This is Our Faith

Vocabulary On Being Catholic

Monstrance -The sacred vessel used for exposing the Blessed Sacrament for veneration as during Eucharistic Devotions. It has a wide base and a glass enclosure through which the Sacred Host may be viewed. The enclosure is usually framed with ornamental "rays" of silver or gold. 

 Relics - A relic is an object kept and reverenced as a memorial of a holy person. Relics include the bodily remains of such persons (i.e.bones, teeth), objects that once belonged to them or which they touched (clothing). Speculation is that such veneration may have started when early Christians celebrated Eucharist on the tombs of martyrs. Early Christians believed that martyrs were especially blessed by God because they had imitated Jesus even to the point of dying to defend the faith. Catholics should avoid abuses of relics such as having superstitions and attributing magical powers toward relics. A relic must be certified as authentic by the Church and the buying and selling of relics is forbidden. The Church reminds us that though we may honor relics as a reminder of the lives of our great saints, we only worship God.


Sabbath - From the Hebrew word for "cease, stop". It refers to the seventh day of the week (Saturday) as a day of rest and religious observance by Jews. According to Genesis, a Sabbath day is part of God's creation structure. This term
also applied to the Christian observance of the first day of the week (Sunday) as the memorial of Jesus' resurrection and it likely was originally a day of worship. From the fourth century on, Church leaders often referred to the Sabbath also
as a day of rest.

Sign of the Cross - A ritual gesture in the form of a cross by which a person confesses faith in the paschal mystery and the Holy Trinity.  In the Roman Rite, a person touches the fingers of the right hand to the forehead, below the breast, the left shoulder and then the right shoulder while saying, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." It is used in sacramental rites, to begin and end prayers and to bless people and objects. The practice can be traced back to the third century when one of the early church theologians and writers, Tertullian, reported its use as a personal gesture of piety to sanctify the actions of daily life.

Aggiornamento - Italian: Updating. This term was commonly used among Catholics because of its use by Pope John XXIII in connection with his belief in the need for reform in the Church. It became a term used and accepted by the
majority of bishops at Vatican II which he summoned. It can be used either in the meaning of an internal spiritual
renewal or an external adaptation of the Church's laws and institutions to the needs of the times.

Thurible  - (Greek, thuos, burned offering): The metal vessel used for the ceremonial burning of incense at liturgical services. It is suspended on a chain or chains which allows it to be swung during incensations at Mass, at the Liturgy of the Hours, or at Benediction. 

Stole - A liturgical vestment made of a long strip of cloth several inches wide. It is worn by deacons, priests and bishops. A deacon wears it over his left shoulder while a priest or bishop wears it around his neck allowing it to hang straight down in the front and under his chasuble. It is worn at Mass, while administering the other sacraments, and when preaching. Its color corresponds with the liturgical color of the day or season.

Advent - (Latin: adventus, an arrival) This is the four week liturgical season in which the Church prepares to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and remind us of the second coming. Readings emphasize both penitence and the joyful expectation of the arrival of our Savior. Readings may be centered around the messianic prophecies of Isaiah and John the Baptist while gospel passages may depict Jesus as the fulfillment of those prophecies. The role of the Blessed Mother is also noted in liturgy. Violet vestments are worn by the clergy to remind us of repentance and preparation. The observance of a preparatory season prior to the celebration of Jesus' birth dates back to the fourth century.

Sub Tuum - This ancient prayer is translated thus: We fly to thy patronage, O holy mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities; but deliver us from all danger, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin. For centuries it was considered a medieval prayer, but the publication in 1938 of a fragment of papyrus purchased in 1917 by the John Ryland Library in Manchester, England, led scholars to identify it as a third century composition. This is the first known prayer to Mary which expresses belief in her intercession. Consequently it is reasonable to assume that belief in Mary's intercessory power was part of an older tradition. (M. Glazier, Modern Catholic Encyclopedia)

Canticle of Zechariah  - In Latin this prayer is known as Benedictus, or "Blessed" which is the first word of the prayer. It
is attributed to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist in Luke 1: 68-79. It celebrates the birth of Jesus as savior and fulfillment of promises made in the Old Testament. It is prayed in the Liturgy of the Hours Morning Prayer.

Magnificat - Latin - magnifies. The hymn attributed to Mary in Luke 1: 46-55 as the Canticle of Mary. In it Mary rejoices that she is to be the mother of Jesus and interprets his conception as an instance of how God raises up the lowly and favors Israel.

Sacramentary - A liturgical book comprised of the prayers and directives for Mass, and various sacramental formulas. It does not include the Scripture readings for the Mass, which are collected in the Lectionary.

Miter - From the Greek word "mitra", meaning turban. It is the liturgical "hat" or headdress worn by bishops, abbots, cardinals, and the pope. It is shaped like a shield, has two lappets hanging down from the back of it, and is usually made of linen or silk. There are three types of miters, each worn according to the liturgical season or occasion. The simple miter is always white and is worn when the prelate is presiding at a funeral, during Lent, and on Good Friday. The miter is believed to be derived from the headdress of the high priest of the Temple in Jerusalem and influenced also by those worn by high ranking officials of the Roman Empire.

Holy Sepulcher - The name given both to the tomb in which Jesus was buried and the church which stands on the
traditional site of his death, burial, and resurrection. The church is in the northwest section of the Old City of Jerusalem. Since it was first built and completed in 336 by the Roman Emperor, Constantine I, it was burnt to the ground by the Persians in 614, rebuilt through the efforts of an abbot named Modestus, destroyed again in the eleventh century by the
Muslim caliph Hakim, then rebuilt by the Crusaders around 1130, partially destroyed by fire in 1808, and then rebuilt two years later. The last, rebuilt church is essentially what is in place today. The site and church are shared by the Armenian, Coptic, Greek Orthodox, and Roman Catholic Churches. It is one of the most sacred places in Christendom and plays a significant role in the Christian presence in Palestine.

Alpha and Omega - The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In the Book of Revelation, 1:8 and 22:13, Jesus identifies himself as "the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, who is, who was, and who is to come." These letters are frequently used in decorating altars and churches. They are carved into the paschal candle in the iturgical ceremonies of the Easter Vigil.

Crosier (Crozier) - A pastoral staff, received by bishops and abbots at their installation as a symbol of their authority.
In the Western Church, the top of the crosier had traditionally been curved like a shepherd's crook to symbolize that the bishop is the shepherd who looks after the flock. From the eleventh century, popes no longer used a crosier until Pope Paul VI (1963-1978) reintroduced its use in the form of a staff with a crucifix on top. Crosiers had been very ornate and costly until the Vatican Council when most bishops started using simpler, wooden staffs.

Flagon - A large "pitcher" like container that holds the wine which will become the Blood of Christ during the Mass.

Corporal - A large square piece of linen placed in the center of the altar upon which the Eucharist is consecrated. Everything placed on the corporal on the altar during Mass should be consecrated. 

Purificator - A folded piece of rectangular white linen that is used to purify the chalice and paten when Communion is finished. A small red cross is usually embroidered on it. A purificator is also used by the Eucharistic Minister to wipe the Communion cup after a communicant has received the Precious Blood. 

Tabernacle (tab-er-nakel)  - A "safe - like" container in a church that holds the Reserved Sacrament of the Body of Christ. The Lord Jesus lives in the tabernacle. At St. Charles there is a large tabernacle on the center, back wall of the Sanctuary under the Crucifix and another in the Emmaus Chapel to the right of the altar. When a lighted, red candle is burning next to the tabernacle it means that the Lord is present. We should genuflect towards the tabernacle when we enter church, pass in front of the tabernacle and when we leave church. 

Sanctuary (sank-shoe-air-ee)  - The area of the church which includes the altar, the tabernacle, the ambo, and the presider's chair. It is the holiest part of the church building and it is where the Lord makes himself present to us in the tabernacle, during the consecration at Mass, when His Word is read, and when there is Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. 

Reserved Sacrament - The consecrated hosts - the Body of Christ placed in a ciborium inside the tabernacle. The lighted red candle next to the tabernacle tells us that Jesus is present and this is why we genuflect when we come into church, pass in front of the tabernacle and before we leave church. 

The Ambry - During Holy Week of each year, the bishop of each diocese gathers the clergy and faithful together at the Chrism Mass. At this liturgy, he blesses the oils that will be used throughout the diocese for various prayers and sacramental celebrations. These oils are stored in three glass vessels in the Ambry, which at St. Charles is the glass case which sits on a wooden pedestal to the right of the Tabernacle. One vessel contains the Oil of Catechumens for anointing those preparing for Baptism, another vessel contains the Oil of Chrism used for anointing those receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders. This oil is also used in the consecration of altars, churches, chalices and patens. This symbolizes the union of the people of God and their buildings and sacred vessels. Another vessel contains the Oil of the Sick used in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. 

The Altar - We gather around the altar to celebrate a sacrificial meal that recalls the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is called an altar of sacrifice because we believe in Jesus' own self sacrifice on the cross through which we experience the reconciliation accomplished by His sacrifice. The altar is also our family table, dating back to the early Christian practice of meeting in private homes or in secret to avoid persecution. The family table in the home was where small Christian communities gathered, ate, listened to the Word, and celebrated the Eucharistic meal. The altars in St. Charles Borromeo church is made of marble. Older churches may have a relic from a saint "embedded" in it's top, although this practice is no longer very common. 

The Ambo - While the altar is the centerpiece for the Liturgy of the Eucharist which is the second part of the Mass, the ambo, sometimes called the pulpit, is the center for the Liturgy of the Word - the first part of the Mass. The deacon, lector, or priest will proclaim the Word of God when they read Sacred Scripture from the ambo. The deacon or priest may also deliver a homily from the ambo. It is sometimes called the "table of God's Word" because it is the place from which we are nourished by the Word of God. 

The Processional Cross - As Christians, we strive to follow Jesus by emulating Him in our daily lives. He asks us to take up His cross and so the Processional Cross is carried by our altar servers to lead the way as we gather for Mass. 

The Celebrant's Chair - The chair of the priest celebrant conveys his role as the leader of prayer who acts in the person of Jesus Christ. It is distinctive from all other chairs in the church building. Its use may have its origin to the time when private houses were used for Christian gatherings to avoid persecution. The chair of the head of the household was used for whoever led the prayer and sharing of the Eucharist. The Latin word for chair is cathedra and is source of the name we give to the large church building we call a cathedral, which is usually presided over by the bishop. 

The Book of the Gospels - The Gospel is accorded special prominence of all of God's Word. We stand to hear it and believe that Christ is present when His own words are proclaimed. In reverence, we have a special book that contains the Gospels and at St. Charles Borromeo as in many other parishes The Book of the Gospels is carried in procession at the beginning of Mass and is enthroned at the ambo.

One Body

 Believers who respond to God’s word and become members of Christ’s Body, become intimately united with him: “In that body the life of Christ is communicated to those who believe, and who,
through the sacraments, are united in a hidden and real way to Christ in his Passion and glorification.”
This is especially true of Baptism, which unites us to Christ’s death and Resurrection, and the Eucharist, by which “really sharing in the body of the Lord,...we are taken up into communion with him and with one another.” (CCC 790)

                             Reception of Holy Communion

In this YEAR OF THE EUCHARIST it is important to remember that Jesus gave us the gift of Himself in the Holy Eucharist. Let’s renew our fervor in the reception of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the sum and substance of our faith; “Our way of thinking is attuned to the Eucharist, and the Eucharist in turn confirms our way of thinking.” (St. Irenaeus)

How should we prepare ourselves to receive this sacred gift?

• Before leaving home we should have clean hands to receive this special gift.
• Push clothing away from your hands.
• Reverently approach the minister, bow your head slightly in reverence and extend your hands.
• Hands should be cupped with the hand that will be used to consume the host below the hand that will receive the host.
• Respond to the minister with “Amen.”
• Take a slight side step to reverently consume the host.
• Reverently return to the pew and speak with your Lord and Savior.
  

The prayer of the Church, nourished by the Word of God and the celebration of the liturgy, teaches us to pray to the Lord Jesus. Even though her prayer is addressed above all to the Father it includes in all the liturgical traditions forms of prayer addressed to Christ. Certain psalms, given their use in the Prayer of the Church, and the New Testament place on our lips and engrave in our hearts prayer to Christ in the form of invocations: Son of God, Word of God, Lord, Savior, Lamb of God, King, Beloved Son, Son of the Virgin, Good Shepherd, our Life, our Light, our Hope, our Resurrection, Friend of mankind….

But the one name that contains everything is the one that may not be spoken by human lips, but by assuming our humanity The Word of God hands it over to us and we can invoke it: “Jesus,” “YHWH saves.”                   

                                   Q&A About Marriage and Same-Sex Unions

                                                        What is marriage?

The truths about marriage are present in the order of nature and can be perceived by the light of human reason. They have been confirmed by divine Revelation in Sacred Scripture.

                                      What does our faith tell us about marriage?

Marriage comes from the loving hand of God, who fashioned both male and female in the divine image (see GN1:27). A man “leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body” (Gn 2:24).
The man recognizes the woman as “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” (Gn 2:23). God
blesses the man and woman and commands them to “be fertile and multiply” (Gn 1:28).
Jesus reiterates these teachings from Genesis, saying “But from the beginning of creation,
‘God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
(and be joined to his wife), and the two shall become one flesh’” (Mk 10:6-8).

                      
Marriage, as instituted by God, is a faithful, exclusive, lifelong union of a man and a woman joined in an intimate community of life and love. They commit themselves completely to each other and to the wonderful responsibility of bringing children into the world and caring for them. The call to marriage is woven deeply into the human spirit.

Biblical passages help us to appreciate God’s plan for marriage. It is an intimate union in which the spouses give themselves, as equal persons, completely and lovingly to one another. By their mutual gift of self, they cooperate with God in bringing children to life and in caring for them.

                           Why can marriage exist only between a man and a woman?

The natural structure of human sexuality makes man and woman complementary partners for the
transmission of human life. Only a union of male and female can express the sexual complementarity willed by God for marriage.

The permanent and exclusive commitment of marriage is the necessary contest for the expression of sexual love intended by God both to serve the transmission of human life and to build up the bond between husband and wife (see CCC, nos. 1639-1640).

Conscience

The interior voice of a human being, within whose heart the inner law of God is inscribed. Moral
conscience is a judgement of practical reason about the moral quality of a human action. It moves a
person at the appropriate moment to do good an avoid evil (CCC 1777-8) An examination of
conscience is recommended asa preparation for the reception of the Sacrament of Reconciliation (CCC 1454)

The characteristics of Sacramentals

Sacramentals are instituted for the sanctification of
certain ministries of the Church, certain states of life, a
great variety of circumstances in Christian life, and the
use of many things helpful to man. In accordance with
bishops' pastoral decisions, they can also respond to
the needs, culture, and special history of the Christian
people of a particular region or time. They always
include a prayer, often accompanied by a specific
sign, such as the laying on of hands, the sign of
the cross, or the sprinkling of holy water (which
recalls Baptism). CCC 1667

                                              Moral Life and Christian Witness

“The witness of a Christian life and good works done in a supernatural spirit have great power to
draw men to the faith and to God.” (CCC2044)

Because they are members of the Body whose Head is Christ, Christians contribute to building up the church by the constancy of their convictions and their moral lives. The Church increases, grows, and develops through the holiness of her faithful, until “we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (CCC2045)
By living with the mind of Christ, Christians hasten the coming of the reign of God, a “kingdom of justice, love, and peace.” They do not, for all that, abandon their earthly tasks; faithful to their master, the fulfill them with uprightness, patience, and love ( CCC2046).

                                                        Catechesis of Children

The catechesis of children, young people, and adults aims at teaching them to meditate on the Word of God in personal prayer, practicing it in liturgical prayer, and internalizing it at all times in order to bear fruit in a new life. Catechesis is also a time for the discernment and education of popular piety. The memorization of basic prayers offers an essential support to the life of prayer, but it is important to help learners savor their meaning (CCC2688).

                                                  Freedom and Responsibility

Freedom is exercised in relationships between human beings. Every human person, created in the image of God, has the natural right to be recognized as a free and responsible being. All owe to each other this duty of respect. The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of the human person. This right must be recognized and protected by civil authority within the limits of the common good and public order (CCC1738)

                                                   The Theological Virtues

One enters into prayer as one enters into liturgy: by the narrow gate of faith. Through the signs of his presence, it is the Face of the Lord that we seek and desire; it is his Word that we want to hear and keep. The Holy Spirit, who instructs us to celebrate the liturgy in expectation of Christ's return, teaches us to pray in hope. Conversely, the prayer of the Church and personal prayer nourish hope in us. The Psalms especially, with their concrete and varied language, teach us to fix our hope in God:" I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry."As St. Paul prayed:" May the God of fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."

"Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Prayer, formed by the liturgical life, draws everything into the love by which we are loved in Christ and which enables us to respond to him by loving as he has loved us. Love is the source of prayer; whoever draws from it reaches the summit of prayer.

                                                      The Signs of Bread and Wine

At the heart of the Eucharistic celebration are the bread and wine that, by the words of Christ and the invocation of the Holy Spirit, become Christ's Body and Blood. Faithful to the Lord's command the Church continues to do, in His memory and until His glorious return, what He did on the eve of His Passion: "He took bread..." He took the cup filled with wine..." The signs of bread and wine become, in a way surpassing understanding, the Body ands Blood of Christ; they continue also to signify the goodness of creation. Thus in the Offertory we give thanks to the Creator for bread and wine, fruit of the "work of human hands," but above all as "fruits of the earth" and "of the vine"-gifts of the Creator. The Church sees in the gesture of the king-priest Melchizedek, who "brought out bread and wine," a prefiguring of her own suffering.

                                                   The Works of Mercy

The works of Mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his bodily and spiritual necessities. Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy , as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. Among these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God.

He who has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food must do likewise. But give for alms those things that are within; and behold, everything is clean for you. If a brother or sister is ill clad and in lack of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what does it profit? Jas 2:15-16

                                                        Jesus teaches us how to pray

When Jesus prays he is already teaching us how to pray. His prayer to his Father is the theological path( the path of faith, hope, and charity) of our prayer to God. But the Gospel also gives us Jesus' explicit teaching on prayer.
Like a wise teacher he takes hold of us where we are and leads us progressively toward the Father. Addressing the crowds following him, Jesus builds on what they already know of prayer from the Old Covenant and opens to them the newness of the coming kingdom. The he reveals this newness to them in parables. Finally, he will speak openly of the Father and the Holy Spirit to his disciples who will be the teachers of prayer in his church.(CCC2607)

                                             The Sacrament of the Eucharist

The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole community in the Lord’s own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist (CCC1322).

                                                            Moral Conscience

The dignity of the human person implies and requires uprightness of moral conscience. Conscience includes the perception of the principles of morality; their application in the given circumstances by practical discernment of reasons and goods; and finally judgement about concrete acts yet to be performed or already performed. The truth about the moral good, stated in the law of reason, is recognized practically and concretely by the prudent judgement of conscience. We call that man prudent who chooses in conformity with his judgement. (CCC1780)

                                             The Functions and Office of God's People

In the celebration of the Mass the faithful constitute the sacred assembly, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart that they may give thanks to God and offer the immaculate Victim, not only through the hands of the priest but also with him, learning also to offer themselves. They should endeavor to express all this by sincere piety and loving regard for their brethren who are taking part in the same celebration...it follows that they should appear as one body, whether they are listening to God's word or taking part in prayers or singing, and especially when together they offer the sacrifice and share in the Lord's table. This unity is most fittingly manifested when the people make gestures or take up common postures all together. (Vatican Council II; Cenam Paschalem II, 62)

                                                The Assumption of Mary

The Church has never issued a definitive declaration about the end of Mary's earthly life. Eastern Christianity celebrate's Mary's Dormition (falling asleep), while theologians in the West posit that Mary died in imitation of the bodily death of Jesus. Pope Pius XII solemnly proclaimed in 1950 however that Mary was taken body and soul into heaven, confirming a belief that had been held and observed for more than a millennium. God accorded Mary this privilege in honor of her Divine Maternity, her complete sinlessness, her spotless chastity, and for her share in her son's redemptive work in the world. Mary's bodily assumption also anticipates the glorified body and place in heaven to be awarded to the faithful at the end of time.("A summary of Catechesis on the Blessed Virgin Mary," Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception web site: http://,www.nationalshrine.com)