Glossary

Terms starting with R — browse A–Z or jump to the blog.

Terms — R

23 terms

Glossary
Racism

Racism is the unjust discrimination based on race, a sin that directly violates the fundamental dignity of the human person created in the image of God.
Glossary
Rapture

The Rapture is a Protestant eschatological doctrine of a secret removal of Christians before the end times — not taught by the Catholic Church, which awaits one glorious Second Coming.
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Real Presence

The Real Presence is the true, substantial presence of Jesus Christ — Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity — in the Eucharist. It is not symbolic: Christ is truly there.
Glossary
Reconciliation

Reconciliation (Confession) is the sacrament by which sins committed after Baptism are forgiven and the soul is restored to friendship with God through the ministry of a priest.
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Redemption

Redemption is Christ's act of ransoming humanity from the slavery of sin through his sacrificial death on the cross — restoring our friendship with God.
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Redemptive Suffering

Redemptive suffering is the teaching that human suffering, when freely united to Christ's Passion, participates in his redemptive work and can benefit the one suffering and others.
Glossary
Relics

Relics are the physical remains or personal effects of saints — venerated by the Church as signs of God's power working through his servants and a share in the continuing life of the saints in Christ.
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Religion

A set of beliefs and practices followed by those committed to the service and worship of God.
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Religious Life

Religious life is a form of consecrated life wherein members profess the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and live a fraternal life in common.
Glossary
Remission of Sins

The forgiveness of sins, which is accomplished in us through faith and Baptism as the fruit of the redemptive sacrifice of Christ on the cross (CCC 976, 1263).
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Reparation

Repentance is the moral and spiritual obligation to make amends for an injustice or sin, repairing the harm done to God, neighbor, and self.
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Repentance

Repentance is the turning away from sin and back to God — sorrow for having offended God, a firm resolve not to sin again, and the intention to make amends.
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Restitution

Restitution is the moral obligation to repair an injustice by returning what was stolen or compensating for damage done to another.
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Resurrection Appearances

The Resurrection appearances are the encounters of the risen Jesus with his disciples — historical events that established the apostolic witness and the foundation of Christian faith.
Glossary
Resurrection of Christ

The Resurrection of Christ is the historical, bodily rising of Jesus from the dead on the third day — the cornerstone of all Christian faith and the foundation of our hope.
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Resurrection of the Body

The resurrection of the body is the belief that each person's body will be raised at the end of time and reunited with their soul — the same body, transformed and glorified in Christ.
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Resurrection of the Dead

The resurrection of the dead is the belief that at the end of time all souls will be reunited with their bodies — the same body, glorified — and stand before God for the Last Judgment.
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Revelation

God's communication of himself, by which he makes known the mystery of his divine plan — a gift of self-communication realized by deeds and words over time, and most fully by sending us his own divine Son, Jesus Christ (CCC 50).
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Righteousness

Righteousness is the quality of being morally right before God — conformity with his law and will — applied both to God's own perfect justice and to the human life of faithful covenant living.
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Rites

Rites are the diverse liturgical, theological, and canonical traditions within the one Catholic Church.
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Romans Road

A selection of verses from Romans used to explain salvation.
Glossary
Rosary

The Rosary is a meditative form of prayer in which the faithful contemplate the mysteries of Christ's life through the intercession of Mary — the most beloved Marian devotion.
Glossary
Ruth

Ruth is the Moabite woman who embraced Israel's God and became an ancestor of David and Jesus — a type of the Gentile Church grafted into the covenant of Israel through faith and love.