Religion final

parable

(n.) a short narrative designed to teach a moral lesson; used by Jesus to teach

apostolic exhortation

A letter or document from the Pope encouraging Catholics in their religion

Priest

One who has received the ministerial priesthood through the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

bishop

One who has received the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders and is a successor to the Apostles.

diocese

Also known as a "particular" or "local" Church, the regional community of believers, who commonly gather in parishes, under the leadership of a bishop. At times, a diocese is determined not on the basis of geography but on the basis of language or rite.

idolatry

The worship of other beings, creatures or material goods in a way that is fitting only to God.

gentile

A non-Jewish person

martyr

A person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs

pentecost

The fiftieth day following Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the early Apostles and disciples.

Reign of God

Also known as the kingdom of God or kingdom of heaven, God's presence in the world through Christ. The Church "is the Reign of Christ already present in mystery"

Salvation History

The pattern of specific events in human history in which God clearly reveals his presence and saving actions

Cardinal

A bishop that the Pope appoints as a consultant. Cardinals less than eighty years old are responsible for electing the Pope.

Pope

A Title used by the Bishop of Rome, who is the successor of Saint Peter and shepherd of the Universal Church.

Apostolic Succession

The uninterrupted passing on of apostolic preaching and authority from the Apostles directly to all bishops.

Holy Orders

The Sacrament by which baptized men are ordained for permanent ministry in the Church as bishops, priests, and deacons.

Religious Communities

a group of men or women religious who are joined by a common charism

Marks of the Church

The four essential features or characteristics of the Church: One, Holy, Catholic (universal), and Apostolic.

Baptism

The 1st of 7 Sacrament by which one becomes a member of the Church and a new creature in Christ

Original Sin

The sin by which the first humans disobeyed God and thereby lost their original holiness and became subject to death. Original Sin is transmitted to every person born into the world, except Mary and Jesus.

Eucharist

The celebration of the entire Mass. The term sometimes refers specifically to the consecrated bread and wine that have become the Body and Blood of Christ.

Apostles Creed

The developed from the baptismal creed of the ancient church and is considered to be a faithful summary of the faith.

Theology

The study of God

Disciple

A follower of Jesus

Nicene Creed

The formal statement or profession of faith commonly recited during the Eucharist.

Dogma

A central truth of Revelation that Catholics are obliged to believe; defined by the Magisterium

95 Theses

Arguments written by Martin Luther against the Catholic church. They were posted on Octobe 31, 1517.

Vocation

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

Anti-Semitism

Prejudice against Jews

Denomination

A group of churches or local congregations that are united by a common creed or shared faith

interreligious dialogue

The efforts to build cooperative and constructive interaction with other world religions.

People of God

An image of the Church based in the Chosen People of the Old Testament and used in the documents of Vatican II.

Infancy Narrative

The accounts of Jesus' birth and early life found in Matthew and Luke's Gospels

Magnificat

Prayer of Mary; term means 'great'

Pilgrim Church

Model of the Church and its members as on a journey, or pilgrimage, toward perfect holiness and, ultimately, to eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Began during Vatican II

Almsgiving

The act of giving money or material goods to anyone who is needy

Fasting

Penitential practice of going without food/water for a period of time

Crusades

a series of military expeditions in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries by Western European Christians to reclaim control of the Holy Lands from the Muslims

Doctrine

official church teaching

Remnant

A prophetic term for the small portion of people who will be saved because of their faithfulness to God.

Eschatology

The area of Christian faith having to do with the last things: the Last Judgment, the particular judgment, the resurrection of the body, Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory.

Vatican Council II

The ecumenical or general council of the Roman Catholic Church that Pope John XXIII (1958-1963) convened in 1962 and that continued under Pope Paul VI (1963-1978) until 1965.

Yahweh

Hebrew name for God

Ecumenism

The movement, inspired and led by the Holy Spirit, that seeks the union of all Christian religions and eventually the unity of all peoples throughout the world within the Catholic Church.

Consecrated Life

A permanent state of life recognized by the Church, characterized by the profession of the evangelical counsels.

Celibacy

the state or condition of those who have chosen or taken vows to remain unmarried in order to devote themselves entirely to the service of the Church and the Kingdom of God

Religious Vows

The promises made by members of religious communities to follow the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Chastity

The virtue by which people are able to successfully and healthfully integrate their sexuality into their total person; recognized as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Also one of the vows of religious life.

Canon Law

The body of laws governing the religious practices of a Christian church

Sacred Chrism

Perfumed olive oil that has been consecrated. It is used for anointing in the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders.

Parish

A local community of the Christian faithful under the care of a parish priest.

Encyclical

A teaching letter from the Pope to the members of the Church on topics of social justice, human rights, and peace.

Supreme Pontiff

Another title for "Pope." A title for the bishop of Rome, the successor to Saint Peter and the spiritual leader of the Universal Church.

Hierarchy of Truths

The ordering of Catholic doctrines according to their relation to the Trinity, the central foundation of Christian belief.

Servant Leader

A leader who serves others by working to fulfill followers' needs and goals, as well as to achieve the organization's larger mission.

Infallibility

The gift given by the Holy Spirit to the Pope and the bishops in union with him to teach on matters of faith and morals without error.

Apostolic Life

Engage in many good words for the Church - e.g. Knights of Columbus

intercessory prayer

A prayer form in which you ask God's help for other people's needs; also called intercession.

Holy Orders

The Sacrament by which men are ordained to the bishop (episcopacy), priesthood, or diaconate.

Apostolic

The Mark of the Church that describes its mission and connection to the Church's foundation

Magisterium

The Church's living teaching office, which consists of all bishops, in communion with the Pope.

Son of Man

A messianic title from the Book of Daniel, used to describe a figure who receives authority over other nations from God; the only messianic title in the Gospels used by Jesus to describe himself.

Secular

Concerned with worldly rather than spiritual matters

human trafficking

The illegal trade of human beings, a modern-day form of slavery, for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or involuntary military combat.

Servant Leadership

A type of leadership based on humble service to all God's people.

Evangelical Counsels

The call to go beyond the minimum rules of life required by God (such as the Ten Commandments and the Precepts of the Church) and strive for spiritual perfection through a life marked by a commitment to chastity, poverty, and obedience.

lay ecclesial minister

the official Church term for a layperson serving the Church as a youth minister, school principal, or as head of a diocesan liturgical office is

Common Priesthood of the Faithful

The name for the priesthood shared by all who are baptized. The baptized share in the one priesthood of Jesus Christ by participating in his mission as priest, prophet, and king.

Corporal Works of Mercy

Charitable actions that respond to people's physical needs and show respect for human dignity. The traditional list of seven works includes feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, visiting prisoners, and burying the dead.

Stewardship

responsibility for conserving and restoring the Earth's resources for future generations; origins found in the Book of Genesis

Laudato Si

Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment which affirms our responsibility to care for a sacramental world that connects us to God

Conversion

A change of heart, turning away from sin and toward God