A state of final purification or cleansing, which one may need to enter following death and before entering Heaven.

To be sinless and without guilt; those who are in such standing before God.

An action so contrary to the will of God that it results in complete separation from God and his grace. As a consequence of that separation, the person is condemned to eternal death.

The grace that heals our human nature wounded by sin and restores us to friendship with God by giving us a share in the divine life of the Trinity. It is a supernatural gift of God, infused into our souls by the Holy Spirit, that continues the work of making us holy.

The name for the God-given virtues of faith, hope, and love. These virtues enable us to know God as God and lead us to union with him in mind and heart.

A less serious offense against the will of God that diminishes one's personal character and weakens but does not rupture one's relationship with God.

The general term means "one who is sent," used in reference to the twelve companions chosen by Jesus, also known as "the Twelve," the term refers to those special witnesses of Jesus on whose ministry the early Church was built and whose successors are the bishops.

Directly encountering and seeing God in the glory of Heaven.

Speech or actions that show disrespect or irreverence for God; also, claiming to have the powers of God or to be God.

A title officially bestowed by the Church on Saints who are highly esteemed for their theological writings, as well as their personal holiness.

A word used to describe Roman governors, who had administrative and legal authority over a province or region of the Roman Empire.

An assembly of Jewish religious leaders—chief priests, scribes, and elders—who functioned as the supreme council and tribunal during the time of Jesus.

The tendency of all human beings toward sin, as a result of Original Sin.

Also called the Mass or Lord's Supper, and based on a word for "thanksgiving," it is the central Christian liturgical celebration, established by Jesus at the Last Supper.

A story that explains something's cause or origin.

The biblical Revelation about the origins of sin and evil in the world, expressed figuratively in the account of Adam and Eve in Genesis.

A form of biblical interpretation that considers the explicit meaning of the text. It lays the foundation for all other senses of Sacred Scripture.

The original state of human beings in their relationship with God, sharing in the divine life in full communion with him.

The reign or rule of God over the hearts of people and, as a consequence of that, the development of a new social order based on unconditional love.

The original state of Adam and Eve before the Fall, a state of complete harmony with themselves, with each other, and with all of creation.

This term has two meanings: (1) the sin of the first human beings, who disobeyed God's command by choosing to follow their own will and thus lost their original holiness and became subject to death, (2) the fallen state of human nature that affects every person born into the world, except Jesus and Mary.

A messianic title from the Book of Daniel, used to describe a figure who receives authority over other nations from God; the only messianic title in the Gospels used by Jesus to describe himself.

The work of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ through his Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension.

A Greek title for Mary meaning "God bearer."

The fallen angel or spirit of evil who is the enemy of God and a continuing instigator of temptation and sin in the world.

In the Old Testament, the sacrificial lamb shared at the seder meal of the Passover on the night the Israelites escaped from Egypt.

A form of biblical interpretation that goes beyond the literal sense to consider what the realities and events of Sacred Scripture signify and mean for salvation.

The sufferings of Jesus during the final days of his life: his agony in the garden at Gethsemane, his trial, and his Crucifixion.

An invitation or enticement to commit an unwise or immoral act that often includes a promise of reward to make the immoral act seem more appealing.

The biblical event in which the Archangel Gabriel visits the Virgin Mary to announce that she is to be the Mother of the Savior.

A Hebrew word meaning "law," referring to the first five books of the Old Testament.

The virtue by which people are able to successfully and healthfully integrate their sexuality into their total person; recognized as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Also one of the vows of religious life.

The study of the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Second Divine Person of the Trinity, and his earthly ministry and eternal mission.

Based on a word meaning "messenger," a personal and immortal creature with intelligence and free will who constantly glorifies God and serves as a messenger of God to humans to carry out God's saving plan.

The "inner voice," guided by human reason and Divine Law, that enables us to judge the moral quality of a specific action that has been made, is being made, or will be made. This judgment enables us to distinguish good from evil, in order to accomplish good and avoid evil.

The act, required by Jewish Law, of removing the foreskin of the penis. Since the time of Abraham, it has been a sign of God's covenant relationship with the Jewish people.

The act of freeing someone from demonic possession. These are part of the Church's worship and prayer life, calling on the name of Christ to protect us from the power of Satan.

To represent or prefigure a person before his or her life or an event before it occurs.

The Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the personal love between the Father and the Son, who inspires, guides, and sanctifies the life of believers.

From the Latin, meaning "to become flesh," referring to the mystery of Jesus Christ, the Divine Son of God, becoming man. In the Incarnation, Jesus Christ became truly man while remaining truly God.

The recognition of our deep need for God and the commitment to put God above everything else in life, particularly above the accumulation of material wealth.

From the Greek for "seeing the whole together," the name given to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, because they are similar in style and content.

A set of 5 events from Christ's life, focused on when praying the Rosary, which display the ways that Jesus is the "Light of the World."

The time before the invention of writing and recording of historical data.

A gathering of the Church's bishops from around the world convened by the Pope or approved by him to address pressing issues in the Church.

Correct belief as accepted by the Church's bishops as a whole body, literally "right worship."

The sacred writings of the Old and New Testaments, which contain the truth of God's Revelation and were composed by human authors inspired by the Holy Spirit.

The doctrine that Jesus is fully human and fully divine with two natures united in one person.

Our spiritual principle, it is immortal, and it is what makes us most like God. It is the seat of human consciousness and freedom.

In theology, this is a concept or teaching that is endlessly comprehensible, e.g. the doctrine of the Trinity.

From the Latin trinus, meaning "threefold," referring to the central mystery of the Christian faith that God exists as a communion of three distinct and interrelated Divine Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

One of the 5 Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, describing Jesus' baptism in the River Jordan by John.

Latin for "first gospel." It refers to how God, after Adam and Eve sinned, promised to send a Savior to free humanity from the effects of the Fall. God remained faithful to humanity despite their continued sin by promising to send the Messiah to save them.

One of the 5 Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, wherein Jesus, at his Mother's request, changes large quantities of water into wine at a wedding

One of the 5 Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary; not a single event in Jesus' life so much as all the moments of his teaching about the coming of the Kingdom of God and living a God-centered life.

A non-Jewish person

Someone who speaks for God. They were overseers of the covenant and the Law.

One of the 5 Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary; Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to a mountaintop, where his clothes become dazzling white and glowing, displaying his inner nature as the Divine Son of God.

St. Thomas Aquinas' five proposals for how the existence of God can be known through reason.

One of the 5 Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary, in which Jesus and the 12 Apostles have a meal together before Jesus' Crucifixion and Jesus offers his body and blood to them in the appearance of bread and wine.

The process of God showing Godself to humanity in history, recorded in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

Belief based on trust in what someone says. Never opposed to reason or science, but often extends beyond what science or reason can demonstrate.

One of history's most important theologians and philosophers. Famous for writing thousands of pages analyzing various articles of faith and belief through the light of logic and reason.

The Babylonian epic that depicts Earth's creation as the result of an intense battle among gods.

The role of caretaker and faithful steward given by God to humanity. All human beings inherit the responsibility to be good and loving caretakers of the world, its resources, and its creatures.

Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment which affirms our responsibility to care for a sacramental world that connects us to God

Present in all humans by virtue of their Creation by God.

To be set apart for God's service, to live a morally good life, to be a person of prayer, and to reveal God's love to the world through acts of love.

All members of the Church with the exception of those who are ordained as bishops, priests, or deacons. They share in Christ's role as priest, prophet, and king, witnessing to God's love and power in the world.

To bring God's presence to the world and to bring the world to God

What things did God create as good?

True or False: God loves humanity less since The Fall and Original Sin.

A follower of Jesus