Buddhism and Christianity Essay

Buddhism and Christianity may seem like two very different religions on the surface and they are. But they share common themes like the path to ultimate happiness, community-like worshipping and free will.

In both religions, the ultimate goal is to be happy through faith. For Buddhism finding one's self is the greatest achievement a buddhist can behold. Becoming a buddha, achieving enlightenment, is every buddhist's dream. Nirvana, the release of the soul from the wheel of rebirth that is samsara. For Christians, having one's soul released from the body at death to be with God is the ultimate goal. God is the creator of everything and heaven is where everything is happy. Through a Christian's strong faith in God, he or she is able to fully trust in Him and truly believe that their is live after death which is heaven where true happiness can be found.

Community-like worshipping is found in both religions. For Buddhists, Sangha is like their form of a parish like for christians.  A sangha is a community of buddhists.  A sangha gives buddhists the opportunity to temple worship together and talk about their faith just like a parish does for Catholicism. It's not exactly the same in theory but they both share community-like themes of coming together to discuss a faith.

Free will is the freedom to choose. God gives his people in Catholicism the ability to freely do what he or she pleases. He gave it to his followers as soon as they were born. Like in Buddhism, followers are allowed to freely choose the path they want to take in order to find themselves. It's not set in stone exactly what they have to do in order to achieve enlightenment. It's up to the believer what they want to do.

Both religions share common themes but are interpreted differently. Ultimate happiness is basically true for any faith. The desire to be happiness is true for everyone. Communities give both religions the chance to intermingle with other followers. Buddhism might be a lot more lenient with its belief system than christianity but both give a little in that regard. Allowing it's followers to have the ability to choose what they want.

Introduction to Buddhism - Blog Post 19

Life of Siddhartha Gautama

Siddhartha Gautama was born about 583 BCE, in or near what is now Nepal. His father, King Suddhodana, was leader of a large clan called the Shakya. His mother, Queen Maya, died shortly after his birth. When Prince Siddhartha was a few days old, a holy man prophesied the Prince would be either a great military conqueror or a great spiritual teacher. King Suddhodana preferred the first outcome and prepared his son accordingly. Siddhartha Gauatama was raised the in great luxury and  was shielded from knowledge of religion and human suffering. He reached the age of 29 with little experience of the world outside the palace walls. 

Siddhartha asked to leave the palace once to see life beyond the palace since he didn't know what was really out there. On these journeys he was shocked by the sight of an aged man, then a sick man, and then a corpse. The stark realities of old age, disease, and death seized and sickened the Prince. Finally, he saw a wandering ascetic. The charioteer explained that the ascetic was one who had renounced the world and sought release from fear of death and suffering.

Three Jewels

The ideals at the heart of Buddhism are collectively known as the ‘Three Jewels’, or the ‘Three Treasures’. These are theBuddha (the yellow jewel), the Dharma (the blue jewel), and the Sangha (the red jewel). It is by making these the central principles of your life that you become a Buddhist.

Threefold Way

Another formulation of the path is the Threefold Way of ethics, meditation, and wisdom. This is a progressive path, as ethics and a clear conscience provides an indispensable basis for meditation, and meditation is the ground on which wisdom can develop.

4 Noble Truths

 The Four Aryan (or Noble) Truths are perhaps the most basic formulation of the Buddha’s teaching. They are expressed as follows:

1. All existence is dukkha. 

2. The cause of dukkha is craving. 

3. The cessation of dukkha comes with the cessation of craving.

4. There is a path that leads from dukkha. 

Noble Eight-fold Path

The Buddha’s ‘Noble Eightfold Path’ is a further ‘unpacking’ of the ‘Threefold Way’ and is perhaps the most widely known of the Buddha’s teachings. It is ancient, extending back to the Buddha’s first discourse and is highly valued as a treasury of wisdom and practical guidance on how to live our lives. Traditionally the teaching is seen as highlighting eight areas or ‘limbs’ of ‘right’ practice (Sangharakshita prefers ‘perfect’ to ‘right’), which sit in mutual relationship to one other and are each essential elements in an integrated approach to the Dharma:

1.      Right Understanding or Perfect Vision

2.      Right Resolve or Perfect Emotion

3.      Right Speech or Perfect Speech

4.      Right Action or Perfect Action

5.      Right Livelihood or Perfect Livelihood

6.      Right Effort or Perfect Effort

7.      Right Mindfulness or Perfect Awareness

8.      ​Right Meditation or Perfect Samadhi

Hinduism Review Questions - Blog Post 18

1. Explain the meaning of the term, moksha. 
• Liberation or release of the individual self, atman, from the bondage of samsara; salvation; one of the four goals of life. 
2. What doctrine says all reality is ultimately one? Give an analogy that describes it. 
• Monism. Like how monotheism in Western religions, God is the creator of the world and independent of it. 
3. Define brahman and atman. How are the two related?
• Brahman is the eternal essence of reality and the source of the universe, beyond the reach of human perception and thought. 
• Atman is the eternal self, which the Upanishads identify with Brahman; often lowercase: the eternal Self or soul of an individual that is reincarnated from one body to the next and is ultimately identified with Atman.
• Brahman is Atman; all reality is one. 
4. What is the general function of Hinduism's many deities?
• Hinduism generally regards its 330 million deities as extensions of one ultimate reality. Many names for one ocean, many "masks" for one God.
5. Give a brief explanation of the doctrine of samsara.
• The wheel of rebirth or reincarnation; the this-worldly realm of which rebirth occurs.
6. What is the name of Hinduism's most popular sacred text?
• Bhagavad-Gita
7. According to Hinduism, what are the two principles that connect the divine to this world? Briefly explain each. 
• Karma - the moral law of cause and effect of actions; determines the nature of one's reincarnation.
• Dharma - ethical duty based on the divine order of reality; one of the four goals of life.
8. Name the four classes of the caste system and describe the people who belong to each.
1. Brahmin - priests
2. Kshatriya - warriors and administrators 
3. vaishya - producers like farmers, merchants and artisans
4. shudra - servants and laborers
9. In the Bhagavad-Gita, why does Krishna encourage Arjuna to engage in war?
• Because it was the ultimate path to salvation.
10. Identify and briefly explain the four stages of life.
1. Student - instensive study of the vedas and other sacred literature. Lasts until marriage.
2. Householder - career and raising a family
3. Forest dweller (starts with birth of first grandchild) - a retreat from worldly bonds in order to engage fully in a spiritual quest.
4. ascetic - forest dwellers who are ready to return to society but remain detached from the normal attractions and distractions of social life.
11. Name and briefly describe the four goals of life.
1. Sensual pleasure - ultimate goal of liberation
2. Material success - kama and artha, material sucess and social power.
3. harmony with dharma - maintaining the general principles of ethical duty. 
4. bliss of moksha - infinite being and awareness
12. Identify the three paths to liberation. Which type of person is suited for each path?
1. Karma marga - those engaged in the day-to-day tasks of earning a living and raising a family. 
2. Jnana marga - those with talent for the philosophical reflection
3. Bhakti marga - those who have strong emotional attachments
13. What are the three most important schools of hindu philospohy? What is the basic task that concerns all three?
1. Vedanta
2. Sankhya
3. Yoga
• The attainment of knowledge over the igonrance that binds the self to samsara.
14. Identify three important gods or goddesses of Hinduism. 
1. Ganesh
2. Krisha
3. Vishnu
15. What is an avatar? Name two important Hindu figures identified as avatars.
• An avatar is an incarnation, or living embodiment, of a deity, commonly of Vishnu. Rama is another popular avatar.
16. What Hindu text is most closely associated with bhakti marga?
1. Bhagavad-Gita
17. Identify three aspects of Hindu devotional life.
1. Household and villages rituals.
2. Holy places.
3. Cow veneration.
18. How did Mahatma Gandhi influence Hinduism?
1. His steadfast efforts to stand up to oppression through nonviolence and civil disobedience forever changed the nature of India. 
19. What siginificant changes in the caste system took place in the 20th century?
1. It was starting to get rid of its social heirarchy and become equal. 
20. What is sati? What is its status today?
• The burning of a widow. It doesn't exist as strongly as before. 
21. What siginificant development occured in the relations between Hindus and Muslims in 1947?
1. The partitioning of India to form the divided nation of Pakistan. 

Maya and Aztecs

1. Where are they located, both in location and the type of geography.

                The Mayan civilization covered a third of Central America, mostly on the Yucatan Peninsula. They lived in what is now Yucatan, Guatemala, Belize, and southern Mexico. The area is south of the tropic of Cancer and north of the equator. It is around 900 kilometers from north to south and 550 kilometers from west to east. The land is covered with rainforests, savannas, and swamps. The highlands had volcanic mountains.

The lowlands were a limestone shelf bordered by the Gulf of Mexico and Carribean Sea. The northern climate is hot, with rain May through October. Rivers and lakes would go dry and only sinkholes filled with rainwater provided water. The south consisted of rainforests and savannahs. Rivers and lakes were fed by the Usamacinta River. The highlands were made of mountains and valleys. It was prone to tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquakes, but had fertile soil. It had rain during May through November.

2. What is their cosmological view of the world?

The Mayan viewed earth as a flat four-cornered world. Each corner had a color associated with it: Red - East, White – North, Black – West, Yellow – South, and Center – Bluegreen. Each corner was held up by four Powahtuns (old deities). The sky was held up by four Bakabs (Human/Atlantean figures) of the correct color for each direction.

Mayan civilization had a very sophisticated understanding of celestial motion. The Sun, Moon, and Venus were particularly important to their cosmology. The Mayans attached a great deal of importance to the Zenial passage when the sun would be directly overhead. Since most Mayan cities lie south of 23 degrees North, the sun would be directly overhead twice a year near to the solstices. The Mayans also worshipped the Milky Way and had a sophisticated understanding of the ecliptic. The Mayans, like all ancient civilizations, had a geocentric view of the universe. The Earth was the fixed location from which to watch the moving objects in the sky.

3. Explain and describe some of their sacred symbols (at least 3).

The earliest known writing discovered in the Mayan script dates from about 250 BC, but the script is thought to have developed at an earlier date then that. The Mayans were known for their sophisticated culture which included many hieroglyphics.

Mayan hieroglyphics were carved into stone or bone, or even painted on pottery or written on books. The two main topics of their texts were astronomy and religious views.

Ancient Mayan Symbols:

Flower of Life

The flower of life shape contains a secret shape known as the fruit of life. It consists of 13 spheres that hold many mathematical and geometrical laws. These laws represent the whole universe.

Personal Creation

It is a depiction of the realm of God: it embodies the principle of the Three in One. It is represents the cosmic egg, a symbol of creation where the three elements: mercury, sulphur and ether which are given life God and made into matter. The central circle contains the total area of the surrounding three circles.  

4. What are their sacred locations?

The Mayan civilization was one of the most advance and sophisticated cultures in the Western Hemisphere before the arrival of European explorers. It flourished between 300 and 900 AD and once consisted of over 40 cities spread across southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and northern Belize. This category lists some of the most impressive ruins of these ancient cities that can be visited today. Many of these Mayan ruins have been designated World Heritage Sites. The Mayan cities, full of magnificent stone temples and pyramids, were primarily ceremonial centers. Most of the Maya lived in rural areas and were farmers who looked to the priests of the cities for direction on the best days to plant, harvest, and marry. The Maya are famed for their impressive knowledge of mathematics and astronomy, which were integral to their religious rituals. They are also known for the practice of human sacrifice, which was a means of appeasing and nourishing the gods.

Caracol Belize This important Mayan city flourished in the 6th century and now lies in ruins in western Belize near Guatemala. Hidden in the jungle until 1938, it contains pyramids, tombs and Mayan art. Tikal Guatemala A Mayan city that flourished around 700 AD in modern-day Guatemala, Tikal is best known for its towering Temple of the Two-Headed Snake. Uxmal Uxmal, Yucatan, Mexico The late-Classic Maya site of Uxmal was built before the 10th century AD and is one of the most complex and harmonious expressions of Puuc architecture. Palenque Chiapas, Mexico Widely considered the most atmospheric and magical of the Mayan sites, Palenque was at its peak from 600 to 700 AD. It is famed for its unique and impressive architecture and royal history. Tulum Yucatan, Mexico Spectacularly located on a cliff overlooking the turquoise Caribbean Sea, Tulum is a late-Maya site that was active from around 1200 AD until the arrival of the Spanish. Chichén Itzá Yucatan, Mexico Chichén Itzá is the largest of the ancient Mayan ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula. A center of Mayan pilgrimage for over 1,000 years, it is now one of Mexico's most-visited tourist destinations. Coba Yucatan, Mexico Much of Coba still remains to be excavated, but it is notable for its extensive system of ceremonial roads, remote jungle landscape and multiple pyramids, including the tallest in the Yucatan. Kabah Yucatan, Mexico Located 18 km from Uxmal, Kabah was at its peak from 800 to 900 AD. The ruins feature elaborate carvings of the rain god Chac and fine examples of the Maya vault. 5.  Identify their most important gods (good, bad, and trickster).  More than the name of the god is needed here. The Maya worshipped a pantheon of nature gods, each of which had both a benevolent side and a malevolent side. The most important deity was the supreme god Itzamná, the creator god, the god of the fire and god of the hearth. Another important Mayan god was Kukulcán, the Feathered Serpent, who appears on many temples and was later adopted by the Toltecs and Aztecs as Quetzalcoatl. Also important was Chac, a hooked-nose god of rain and lightning. A third god that frequently appears in Mayan art is Bolon Tzacab, who is depicted with a branching nose and is often held like a sceptre in rulers' hands. He is thought to have functioned as a god of royal descent. LINKS: http://www.nativeweb.org/pages/pyramids/overview.html http://resourcesforhistoryteachers.wikispaces.com/WHI.13 http://library.thinkquest.org/08aug/01175/geo.html http://www.sacred-destinations.com/categories/mayan http://www.laep.org/target/bridges/mayans_ancient1.html http://www.ka-gold-jewelry.com/p-products/flower-of-life-gold.php http://www.religionfacts.com/mayan_religion/index.htm

Blog Post 17 - Primal Relgions Review Questions

Primal Religious Traditions

Review Questions

1.       Why are some forms or religion called primal? Describe some of the characteristics of primal religions.

a.       Because they came before religious traditions and because all religions more or less stem from them. They have generally been the traditions of illiterate people. Primal religions tend to be the traditions of tribal peoples, organized in small groups that dwell in villages as opposed to large cities.

2.       What elements of the natural and human world did the Ancestors create or establish in the period of the Dreaming?

a.       According to Aboriginal belief, the world was originally formless. Then at a certain point in the mythic past, supernatural beings called Ancestors emerged and roamed about the Earth. The ancestors gave shape to the landscape and created various forms of life, including the first human beings.

3.       What survives in the symbols left behind by the Ancestors?

a.       The spiritual essence of the Ancestors.

4.       Explain the terms totem and taboo.

a.       Totem – the natural form in which the Ancestor appeared in the Dreaming.

b.      Taboo – certain things and activities are of nature.

5.       Why is ritual essential if Aboriginal life is to have meaning?

a.       Rituals provide structure and pattern.

6.       How did Aboriginal rituals originate?

a.       Myths of the Dreaming.

7.       What purposes are served by Aboriginal initiation rituals?

a.       Through the rituals and myths, young Aborigines learn the essential truths about their world and they are to act within it.

8.       Identify two acts of Dieri initiation rituals that symbolize deaeth.

a.       They initiate’s two lower middle teeth were knocked out and buried in the ground.

b.      Circumcision

9.       In what part of Africa do the Yoruba live?

a.       Western regions of central Africa.

10.   Why has the city of Ife always been the center of Yoruba religion?

a.       Because it is where the god Orisha-nla first began to create the world.

11.   Briefly describe the Yoruba understand of the cosmos.

a.       Yoruba cosmology depicts reality as a being divided into two separate worlds: heaven and earth.

12.   Who is Olurun, and what is his role in society?

a.       He is the original source of power in the universe and all other life forms ultimately owe their existence to him.

13.   What are the orishas? Explain their significance in the religions life of the Yoruba.

a.       They are the lesser deities that are sources of the sacred power and can help or harm human beings depending on how well the rituals designed to appease them are carried out.

14.   Name briefly describe at least two of the orishas.

a.       Orisha-nla – creator of the earth

b.      Ogun – god of iron and war

15.   What is a trickster figure?

a.       A type of supernatural being who tends to disrupt the normal course of life, found among many primal peoples.

16.   Describe two types of Yoruba ancestors.

a.       Family ancestors gained their supernatural status by earning a good reputation  and living to an old age and are now worshiped only by their own families. Deified ancestors were important because throughout Yoruba society.

17.   Describe the role of Yoruba ritual practitioners.

a.       They mediate between gods and ancestors in heaven.

18.   What is divination and why is it essential to the Yoruba?

a.       “Through which one’s future can be learned.”  Because knowledge of one’s future is essential for determining how to proceed with one’s life.

19.   20,000 to 30,000 years ago migrating from Asia over the Bering Strait.

20.   Because it is representative of American Indian religion in general.

21.   What is Wakan Tanka?

a.       Lokota name for the supreme reality.

22.   Who is Inktomi?

a.       One of the first human beings to roam the world and is the mediator between the supernatural and natural world.

23.   Briefly desrible Lokota beliefs regarding death and the afterlife.

a.       The Lokota believe that four souls leave body and one goes on the good path which is then judged and returned back to the body for processing.

24.   What do individuals try to gain access to while going on a vision quest?

a.       An encounter with a guardian spirit or medium.

25.   Structure and function of a sweat lodge.

a.       The structure of the lodge is intended to repretsent the universe. Heated stones are placed in the center. The resulting steam causes the participants to sweat profusely leading to both physical and spiritual cleansing.

26.   Typical vision during vision quest.

a.       They see guardian spirits which can be in the form of an animal or inanimate object.

27.   Among the Blackfeet tribe, who resides over the sundance?

a.       Medicine man

28.   What is the axis mundi? In reference to the sun dance?

a.       The axis or center of the universe. Where to face in reference to the sun.

29.   Why do some participants in the Sun Dance skewer their chests and dance until their flesh tears?

a.       Because they believe that their bodies are the only things they truly own, the dancers regard bodily mutilation was the only suitable sacrifice to offer to the supreme being.

30.   In what two ways does the Aztec tradition defy the description?

a.       The Aztecs were a highly developed civilization of people with a population of about 15 million. Aztec emphasized the relationship between myth and ritual.

31.   What geographical area did the Mesoamerica include

a.       Pacific ocean to the Caribbean sea.  

32.   What god created and ordered the world? Which ancient city?

a.       Quetzalcoatl because he presided over a golden age of cultural brilliance. Teotihuacan.

33.   Who was Topiltzin Queszalcoatl?

a.       He provided the Aztecs with the perfect role model for their own authority figures.

34.   What did the Aztecs call their present age?

a.       Age of the 5^th sun. because the previous 4 suns were destroyed so they figured that this 5^th sun will also invevitably be destroyed too.

35.   How did the Aztecs understand the spatial world?

a.       The Aztecs understood that the spatial word as having 4 quadrants extending outward from the center of the universe.

36.   Why did the Aztecs regard each human being as a sort of axus mundi?

a.       Because humans connect the earthly real to the divine.

37.   What were the special religious capabilities of the Aztec knowers?

a.       His role will allow him to enter the highest heaven upon death.

38.   What historical coincidence contributed to the fall of Tenochitilan to the Spaniards?

a.       Cortes arriving in Mesoamerica.

39.   How does the popular day of the dead show the arrival of Aztec religious culture?

a.       Shows the survival of Aztec culture through festivals and meaningful rituals.

40.   What are three themes that are shared by the primal religions?

a.       Communication between living and ancestors. Secular and the sacred are not separate. Humans are sacred.

"I Confess" Extra Credit

Imagine you are a movie critic.  Write a review of the movie "I Confess" and tell your audience why you think this movie is (or is not) worth seeing. (15 points, 300-400 words)

            The main plot is that a priest learns that man murdered someone in a confession. In Quebec City, Father Michael Logan is accused of killing a well-known lawyer. The priest knows the murderer, but he can't reveal his identity because the man confessed the crime to him in the confessional. The guilty person is Otto Keller, the church sexton, who wore a priest's cassock to commit a robbery that led to the murder. Police inspector Larrue narrows his investigation to Logan, who had a motive for committing the crime. The lawyer was blackmailing Ruth Grandfort, wife of a prominent politician. He had threatened to make public a suspected liaison she had with Logan after he became a priest. Logan is arrested and tried for murder. The jury acquits him, but doubts remain as to his innocence. Following the trial, a crowd on the street threatens Logan and Ruth. When Logan is physically attacked, Keller's wife Alma, tells the crowd that her husband is the real murderer.

I don't think that before viewing this I had ever seen a Hitchcock movie. It wasn't what I truthfully expected it to be at all. But I'm not saying that is a bad thing, I actually liked the movie. I thought it carried your attention the whole way through, which is always a good sign in watching a movie. It also made me want to see it again. For it not being what I expected it's an interesting film, I will give it that. If you haven't seen it yet go watch it. I would definitely recommend it.

2.  Why did the priest remain faithful to his vow to never reveal anything from a confession when it would have been easier on him to just reveal the information?  What does the movie's resolution at the end demonstrate Hitchcock's own view of God?  How would you have ended the movie? (15 points, 300-400 words)

            The priest remained faithful to his vow to never real anything from a confession when it would have been easier on him to just reveal the information because he wants to uphold the vows he made. He meant it when he made the vows and does not want to be a hypocrite and go against his honor. It would haunt his conscience if he went against hiw vows probably. It is his duty as a priest to never real anything said in a confession. He swore to never go against that confidentiality and he upholds it during the movie.

            Hitchcock views God as a true and understanding God. Having faith in God is important. He knows that God will forgive any and every sin and demonstrates that with when Otto Keller goes to confession with Father Michael Logan. He feels guilt about the murder he committed and believes that if he goes to confession that that guilt would just disappear. 

3.  Look up Alfred Hitchcock's biography and find some articles about his Catholic faith.  How do you think his faith informs his view of the cinema?  Give examples from "I Confess" (or other Hitchcock movies) to make your case.  (400-600 words, 25 points)

Born to a Catholic family in London in 1899, Hitchcock didn't begin his studies at a Jesuit school until he was eight or nine, but the influence of his religious upbringing can be seen throughout his work. Hitchcock grew up in a strict Catholic family that went to Mass regularly at a church pastored by one of Hitchcock's cousins, a priest. Hitchcock himself was, briefly, an altar boy. In 1908, he began attending St. Ignatius College, a Jesuit school. Nevertheless, Hitchcock was a practicing Catholic for most of his life. His wife Alma, a film editor, converted to Catholicism before their marriage in 1926, and they worked and lived together until his death in 1980. They attended Mass weekly, and they quietly made several generous donations to Catholic churches and charities. In 1952, their daughter Patricia married the grandnephew of the late Cardinal William O'Connell, who had been a powerful archbishop in Boston. Though he moved to Hollywood, he did not let the glamorous life so often filled with drugs and sex override his faith. Around the age of 5, according to Hitchcock, he was sent by his father to the local police station with a note asking the officer to lock him away for five minutes as punishment for behaving badly. This theme of an innocent person being punished is seen throughout Hitchcock’s films. The most notable being “The Man Who Knew Too Much” and “I Confess.” In “I Confess,” we see Father Logan being wrongfully accused of a murder he did not commit. In “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” there is a similar theme.

 4.  Answer the question on the movie poster: "If you knew what he knew what would you do?"  Tell me why, and compare your own reaction to the priest in the movie. (15 points, 300-400 words)

It is hard for me to answer this question due to the circumstances in the movie. Therefore, I have two different answers. If I was just myself, a regular person I would without a doubt tell the police who the real murderer was and not think twice about it. I believe that if you commit a crime you should face the consequences. The murderer also was clearly a heartless person as he even killed his own wife to protect his self. He had no regard for those around him. I refuse to endure the consequences of someone else’s actions, especially if it was deliberately malicious. For that reason, I would tell the authorities and wash my hands of the situation. This reaction was the exact opposite of Father Logan. He did not tell and instead chose to possible be convicted of a crime he did not participate in any way, shape, or form in. This brings me to my second answer to the question. If I was a priest, I would not have told on the murderer. I recognize that priestly duties and vows come before myself. When making that promise, you are promising to God to uphold all the responsibilities of the priesthood, one of them being to not tell what is said in the confessional under any circumstance. It takes courage and strength to know who killed someone and not be able to say anything even if it is directly affecting you. This reaction would have been the same reaction that Father Logan had in the film. It takes God to fill someones heart in order for one to take the blame for another persons actions.

Sacramental Vocabulary for Midterm

Anointing of the Sick

1.       Suffering -  to submit to or be forced to endure <suffer martyrdom>

2.       Original sin - Either the sin committed by Adam as the head of the human race, or the sin he passed onto his posterity with which every human being, with the certain exception of Christ and his Mother, is conceived and born

3.       Church - Equivalent to the Roman Catholic Church, an earlier title by which the body of the Christian faithful were identified. It stresses the Church's universality.

4.       Who administers the sacrament – bishop or priest

5.       Who can receive the sacrament – anyone who is gravely in or on the edge of death

6.       Celebration of the sacrament – anointing with oil of the sick

7.       Grace received - including the fortitude to resist temptation in the face of death, when he is weakest; a union with the Passion of Christ, which makes his suffering holy; and the grace to prepare for death, so that he may meet God in hope rather than in fear. If the recipient was not able to receive the Sacrament of Confession, Anointing also provides forgiveness of sins. And, if it will aid in the salvation of his soul, Anointing may restore the recipient's health.

8.       Apostolate - The work of an apostle, not only of the first followers of Christ but of all the faithful who carry on the original mission entrusted by the Savior to the twelve to "make disciples of all nations"

9.       Apocalyptic - The Book of Revelation, commonly attributed to St. John the Apostle. It was written to encourage the persecuted Christians be foretelling the fall of Rome and the final victory of Christ and his church.

10.   Oil of the sick - The olive oil blessed by the bishop of a diocese for use in the sacrament of anointing of the sick.

11.   Stations of the cross - A devotion performed by meditating on the Passion of Christ, successively before fourteen stations of the Cross.

12.   Sacrament - A sensible sign, instituted by Jesus Christ, by which invisible grace and inward sanctification are communicated to the soul

Reconciliation

13.   Penance - The virtue or disposition of heart by which one repents of one's own sins and is converted to God

14.   Confession - The voluntary self-accusation of one's sins to a qualified priest in order to obtain absolution from him

15.   Forgiveness - Pardon or remission of an offense. The Catholic Church believes that sins forgiven are actually removed from the soul (John 20) and not merely covered over by the merits of Christ

16.   Conversion - Any turning or changing from a state of sin to repentance, from a lax to a fervent way of life, from unbelief to faith, and from a non-Christian religion to Christianity

17.   Empathy - A function of the virtue of charity by which a person enters into another's feelings, needs, and sufferings.

18.   Ten commandments - Also called the Decalogue, they are the divinely revealed precepts received by Moses on Mount Sinai. Engrave on two tablets of stone, they occur in two versions in the Bible

19.   Testament - In the Old Testament an agreement between God and Israel in which God promised protection to the Chosen People in return for exclusive loyalty

20.   Examination of conscience - Reflection in God's presence on one's state of soul, e.g., in preparation for the sacrament of penance

21.   Act of contrition - the prayer of the penitent in the sacrament of penance, by which he expresses sorrow for the sins confessed before receiving absolution. In general, an act of repentance for having offended God

22.   Absolution - In the sacrament of penance, the act by which a qualified priest, having the necessary jurisdiction, remits the guilt and penalty due to sin.

23.   Sin -  salutary fear produced in the believing soul by a clear understanding of the nature and malice of sin.  

24.   Mortal sin - An actual sin that destroys sanctifying grace and causes the supernatural death of the soul

25.   Venial sin - An offense against God which does not deprive the sinner of sanctifying grace.

26.   Moral object - A human act. One performed with knowledge and free will. It is called a moral act because it is always either morally good or bad. Every consciously deliberate action is therefore a moral act.

27.   Original sin - Either the sin committed by Adam as the head of the human race, or the sin he passed onto his posterity with which every human being, with the certain exception of Christ and his Mother, is conceived and born.

28.   Concupiscence - Insubordination of man's desires to the dictates of reason, and the propensity of human nature to sin as a result of original sin. More commonly, it refers to the spontaneous movement of the sensitive appetites toward whatever the imagination portrays as pleasant and away from whatever it portrays as painful.

29.   Apostasy -The total rejection by a baptized person of the Christian faith he once professed

30.   Excommunication - An ecclesiastical censure by which one is more or less excluded from communion with the faithful. It is also called anathema, especially if it is inflicted with formal solemnities on persons notoriously obstinate to reconciliation

31.   Heresy - Commonly refers to a doctrinal belief held in opposition to the recognized standards of an established system of thought.

32.   Schism - A willful separation from the unity of the Christian Church. Although St. Paul used the term to condemn the factions at Corinth, these were not properly schismatical, but petty cliques that favored one or another Apostle

33.   Interior repentance - Conflict within a human person between his or her own desires and the will of God. What naturally pleases is not always good. This is the fight of the spirit versus the flesh -- human will against human passions, whether bodily or spiritual

34.   Grace of reconciliation - graces that help us to live a Christian life

35.   Who forgives sin? – God

36.   What is the role of the priest? – he’s like a bridge between the person and God, like a messenger of sins

37.   How often should one attend confession? – at least once per year.

38.   Who administers the sacrament? – bishop or priest

Matrimony

39.   Abortion - In Catholic morality, abortion is either direct (induced) or indirect. Direct abortion is any destruction of the product of human conception, whether before or after implantation in the womb

40.   Declaration of nullity - The Church's official declaration that an apparently valid marriage is actually null and void because of: an invalidating impediment (such as a previous marriage), lack of due consent (absence of adequate knowledge or freedom), or a defect of required form (prescribed conditions for the actual celebration of marriage).

41.   Contraception - Deliberate interference with marital intercourse in order to prevent conception. It is the performance of the marriage act with the positive frustration of conception

42.   Sterilization - Any action that deprives the body, either temporarily or permanently, of the power either to beget or to bear children

43.   Natural family planning - The controlling of human conception by restricting the marital act to the infertile periods of the wife. This practice is based on the theory that the period of a woman's ovulation can be determined with considerable accuracy.

44.   Nuptial blessing - The formal blessing of the newlywed couple, given at Mass after the Lord's Prayer.

45.   Fidelity - Constancy in allegiance to God or the things of God; steadfastness in fidelity to a person or cause, organization or enterprise. Implicit in loyalty is strong affection based on firm conviction that the object of one's fidelity deserves the allegiance.

46.   Divorce - Legal separation of husband and wife, or the release by civil authority from any one or more of the bonds of matrimony between them. Imperfect divorce is the separation of husband and wife so that the duty of living together, and sometimes the support, is relaxed, but giving them no right to remarry

47.   Polygamy - The status or institution of simultaneous marriage of more than one woman to one man, or of several women to several men. The two forms are polygyny and polyandry. In ordinary use, the term is restricted to polygyny, i.e., where one man is simultaneously married to more than one woman.

48.   Adultery - Sexual intercourse of a married person and another who is not the wife or husband. Forbidden by the sixth commandment of the Decalogue, it was extended in meaning by Christ, who forbade divorce with the right to remarry during the lifetime of one's legitimate spouse

49.   Annulment - Official declaration by competent authority that, for lawful reasons, a previous act or contract was invalid and consequently null and void. In ecclesiastical law, annulments mainly apply to marriage contracts over which the Church has the right to determine their validity

50.   Unity - The condition or state of oneness, especially among persns. What ultimately unites people is their common beliefs or convictions, and their common desires and affections. Union is the state of uniting different people. It is their state of mind agreeingon certain ideas and of will attaching its desires or love to certain objects that unify.

51.   Procreation - Begetting children. It is a formal term for generation and stresses the role of marital intercourse with the intention of producing offspring.

52.   Exchange of vows - A free, deliberate promise made to God to do something that is good and that is more pelasing to God than its ommission would be. The one vowing must realize that a special sin is committed by violating the promise

53.   Grace - In biblical language the condescension or benevolence (Greek charis) shown by God toward the human race; it is also the unmerited gift proceeding from this benevolent disposition. Grace, therefore, is a totally gratuitous gift on which man has absolutely no claim

54.   Family - A group of persons who are related by marriage or blood and who typically include a father, mother, and children. A family is a natural society whose right to existence and support is provided by the divine law

55.   Creation - The production of material and spiritual things in their whole substance, done by God and of nothing.

Holy Orders

56.   Diocese - The territory over which a bishop exercises ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The Pope alone, ultimately, erects dioceses, changes their limits, divides, unites, or suppresses them

57.   Vicar - An ecclesiastic who substitues for another in the exercise of a clerical office and acts in his name and with his authority according to canon law

58.   Episcopal college - A form of assembly in which the bishops of a certain country or region exercise their pastoral office jointly in order to enhance the Church's beneficial influence on all men especially by devising forms of the apostolate and apostolic methods suitably adopted to the circumstances of the times

59.   Synod of bishops - An assembly of bishops, chosen from various parts of the world, that meets in Rome every several years to "render more effective assistance to the supreme pastor of the Church in a consultative body which will be called by the proper name of Synod of Bishops

60.   Ecumenical council - iterally "universal" and commonly used to identify the general councils of the Church. With the rise of the movement for Christian unity, it has become synonymous with "striving for reunification" among the separated Churches of Christendom.

61.   Infallibility - Freedom from error in teaching the universal Church in matters of faith or morals. As defined by the First Vatican Council, "The Roman Pontiff, when he speaks ex cathedra—that is, when in discharge of the office of pastor and teacher of all Christians

62.   Imprimatur - The Latin term for "let it be printed," which signifies the approval by a bishop of a religious work for publication. Authors are at liberty to obtain the imprimatur either from the bishop where they reside, or where the book is to be published, or where it is printed

63.   Parish - Normally, in a diocese, a definite territorial division that has been assigned its own church, a determined group of the faithful, and its own distinct pastor who is charged with the care of souls

64.   Stole - A liturgical vestment composed of a strip of material, several inches wide, and worn around the neck by priests and bishops; at the left shoulder like a sash by deacons, for the celebration of Mass, administration of the sacraments, and ceremonies of the Blessed Sacrament.

65.   Dogmatic - A truth that, though not revealed by God, nevertheless comes under the infallible teaching authority of the Church. The reason for the Church's competence over dogmatic facts is their close connection with revealed truths.

66.   Presbyters - In the early Church a member of a group (usually of priests) who advised a bishop.

67.   Seminary - A school established for the academic and spiritual training of candidates for the priesthood

68.   Celibacy - The state of being unmarried and, in Church usage, of one who has never been married

69.   Bishops - A successor of the Apostles who has received the fullness of Christ's priesthood.

70.   Pope - title of the visible head of the Catholic Church.

71.   Priest - An authorized mediator who offers a true sacrifice in acknowledgment of God's supreme dominion over human beings and in expiation for their sins. A priest's mediation is the reverse of that of a prophet, who communicates from God to the people. A priest mediates from the people to God.

72.   Deacon - A man specially ordained to the service of the Church's ministry

73.   Cardinal - A high official of the Roman Catholic Church ranking next to the Pope

74.   Clergy - Those specially ordained for Divine Service as deacons, priests, or bishops. In this sense the clergy form the Church's hierarchy. Entrance into the clerical state now takes place when a man is ordained deacon

75.   Chasuble - A sleeveless outer garment worn by a priest at Mass. It is worn over all other vestments and is made of silk, velvet, or other rich material usually decorated with symbols.

76.   Discern - The ability to distinguish whether a given idea or impulse in the soul comes from the good spirit or from the evil spirit

Baptism

77.   Baptism - The sacrament in which, by water and the word of God, a person is cleansed of all sin and reborn and sanctified in Christ to everlasting life.

78.   Proper matter – flowing water

79.   Correct form – “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” with triple pour of water.

80.   Designated minister – bishop, priest or deacon (in emergency anyone who intends to offer baptism)

81.   Catechumens - A learner, a person being instructed preparatory to receiving baptism and being admitted into the Church.

82.   Baptismal graces - The supernatural effects of the sacrament of baptism. They are: 1. removal of all guilt of sin, original and personal; 2. removal of all punishment due to sin, temporal and eternal; 3. infusion of sanctifying grace along with the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit; 4. incorporation into Christ; and 5. entrance into the Mystical Body, which is the Catholic Church; 6. imprinting of the baptismal character, which enables a person to receive the other sacraments, to participate in the priesthood of Christ through the sacred liturgy, and to grow in the likeness of Christ through personal sanctification

83.   Water - Besides the ordinary holy water used in the Church's liturgy, there are several other blessings of water approved by the Church. Each has a history of remarkable favors, spiritual and temporal, granted to those who use such water with faith and devotion

84.   Baptismal name - The name that a person receives at baptism

85.   Concupiscence - Insubordination of man's desires to the dictates of reason, and the propensity of human nature to sin as a result of original sin

Confirmation

86.   Confirmation - The sacrament in which, through the laying on of hands, anointing with chrism, and prayer, those already baptized are strengthened by the Holy Spirit in order that they may steadfastly profess the faith and faithfully live up to their profession

87.   Proper matter – anointing with chrism

88.   Correct words/form – “Be sealed with the gift of the holy spirit” with oil on the forehead in the sign of the cross

89.   Designated minister – Bishop

90.   Seal - To establish or determine irrevocably, in the saacrament of confirmation, when a bishop anoints a person with chrism and says, "[Name], be sealed with the Gift of the Holy Spirit." Thus, by confirmation a baptized Christian becomes permanently marked as a witness of Christ and is enabled to preserve, profess, and communicate the faith even (if need be) with the price of his blood

91.   Holy spirit - he third person of the Holy Trinity, who is distinct from the Father and the Son but one in being, coequal, and coeternal with them, because, like them, he is in the fullest sense God

92.   Fruits of the holy spirit - Supernatural works that, according to St. Paul, manifest the presence of the Holy Spirit.

93.   Gifts of the holy spirit - The seven forms of supernatural initiative conferred with the reception of sanctifying grace.

94.   Age of discretion – 8^th grade 12-13 years old

95.   Pentecost - Feast commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. It takes its name form the fact that it comes about fifty days after Easter.

96.   Sponsor - The person who presents a child at baptism and professes the faith in the child's name. A sponsor serves as the official representative of the community of faith and, with the parents, requests baptism for the child.

97.   Confirmation name - The additional name that a person assumes when receiving the sacrament of confirmation. While not strictly required, it is recommended as a sign that the one confirmed has entered on a new way of life, having received a new sacramental character as a witness of Christ.

98.   Community - The new name of the reorganized Sodalities of Our Lady. Groups of men and women, both adults and young people, whose purpose is to develop their Christian vocation in the world.

99.   Chrismation - The act of anointing. Consequently, the use of chrism for anointing in the administration of the sacraments and in the blessing of persons and things.

Eucharist

100.                        Eucharist - The true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, who is really and substantially present under the appearances of bread and wine, in order to offer himself in the sacrifice of the Mass and to be received as spiritual food in Holy Communion. It is called Eucharist, or "thanksgiving," because at its institution at the Last Supper Christ "gave thanks," and by this fact it is the supreme object and act of Christian gratitude to God.

101.                        Transcendence -Supassing excellence, which may be either relative or absolute. It is relative when the excellence surpasses some objects below it, as human nature transcends the irrational creation. It is absolute when the excellence surpasses in being and activity all other beings. Only God is absolutely transcendent; in being because he alone is infinite and perfect Being who cannot change; in activity because he alone has existence of himself as uncreated First Cause on whom all creatures depend for their least operation.

102.                        Consecration - The words of institution of the Eucharist, pronounced at Mass, by which is accomplished the very sacrifice that Christ instituted at the Last Supper.

103.                        Transubstantiation - The complete change of the substance of bread and wine into the substance of Christ's body and blood by a validly ordained priest during the consecration at Mass, so that only the accidents of bread and wine remain.

104.                        Tabernacle - A cupboard or boxlike receptacle for the exclusive reservation of the Blessed Sacrament

105.                        Proper matter – wheat based bread and pure grape wine

106.                        Correct words/form – The words of Institution: “this is my body…this is my blood…”

107.                        Designated minister – bishop or priest

108.                        Liturgy of the word - The second part of the Mass, during which the faithful are instructed in the revealed word of God. It consists of readings from Sacred Scripture and the songs occurring between them. The homily, profession of faith, and the prayer of the faithful develop and conclude the Liturgy of the Word.

109.                        Liturgy of the Eucharist - The most solemn part of the Mass, from the Presentation to the Gifts to the Postcommunion included

110.                        Eucharistic meal - Holy Communion as food of the soul. Implied in Christ's words when he told his followers to eat his body and drink his blood, the Eucharist is the principal source of sustenance of the supernatural life