| Adam | the first man, created by God |
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| Advent | arrival: the arrival of something important or awaited
four weeks before Christmas: the four-week period leading up to Christmas, beginning on the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day
arrival: the arrival of something important or awaited |
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| Advent candles | |
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| Advent wreath | |
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| Alleluia | used to express praise to God: used to express praise or thanks to God
used to express relief: used to express relief, welcome, or gratitude |
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| Altar | raised ceremonial religious structure: a raised, typically flat-topped structure or area where religious ceremonies are performed
communion table: the table or other raised structure in a Christian church on which the bread and wine of Communion are prepared |
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| Amen | so be it: said or sung at the end of a prayer or hymn to affirm its content
| expressing strong agreement: used to express strong agreement amen to that |
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| Angels | heavenly being: in some religions, a divine being who acts as a messenger of God |
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| Annunciation | Gabriel's visit to Mary: in the Bible, the archangel Gabriel's visit to the Virgin Mary to announce that she had been chosen to be the mother of Jesus Christ(Luke 1:26-38) |
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| Baptism | rite of purification: a religious ceremony in which somebody is sprinkled with or immersed in water to symbolize purification. In some Christian baptisms, the person is named as well as being accepted into the Christian faith. |
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| Baptismal font | receptacle for baptismal water: a large container in a Christian church that holds the water sprinkled in baptisms
receptacle for holy water: a container for holy water, usually found at the entrance to a Roman Catholic church |
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| Bethlehem | town in the West Bank near Jerusalem. Part of Israel since 1967, it has been administered by the Palestinian Authority since 1995. Thought to be the birthplace of King David and Jesus Christ, it is regarded as a holy city by Christians.
Population: 21,947 (1997 estimate) |
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| Bible | the sacred book of the Christian religion |
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| Believe | have religious faith: to have a belief in God or in a religion's gods |
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| Calvary | hill near Jerusalem: a hill just outside the city walls of ancient Jerusalem where the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ took place, according to the Bible
time of anguish: a time of great suffering
sculpture of crucifixion: a sculpture representing Jesus Christ's crucifixion |
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| Christmas | festival celebrating birth of Jesus Christ: a Christian festival marking the birth of Jesus Christ. December 25.
Christmas period: the period around December 25, or the Christian church season extending from December 24 to January 6 |
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| Church | religious building: a building for public worship |
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| Confessional | place for confession in church: in the Roman Catholic church, a small wooden stall with a partition behind which a priest sits to hear confession |
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| Creation | God's making of universe: the act of God that brought the universe and all living beings into existence |
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| Creator | God: God regarded as creator of the universe |
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| Cross | the wooden cross on which, Jesus Christ was crucified and died |
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| Creatures | living being: any living person or animal |
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| Crucifix | representation of crucified Jesus Christ: a model or image of Jesus Christ on the cross |
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| Crucifixion | agony and death of Jesus Christ: the agony and death of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary |
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| Crucify | execute somebody on cross: to execute somebody by crucifixion |
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| Deacon | ordained person ranking below priest: in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Episcopal Churches, an ordained member of the clergy who ranks below a priest |
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| Decade | ten years: a period of ten years |
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| Demon | supposed evil spirit: a supposed ghost or spirit regarded as evil |
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| Disobey | fail to obey: to refuse or fail to obey a rule, instruction, or authority, or somebody giving an instruction or in authority |
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| Easter | a Christian festival marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ |
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| Egypt | |
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| Eve | first woman in Bible: in the Bible, the first woman created by God, and Adam's companion in the Garden of Eden |
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| Faith | belief or trust: belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof
religion or religious group: a system of religious belief, or the group of people who adhere to it
trust in God: belief in and devotion to God |
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| Father | God: in Christianity, God, especially when considered as the first person of the Trinity
title for Christian cleric: a title and form of address used for a Christian cleric, especially in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Episcopal Churchesrespectful title for man: a respectful term of address for a man who is past middle age
respectful title for man: a respectful term of address for a man who is past middle age |
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| Finding of Jesus in Temple | |
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| Genuflection | |
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| God | |
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| Gospels | teachings of Jesus Christ: the teachings of Jesus Christ and the story of his life
book of Bible: a book of the Bible belonging to a set of four, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, that tell the story of the life of Jesus Christ
Bible extract: an extract from one of the Gospels read as part of a Christian religious service |
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| Guardian angels | protector: somebody seen as the special protector of somebody's interests
personal angel: an angel believed to look after a particular person |
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| Heaven | perfect dwelling place after death: a place or condition of supreme happiness and peace where good people are believed to go after death, and, especially in Christianity, where God and the angels are believed to dwell |
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| Holy | consecrated: dedicated or set apart for religious purposes |
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| Holy Day | religious holiday: a day set aside for the celebration of a religious festival |
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| Holy Spirit | third person of Trinity: the third person of the Trinity, understood as the spiritual force of God |
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| Holy Water | blessed water in church: water that has been blessed by a priest and is used in a church for blessings, baptisms, and other holy rituals |
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| Holy Water Font | |
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| Image and Likeness | |
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| Jerusalem | |
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| Jesus | founder of Christianity: a Jewish religious teacher who lived from about 4 bc to ad 33. His life and teachings form the basis of Christianity. The Son of God and second person in the Trinity |
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| Joseph | Step Father of Jesus and wife of Mary |
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| Kingdom of God | |
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| Lent | period before Easter in Christian calendar: the period of 40 weekdays before Easter observed in some Christian churches as a period of prayer, penance, fasting, and self-denial. This period, starting on Ash Wednesday in Western churches, commemorates the 40 days that Jesus Christ spent fasting in the wilderness. |
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| Liturgical Year | The Liturgical Year is also marked by special seasons—Advent, Christmas, Lent, The Triduum or Three Days, Easter, and Ordinary Time. The Liturgical Year begins on the first Sunday of Advent, which usually occurs around the beginning of December or the end of November, and ends on the feast of Christ the King. |
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| Liturgy of the Word | |
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| Liturgy of the Eucharist | |
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| Love | affection, adoration, friendship, tenderness, feeling, fondness, devotion, passion, ardor |
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| Magi | |
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| Mary | Mother of Jesus, wife of Joseph |
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| Mass | the ritual of singing, readings, prayers, and other ceremonies used in the celebration of the Eucharist in the Roman Catholic church. |
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| Miracles | act of God: an event that appears to be contrary to the laws of nature and is regarded as an act of God |
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| Mystery | something known by divine revelation: a belief or truth that is considered to be beyond human understanding and can be made known only by divine revelation
incident from life of Jesus Christ: an incident in the life of Jesus Christ that Christians believe to have special spiritual significance, in Roman Catholicism, one of 15 events including the Annunciation and the Crucifixion
Christian sacrament: one of the Christian sacraments, especially Communion |
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| Nativity | birth of Jesus Christ: the birth of Jesus Christ, which is celebrated by Christians at Christmas |
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| Obey | do as told: to follow instructions or behave in accordance with a law, rule, or order |
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| Obedient | doing as told: carrying out, or willing to carry out, instructions, or submitting to somebody's will or authority |
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| Paradise | place or state of perfect happiness: a place, situation, or condition in which somebody finds perfect happiness
Par·a·diseGarden of Eden: in the Bible, the perfect garden where Adam and Eve were placed at the Creation |
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| Prayer | address to God: a spoken or unspoken address to God, a deity, or a saint. It may express praise, thanksgiving, confession, or a request for something such as help or somebody's well-being. |
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| Pentecost | Christian celebration: a Christian festival that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, or the day on which it is celebrated. 7th Sunday after Easter. |
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| Presentation of Jesus | |
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| Priest | ordained Christian minister: an ordained minister, responsible for administering the sacraments, preaching, and ministering to the needs of the congregation |
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| Reverence | respect felt: feelings of deep respect or devotion
used to address Christian clergy: used as a form of address for some members of the Christian clergy |
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| Rosary | series of prayers: a series of Roman Catholic prayers, usually made up of five or 15 decades of Hail Marys, each decade beginning with an Our Father and ending with a Gloria |
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| Saint | somebody honoured by church after death: a member of a religion who after death is formally designated as having led a life of exceptional holiness
somebody in heaven: somebody who goes to heaven after death
virtuous person: a particularly good or holy person, or one who is exceptionally kind and patient in dealing with difficult people or situations |
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| Salvation Story | |
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| Sanctuary light | |
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| Sin | transgression of theological principles: an act, thought, or way of behaving that goes against the law or teachings of a religion, especially when the person who commits it is aware of this
shameful offense: something that offends a moral or ethical principle
estrangement from God: in Christian theology, the condition of being denied God's grace because of a sin or sins committed |
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| Sunday | 1st day of week: the day of the week after Saturday and before Monday
Christian Sabbath day: in Christian tradition, the day set aside for the Sabbath |
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| Tabernacle | container for holy bread and wine: a box or case in which the consecrated bread and wine of Communion are kept |
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| Temple | |
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| Ten Commandments | biblical rules: the ten laws given by God to Moses. They summarize human obligations to each other and to God. |
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| Visitation | Virgin Mary's visit to Elizabeth: the visit made by the Virgin Mary after the Annunciation to her cousin Elizabeth |