Abba		Fathered.
Advocate (in Greek, paraclete)		The state of eternal happiness with God in Heaven.
Amen		The judgment of the human race by Jesus Christ at his second coming, as noted in the Nicene Creed. It is also called the Final Judgment.
beatitude		A short summary statement or profession of faith.
begotten		A way of addressing God the Father used by Jesus to call attention to his—and our—intimate relationship with his Heavenly Father. Abba means “my Father” or “our Father” in Aramaic.
catholic		Teachers and writers in the early Church, many of whom were bishops, whose teachings are a witness to the Apostolic Tradition.
Christ		The pattern of specific salvific events in human history that reveal God’s presence and saving actions.
Christology		Translation of the Hebrew word that means “so be it.”
Church Fathers		Also known as the economy of salvation, this refers to God’s eternal plan and his actions for the salvation of humanity.
Covenant		Important holy days in the Catholic liturgical calendar, such as Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, and All Saints’ Day
creed		The belief in and worship of only one God.
Deus Caritas Est (God Is Love)		“Anointed one.”
divine economy		This word refers to anything that will last for an indefinitely long period.
doctrine		The truth that God, although one, is three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Ecumenical Council:		A personal, solemn promise of faithful love that involves mutual commitments and creates a sacred relationship.
encyclical		The formal statement or profession of faith commonly recited during the Eucharist
eternity		A worldwide gathering of Catholic bishops convened by the Pope to discuss and resolve issues and problems the Church is facing.
filial		An official, authoritative teaching of the Church based on the Revelation of God.
incarnate		To become flesh; specifically, God the Son assuming human nature. The Incarnation means that Jesus, the Son of God and Second Person of the Trinity, is both fully God and fully man.
Jesus		Someone who is on our side, to help us, strengthen us, and empower us for holiness. This is a description of the Holy Spirit.
Last Judgment		Literally the study of Christ; the systematic statement of Christian beliefs about Jesus Christ, including his identity, mission, and saving work on earth.
Messiah		A letter written by the Pope and sent to the whole Church and, at times, beyond the Church to the whole world; commonly focused on Church teaching regarding a particular issue or currently important matter.
monotheism		Having to do with the relationship of a child to his or her parents.
Nicene Creed		“God saves.”
Pentecost		Universal
philosophy		In the Scriptures the event in which the early followers of Jesus received the Holy Spirit. Today the Church celebrates this event on Pentecost Sunday, which occurs seven weeks after Easter Sunday.
salvation history		Hebrew word for “anointed one.” The equivalent Greek term is christos. Jesus is the Christ and the Messiah because he is the Anointed One.
sanctify		To make holy
solemnities		Pope Benedict XVI’s first encyclical.
Trinity		God has always existed, without beginning or end
unbegotten		In Greek this word literally means “love of wisdom.” It refers to the study of human existence using logical reasoning