Glossary

a Mark of the Church; the Church is apostolic because her teaching authority comes directly from Jesus and his chosen Apostles handed down through the bishops of the Church, who are direct successors of the Apostles (18)

the term used to describe that the authority to lead and teach the Church can be traced through the centuries from the Apostles to their successors, the Pope and bishops (17)

Jesus’ eight teachings about the meaning and path to true happiness; they depict the way to live in God’s Kingdom now and always, working toward the eternal holiness or blessedness to which God calls all people (20)

the four principal moral virtues— prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude—that help us live as children of God and from which the other moral virtues flow (11)

a Mark of the Church; the Church is catholic because she is universal, meant for all people in all times and in all places (58)

the Theological Virtue of love that directs us to love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves, for the love of God (47)

men who are ordained and given sacred authority to serve the Church by teaching, divine worship, and pastoral leadership (56)

a state of life lived by religious sisters, brothers, and priests in community and characterized by the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience (60)

a sincere change of mind, heart, and desire to turn away from sin and evil and turn toward God (40)

one who learns from and follows the example of a teacher. The disciples of Jesus are those who believe in him, follow his teachings, and put them into practice. (27)

people who learn from and follow the example of a teacher; the disciples of Jesus are those who believe in him, follow his teachings, and put them into practice (6)

the term for church in Scripture, meaning “convocation” or “those called together” (48)

the deliberate action or inaction which causes the death of someone who is sick, dying, or suffering because of disabilities or a debilitating condition; it is a grave sin (39)

the four divinely inspired human authors of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (46)

the Theological Virtue that makes it possible for us to believe in God and the things that he has revealed to us. Faith leads us to obey God. It is both a gift from God and a free, human choice (47)

the response children are called to have toward their parents, which includes obedience, respect, gratitude, and assistance (26)

the God-given freedom and ability to make choices. God created us with free will so we can have the freedom to choose good (6)

a state of becoming more God-like, living in his presence and with his love (36)

the Theological Virtue that helps us trust in the true happiness God wants us have and in Jesus’ promises of eternal life, and to rely on the help of the Holy Spirit (47)

the sin of putting other people or things in God’s place, or before God, in our lives (36)

the truth that the Second Divine Person of the Holy Trinity, the Son of God, assumed human nature in order to save all people; Jesus Christ is both true God and true man (7)

the God-given ability that makes it possible for you to think, reason, and judge (6)

the constant and firm desire to give God and other people what is their due as children of God, made in his image and possessing equal human dignity (56)

God’s rule of peace, justice, and love that exists in Heaven, but has not yet come in its fullness on Earth (17)

all baptized members of the Church who share in Jesus’ mission and witness to him and his message in their personal, family, and community lives and in the parish, but are not priests or consecrated sisters or brothers; sometimes called lay people (56)

the teaching office of the Church, which is all the bishops in union with the Pope; the Magisterium has the teaching authority to interpret the Word of God found in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition (18)

of the Church the essential characteristics that distinguish Christ’s Church and her mission: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic (18)

the title given to Jesus because, as true God and true man, he alone is able to reconcile all people to God the Father, bringing us closer to God the Father by his words and saving actions (9)

the moral virtue that helps us dress, talk, and move in appropriate ways (49)

a name for the Church, whose baptized members are all united to Christ and one another through the Holy Spirit, forming one holy people with Christ as her head (39)

the three roles of Jesus (Priest, Prophet, and King) that describe his mission and work among God’s People; all the baptized share in these three roles (50)

the successor of Peter, the bishop of Rome, and the head of the entire Catholic Church (17)

to act in accordance with God’s will, being in his friendship, free from guilt or sin (39)

is God’s Word to the Church, safeguarded by the Apostles and their successors, the bishops, and handed down verbally—in her Creeds, Sacraments, and other teachings—to future generations (17)

the destructive behavior by which a person deliberately leads, through his or her own action or inaction, another person to sin (41)

the spiritual principle of a human person that is individual, created by God, and will exist forever (6)

the ten fundamental moral laws given by God to Moses, and recorded in the Old Testament, to help his People live by the covenant (16)

gifts from God that help us believe in him, trust in his plan for us, and love him as he loves us; they are faith, hope, and charity (17)

a sin that weakens, but does not destroy, a person’s relationship with God (7)