T

Tabernacle  –  1) In the Old Testament, a tent in which the Ark of the Covenant was placed while the People of God were travelling to the Promised Land from Egypt; 2) An ornamented cabinet in a church or chapel, fixed to the ground, in which the Blessed Sacrament is reserved (kept).

Ten Commandments  –  The commandments, written on two stone tablets, given on Mount Sinai by God to Moses. They summarised the Law.

Temperance  –  The cardinal virtue by which we gain self-mastery regarding pleasurable things or situations. It helps subordinate instinct to the will.

Temptation  –  The occasion of sin; not sinful in itself, it nevertheless can be the direct cause of sin.

Temporal punishment  –  The punishment due to a forgiven sinner, to purify him or her (see too “Indulgence”).

Theological virtues  –  The gifts of faith, hope and charity, infused supernaturally in the soul by God at the moment of baptism. They give the person who receives them the opportunity of participation in the very life of God.

Theology  –   The study of God.

Thurible  –  A metal bowl, fixed by a chain, in which incense is burned.

Transcendent  –  Completely beyond space and time, and beyond the grasp of the intellect.

Transubstantiation  –  The change of something (a substance) into something else, without its appearance, taste (the “accidents”) changing. This happens at Mass, when the bread and the wine undergo a substantial change by becoming, at the words of the priest, the Body and Blood of Christ, without losing their accidents.

Truth  –  The correspondence between what the mind thinks and what actually is.

Typical Edition  –  Editio typica in Latin, meaning the text (for example, of the Roman Missal) to which all other translations must conform.

U

Unction  –  Anointing.

Usury  –  Money-lending at unreasonably high rates of interest. It is forbidden by the Church.

V

Vatican  –  A hill in Rome where the Pope lives. “Vatican” is often used, wrongly, by the mass media to mean the Pope or the Magisterium.

Venial Sin  –  Sin that wounds our relationship with God, but allows his life to remain in the soul.

Viaticum  –  The Eucharist given to someone on the verge of death.

Virgin Mary  –  A name for Mary, the mother of Jesus, who remained a virgin even while giving birth.

Virtue  –  A good habit.

Vocation  –  1) The call from God to be holy; 2) A specific call from God to serve him in a particular way e.g. as a priest, consecrated layperson, or a married person.

Vow  –  A free and solemn promise made before God.