, the popes; "vicar" means one who stands in for or
acts for another.

Vice:

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 78 of 82
:
 A habit acquired by repeated sin in violation of the proper
norms of human morality. The vices are often linked with the
seven capital sins. Repentance for sin and confession may
restore grace to a soul, but the removal of the ingrained
disposition to sin or vice requires much effort and self-denial,
until the contrary virtue is acquired.

Virgin Birth:
The conception of Jesus in the womb of the Virgin Mary solely
by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Church's confession of
faith in the virgin birth affirms that Jesus was conceived by the
Holy Spirit without human seed.

Virgin Mary:
The mother of Jesus, who is honored as "ever-virgin" for her
perpetual virginity.

Virtue:
An habitual and firm disposition to do the good. The moral
virtues are acquired through human effort aided by God's
grace; the theological virtues are gifts of God.

Virtues, Theological:
Gifts infused by God into the souls of the faithful to make them
capable of acting as his children and of meriting eternal life.
The theological virtues are faith, hope, and charity.

Vision, Beatific:
See Beatific Vision.

Visit:
Catholic custom of dropping into the Church for a few minutes
during the day to say a quick prayer.

Vocation:
The calling or destiny we have in this life and hereafter. God
has created the human person to love and serve him; the
fulfillment of this vocation is eternal happiness. Christ calls the
faithful to the perfection of holiness. The vocation of the laity
consists in seeking the Kingdom of God by engaging in
temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will.

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 79 of 82
:
 Priestly and religious vocations are dedicated to the service of
the Church as the universal sacrament of salvation.

Votive Mass:
A votive Mass celebrates a mystery of the Lord or a saint to
which the faithful may have a special devotion. The Lectionary
provides readings for votive Masses in honor of the Trinity, the
Triumph of the Cross, the Eucharist, the Sacred Heart, the
Precious Blood, the Holy Name, the Holy Spirit, the Apostles.

Vow:
A deliberate and free promise made to God, concerning a
possible and better good which must be fulfilled by reason of
the virtue of religion. Religious vows, the public profession of
the evangelical counsels in the Church, have an exemplary
value in witnessing to the Kingdom to come.

Way of the Cross:

A devotional exercise which follows the "way of the cross" in
the Savior's steps, observing stops or "stations" to meditate on
the path Jesus took from the Praetorium in Jerusalem to
Golgotha and the tomb. "By his holy Cross he has redeemed
the world".

Whitsunday:
Another name for the feast of Pentecost. Whit means White, in
earlier times the newly baptized wore the white robes of
Baptism on This day.

Western World:
Lands west of Istanbul Turkey. Lands east of Istanbul are called
Eastern world.

Wisdom:
A spiritual gift which enables one to know the purpose and plan
of God; one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Wisdom is also
the name of one of the books of the Old Testament.

Word of God:

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 80 of 82
:
 The entire content of Revelation as contained in the Holy Bible
and proclaimed in the Church. In John's Gospel, God's "Word"
means his only-begotten Son, who is the fullness of God's
Revelation and who took flesh (the Word incarnate) and became
man for the sake of our salvation.

Works of Mercy:
Charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our
neighbors in their bodily and spiritual needs. The spiritual
works of mercy include instructing, advising, consoling,
comforting, forgiving, and patiently forbearing. Corporal works
of mercy include feeding the hungry, clothing the naked,
visiting the sick and imprisoned, sheltering the homeless, and
burying the dead.

World:
Creation, or the earth, or even the universe. "All that is" often
called the "world" in Scripture owes its existence to God's act
of creation; God's creation is called "good" in the Bible, and
human beings are said to have been created "in his own image
and likeness". In the New Testament the "world" is sometimes
used to indicate the forces of opposition to the work of Jesus
and of his Holy Spirit. In this sense it signifies the world which
Jesus came to redeem from sin. The world will reach its goal
and perfection when it has been renewed and transformed into
"the new heaven and the new earth" in the fullness of God's
kingdom.

Worship:
Adoration and honor given to God, which is the first act of the
virtue of religion. Public worship is given to God in the Church
by the celebration of the Paschal Mystery of Christ in the
liturgy.

Yahweh (Yhwh):
The personal name of the God of Israel, revealed to Moses on
Mt. Sinai, meaning "I am who I am".

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 81 of 82
:
 Z

http://www.thesacredheart.com/dictnary.htm 9/30/24, 02 47
Page 82 of 82
: