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Adoration
Adultery
Authority
Blessing
Forgiveness
Freedom
Immorality
Intercession
Love
Mission
Praise
Prayer
Providence
Sacrament
Sacred
Sin
Thanksgiving
Tithe
Vocation
Adoration
is the first attitude of man acknowledging that he is a creature before
his Creator. It exalts the greatness of the Lord who made us and the
almighty power of the Savior who sets us free from evil. Adoration is
homage of the spirit to the “King of Glory”, respectful silence in the
presence of the “ever greater” God. Adoration of the thrice–holy and
sovereign God of love blends with humility and gives assurance to our
supplications. CCC 2628
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Adultery
refers to marital infidelity. When two partners, of whom at least one is
married to another party, have sexual relations – even temporary ones –
they commit adultery. Christ condemns even adultery of mere desire. The
sixth commandment and the New Testament forbid adultery absolutely. The
prophets denounce the gravity of adultery; they see it as an image of
the sin of idolatry.
Adultery is an injustice. He who commits adultery fails in his
commitment. He does injury to the sign of the covenant which the
marriage bond is, transgresses the rights of the other spouse, and
undermines the institution of marriage by breaking the contract on which
it is based. He compromises the good of human generation and the welfare
of children who need their parents’ stable union. CCC 2380-2381
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Authority
Comes from the Latin “augere”, meaning “to make grow”. To have authority
over someone means precisely to make grow. The foundation of authority
is not in power but rather in the gift of the self. A good gardener will
put posts to help his plants grow straight in order to bear as much
fruit as possible; the good shepherd gives good pasture to his sheep. “I
lay down my life for my sheep” (Jn
10:14-15.
Authority sets laws, rules and boundaries for the good of all. Authority
derives from God, for there is no authority except from God.
It must not behave in a despotic manner, but must act for the common
good as a moral force based on freedom and a sense of responsibility.
CCC 1902
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Blessing
Expresses the basic movement of Christian prayer: it is an encounter
between God and man. In blessing, God’s gift and man’s acceptance of it
are united in dialogue with each other. The prayer of blessing is man’s
response to God’s gifts: because God blesses, the human heart can in
return bless the One who is the source of every blessing. CCC 2626
Blessing is a divine and life-giving action, the source of which is the
Father; his blessing is both word and gift. When applied to man, the
word “blessing” means adoration and surrender to his Creator in
thanksgiving. CCC 1077
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Forgiveness
The dictionary: to cease to feel angry or resentful toward
someone; to pardon an offender; to remit or let off (a debt or payment).
Pardon comes from the Latin “perdonare” meaning “to give
wholeheartedly”.
It is the perfect gift, the love that loves to the end.
The overcoming of wrongdoing with good.
It is turning to the “good” in the face of a wrongdoing.
Merciful restraint from pursuing resentment or revenge.
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Freedom
is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do
this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one’s own
responsibility. By free will one shapes one’s own life. Human freedom is
a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its
perfection when directed toward God, our beatitudes.
As long as freedom has not bound itself definitively to its ultimate
good which is God, there is the possibility of choosing between good and
evil, and thus of growing in perfection or of failing and sinning. This
freedom characterizes properly human acts. It is the basis of praise or
blame, merit or reproach. CCC 1731-1732
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Immorality
is the quality of not living in accord with the teachings of the Church.
All the offenses against chastity are considered immoral: lust,
fornication, masturbation, pornography, rape, homosexuality, incest,
adultery… Contraception, abortion are also immoral because they are
contrary to the teachings of the Church.
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Intercession
Is a prayer of petition which leads us to pray as Jesus did. He is the
one intercessor with the Father on behalf of all men, especially
sinners. Since Abraham, intercession – asking on behalf of another – has
been characteristic of a heart attuned to God’s mercy. In intercession,
he who prays looks “not only to his own interests, but also to the
interests of others,” even to the point of praying for those who do him
harm. CCC 2634 to 2636
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Love
“To love is to will the good of another” says St Thomas Aquinas. Too
often, we think that love consists in feeling. We limit love to a
superficial sensation. To love is not to feel, but to wish to love. One
can feel desolation and continue to love. One can feel aggressiveness
toward a person and pardon him. To love one’s enemy does not mean feel
tenderly disposed toward him. To love one’s enemy is to want to give him
the best of oneself when he himself is the cause of the pain that we are
feeling. “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for
one’s friends.” John 16:13
Read what St. Paul wrote in his famous
first letter to the Corinthians about love.
Self-giving love is the essential ingredient for a happy marriage. "To
love is to give all and give oneself."
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Mission
a
particular task or goal assigned to a person or group, a person’s
vocation.
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Praise
Praise is the form of prayer which recognizes most immediately that God
is God. It lauds God for his own sake and gives him glory, quite beyond
what he does, but simply because HE IS. CCC 2639
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Prayer
Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting
of good things from God. “ For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is
a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of
love, embracing both trial and joy.” St Therese of the Child Jesus
It is a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God.
The wonder of prayer is revealed beside the well where we come seeking
water: there, Christ comes to meet every human being. It is he who first
seeks us and asks us for a drink. Jesus thirsts; his asking arises from
the depths of God’s desire for us. Whether we realize it or not, prayer
is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may
thirst for him.
Prayer s the response of faith to the free promise of salvation and also
a response of love to the thirst of the only Son of God. CCC 2558 to
2561
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Providence
Comes from the Latin “pro videre” meaning to look out for. The
protective care of God. We call Divine Providence the dispositions by
which God guides his creation toward its perfection. By his providence
God protects and governs all things which he has made. “We know that in
everything God works for good for those who love him.” Romans
8:28 Christ invites us to filial trust in the providence of
our heavenly Father and St. Peter the apostle repeats: “Cast all your
anxieties on him, for he cares about you.” 1 Pet 5:7
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Sacrament
a
Sacrament is a sensible, visible sign that communicates an invisible and
efficient grace. The Sacrament bears fruit in those who receive it with
required dispositions. CCC 1131 to 1134
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SacredComes from the Latin word “segregate” meaning separated, set apart for a
Holy purpose.
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Sin
Sin is humanity’s rejection of God and opposition to Him. Man, tempted
by the devil, lets his trust in his Creator die in his heart and,
abusing his freedom, disobeyed God’s command. It is disobedience towards
God and lack of trust in His goodness. CCC
“The effects of original sin are:
a) a broken covenant with God
b) a crippling of the human heart’s ability to love spouse and neighbor.
Sin is spelled “sIn”. Sin makes us selfish. Sin makes ego-maniacs
out of otherwise nice, ordinary people. All sin is the inflation of
self, saying “my will” instead of “thy will” be done. Sin expresses and
reinforces selfishness, the root of marital discord.” Stephen Wood
(Christian Fatherhood)
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Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving characterizes the prayer of the Church which, in
celebrating the Eucharist celebrates the work of salvation. Christ sets
creation free from sin and death to consecrate it anew and make it
return to the Father, for his glory. CCC 2637. As in the prayer of
petition, every event and need can become an offering of thanksgiving.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ
Jesus for you.” 1 Thess 5:18. CCC 2638
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Tithe
One
tenth of the annual product of land or labor offered for the support of
the Church in thanksgiving to God who provides for us.
LEVITICUS 27:30 `And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of
the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's. It is holy to the
Lord. Tithing is recognition and worship of the One Who created and
actually owns all. Any Christian who loves the Lord should desire to
give everything to Him. We can and should give more than ten percent (a
tithe). Tithing is just a starting place -- not a maximum limit. The
tithe is like a birthday gift to a wonderful spouse, just a token
reminder of their importance to you. Actually, they deserve much more --
more than it would be possible to give. Jesus is like that. He deserves
more than you could possibly give. Tithing is only a reminder to you,
and to Jesus, of the intent of your heart, and the place of importance
He has in your life. Tithing acknowledges in a tangible way the Lord's
ownership of us and all we have. It is recognition He deserves.
Tithing helps
combat selfishness, greed, and materialism. Done
faithfully, tithing forces us to trust God and depend on Him. The money
and time you give to Jesus are the best indicators of how much you love
Him.
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Vocation
A
strong feeling of fitness for a particular divine call.
All mankind is called to become God’s image that is to love as God
loves. All mankind is called by God to holiness. God calls man to seek
Him, to know Him, to love Him with all his strength. He calls together
all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of His family, the
Church. CCC 1
Jesus calls all people to come together around him. “And I, when I am
lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.” John 12:32 Into
this union with Christ all men are called. CCC 542
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