Faculties: The right a priest has to exercise his priestly office within the diocese
Faith: Ultimately, trust in God and his Son as the Divine
Savor. The act of spiritual and intellectual assent to a revealed truth
of God with the assistance of divine grace.
Faithful: Those persons who profess their faith; all those who are members of the Church by baptism and profession of faith.
Falda: A white silk garment having a train, worn by the Pope over his cassock at solemn occasions.
False Decretals: A collection of documents anonymously
compiled under the name of Isidorus Mercator, containing Apostolic
canons and letters of the popes and pronouncements of the councils, and
which was published in the ninth century. This collection is in great
part a forgery.
Fasting : Fasting is the activity whereby a person
restricts the amount of food eaten to only one full meat per day. It
can be in the context of a special time in that person's life, perhaps
a retreat or an intense period of prayer. The Church requires all adult
members in good health to fast on Good Friday as a penitential action
and invites this fasting to continue into the day on Holy Saturday as a
joyful preparation for the celebration of Easter. The "Communion Fast"
is when Catholics also Fast before receiving Communion by abstaining
from food or drink one hour before receiving Holy Communion.
Fear of God: To be in awe of God.
Feast Day:A day of special solemnity within the Church.
Ferial: Pertaining to weekdays.
Fire, blessing of: The first ceremony of Holy Saturday which is the blessing of fire, from which the paschal candle and sanctuary lights are lit.
First Friday: See "Sacred Heart".
Flagellants: Certain fanatical groups who made a
practice of scourging themselves in common; the group of those
practicing the lashing of their bodies in penance. They became
heretical and as such last appeared about the fifteenth century. Public
penance or in common, is against the wish and will of the Church.
Focolare: A lay movement started in Trent, Italy by
Chiara Lubich in 1943, now claiming more than a million followers. Its
aim is world unity though the living witness of Christian love and
holiness in the family and in small communities.
Font:A basin or bowl in a Church used for the Baptismal water.
Forty Hours Devotion: A devotion to our Lord in the
Blessed Sacrament with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for a forty
hours duration. Also referred to as "Forty Hours Prayer" or "Forty
Hours Adoration."
Fra: A title of address for a friar or monk, a shortened form of frate, brother.
Franciscans: The religious order following the rule of
St. Francis of Assisi, established by him in the thirteenth century;
friars minors; sometimes referred to as the Seraphic Order. The
followers were divided into two groups, conventuals and observantines;
at a later date the Capuchins, the recollects, and Alcantarines were
also formed as branches. Among the sisters, the Order of Poor Clares
follow the rule which was given to St. Clare by St. Francis as the
Second Order. A third order of Franciscans whose membership is composed
of the laity or diocesan clergy who wish to dedicate their lives to
observances of penance and religious practice was formed; these are
known as tertiaries.
Frankincense: One of the three gifts offered to the
Christ Child by the Magi. A resin used in making incense; an incense of
fine quality. Frankincense is the main ingredient, boswellia carteri,
of the incense used in today's liturgies. A resin produced by a family
of desert trees that grow in southern Arabia, it is derived from a sap
that dries, forming crystalline lumps of an amber/gold color. For
Christians, it has a rich prayer and purification symbolism. From
earliest Christian days, it has been associated with Christ, beginning
with the magi gift (Mt 2.10-11). Even before that, the Jews regarded
its rich spicey scent as a pure offering, pleasing to God. Even beyond
Judeo-Christian circles, frankincense has been prized for centuries in
Palestine, Egypt, Greece, and Rome not only as a way to honor gods, but
as a medicine, and as a base for perfume.
Free Will: The faculty or capability of making a reasonable choice from among several alternatives.
Friar: A member of the so called mendicant religious
orders. The chief mendicant orders are: the Dominicans, Franciscans,
Carmelites, and Augustinians.
Friary: A residence for friars.
Friday Penance :In commemoration of the sufferings of
Christ, Catholics may 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: Twelve virtues related to
the work of the Holy Spirit in People. They are: charity, faith, joy,
peace, goodness, patience, benignity, longanimity, mildness, modesty,
continence, and chastity.
Funeral: The last rites (Liturgy / Mass) as prescribed
in the Roman ritual for the soul of a departed person and the
internment of the body. The Mass is properly called The Mass of the
Resurrection.
Fundamentalists: Generally refers to those who adhere to a literal interpretation of the Bible.
Fundamental Option: The life choice a person makes toward or away from God; this life choice is reinforced by a pattern of behavior.
Gabbatha: the place wherein Pilate tried and condemned Christ.
Gabriel: The archangel who announced to the Virgin Mary
that she was to be the mother of God; he also announced the birth of
St. John the Baptist to Zachariah.
Gaudete Sunday : Relatively obsolete term for the third
Sunday of Advent, so named because of the first word of the introit
which is the Latin imperative of the verb "rejoice."
Gehenna: The name applied to hell, taken from the
desolate valley of Hinnon in Jerusalem. This was the trash heap where
fires burned regularly --the place of refuse where things were
discarded, that is, all relationship with the object was ended. In Hell
our relationship with God, with Love is ended.
General Absolution: The form of Sacramental forgiveness
of sins given when individual confession by a large number of people is
not possible. This is only in extreme circumstances, and the penitent
should make an individual act of reconciliation as soon as possible.
General Intercessions: Prayer
of intercession for all of humankind; for the Church, civil
authorities, those with various needs, for all peoples, and for the
salvation of the world. The celebrant invites all to pray, another
minister proclaims the prayers of petition and the assembly responds by
asking God to hear and to grant their requests. See Prayers of the
Faithful and Biding prayers.
Genuflection:Kneeling on one knee as a sign of honor
and worship to Jesus Christ and an expression of faith in his presence
in the tabernacle under the form of bread. Catholics genuflect when
entering and leaving a Church.
Gethsemane: The garden to the east of the city of
Jerusalem beyond the brook of Cedron and at the foot of the Mount of
Olives where Jesus suffered His agony and was apprehended. Here he
asked some apostles to pray with him for at least one hour, and so in
the practice of Eucharistic Adoration, we "stay" with the resurrected
Jesus for one hour, Matthew 26:40.
Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Seven virtues related to the
work of the Holy Spirit in people: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel,
Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
Gloria: Ancient hymn of praise in which the Church
glorifies God. It is used on all Sundays (outside of Advent and Lent),
and at solemn celebrations. The text originates from the Christmas
narrative in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:14).
Glory : 1) The splendor which
attends or accompanies the revelation of the power of God to us. (2)
The cloud over the ark of the covenant which represented the presence
of God; the 'shekinah'. (3) The state of happy existence which the soul
enjoys in the presence of the beatific vision.
God: The Supreme Being who owes His existence to no
other, who is absolutely and infinitely perfect and who has created all
things; the eternal Spirit who created and rules the universe and in
whom is every perfection, The one God subsists in three equal Persons:
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Godparent: Someone who undertakes to ensure that a child who is baptized will be brought up in the Catholic faith. One Godparent must be Catholic, although he or she may be assisted by a Godparent who is a member of another Christian Church.
Golgotha: The "place of the skull" in Aramaic; the mount of Calvary where Christ was crucified.
Good Friday: The Friday of Holy Week on which the Church commemorates the Passion and death of Christ.
Gospel: A word meaning "Good News". The proclamation of
the "Good News" of salvation won for humanity by Jesus Christ. The word
is also used of the four books of Matthew, Mark,Luke and John; books
that tell of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Gospel of John: Proclaims the Good News to the people of Ephesus. Gospel of Luke: Proclaims the Good News to the people of Antioch. Gospel of Mark: Proclaims the Good News to the people of Rome (?). Gospel of Matthew: Proclaims the Good News to the People of Jerusalem.
Grace: A free gift from God to human beings, grace is a
created sharing in the life of God. Grace is God's revelation of
Himself. It is given through the merits of Christ and is communicated
by the Holy Spirit. Grace is necessary for salvation. We cannot earn
Grace. It is freely given by God.
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.
Grail, the Holy: The sacred vessel which according to
legend was used by Christ at the Last Supper. The legend has been
immortalized by famous writers but has never been given credence by the
Church.
Greek Church: An independent unit of the Orthodox
Eastern Church; the Church which has been separated from the
jurisdiction of the Pope and is governed by a synod of nine men of
which the archbishop of Athens is the head.
Gregorian calendar: The most recent in the attempts to
make the calendar year correspond to the natural year. The Gregorian
calendar (instituted in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII) corrected for the
loss of one day every 128 years by dropping three leap years every 400
years. Century years were leap years only if evenly divisible by 400.
Gregorian chant: Church music dating back to at least the sixth century; one voice, vocal plainsong - sung without organ.
Gremial: A rectangular piece of cloth placed upon the
lap of the bishop when he sits during the celebration of the ceremony
of Ordination during the time he anoints the Hands of the Priest. Its
original use was as a means of keeping vestments from becoming soiled;
also called gremial veil.
Gray Friars: The name by which the Franciscan Friars Minor formerly were known in England because their habit was slate gray in color.
Guadeloupe: A place now part of Mexico City, celebrated
for the apparition of the Blessed Virgin to the local, uneducated
Indian Juan Diego, in 1531. A beautiful Basilica was erected, then a
second one. The Feast of our Lady of Guadeloupe is on December 12.
Guardian Angel: The angel, one appointed to every human
being, whose duty it is to aid us to avoid evil, to pray, and to help
us guard our thoughts at all times, and who presents our soul to God if
we are saved.
Habit:The distinctive form of dress worn by members of religious communities.
Hagiography: The writing of the lives or biographies of the saints.
Hagiology: Study and research leading to knowledge of the lives of the saints.
Hail Mary:The most popular prayer Catholics address to
Our Lady. It derives from the angels greeting (Luke 1:28) and the
greeting of Mary's cousin, Elizabeth (Luke 1:42) adding to these a
request to Mary to pray for us. The full prayer is; Hail Mary, full
of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women and
blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray
for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen
Harmony: A term used in exegesis to denote the
study of the Gospels from the standpoint of explaining the similarities
and differences found in the four accounts, developing the continuous
narrative, and arranging them in chronological sequence or historical
order.
Hell: The state of eternal rejection of God. It is we who will reject God. God will not reject us. See Gehenna.
Heresy: A teaching which deviates from the accepted beliefs of the Catholic Church.
Heretic: One who consistently and obstinately professes
a false doctrine and continues to do so once one is properly informed
of the heretical nature of that doctrine.
Hermeneutics: The science forming the principles upon
which the correct interpretation of the Bible is based. Sometimes the
study of general Introduction to Sacred Scripture.
Hermit: One who lives alone and apart from the world and practices works of prayer and fasting in living in close union with God.
Hierarchy: In general, the term refers to the ordered
body of clergy, divided into bishops, priests, and deacons. In Catholic
practice, the term refers to the bishops of the world or of a
particular region.
Holiness: 1) State of being holy; having grace. (2) A
mark of the Church. The Church is essentially holy because of its
Founder, its doctrine, and its end in the direction and salvation of
humanity (3) A title given to the Holy Father; the title of the Pope
denoting his holiness as Vicar of Christ.
Holocaust: Burnt offering, a sacrifice wherein the
victim is entirely consumed by fire, in use among the Jews and some
pagan nations of the early ages.
Holy Days of Obligation: Days on which Catholic are
required to participate in the celebration of Mass; in addition to all
Sundays there are six in the United States: Christmas, The Solemnity of
Mary (January 1), Ascension (in many U.S. Dioceses this is now
celebrated on Sunday) otherwise it is 40 days after Easter, Assumption
of Mary (August 15)., All Saints (November 1), and Immaculate
Conception (December 8).
Holy Hour: A service in which Jesus is venerated in the blessed sacrament. See Gethsemane.
Holy Orders: The sacrament by which a bishop, priest, or deacon is ordained.
Holy Oils: The oil of catechumens, the oil of the sick,
and chrism consecrated by the bishop at services during Holy Week and
given to the priests of the parishes.
Holy See: 1) The diocese of the Pope, Rome. 2) The Pope
himself or the various officials and bodies of the ChurchÍs
central administration? the Roman Curia ? which act in the name and by
authority of the Pope.
Holy Saturday:The day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Holy Spirit: The third person of the Holy Trinity
proceeding from the Father and the Son, truly God given to us during
the feast of Pentecost.
Holy Thursday: The Thursday of Holy week, the week
preceding Easter Sunday. 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:Water which has been blessed by a Priest.
Catholics sprinkle themselves with Holy Water as they make they make
the sign of the cross upon entering a Church as a reminder of their
baptism. Holy Water is also used for blessings.
Holy Week:The final week of Lent, leading up to Easter
Sunday. The last three days of Holy Week, (Holy Thursday, Good Friday
and Holy Saturday), are days of special solemnity.
Homily: A talk during the Mass after the Gospel reading
in which the Word of God is explained and made applicable to the lives
of those in attendance. Only people commissioned by the Bishop are
allowed to give Homilies, usually Priests or Deacons.
Hope :A gift bestowed by God through which one trusts
that God will grant eternal life and the means of obtaining it
providing one cooperates.
Hospitallers: Knights who dedicated their lives to the
care of the sick, taking the three major vows of religion; they arose
in the eleventh century and had as members laymen who were of noble
birth, chaplains or clergy, and brothers who need not be of noble
birth. Host: The bread under whose appearance Christ is and
remains present in a unique manner after the consecration of the Mass.
It is usually disc-shaped and thin for convenience and there are two
sizes; the larger is used by the Priest at the altar. Technically, in
the Roman Rite, the host or altar bread should be made of only flour
and water with no yeast. The Eastern rite Churches use a different type
of altar bread or host.
Humeral Veil: An oblong scarf worn over the shoulders
of the priest when he elevates the Host at Benediction of the Blessed
Sacrament, or when he carries the monstrance and Blessed Sacrament in
procession. See Benediction.
Humility: A moral virtue --the reasonable evaluation of ourselves and recognition of our dependence upon God.
Hussites: The name given to the followers of John Huss, a heretic of the fifteenth century.
Hymn: A song of praise or honor, sung to give glory to
God; psalms and canticles are the most notable. Often applied to any
poem of a religious nature adapted for singing.
Hyssop: A branch or leafy twig used for sprinkling water.
ICHTHYS: An acronym meaning "fish" in
Greek. From the many titles of Jesus, three emerged as the favorites of
believers: Christ (Gk: "anointed"), Son of God, and Savior. These three
would easily combine, becoming a creed and a prayer (see the Jesus
Prayer). In Greek, the holy name of Jesus, plus these three titles,
would read: Iesous Christos Theou Yos Soter (Jesus Christ, Son of God,
Savior).
Icon:A picture of Christ, Mary or the saints, painted
in the style of the Eastern Church. Often on wood and adorned with
precious stones.
Iconoclasm: The heresy which condemned any use of statues or other representations of Christ, Mary, the angels, or saints.
Iconostasis: Large, wooden screen painted with icons which separates the nave from the sanctuary in most Eastern Rite churches.
IHS or IHC: In Greek, the first three letters of the
name of Jesus Christ in Greek capital letters: IHCOUC (the older form
of the Greek sigma, S, resembling our C). In art, St. Ignatius Loyola
is sometimes pictured with this monogram, alluding to his fabled
miraculous knowledge of the Trinity.
Immaculate Conception: Catholic dogma concerning Mary
and the name of a feast in her honor celebrated Dec. 8. It refers to
the belief that Mary was without sin from the moment she was conceived.
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:A theological term for the Son of God becoming man in the person of Jesus Christ.
Incense: Incense (material
used to produce a fragrant odor when burned) is used as a symbol of the
Church’s offering; the rising smoke represents the prayers of the
assembly rising to God. Symbolic in its burning (zeal, fervor), its
fragrance (virtue) and its rising smoke (acceptable prayer, as noted in
Psalm 141.2). See frankincense.
Index of Forbidden Books: A now defunct catalog of books which the Church forbade Catholics to read or own.
Indulgences:Remission of the punishment of penance due
to sin after its guilt has been forgiven. By virtue of the authority
given it by Christ, the Church may grant those who have received
forgiveness of their sins a share in the merits of Christ and the
saints so that the burden of punishment their sins deserve may be
removed or lightened. To gain an indulgence Catholics must be free from
serious sin and must carry out prescribed good works, or recite certain
prayers
Infallibility: The ability of the pope or the bishops
in union with the pope to speak officially without error in specific
circumstances concerning morals and faith.
Inquirer: Describes a person in the first stage of the process of Christian initiation.
Inquisition: An institution of the Church charged with the eradication of heresies.
INRI: Latin abbreviation of Iesus Nazarenus Rex
Iudaeorum (Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews) over Jesus' cross (Jn
19.19). (A slightly-curved horizontal line over the letters indicates
abbreviation.)
Intercession:The prayers the saints in heaven offer to God on behalf of the people on earth who request their help
Intercommunion: The agreement or practice of two Ecclesial communities by which each admits members of the other communion to its sacraments.
Israelites: The Jewish people; commonly used term in the Old Testament
Jehovah: A non-word; a linguistic
mistake. Appeared for the first time in 1530. Since written Hebrew did
not use vowels until quite late, the ancient manuscripts read simply
YHWH (as it would be in English) for "God". Through the centuries, the
name of God came to be considered so sacred that it was not to be
pronounced. So wherever YHWH appeared in the ancient text, the scribes
added vowel marks signaling the reader to say "Adonai" instead of
"Yahweh." 71 bese marks, "vowel pointings," were not separate letters,
but smaller symbols usually below a consonant to indicate its vowel
sound. When one adds the vowels for Yahweh YHWH-the result, if you're
not aware that it is intended that adonai is to be read, comes out
sounding like "Yahowah" (Jehovah).
Jeremiah: Old Testament prophet of Judah who preached the love of God; a major prophet.
Jesuits: The popular name for the monastic order called
the Society of Jesus. The order was founded by Ignatius de Loyola in
1534, and was recognized by the pope in 1540. The mission of the
Jesuits was in three areas: teaching, service to the nobility, and
missionary work in foreign lands. Their greatest mark was made in
education, and the Collegio Romano was their primary seminary.
Jesus: The name of Jesus, meaning Savior in Christian
usage, derived from the Aramaic and Hebrew Yeshua and Joshua, meaning
Yahweh is salvation. 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'.
Jesus Prayer: A common Eastern Rite prayer: Lord Jesus, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Joseph:Husband of Mary, venerated as a saint. His feast day is celebrated on March 19.
Judith: Hebrew Scriptures and part of the catholic editions of the Bible, but not part of the Protestant versions. See Deuterocanonical
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