TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC DICTIONARY ONLINE—O

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Main Page

0

Oath, n.; A.S. The invoking of God to witness the truth of a statement or to bind one's self to the fulfilling of a promise under solemn obligation; oaths may be made more solemn by touching the Gospels or sacred vessels while making the declaration.

Obadiah, n.; Heb.; Bib. The Hebrew name of the prophet Obdias.

Obedience, n.; L. (1)The moral virtue by which one submits his will to the will or law of one in authority. (2) The evangelical counsel whereby one renounces his own right to act independently in order to follow Christ. (3) A vow of obedience is that vow made by a cleric or a religious in submitting himself or herself to the authority of an ecclesiastical or religious superior.

Oblati, n. pl.; L. The Latin plural noun given as title origially to those children who were dedicated in early years to a monastic life; in the Middle Ages, those who gave their property and themselves into the keeping of a monastery for their own spiritual good. (Obs.)

Oblation, n.; L., O.Fr. An offering; the victim of a sacrifice offered to God.

Obligation (Days of),n.; L. Holydays or those days when it is required that all Catholics hear Mass. (Cf. Holydays.)

Obreption (ob-rep-shan), n.; L, An untrue statement contained in a petition for a papal rescript or dispensation.

Obsecration, n.; L. A prayer in which the appeal is addressed to sacred things or events referring to a person, e.g., "Through Thy death and burial, 0 Lord, deliver us!"

Observance, n-; L. The interpretation and manner of keeping the rule established for a religious order, e.g., in a strict or less strict degree.

Occasion (of sin), n.; L., O.Fr. An external circumstance or condition which gives one the opportunity and inducement to commit a sin; this may be either a person, a place, or a thing. It is said to be proximate when the circumstance or conditions are such that they usually lead to sin. Such a proximate occasion may be free,that is, either sought or possible ofbeing avoided; or it may be necessary, that is, it cannot be avoided. The occasion is remote when the danger of sinning is slight.

Occult (compensation), n.as adj.; L. The secret appropriation of some object to which one has a just claim but which one cannot obtain by ordinary means. The repayment of a creditor from the goods of the debtor without the latter's knowledge.

Occurrence, n,; L. The happening of two offices on the same day, e.g., a feast falling on a Sunday.

Octavarium, n.; L. A book containing the breviary readings to be recited within the octaves of feasts.

Octave, n.; L. The celebration of a feast to the eighth day after the feast; the time within which a commemoration of the feast is celebrated.

Octonary, n.; L. A division of an eight-verse psalm.

Oecumenical, adj.;Gr. Ecumenical. (Cf. Ecumenical.)

Offertory , n.; L. That part of the Mass in which the offering of bread and wine or the oblation is made by the priest. That part of the Mass which follows immediately after the Creed.

Office (Divine)n.; L. The prayer contained in a liturgical book called the Breviary. It is arranged by the Church and ordered to be said daily in her name by all clerics in major orders, by all who hold an ecclesiastical benefice, and by solemnly professed members of certain religious orders of men and women. (Cf. Breviary.)

Offices (Divine), n.pl.; L. (1) Any exercise of public divine worship. (2) The entire daily liturgy, i.e., the canonical hours and the conventual Mass.

Official, n.; L. The presiding judge of a diocesan court, appointed by the bishop, with whom he shares ordinary jurisdiction in all court cases which the bishop has not reserved to himself.

Oils (Holy), n.pl.; L. The Holy Oils are blessed annually by the bishop on Holy Thursday. There are three Oils: Chrism, Oil of Catechumens, and Oil of the Sick. The constituent parts of Chrism are olive oil and balsam; the remaining two Oils are pure olive oil. In listing the uses of the Oils it will be observed that each Oil may be used for more than one purpose, and that in some consecrations or blessings more than one Oil is used. (a) Chrism is used in the administration of Baptism and Confirmation, in the consecration of a bishop, in the consecration of churches, altars, chalices, patens and in the blessing of church bells and baptismal water, (b) Oil a Catechumens is used in Baptism in the ordination of a priest, the consecration of churches and altar and in the coronation of Catholic monarchs. (c) Oil of the Sick used in Extreme Unction and in the blessing of church bells. (Cf. Stock.)

Old Testament, n.; L., Bib. The books of the Bibi which relate the history of th chosen people and God's revelatio) prior to the coming of Christ; tb Scripture up to the Gospel account in the Bible. There are forty six books in the Old Testament.

Ombrellino, n.; It. A small, flat-topped canopy, usually of white silk, supported on a single staff and borne above the Blessed Sacrament when it is moved from one altar to another for Benediction or taken to sick persons. An umbrella.

Omission, n.; L. In general, failure to perform a required act or duty. Said of a sin which is committed by neglecting to perform a duty or to keep a law.

Omnipotence, n.; L. Power of doing all things. That attribute of God by which He is almighty; God's power to do all things that can be done, Le., that are not intrinsically impossible,

Omnipresence, n.; L. Presence in all places and times. An attribute of God arising from the fact that He is above and beyond space and beyond time; without limit of space or time. God is present to everything which He creates as the cause, and because He creates all things He must be present to all things.

Omtemiscience, n.; L. Knowledge of all things. An attribute of God; the knowing by God all that is past, present, and fuure, even to the most hidden thoughts. This knowledge is God's iccause He created or caused all things, therefore He knows all kings as their Maker. (Cf. All-rise.)

Omophorion (o-mo-for-ion), n.; Gr. The pallium used by certain Eastern bishops. (Cf. Pallium.) A band of silk or velvet worn around the neck, one end of which hangs down short on the front of the left shoulder while the other end hangs far down behind the left shoulder.

Ontology, n.; Gr. That branch of philosophy which treats of being or reality precisely as such; the science of being; the science of general metaphysics. (Cf. Metaphysics.)

Ophites, n. pl.; Gr., L. Followers of the gnostic heresy who worship the serpent or the devil.

Orale, n.; L. A name sometimes used for the fanon. (Cf. Fanon.)

Orant, n.; L. Also orante or orans. A representation of a fe- male figure, kneeling or standing, with outstretched arms. It was used in the catacombs to symbolize the soul in heaven interceding for the faithful on earth.

Orarion, n.; L. Latin: orarium. An early name for the long vestment worn by the priest around his neck and crossed in front; a stole. (Cf. Stole.)

Oratory, n.; L. A chapel which might be public, semipublic, or private wherein Mass may be celebrated; Mass may not be heard validly (i.e., satisfy the obligation of hearing Mass) in a private oratory, except by those having permission. An oratory is public if it is built chiefly for the convenience of some group of persons, even private persons, yet the faithful in general have the right to enter it or at least may enter during divine service. It is semipublic if it is built for the convenience of a cer- tain community or body of the faithful and is not open to everyone, e.g., a college or convent chapel. It is private or domestic it it is erected in a private house for the sole benefit of some family or private person.(Cf. Chapel.)

Ordeal, n.; A.S. The "judgment of God" or the contention that God would give proof which would protect the innocent unjustly accused; a semipagan su-perstition that an unworthy or a guilty person could not undergo certain trials without his guilt being demonstrated.

Orders (Holy), n.pl.; L. The Sacrament of Holy Orders by which power and grace is given to a person for the performance of sacred offices. The episcopacy is the fullness of the priestly powers. Priesthood, deaconship, and sub-deaconship are called major orders. Acolyte, exorcist, reader, and door- keeper are called the four minor orders conferred upon clerics. These four are only sacramentals instituted by the Church, but today they are required for the reception of the Sacrament of Holy Orders. (Cf. Major Orders; Minor Orders.)

Orders (Religious), n.pl.; L. The name which arose in the tenth century to designate certain communities of religious or certain communities following one religious rule; now widely accepted as the term for groups of persons living a religious life according to a rule and receiving solemn vows; groups of religious.

Ordinal, n.; L. A form of the prayers, together with the ceremonies, for conferring Holy Orders.

Ordinary, n-; L. A prelate governing a specified territory in the name of the Church, e.g., a residential bishop, vicar, or prefect apostolic, etc., as well as a major superior in an exempt clerical institute in regard to his subjects.

Ordinary (of the Mass), n.; L. The unchangeable or practically un- changeable portion of the Mass prayers into which the "Proper" is inserted. The ordinary includes; prayers at the foot of the altar; the Kyrie Eleison; the Gloria; the prayer before the Gospel; the Creed; the Lavabo; the offering of bread and wine; the Orate, Fratres; the preface (this changes according to feasts and holy seasons); the Sanctus; the canon, with the three prayers of commemoration; the oblation; the consecration; the oblation after the elevation; the commemoration of the dead, sinners, and all nature; the Pater Noster; the Agnus Dei; the priest's communion; the communion of the people; the ablution; the blessing and the last Gospel.

Ordination, n.; L. The ceremony in which Holy Orders are conferred upon worthy persons; the act of ordaining; the conferring of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Ordo, n.; L. (1) The book giving directions for the variant portions of the Mass and office according to the calendar of feasts; it is published annually, and each province, religious order, and congregation has its own particular directions. A directorium. Formerly called a pica, or pie. (2) A ritual book for the administering of the sacraments and other ceremonies.

Organ, n.; L., O.Fr. A wind instrument producing musical notes by forcing air through pipes and played from a keyboard; the customary instrument of accompaniment in church music, or chant. The small electric organ is becoming more widely used at present.

Orientation, n.; L. (1) The custom of building a church so that it runs lengthwise from east to west with the altar at the eastern end. (2) Also the arrangement or location of the interior space of a building.

Original Sin, adj.; L. The sin which we inherit as natural descendants of our first parents; the privation of sanctifying grace propagated to man by Adam.

Orphrey, n.; L., Fr. The ornamental cross embroidered on the front and back of a chasuble; also the border around a cape or

Orthodox Church, &n.; Gr. The name generally applied to the Greek Schismatic Church.

Osculatory, n.; L. The pax; the pax-brede; instrumentum pacis; the kiss of peace.

Osee, n.; Heb; Bib. The author of a prophetical book of the Old Testament bearing his name.

Ostensorium, n.; L. The sacred vessel in which the Blessed Sacrament is usually exposed for veneration at Benediction or carried in procession;the monstrance.

Ostiary, n.; L. A porter, a doorkeeper; one who by his office is declared to be a custodian of the door; that is, the door to divine services. The name comes from the ancient practice of having someone to keep those unqualified from entering divine services. The first of the minor orders, a sacramental. Also the Latin name, ostiarius.

Our Father, n.; L. The Lord's Prayer; the Pater Noster; the prayer taught to the disciples by our Lord. (Matt. 6:9-13;Luke 11:2-4.) (Cf. Lord's Prayer.)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Main Page