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Appendix A. Glossary • 505
ASSUMPTION:
The dogma that
when the Blessed Virgin Mary’s
earthly life was finished, because
she was sinless, she was kept from
corruption and taken soul and body
into heavenly glory.
ATHEIST:
One who denies the
existence of God.
ATONEMENT:
By his suffering
and death on the Cross, Jesus freed
us from our sins and brought about
our reconciliation with God
the Father.
AVARICE:
See “Greed.”
-B-
BAPTISM:
The first Sacrament of
Initiation by which we are freed
from all sin and are endowed with
the gift of divine life, are made
members of the Church, and are
called to holiness and mission.
BEATIFICATION:
The last step
before being declared a saint. The
main steps in the canonization
process (determining eligibility
for sainthood) are as follows:
Servant of God (Venerable), Blessed,
and Saint.
BEATITUDES:
The eight
Beatitudes form part of the teaching
given by Jesus during the Sermon
on the Mount, which set forth fun-
damental attitudes and virtues for
living as a faithful disciple.
BIBLE:
See “Sacred Scripture.”
BISHOP:
The highest of the three
degrees of Holy Orders; a bishop
is normally ordained to teach, to
sanctify, and to govern a diocese or
local church; a bishop is a successor
of the Apostles.
BLASPHEMY:
The use of the name
of God, of the Virgin Mary, and of
the saints in an offensive way.
BLESSINGS:
Among the sacramen-
tals, blessings hold a major place.
There are blessings for persons,
meals, objects, places, and ceremo-
nial occasions such as graduations,
testimonial honors, welcomes, and
farewells. All blessings praise God
for his gifts. Most blessings invoke
the Holy Trinity along with the sign
of the Cross, sometimes with the
sprinkling of holy water.
BODY OF CHRIST:
A name
for the Holy Eucharist (see
“Eucharist, Sacrament of”). It is
also a title for the Church, with
Christ as her head, sometimes
referred to as the Mystical Body of
Christ. The Holy Spirit provides the
members with the gifts needed to
live as Christ’s Body.