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520 • Conclusion and Appendices
forgive sins, and administer
the other Sacraments, except
Holy Orders.
MODESTY:
A modest person
dresses, speaks, and acts in a
manner that supports and encour-
ages purity and chastity and not
in a manner that would tempt or
encourage sinful sexual behavior.
MORALITY:
In one sense, this is
the goodness or evil of particular
actions. For a Catholic, it also refers
to the manner of life and action
formed according to the teach-
ing laid down by Christ Jesus and
authoritatively interpreted by the
Church.
MORTAL SIN:
Mortal sin is when
we consciously and freely choose
to do something grave against the
divine law and contrary to our final
destiny. There are three conditions
for a sin to be a mortal sin: grave
matter, full knowledge, and deliber-
ate consent (freedom). Mortal
sin destroys the loving relationship
with God that we need for eternal
happiness. If not repented, it results
in a loss of love and God’s grace
and merits eternal punishment in
hell, that is, exclusion from
the Kingdom of God and thus
eternal death.
MOTHER OF THE CHURCH:
“[Mary] is clearly the mother of
the members of Christ . . . since she
has by her charity joined in bring-
ing about the birth of believers in
the Church, who are members of its
head” (LG, no. 53; CCC, no. 963).
MOTHER OF GOD:
Mary is truly
the Mother of God since she is the
mother of the Son of God made
man. In the Eastern Churches,
Mary is honored as the
Theotokos
,
or “Birth-giver of God” (sometimes
translated as “God-bearer”).
MYRON
:
The name given in the
Eastern Churches to the Chrism
used during the Sacrament of
Confirmation, or
Chrismation
.
MYSTERY:
The term has several
complementary meanings. First,
it reminds us that we can never
exhaust God’s divine and infinite
meaning. Second, mystery tells us
that God is “wholly other,” (not
us) and yet so near that in him we
live and move and have our being.
Third, the union of the divine and
human in Christ is so unique that
we revere it as holy mystery. Fourth,
mystery also applies to
the celebration of the Sacraments
in which God, Father, Son, and
Spirit, are present and active for
our salvation.