The 7 Sacraments (The Holy Mysteries)

Baptism 

Confirmation (Chrismation)

Eucharist 

Penance (Confession, Reconciliation)

Matrimony 

Holy Orders 

Extreme Unction (Annointing of the Sick)

Notes: 

A Sacrament is defined as "an outward sign of inward grace" which was instituted by Christ Himself

and receives its power from God, through the merits of Christ. 

Baptism and Penance are known as the "Sacraments of the Dead" because before receiving them when needed, 

we are dead in sin.

Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Extreme Unction, Holy Orders, and Matrimony are known as 

the "Sacraments of the Living" because one must be in a state of grace to receive them licitly and receive their 

fruits; they give additional grace to souls already spiritually alive.

Matrimony and Holy Orders are known as the "Social Sacraments" because they are designed primarily for the benefit of society and confer a social status. 

Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders are the three Sacraments which leave an indelible 

mark on the recipient's soul and can never be repeated.

The 7 Corporal Works of Mercy

To feed the hungry

To give drink to the thirsty 

To clothe the naked 

To shelter the homeless 

To visit the sick 

To visit the imprisoned 

To bury the dead 

Note: 

Reference Matthew 25 and Tobias 12. "To visit the imprisoned" was originally listed as "to ransom 

the captives," referring to the ransoming of Christians taken prisoner during Moslem aggression.

The 7 Spiritual Works of Mercy 

To counsel the doubtful

To instruct the ignorant

To admonish the sinner

To comfort the sorrowful

To forgive all injuries

To bear wrongs patiently

To pray for the living and the dead 

The 3 Eminent Good Works

Prayer

Fasting

Almsgiving

The 7 Gifts of the Holy Ghost

Wisdom 

Understanding 

Counsel 

Fortitude 

Knowledge 

Piety 

Fear of the Lord

Note: 

See Isaias 11:1-3

Class of Gifts of the Holy Ghost known as Charismata

Gift of speaking with wisdom

Gift of speaking with knowledge

Faith

Grace of healing

Gift of miracles

Gift of prophecy

Gift of discerning spirits

Gift of tongues (i.e., xenolalia, the ability to speak foreign languages unknown by natural reason)

Gift of interpreting speeches 

Note: 

See I Corinthians 12:6-11; I Corinthians 12:28-31; and Romans 12:6-8. The number of items in this class of Gifts of the Holy Ghost, properly called "charismata," is disputed among theologians. Some add: Gift of government, Gift of Helps, Gift of distributio, Gift of misericordia. The charismata were/are not necessary for individual sanctification, were/are not distributed to all Christians, and are to be subjected to authority and the proper ends for which they were given (I Corinthians 12-14).

The 12 Fruits of the Holy Ghost 

Charity

Joy 

Peace 

Patience 

Benignity 

Goodness 

Longanimity 

Mildness 

Faith 

Modesty 

Continency 

Chastity 

Note: 

See Galatians 5:22-25 (three of these are not mentioned in some Greek and Latin manuscripts). 

The 12 Fruits of the Holy Ghost are the effects of the 7 Gifts of the Holy Ghost.

The 3 Theological Virtues 

Faith 

Hope 

Charity 

Note:

Reference I Corinthians 13:13. The Theological Virtues are called such because they are supernatural in origin, relate immediately to God, and can only be gained through His grace

The 4 Cardinal Virtues 

Prudence

Justice 

Fortitude 

Temperance 

Note:

Refrerence Wisdom 8:7. The Cardinal Virtues, unlike the Theological Virtues, can be achieved by human effort.

The 7 Capital Sins and their Contrary Virtues

Note:

The 7 Capital Sins, also known as "The 7 Deadly Sins," are those sins that give rise to other sins. They were first enumerated by Pope St. Gregory the Great in "Moralia in Job."

The 6 Sins against the Holy Ghost 

Presumption 

Despair 

Resisting the known truth 

Envy of another’s spiritual good 

Obstinacy in sin 

Final impenitence

The 4 Sins that Cry Out to Heaven

Willful murder

The sin of Sodom

Oppression of the poor

Defrauding laborers of their wages

Note:

Genesis 4, Genesis 18, Exodus 2, James 5, respectively. Elaboration on "the sin of Sodom," from the Douay Catholic Catechism of 1649, Chapter XX: "The sin of Sodom, or carnal sin against nature, which is a voluntary shedding of the seed of nature, out of the due use of marriage, or lust with a different sex." In other words, do not think that this particular sin is just about acting on homosexual impulses; it isn't. 

3 Conditions for Mortal Sin

Grave matter

Full knowledge

Deliberate consent

Note:

From the Catechism of St. Pius X, "The Main Kinds of Sin," Question 9-10:

Q: What injury does mortal sin do the soul? 

A: (1) Mortal sin deprives the soul of grace and of the friendship of God; (2) It makes it lose Heaven; (3) It deprives it of merits already acquired, and renders it incapable of acquiring new merits; (4) It makes it the slave of the devil; (5) It makes it deserve hell as well as the chastisements of this life. 

Q: Besides grave matter, what is required to constitute a mortal sin? 

A: To constitute a mortal sin, besides grave matter there is also required full consciousness of the gravity of the matter, along with the deliberate will to commit the sin.

The 9 Ways We Participate in Others' Sins

By counsel 

By command 

By consent 

By provocation 

By praise or flattery 

By concealment 

By partaking 

By silence 

By defense of the ill done

The 10 Commandments 

Thou shalt not have other gods besides Me

Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain 

Remember to keep holy the Lord’s day 

Honor thy father and thy mother 

Thou shalt not murder

Thou shalt not commit adultery 

Thou shalt not steal

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor 

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods

Note:

Reference Exodus 20 and Exodous 34 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. Note that the Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate (the official Scripture of the Church), and the original Douay-Reims phrase the Fifth Word as "Thou shalt not murder"; later Douay-Reims versions, such as the Challoner, and the King James Bible, etc., phrase it as "Thou shalt not kill." "Thou shalt not murder," however, is the original intent and the meaning of the earliest texts. Catholics, of course, have 2,000 years of Church teaching and the Magisterium to interpret Scripture, and the meaning of the Fifth Commandment is that one is not to take innocent human life. (For information on the way Catholics number the Commandments, as opposed to how Protestants and Jews number them, see this page in the Apologetics section of this site)

The 2 Greatest Commandments 

To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength. 

To love thy neighbor as thyself. 

Note:

Reference Mark 12:30-.31

The 3 Evangelical Counsels 

Voluntary poverty

Perpetual chastity

Entire obedience

Note:

The Evangelical Counsels, also called the Counsels of Perfection, are those precepts given by Christ that are not binding on all, but are binding on those who have a vocation to them. The 10 Commandments, the Precepts of the Church, the two Great Commandments, for ex., bind one and all, but the evangelical counsels do not. See Matthew 19:16-22 for the story of Christ's telling the young man what he needs to do in order to be saved, and then what he needs to do in order to be perfect -- two different things.

The 6 Precepts of the Church (The Duties of a Catholic) 

To go to Mass and refrain from servile work on Sundays and holy days

To go to Confession at least once a year (traditionally done during Lent)

To receive the Eucharist at least once a year, during the Easter Season (known as the "Easter duty") 

To observe the days of fasting and abstinence 

To help to provide for the needs of the Church according to one's abilities and station in life

To obey the marriage laws of the Church

Holy Days of Obligation in Addition to Sundays (English-speaking Countries)

Note: 

In the United States: in the Novus Ordo: if 1 January, 15 August, or 1 November falls on a Saturday or Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated; if 15 August or 8 December falls on a Sunday, the Feast is celebrated the next day, but the obligation to attend Mass is abrogated; the Feast of the Circumcision is referred to as "Mary, Mother of God"; the Feast of the Ascension in the United States might be celebrated on the 7th Sunday of Easter, according to Province.

The 3 Powers of the Soul 

Memory

Intellect

Will

The 4 Pillars of the Catholic Faith 

The Apostles Creed

The Seven Sacraments

The Ten Commandments

The Lord's Prayer

The 3 Pillars of the Church's Authority

Sacred Scripture

Sacred Tradition

Living Magisterium

The 3 Munera (Duties of the Ordained)

Munus docendi (duty to teach, based on Christ's role as Prophet)

Munus sanctificandi (duty to sanctify, based on Chris's role as Priest)

Munus regendi (duty to shepherd, based on Christ's role as King)

The 3 Parts of the Church

The Church Militant (Christians on Earth)

The Church Suffering (Christians in Purgatory)

The Church Triumphant (Christians in Heaven)

The 4 Marks of the Church

Unity

Sanctity

Catholicity

Apostolicity

Note:

In the Nicene Creed we say that the Church is "one, holy, catholic and apostolic."

The 12 Apostles 

Note: 

A little poem to help you remember:

Peter, Andrew, James and John,

Phil and Bart and Matt and Tom,

James the Less and Jude and Simon --

Then Judas who betrayed the God-man.

The 12 Tribes of Israel 

In order of their birth:

Reuben

Simeon

Levi

Judah

Zabulon

Issachar

Dan

Gad

Asher

Naphtali

Joseph (Menasseh and Ephraim)

Benjamin

The 8 Beatitudes 

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Blessed are the meek: for they shall posses the land. 

Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted 

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill 

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy 

Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God 

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God 

Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven

Note:

Reference Matthew 5:3-10.

The 14 Stations of the Cross 

Jesus is Condemned to Die 

Jesus is Made to Bear His Cross 

Jesus Falls the First Time 

Jesus Meets His Mother

Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross 

Veronica Wipes Jesus' Face 

Jesus Falls the Second Time 

Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem 

Jesus Falls the Third Time 

Jesus is Stripped 

Jesus is Nailed to the Cross 

Jesus Dies on the Cross 

Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross 

Jesus is Laid in the Tomb

The 7 Sorrows (Dolours) and 7 Joys of Our Lady

The 7 Sorrows and 7 Joys of St. Joseph

Note: 

In October 2002, His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, recommended adding 5 more Mysteries to the 

Rosary to be prayed on Thursdays -- the "Luminous Mysteries" which focus on Jesus' public life. 

These Mysteries are:

The Baptism in the Jordan

The Marriage Feast at Cana

The Proclamation of the Kingdom

The Transfiguration

The Institution of the Eucharist

see this page, and to read a critique of Pope John Paul II's Encyclical on the matter, see this page 

(both pages offsite, will open in new browser window)

The Order of Creation

Note:

God, Who is of the supernatural order, created the natural and preternatural (e.g., the angelic) orders out of nothing (ex nihilo), in time ("in the beginning"), and for His own pleasure. Only God can "create," and because of this, it is actually rather blasphemous to refer to man as "creating" anything. Man can produce, re-produce, manufacture, form, fashion, fabricate, design, shape, or make -- but he cannot bring into existence anything out of nothing. Angels and demons, too, are limited and cannot do the truly miraculous. They are able, however, to take what is created and manipulate it in ways that seem miraculous and are able to influence our perceptions and imaginations. 

You can remember the Order of Creation by thinking of the first three days as days which God spent creating forms and frameworks by dividing the elements, and the last three days as the days He spent creating things to fill those forms created by dividing the elements, e.g.:

The 9 Choirs of Angels

In ascending order:

Angels

Archangels

Principalities

Powers

Virtues

Dominations

Thrones

Cherubim 

Seraphim

Note:

The Choir of Angels is divided into three triads with specific concerns: 

Angels (the word means "Messengers") are spirits (there was and is debate as to whether they are pure spirit like God or whether they are possess "subtle matter" and are corporeal in a different way from us), created before man, who were given one choice at the beginning of Creation: the Kingdom of God -- or the Absence of God, which is the Kingdom of Satan, the first Angel who rebelled. 

There are 7 Archangels (Tobias 12:15). We know the names of 3 of them from Scripture:

• Michael (Daniel, Epistle of St. Jude, Apocalypse of St. John), whose name means "Who is like God" and whose Feast is September 29;

• Gabriel (Daniel and Luke), whose name means "Strength of God" and whose Feast is March 24; and

• Raphael (Tobias), whose name means "Medicine of God" and whose Feast is October 24.

The apocryphal Book of Enoch lists the other 4 as:

• Uriel;

• Raguel;

• Sariel; and

• Jeramiel.

The 3 Levels of Reverence 

The 14 Holy Helpers 

St. George, Martyr, April 23 

St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, February 3 

St. Pantaleon, Martyr, July 27 

St. Vitus, Martyr, June 15 

St. Erasmus (Elmo), Bishop and Martyr, June 2 

St. Christopher, Martyr, July 25 

St. Giles, Abbot, September 1 

St. Cyriacus (Cyriac), Martyr, August 8 

St. Achatius, Martyr, May 8 

St. Dionysius (Denis), Bishop and Martyr, October 9 

St. Eustachius (Eustace), Martyr, September 20 

St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr, November 25 

St. Margaret of Antioch, Virgin and Martyr, July 20 

St. Barbara, Virgin and Martyr, December 4 

Note:

The "Holy Helpers" are Saints who first became grouped together and invoked together during the Black Plague, which ravaged Europe between 1346 and 1349. This horrible disease decimated entire towns and struck quickly. First one's mouth would dry and head would ache. Then came the fever, and boils, and the blackening of the tongue. Death would come in hours.

The 7 Last Words of Christ

The 4 Last Things (The Novissima)

Death

Judgement

Heaven

Hell