Unit 6: Liturgy and Prayer
Study Guide
There will be 50 multiple choice and matching questions and 6 short answer/essay questions.
The exam will be worth a total of 125 points.
Terms
ritual: In a religion, a ritual is a repetitive
action, behavior or rite that is performed in
order to call to mind, express and connect
one to a deep intellectual and religious
belief about reality. Religious rituals are
always tied to beliefs and truths that they
are meant to orient us towards. If they are
not tied to such a belief, they are empty and
meaningless. They might order our lives,
but only in a superficial and ultimately
meaningless way.
Religious rituals order our lives in ways that
are ultimately significant, they deeply affect
the way we understand
Religious rituals always have a connection
between thought and action. Rituals allow
for expression, they come back to us and
further ingrain in us. They express the truth,
and ingrain our minds with that truth. Lastly
rituals create social cohesion. They serve
top bring individual believers together into
deep bonds of unity. Ex. In the central tribal
of Catholicism, we come together as the
church by receiving the Eucharist which we
also call communion.
religious rituals: making the sign of the
cross
spiritual vs religious: People who claim to be
spiritual without being religious believe that
they can find meaning and live out a
meaningful life without relying upon the
rituals that have been established by a
particular religious tradition. In the Catholic
tradition we are gifted with thousands of
years of religious wisdom and practice that
have, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit,
formed essential rituals for ordering
meaningful and fulfilling human lives
Liturgy: public work. The official Christina
act of public and communal worship. The
participation of the people of God in the
work of God. Comes from the latin word
liturgia. It involves rituals, rites, ceremonies
and prayers through which the Holy Spirit
continues to make herself present to us,
enabling us to participate in and live out our
faith.
Prayer - definition: talking to god, prayer is
the raising of one's mind and heart to God
or the requesting of good things from God.
5 forms of prayer:
- petition- a prayer form in which one
asks God for help and forgiveness;
also called Suppication
- Blessing- a prayer asking that God
care for a particular person, place, or
activity. A two step movement of god
giving us a gift and us responding
with gratitude and joy
- Intercession: a prayer on behalf of
another person or group
- Thanksgiving: a prayer of gratitude
for the gift of life
- Praise: a prayer of
acknowledgement that God is God,
giving him glory not for what he
does, but simply because he is.
Difference between intercession and
Blessing: asking God’s grace and presence
with someone while intercession is asking
for something specific thing for someone
else.
Vatican II: modernized the liturgy. Changed
it from latin to English in order to modern...
