TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC DICTIONARY ONLINE—H

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H

Habacuc, n.; Heb.; Bib. A prophet and author of a book of the Old Testament bearing his name.

Habit, n.; L. The clothes or garments worn by members of a religious order as a mark of their profession in religion; the external garb of nuns or monks.

Habitual Grace, adj. & n.; L. An infused, permanent quality residing in the soul. Since habitual grace is in the soul and sanctifies and makes the soul like to God, it is called sanctifying grace. This perfects the soul, makes one an adopted son of God and the temple of the Holy Ghost, and bestows upon one the title of eternal life. (Cf. Grace; Sanctifying grace.)

Haceldama, n.; Heb. Literally, "field of blood"; the burying ground for the poor which was purchased with the money of Judas' betrayal. It is located to the south of Jerusalem. (Matt. 23:3-8.).

Haggai,n.; Heb.; Bib. The Hebrew name of the prophet Aggeus. (Cf. Aggeus.)

Hagiography; Gr., L. The writing of the lives or biographies of the saints.

Hagiology, n.; Gr., L. Study and research leading to knowledge of the lives of the saints.

Hail Mary, adj.; A.S., L. The first words of the prayer known as the Angelic Salutation; the Ave Maria.

Hair shirt, n.; A.S. A garment made of hair, worn next to the skin as a mortification; a ilicium.

Halo. n.; Gr., L. The circle of light pictured encircling the head of a saint to denote holiness or sanctity; the nimbus. (Cf. Aureole.)

Harmonized, adj.; Gr., L. Said of a treatise of the four Gospels to which harmony has been applied; the arrangement of the four Gospels in an historical sequence with a running commentary accompanying the narrative. (Cf. Harmony.)

Harmony, n.; Gr., L. A term used in exegesis to denote the study of the Gospels from the standpoint of explaining the similarities and differences found in the four accounts, developing the continuous narrative, and arranging them in chronological sequence or historical order.

Hearse, n.; O.Fr. Accepted now to mean the carriage or car in which the coffin bearing the corpse of a deceased person is carried in the funeral procession. (2) Sometimes the multi-candleholder used at Tenebrae services is so called.

Heart of Jesus, n.; A.S. The physical heart of Jesus in itself, which as a symbol of His love for us is an object of adoration and devotion. Devotion to the Sacred Heart in its present form dates from the revelations made to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673-75.

Heart (of Mary Immaculate), n.; A.S. The Heart of Mary, the Blessed Virgin, which is venerated as a symbol of Mary's great love and purity. Devotion to the Heart of Mary was begun by St. John Eudes in the seventeenth century.

Heaven, n.; A.S. The place of bliss and happiness where God will manifest His glory to all who are saved and where they will see God; the place and state of perfect happiness. Where it is, is not known, except that it is outside of and beyond the earth.

Hebdomadary, n.; L, Latin: Hebdomadarius. Also hebdomadartan. The member of a chapter or convent whose week it is to preside over the recitation of the Divine Office and to celebrate the conventual Mass; the Latin word hebdornas means a week. (Cf. Mass, Choir.)

Hell, n.; A.S. The place and state of eternal punishment for all who die in mortal sin; the place of the devil and evil spirits. The natural and necessary consequences of the absence of sanctifying grace and the love of God through grievous sin on the soul at death. A place where the damned suffer the pain of loss and of sense.

Heortology, n.; Gr. The study of the origin, meaning, and development of the feasts of the Church.

Heptateuch, n.; Gr. The first seven books of the Old Testament. (Cf, Hexateuch.)

Heresiarch, n.; Gr., L. The leader or originator of a heresy.

Heresy, n.; Gr., L. Originally a division among Christians; the false doctrine or false interpretation of true doctrine; formal heresy is a grievous sin; it is a rebellion against God.

Heretic, n.; Gr., L. One who professes a false doctrine; one who seeks the end of Christian truth but fails in the means because he refuses belief in one of the Articles of Faith; one who originates a sect based upon false doctrine.

Herma, n.; Gr., L. A reliquary in the form of a bust or replica of the saint whose relics are contained within it.

Hermas, n.; Gr., L. The assumed or real name of the writer of a book entitled "The Shepherd."

Hermeneutics, n.pl.; Gr. The science forming the principles upon which the correct interpretation of the Bible is based. Sometimes the study of general Introduction to Sacred Scripture.

Hermit, n.; Gr., L. One who lives alone and apart from the world and practices works of prayer and fasting in living in close union with God.

Heroic, adj.; Gr., L (1) Act of Charity: is that act of offering made by a living member of the Church offering to God for the Poor Souls in Purgatory all works of penance and all sufferings to be made for him after his own death; according to the pleasure of the person, these favors may be placed in the hands of the Blessed Virgin to be given by her to the most worthy soul or as she sees fit to give them. The act is heroic because of the willingness of the maker to suffer Purgatory that others may be saved; to it many indulgences have been granted by the Church. The act is not a vow because it may be revoked at any time the maker wishes to do so. (2) Virtue: excellence in all virtues to such a degree that it is attested to by miracles; the practice of virtue to a degree meriting salvation, either by living as saints or by achieving heroism at the time of martyrdom. It is required in the process for beatification and canonization. (3) Images: A life size or very large statue, usually referring to the Stations of the Cross or a Crucifix-- A statue of heroic size.

Hexaemeron, n.; Gr., L. Also hexahemeron. The history of the six days of creation which are recorded in the first chapter of Genesis; the time of creation.

Hexapla, n. (pl. as sing.) Gr. Name applied to Origen's edition of the Old Testament with six texts and versions in parallel columns.

Hexateuch,(heks-ah-took) n.; Gr. A term designating the first six books of the Old Testament, namely, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Josue.

Hierarchy, n.; Gr. Collectively it means officials according to their rank and with each rank subordinate to the one above it in order; in the Catholic Church it means collectively the organization of clerics into rank and order of position. In popular usage the bishops of a country as a group.

Hierurgy, n.; Gr. A sacred rite or function, such as the Mass.

Holiness, n.; A.S. (1) State of being holy; having grace.(2) A mark of the Church. The Church is essentially holy because of its Founder, its doctrine, and its end in the direction and salvation of mankind and because it teaches and cultivates the Christian virtues.(3) A title given to the Holy Father; the title of the Pope denoting his holiness as Vicar of Christ.

Holocaust, n.; Gr., L. Burnt offering, a sacrifice wherein the victim is entirely consumed by fire, in use among the Jews and some pagan nations of the early ages. Sometimes, though not properly, used of the Mass.

Holy, adj. (n.); A.S. (1) As an adj.: sacred; spiritually perfect. One who is of God; one who practices the Christian virtues; one who is in the state of sanctifying grace; something dedicated to God. or consecrated or devoted to divine service. That which has been blessed.(2) As a noun: an attributed name of God, the Holy (One); also those who have been canonized, more frequently called the blessed.

Holy Coat, A.S. The traditional seamless garment worn by Christ at the time of His Passion; the relic kept in the Cathedral of Treves.

Holydays, A.S. Days in the calendar of feasts in the Church when the faithful are obliged to cease irom servile works and hear Mass; days of obligation. These feasts in the United States are: The Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8; Christmas, Dec. 25; Feast of the Circumcision, Jan. 1; Ascension, movable according to the Church calendar; Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, Aug. 15; and All Saints Day, Nov. 1; and every Sunday. Besides these feasts which are celebrated in the United States, canon law lists the feasts of Jan. 6, March 19, June 29, and Corpus Christi as holydays of obligation.

Holy Ghost, adj.; A.S. The third person of the Blessed Trinity, proceeding from the Father and the Son and co-equal with Them; the Spirit of Wisdom; God the Holy Ghost.

Holy Hour, A.S. The devotion to the Blessed Sacrament of an hour's duration; it usually consists of exposition, appropriate prayers and hymns, and concludes with Benediction.

Holy House, A.S. The home which traditionally housed the Holy Family at Nazareth which is restored and kept under the main dome of the church in the city of Loreto, Italy.

Holy Name of Jesus, n. The name of our Lord which in Hebrew means "The Lord is Salvation." The feast of the Holy Name is celebrated on the second Sunday after Epiphany.

Holy Office, n.; L. The most important of the Roman Congrega- tions whose function it is to defend Catholic teaching of faith and morals. Its members are bound to the strictest secrecy, called the secret of the Holy Office. This congregation is the Holy Office. Formerly, the Holy Office was called the Congregation of the Holy Roman and Universal Inquisition. (Cf. Inquisition, Congregations.)

Holy Oils, n. pl.; L. The oil of catechumens, the oil of the sick, and chrism consecrated by the bishop at services on Holy Thursday and given to the priests of the parishes. (Cf. Oils, Holy.)

Holy Orders, n.; A.S. The Traditional Sacrament of Holy Orders conferring the power of priesthood and giving grace for the performance of sacred offices. The diaconate, priesthood, and Episcopacy are contained in the traditional sacrament and are called Major Orders. (Cf. Orders, Holy.)

Holy Places, A.S. The sites, buildings, and localities which are sacred in the tradition of the Church, such as the place of the birth, of the death,Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ.

Holy See, A.S. The Sovereign Pontiff together with the Roman Con- gregations, Tribunals, and offices through which he transacts the affairs of the universal Church.

Holy Thursday, A.S. The Thursday of Holy Week.

Holy Water, A.S. Water in which salt has been mixed and which is exorcised or blessed by the priest. The holy water is a means of grace, a sacramental to promote the spiritual welfare of the faithful; it is one of the most frequently used sacramentals in Church and home.

Holy Week, A.S. The last week of Lent; the week properly begins with Palm Sunday and continues through Holy Saturday. It is the time in which the death and burial of Christ are commemorated; a time of particular devotion to the crucified Saviour. The liturgy of this period re-enacts the events of Christ's passion and Resurrection.

Homiletics, n. pl.; Gr. The science or study of the art of preaching; training in the preaching or giving of religious instruction.

Homiliarium, n.; L. A collection of homilies.

Homily, n.; Gr. A sermon in which the words of Sacred Scripture are explained and taught; in a sense an oration on passages of Sacred Scripture and exhorting all to follow the teachings presented.

Homoeans (ho-me-anz), n.pl.; Gr., L. A sect which taught that Christ the Son was merely "like" the Father, consequently the followers denied the divinity of Christ.

Homoousian (ho-mo-oo-see-an ), n.; Gr. Literally, "of the same substance"; word used at the Council of Nice to express that Christ is one God with the Father; a word denoting the oneness of the Son and Father; opposed to homoiousian or "like" to God.

Hood, n.; A.S. Name sometimes applied to the cowl attached to a monk's habit.

Hope, n.; A.S. The theologal virtue which is a supernatural gift bestowed by God through which one trusts that God will grant eternal life and the means of obtaining it providing one co-operates. Hope is composed of desire and expectation together with a recognition of the difficulty to be overcome in achieving eternal life.

Horn (of an altar), n.; A.S. Any corner of the altar.

Hosanna, interj.; Heb. A word which means "Lord, save us," which was uttered by the Jew at all joyous occasions, hence also a word of joyful greeting or praise.

Hosea, n.; Heb. The Hebrew form of the name Osee.

Hospitallers, n.pl.; L. Knights who dedicated their lives to the care of the sick, taking the three major vows of religion; they arose in the eleventh century and had as members laymen who were of noble birth, chaplains or clergy, and brothers who were not of noble birth.

Host, n.; L. A word used to denote:(1)the presence of Christ under the appearances of both bread and wine; (2) the presence of Christ under the form of bread alone, and (3) The unleavened bread before consecration. In its present usage it seemsmost popular as the bread before consecration; notably, in the Latin Church, the small circular particle which is the usual form under which the Eucharist is received by the faithful.

Hours (canonical), n.pl.; L., A.S. (1) The various parts of the Traditional Divine Office of the Church which are appointed for different hours of the day; the parts of the breviary.

(2) Little a short part of the canonical hours consisting of Prime, Terce, Sext, and None. (Cf. Breviary.)

Housel (hou'z'l), n.; A.S. An English name for the Holy Eucharist; it appears in Shakespeare and early writers. (Obs.)

Huguenot (hu'ge-not), n.pl.; Fr. The name applied to a French Protestant ot the sixteenth and seventeenth, centuries; derived fromb Hugues, a French Protestant leader.

Humeral Veil (hum mer al), n.; L. An oblong scarf of the same material and color as the vestment which is worn over the shoulders by the deacon at High Mass when holding the paten, and also worn Humeral veil or velum over the shoulders of the priest when he elevates the Host at Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, or when he carries the monstrance and Blessed Sacrament in procession. Also called by its Latin name,the velum.

Humiliati (hoo-mee-lee-arty), n.pl.; L. An order devoted to penance which adopted the rule of St. Benedict and was founded in the twelfth century.

Humility, n.; L. The moral virtue which prompts us to recognize that of ourselves we are nothing and can do nothing without divine assistance; the reasonable evaluation of ourselves and recognition of. our dependence upon God, It is a virtue which is joined to the virtue of temperance in that it moderates the desire for honor, self-glorification, and the esteem of others.

Hussites, n.pl. The name given to the followers of John Huss, a heretic of the fifteenth century.

Hymn, n.; A.S. A song of praise or honor, sung to give glory to God; psalms and canticles are the most notable. Now applied to any poem of a religious nature adapted for singing.

Hymnody, n.; Gr. Religious lyric poetry; a collective term for all hymns.

Hymnology, n.; Gr. The science and study of religious lyric poetry or hymns, usually together with their musical notations.

Hyperdulia, n.; Gr., L. The highest kind of saint-worship which is paid to the Blessed Virgin because of her singular privileges of sanctity surpassing all creatures. (Cf. Cultus.)

Hypostasis, n.; Gr., L The subject, the basic thing in which other beings may exist; e.g. the divine Personality is the hypostasis in which the human nature of Christ exists. The Greek equivalent of "person."

Hypostatic Union; adj.; Gr. L. The union of the divine and human natures in the divine person of Christ.

Hyssop, n.; Gr. A branch or leafy twig used for sprinkling water.

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