Asceticism
The practice of spiritual exercises and mortifications such as prayer, fasting, abstinence, and self-denial for the purpose of acquiring and growing in virtue.
Canon
Greek and Latin for “rule” or “standard.” A canon is a statute promulgated to assist in practicing the Faith or governing the Church fairly and consistently. It also refers to the Church’s complete list of inspired books of the Bible.
Catholic
Universal. This quality of the Church can also describe a member of the Church in union with the pope. The Catholic Epistles are those letters of the New Testament written to the whole Church.
Church
The name given the assembly of God’s people, called together and united through Baptism in a common profession of faith. This word is used in three contexts: the people that God gathers together from the ends of the earth, the local Church, and the liturgical assembly.
Communio
From the Latin for “mutual participation” or “oneness together.” Its origin is in the shared divine life of the Blessed Trinity, and it is used to describe the bond of communion with Jesus and all baptized, faithful Christians in the Church.
Creed
A declaration of the essential beliefs of the Church. The three major creeds in Christian history are the Nicene Creed, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.
Deposit of Faith
The heritage of Faith contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, which has been handed on in the Church from the time of the Apostles and from which the Magisterium draws all that it proposes for belief as being divinely revealed.
Deuterocanonical
Those books that were included in the Septuagint (Greek) version of the Old Testament used by the early Christians, but which did not appear in the Hebrew Scriptures. Although admitted in the canon of Scripture from the first centuries of Christianity, these books were officially approved by the Catholic Church in the Council of Trent.
Divine Revelation
God’s communication of himself by which he makes known the mystery of his divine plan; a gift of God’s self-communication that is realized by deeds and words through time, the fullness of which was the sending his Only-Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
Faith
The Theological virtue by which one believes all that God has said and revealed to man and that the Church proposes for belief.
First Cause (uncaused Causer)
One of St. Thomas Aquinas’ proofs of God’s existence from reason. It is based on the observable truth that everything in creation has been caused or created by something else. It leads to the conclusion that in order for creation to exist, there ultimately must be a creator or “causer.” Which itself is neither created nor caused—and that would be God.
First mover (Unmoved Mover)
Another of St. Thomas Aquinas’ proofs of God’s existence from reason. It is based on the observable truth that everything that moves is set in motion by another object or being. It leads to the conclusion that there ultimately must be an “unmoved mover,” which set the whole chain of events in motion—that would be God.
Inerrant
Making no mistakes or errors. Scripture is inerrant: that is, it always teaches truth, never falsehood.
Infallible
Immune from error. The Bible and the Church are infallible because of a special protection afforded by God.
Inspired
Guided by God, from a word meaning “breathed in.” The human writers of Scripture wrote in their own words, but through God’s inspiration they wrote what God intended them to write and nothing more.
Lectio Divina
Reading and meditation on Scripture
Liturgy
From the Greek meaning “public service,” liturgy is the worship rendered the Father by the Mystical Body of Christ, which makes sacramentally present the effects of Chris’s Death and Resurrection, by which he accomplished salvation.
Liturgy of the Hours
Also called the Divine Office, the Liturgy of the Hours is the official daily prayer of the Church. It is comprised of seven “hours,” or periods of prayer, celebrated throughout the day. The Liturgy of the Hours is prayed daily by all Catholic priests, those in religious communities, and some consecrated laypersons. The laity is also encouraged to pray the Hours.
Liturgy of the Mass
Also called the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper. This name is derived from the Latin dismissal of the faithful. “Ite, Missa Est,” It is the principal sacramental celebration of the Church and was instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper. Through the Mass the mystery of salvation is renewed and accomplished by participation in the Sacrificial Death and glorious Resurrection of Christ.
Magisterium
The name given to the universal teaching authority of the pope and the bishops in communion with him, which guides the members of the Church without error in matters of faith and morals, through the interpretation of Sacred Scripture and Tradition.
Pope
Successor of St. Peter; bishop of Rome; supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church. The pope exercises a primacy of authority as Vicar of Christ and shepherd of the whole Church and receives the divine assistance promised by Christ.
Protoevangelium
From the Greek “proto,” meaning “first,” and “evangelion”, meaning “good news.” The first message of good news—the first gospel—is found in Genesis 3:15, wherein the promise of the Messiah and Redeemer is announced.
Reason
The intellectual power or faculty that is ordinarily employed by man in adapting thought or action to some end; the guiding principle of the human mind in the process of thinking.
Sacrament
An efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to a Christian through the work of the Holy Spirit. There are seven sacraments.
Sacred Scripture
The books of the Bible, containing the truth of God’s Revelation. All books were composed by human authors inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Bible contains forty-six books in the Old Testament and twenty-seven books in the New Testament.
Sacred Tradition
The Word of God entrusted to the Apostles and their successors by Christ and the Holy Spirit, transmitted by preaching and teaching to each generation of Christians.
Salvation History
The story of God’s plan to save men from the consequences of sin. This plan begins with creation, is unfolding now, and will continue until the end of time, when it will be fulfilled at the Second Coming of Christ.
Septuagint
A third century BC Greek translation of the Scriptures (Old Testament) made by seventy-two Jewish scholars. This translation was accepted by the early Christians as authoritative and inspired, and the writers of the New Testament quoted from it.
Transcendent
Existing beyond or apart from the limitations of human experience or the material universe.
Vulgate
From the Latin for “common”; the name of St. Jerome’s translation of the Bible into a common or “vulgar” Latin intended for less educated people. The New Vulgate, promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1979, is the official version of Scripture used by the Catholic Church.
Word
The term “Word” is used to denote either Scripture of Jesus himself. We call Scripture the “Word of God,” and the beginning of the Gospel of St. John refers to Christ as “the Word”—“The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” (Jn 1:18)
1.) Why is it difficult to know about God?
2.) Why is it difficult to know God personally?
3.) What freedom does God give to man?
4.) How did Adam and Eve exercise their freedom?
5.) How is Original Sin evident in the life of each person, even today?
6.) How are the Ten Commandments an act of mercy?
7.) What gift did God give man to place him about all creation?
8.) What does it mean to say, in the human-divine friendship, God chooses man first?
9.) How has God revealed himself to people?
10.) What is the difference between “conocer” and “saber” friendships?
1.) What is natural faith?
2.) What determines the strength of one’s assent to natural faith?
3.) What experience does each person have to demonstrate he or she was made for God?
4.) How did Pope Benedict XVI explain Plato’s search for ultimate truth?
5.) Why is science unable to discover something like a mother’s love?
6.) Why is natural faith necessary for learning and progress?
7.) Under what conditions is it reasonable to trust other people’s conclusions?
8.) Why should a conversation about the existence of God begin with reason, not faith?
9.) Why is philosophical knowledge about God not enough for people?
10.) List the five proofs of St. Thomas for the existence of God.
1.) What is Divine (supernatural) Revelation?
2.) What does it mean to say the Incarnation made the face of God visible?
3.) What is the most basic question that should be asked about Jesus Christ?
4.) What caused the Apostles to accept Christ as the Son of God?
5.) What is Grace? What is faith?
6.) What does it mean to say Christ is the principal minister of a sacrament?
7.) How is Christ especially present in the Eucharist?
8.) How is Christ present in Sacred Scripture and how does each person meet Christ in the Scriptures?
9.) What is prayer?
10.) How do Christ’s followers enable others to see Christ? How do they obscure the face of Christ?
1.) What are the two major effects of an encounter with Christ?
2.) How were St. Peter and St. Paul transformed by an encounter with Christ?
3.) What are the three stages of the beginning of faith identified by Pope Benedict XVI?
4.) What does it mean to say faith in God is received from others and for others?
5.) What is the baptismal vocation of each Christian?
6.) What does the word “correspond” mean with respect to a person’s faith experience?
7.) How does the experience of the Samaritan townspeople illustrate faith is verified by personal experience?
8.) To what extent can faith be lived purely as an individual?
9.) What does “communion” in the Church mean?
10.) Write “I love podcasts” 10 times. (Just kidding, but seriously these things are great, give them a chance.)
1.) What is a creed?
2.) What were the first creeds?
3.) why were they adopted by the Church?
4.) What is the Deposit of faith? What are its sources?
5.) What does it mean to say Christianity is not a religion of the book?
6.) What is Tradition? Where does the word come from?
7.) How were Christ’s teachings initially handed on?
8.) Are the books of the Bible always literally true? Explain
9.) How did the early Church decide on which Old Testament (pre-Christian) scriptures were authentic?
10.) What four criteria did the early Church use to decide which early Christian writings are authentically inspired by God?
1.) Why is an authority needed to interpret Sacred Scripture?
2.) How did Christians in the Apostolic era obtain answers to questions about the Faith?
3.) What gift did Christ give St. Peter and the Apostles to ensure the faithful would be truthfully taught?
4.) Where in the New Testament did the Apostles render a decision about the proper translation of the Faith? (Name of a council)
5.) What is the Magisterium?
6.) What areas does Church teaching include?
7.) What are the three cases in which Church teaching is infallible?
8.) What does it mean to say the Church is not the master of Revelation but its servant?
9.) What were the four apocryphal books discussed?
9th Christology
Unit 1: Faith and Revelation
Study Guide
Remember
-Anything from homework questions can be on the Quiz
-Anything from Key Ideas can be on the Quiz
-Anything from the Study Guide can be on the Quiz
-Study guide is turned in as homework before you take the Quiz
-Make sure you study ALL THREE THINGS NOT JUST THE STUDY GUIDE
1.) Why do we search for God? What does this search imply?
2.) How does the search for religious truth differ from the search for scientific truth?
3.) Why is it necessary to accept some truths on faith? Why is this reasonable? What would be the consequences if we did not do so?
4.) What are three arguments used by St. Thomas Aquinas to demonstrate the existence of God? Explain one of them fully.
5.) Why is there a limit to what human reason can tell us about God? How can we learn more about him? Are there limits to what you can know about another person? How could you get to know more about him or her?
6.) What is Divine Revelation?
7.) Describe the condition of our first parents before Original Sin.
8.) What was the protoevangelium? When and how was it fulfilled?
9.) What made it possible to have direct knowledge of God?
10.) How could the Apostles be so sure of Jesus’ divinity?
11.) What are the ways in which we can encounter Christ today? What is required in order for these encounters to be fruitful?
12.) What is faith?
13.) How did the encounter with Christ transform Peter?
14.) How did the encounter with Christ transform Paul?
15.) Explain why it is necessary to receive the Faith from others. How can we verify this encounter with Christ?
16.) Explain how “communion” expresses the essence of the Church.
17.) What is the early Creed that we recite in Mass today?
18.) What is the Deposit of Faith? How did Christ intend for us to learn about his teaching?
19.) What is Sacred Tradition, and where does this tradition come from?
20.) What came first, Sacred Scripture or Sacred Tradition?
21.) What role did the Holy Spirit play in the writing of Sacred Scripture?
22.) Who are the two authors of Scripture?
23.) List the four criteria used to determine the canonicity of the New Testament books.
24.) What do we mean when we say that Sacred Scripture is inerrant?
25.) What is the Magisterium? What is its role in the Church?
26.) From whom does the Magisterium get its authority?
27.) What does “infallibility” mean?
