Vocabulary-Discipleship
Believing in Yourself
The will of God refers to God's power to bring something good into existence. God, who is all-loving, calls goodness into being in the life of each person. Our challenge is to realize and be responsive to that goodness. Scripture, Church teachings, and prayer help us meet that challenge.
The book of Genesis offers answers to the most fundamental questions we have about our existence. It gives witness to the truth that God is our Savior.
Humans were created in the image of God. Genesis (Chapter1 verses 26-27) tells is that humans are more like God than all other creatures. Other creatures are called vestiges, or beings that show us God's footprint in the created world. Because humans have a spiritual soul, an intellect, and free will, they are more like God. Instead of being simply a vestige, we are called an image. Because Jesus is one with the Father, he is the perfect image of God.
Providence comes from the Latin word "foresight". Providence is God's divine plan for all creation by which he lovingly leads everything to his goal. It does not negate human freedom. We freely choose either to work according to God's plan, with his help, or to work against it.
Chapter 1 Review Quiz Chapter 1 Essay
Relating to Your Parents
Virtue, which comes from the Latin word meaning "strength", is a habitual and firm disposition to do good. It helps us grow in love of God and others. The theological virtues (faith, hope, charity) are gifts from God and the foundation of Christian moral activity. They affect our relationships. The moral virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) are acquired by human effort and help us live a morally good life.
Obedience comes from the Latin word meaning "to listen to" (oboedire). In the Christian life obedience refers to the stance of the free human person before God. We believe that God knows and wants what is best for us. Obedience means listening to God and freely acting to do his will.
Disobedience means not listening to God and acting contrary to his will.
Chapter 2 Review Quiz Chapter 2 Essay
Choosing Your Friends
Those who walk in the Holy Spirit enjoy the fruits of the Spirit (charity, faith, joy, modesty, benignity, goodness, peace, patience, continence, chastity, longanimity, mildness ) and inherit the kingdom of God.
Fidelity is faithfulness to a person or cause. It can also be defined as loyalty, commitment, trustworthiness, constancy, devotion, allegiance, or keeping one's word.
Free will is the ability to choose one's attitudes and actions, to choose between right and wrong. Because we have free will, we are responsible for our choices.
Chapter 3 Review Quiz Chapter 3 Essay
Growing in Your Faith
Ministry refers to a particular way to serve God and others. Many different ministries, both lay and ordained, are needed to carry out the work Jesus gave the church to do. The word ministry means service.
The Corporal Works of Mercy are based on Matthew 25:34-40. These works of mercy are actions that respond to people's basic physical needs, necessary for all human life. (Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick or imprisoned, ransom the captives, bury the dead)
Prayer is the act by which we speak with and listen to God. Prayer can be vocal, consisting of words that are spoken, sung, or recited, as in the Lord's Prayer; or it can be mental, an act of opening oneself to God's presence through a technique such as meditation. Prayer is initiated by God, who moves us by grace to respond.
Liturgy refers to the public forms of worship - both rites and prayers- of the Church. Before the fourth century, liturgy varied greatly according to local custom. Beginning with Pope Gregory VII, liturgy was gradually standardized. The most recent reforms by the Second Vatican Council, however, acknowledged the need to respect cultural traditions in liturgy.
The word worship comes from an Old English word meaning "honor." Worship includes all the many ways we praise, thank, and revere God, especially as a community.
Chapter 4 Review Quiz Chapter 4 Essay
Understanding the Value of Sexuality
A man and woman who celebrate the sacrament known as Matrimony forever change their own lives and the lives of those around them. Matrimony forever change their own lives and the lives of those around them. Matrimony calls them to love each other through serving and communicating with each other. Matrimony also calls them to live out the covenant, for the sake of others- their children and the faith community- for whom they are visible sign of Christ's oneness with his Church, the Body of Christ. In fact the family is often called the domestic Church.
Chasity is the virtue by which we treat our own and others' sexuality with respect, whether we young or old, married or single. In the context of a religious community, the vow of chastity is the renunciation of sexual relations with anyone, while chastity for married people means renouncing sexual relations with anyone other than one's spouse. Through chastity we see human sexuality is a gift from God that cannot be separated from love.
Celibacy is an unmarried state of life in which a person abstains from sexual intercourse. It may be voluntarily undertaken in order to serve God. In the Western Church celibacy is required of bishops and priests and of deacons who are unmarried at the time of ordination.
Revelation was written in a time of crisis for the early Church when Christians were being ruthlessly persecuted by the Romans. The book is filled with symbolism that provides hope ,encourages Christians to wait patiently, reminds them that Jesus will always be with them, and challenges them to have faith in the risen Lord. Those who endure to the end will be joined with Christ forever, a union symbolically represented in the wedding feast of Revelation 19.
Chapter 5 Review Quiz Chapter 5 Essay
Making Positive Choices
The Four Cardinal Virtues (1305-1306) is the work of the great Florentine artist Giotto di Bondone (1266-1337). The original is located in the Arena Chapel in Padua, Italy. Each virtue is represented as a woman, according to the tradition of the time. Prudence holds a mirror as a reminder of the importance of self reflection and examining our actions. Temperance holds a bottle of water, which symbolizes purity and chastity - which temperance protects. Justice is shown with a scale, weighing figures of good and evil. Fortitude holds a club and shield, symbolizing that this virtue helps us be strong - it is our armor of faith.
A temptation is anything that encourages us to sin. When we are tempted, we feel pulled to do the wrong thing because of the pleasures or rewards that we think it will bring. We should always realize the danger that temptation presents, but we may also look on it as a chance to grow in our friendship with God. When we resist temptation, we are being the people God wants us to be.
Chapter 6 Review Quiz Chapter 6 Essay
Learning to Act Justly
Justice enables us to preserve the quality of our relationships with other people and with God. Justice makes it possible for us to give other people what is due them as children of God and to give God what is due Him.
Injustice is the opposite of justice - the firm will, which arises from love of God and neighbor, to give each person what he is entitled to. The Church teaches that every person has the responsibility to participate in society, and in turn, society must make sure that every person has the opportunity to do so. Social injustice occurs when people are not allowed to participate fully, as, for example, when we are deprived of the right to shelter, food, a decent education, the right to vote, or the right to speak freely.
The Kingdom of God is a state of perfect joy, peace, love, and justice with God and with others. Although the fullness of God's kingdom will not be realized until after the second coming of Christ, we can begin to experience God's kingdom now through participating in the Church's life and practicing the Beatitudes.
The idea of common good is based on the understanding that God created humans to live together. We are not just individuals looking at our own interests; we are members of society. The common good requires that we help one another be the best that we can be. The Catholic Church teaches that each person is entitled to support from the greater community; each person, in turn, must offer what he or she can to support the community.
Compassion means to "suffer with" s another, to feel that person's suffering and to desire to lessen his or her pain. The Gospels tell us that Jesus frequently felt and showed compassion for others.
The word community comes from the Latin word for "common" A community exists because its members have something in common, such as a purpose or belief. The source of the Church community is the Holy Spirit. Its members share beliefs, practices, and traditions with Catholics everywhere. Our community also includes the believers that have gone before us and who join us in worshipping God.
Chapter 7 Review Quiz Chapter 7 Essay
Accepting Challenges
The cardinal virtues are prudence, temperance, and fortitude. All virtues hinge or flow from them. The word cardinal means 'hinge.'
Prudence enables us to know what is right and good and then choose the right means of achieving the good. The word prudence means "to see ahead". As the "pilot" of all virtues, prudence allows us to foresee the possible consequence of our actions.
Justice is the virtue that enables us to carry out our moral duties toward God and others. Justice is more than fairness. It means giving each person what he or she is due, not based on material standings or merit but simply because he or she is a child of God.
Temperance is sometimes described as moderation, self-control, sobriety, or modesty. Temperance leads us to do all things in moderation rather than in excess.
Fortitude is another word for courage, the virtue that strengthens our ability to resist evil and do good. Fortitude helps us overcome obstacles in the moral life. Courage, or fortitude, is both a gift of the Holy Spirit and a cardinal virtue. Having courage does not mean we foolishly take risks or engage in dangerous acts. Rather, true courage means acting according to our conscience and doing what we think is right, even in the face of persecution or death. Courage is basic to leading a good Christian life.
Contrition is sincere sorrow for sin, strong dislike for sin, and the pledge not to sin again. Contrition is the first step in reconciliation with God; without it there can be no forgiveness. God cannot forgive our sins if we are truly not sorry for them or do not want to change our behavior. Contrition is motivated by fear of God's justice and punishment (imperfect contrition) or by love of God and sorrow over offending Him (perfect contrition).
A creed is a profession of faith or summary of belief. The word creed comes from the Latin credo , which means "I believe." When we say "I believe," we pledge ourselves to uphold, or to remain faithful to, these traditional beliefs. The Nicene Creed is the result of two great Church councils. This more detailed creed was written to clarify the Church's beliefs concerning Jesus' divinity.
The Apostles' Creed: This profession of faith received its name from the popular legend that it was composed by the apostles. However, the earliest reference to this creed appears in fourth century writings, and the earliest text dates from the eighth century. The name is still appropriate because the Apostles' Creed certainly can be said to reflect the teachings of the early Church. Like the Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed is Trinitarian in structure, and flows from the baptismal formula.
The Nicene Creed: This profession of faith is based on the work of two Church councils, the Council of Nicaea in 325 and the Council of Constantinople in 381. Its language reflects a concern with theological concepts.
A disciple of Jesus could have been one of the twelve apostles or one of the countless people who routinely followed Jesus to hear him preach. New Testament disciples are clearly followers on whom Jesus relied to spread the good news of the kingdom of God.
Chapter 8 Review Quiz Chapter 8 Essay
Vocabulary - Prayer
Chapter 1
Who Will Listen to Me?
Reverence is an attitude that enables us to honor and worship God. Reverence is on of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Another name for reverence is piety, a word that means "dutifulness". We show reverence for God by doing our duty, by being faithful to our covenant.
Revelation Revelation comes from the Latin word that means "to take away a veil." The process is gradual, like the removal of many translucent veils. Each time we recognize a sign of God's presence, a veil is removed and we have a clearer picture of God. Catholics believe that God's revelation to us, through Scripture and in Jesus, the Living Word, was completed with the deaths of the apostles. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the teaching office of the Church, we continue to grow in our understanding of God's revelation.
Prayer is the act by which we speak with and listen to God. Prayer can be vocal, consisting of words that are spoken, sung, or recited, as in the Lord's Prayer, or it can be mental, an act of opening, oneself to God's presence through a technique such as meditation. Prayer is initiated by God, who moves us by grace to respond.
Grace is a sharing in God's life. Grace is also God's help in choosing what is right. God gives us this gift freely out of love; it is not earned or deserved. If we open ourselves to God's grace, we grow in holiness, becoming more like God. Although we do not have to pass a test to experience grace, the good that we do produces an effect. Doing good deepens our relationship with God, which increases the grace in our lives.
Providence comes from a Latin word that means "foresight". It refers to God's divine plan for us. God loves and cares for us. It is God's plan that all people be happy. God's plan does not eliminate human freedom. Through our good decisions we freely cooperate with God.
Consecrated means to be made holy. Christians make a free choice to progress toward holiness. They are sided by grace, by the power of the Holy Spirit working within them, and by the faith of the Church community.
Chapter 2
What Should I Say?
blessing praises God and expresses a deep desire for God's favor to rest upon a person or community. Blessings go beyond wishing someone well. They ask that God's presence and grace be felt in, through, and around someone. The following familiar words are part of a blessing: "May Almighty God bless you, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
To adore God means to praise God as the supreme source of all that exists. Adoration is one of the main types of prayer. Although we may praise (compliment, acknowledge) human accomplishments, God alone is deserving of our adoration (worship).
The soul is the life principle or spirit that makes each person unique and also allows humans to share in God's eternal life. Each human has been created in unity of soul and body, but the soul lives on past the body's death.
Immortal means "not subject to death." Although everything in our world is subject to death, including our bodies, God creates in each person an immortal soul. Even though we will physically die, we will continue to live on, either in union with God or apart from God.
Heaven is being with God forever. It is not a place but a state of being. Through God's grace heaven is our destiny.
The psalms, traditionally numbered at 150, are an ancient form of Israelite prayer originally meant to be sung at temple services and elsewhere. The psalms generally express praise, thanksgiving, petition, and grieving. Some are attributed to David and can be dated to about a thousand years before Jesus, who would have prayed the psalms himself. The psalms play a role in both Hebrew and Christian prayer and community worship. The Psalms, or prayer-poems, were meant to be sung. The psalms were written long ago for the liturgical worship, or public prayer, of the Jewish people and were often accompanied by musical instruments. Because the psalms celebrate God's saving power and promises, they are also an important part of our liturgical worship.
Chapter3
What's the Answer?
The word angel comes from the Greek word meaning "messenger. Throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament, angels are sent by God. In Scripture angels appear as winged beings and as human in form; the image of angels as winged and human together is the invention of artists.
Faith is our response to God's invitation to enter a personal, trusting relationship with him. If we have faith , we trust in God's promises and accept His invitation by the way we live our lives.
The word divine means "godly" or "godlike". Christians believe that only God is divine. Our one God, however, is also a Trinity of three Persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Both the miracles and the words of Jesus attest to his identity as both human and divine, the son of Mary and the Son of God.
superstition is an exaggerated dependence on and belief in the power of objects rather than God. For example, some people believe that a rabbit's foot will bring them good luck. Others are afraid that black cats, broken mirrors, the number 13, and walking under ladders will bring good luck.
An antiphon consists of a few words from the Bible, that people pray out loud before, after, or between verses of a psalm or canticle (biblical poem). Its purpose is to highlight, or call attention to, the psalm or canticle's central message. Examples of antiphons can be found in the Liturgy of the Hours, or Divine Office, which people use to praise God and bless the day (Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, Daytime Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Night Prayer).
O Antiphons refer to seven antiphons that people pray aloud before the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), a well-known canticle. People pray one O Antiphon a day from December 17 through December 23. The praying of the Magnificat, or Canticle of Mary, occurs during Evening Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours.
The Holy Spirit unites the faithful, living and dead, into one body in Christ, the communion of saints. Members of the communion of saints on earth are in union with the Church community and participate in the Church's life through the Eucharist, prayer, and service to others. Since the earliest days the Church has honored those members of the communion of saints in heaven and sought their help.
Chapter 4
How Should I Pray?
The Liturgy of the Hours is the public prayer of the Church that praises God at specific hours throughout the day. Ordained men and religious men and women have an obligation to celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours daily. The revised Liturgy of the Hours consists of the Office of Readings, Morning and Evening Prayer, Daytime Prayer and Night Prayer. Through this public prayer those who chant or pray aloud the Liturgy of the Hours link the Church to the angels and saints who eternally sing the praises of God.
Chapter 5
Am I Too Busy?
When we intercede, we seek the help of God for a special favor. We turn to God just as a child turns to a parent in times of crisis and need. When we pray in this way, we rely on the power of God to give what is truly needed. As members of the holy people of God, our prayers of intercession bind us together.
Holiness is a state of wholeness, completeness, and happiness that comes from participating in the life of God (grace). The closer we grow to God, The more positively we respond to God's love, and the more holy we become.
Chapter 6
Do I Have the Skills?
Grace is God's gift that enables us to share in the loving relationship that makes up the Holy Trinity. We do not earn grace: God gives it to us freely. In their definition of grace, theologians have included both our yearning for God and God's free gift of himself.
Chapter 7
What about Mass?
Sunday recalls the Lord's resurrection and the day of rest which followed creation in the first creation story in Genesis. This day should be different from the other days of the week. In our rest and refreshment , we are called as well to "refresh" those who are poor.
Liturgy refers to the public forms of worship- both rites and prayers-of the Church. Before the fourth century, liturgy varied greatly according to local custom. Beginning with Pope Gregory VII , liturgy was gradually standardized. He most recent reforms by the Second Vatican Council, however, acknowledged the need to respect cultural traditions in liturgy.
The Mass is the traditional name for the celebration of the Eucharist. The name comes from the old Latin dismissal rite, "Ite, missa est," which means "Go, you are sent forth." The word mass (Missa) comes from the Latin word mittere, meaning "to send away :dismiss".
Chapter 8
Are There Other Ways to Pray?
The Way of the Cross is a series of devotions in which Christians reflect on fourteen scenes of Christ's passion. Today a fifteenth scene, the resurrection, is often added to the Way of the Cross as an expression of our complete faith: Jesus not only suffered and died for us; he also was raised from the dead.
Litany comes from a Greek word meaning "supplication". Generally, a leader or canter recites or sings the prayers, and the faithful respond. The most widely used litany in the Church is the Litany of the Saints, which is most often heard at the Easter Vigil and at ordinations.
To be canonized means that one has officially declared a saint by the Church. The process involves four basic steps: (1) An individual or group petitions the bishop to consider the person. (2) Experts conduct an investigation of the person's life, writings, and miracles. (3) The Congregation for the Causes of the Saints (in Rome) reviews all relevant documents. (4) The pope issues an official announcement of canonization. On the path to sainthood a person is first declared Venerable, then Blessed, and finally Saint.
The Liturgy of the Hours is the public prayer of the Church that praises God at specific hours throughout the day. Ordained men and religious men and women have an obligation to celebrate the Liturgy of the Hours daily. The revised Liturgy of the Hours consists of the Office of Readings, Morning and Evening Prayer, Daytime Prayer, and Night Prayer. Through this public prayer those who chant or pray aloud the Liturgy of the Hours link the Church to the angels and saints who eternally sing praises of God.
A holy day is a day on which Catholics are required to participate in the Mass in honor of some event in the life of Jesus or Mary. In the United States the Church celebrates six holy days: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (January 1), Feast of the Ascension (40 days after Easter), Assumption of Mary (August 15), All Saints' Day (November 1), Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8), and Christmas (December 25). The obligation to attend Mass is lifted for some holy days when they fall on Saturday or Monday. More recently Feast of the Ascension is celebrated on the following Sunday.