| Easter | The greatest and oldest Christian feast, which celebrates Christ's Resurrection from the dead. Easter is the ""feast of feasts,"" the solemnity of solemnities, the ""Great Sunday."" Christians prepare for it during Lent and Holy Week, and catechumens usually receive the Sacraments of Christian Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist) at the Easter Vigil (1169; cf. 647). |
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| Eastern Churches | Churches of the East in union with Rome (the Western Church), but not of Roman rite, with their own liturgical, theological, and administrative traditions, such as those of the Byzantine, Alexandrian or Coptic, Syriac, Armenian, Maronite, and Chaldean rites. The variety of particular churches with dis- tinctive traditions witnesses to the catholicity of the one Church of Christ, which takes root in distinct cultures (1202-1203; cf. 835). |
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| Eastern-Rite (Oriental) Church | Term used to describe the Catholic churches which developed in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa. They have their own distinctive liturgical and organizational systems. Each is considered equal to the Latin rite within the Church. |
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| Ecclesial | Having to do with the Church in general or the life of the Church. |
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| Ecclesiastic/Ecclesiastical | Pertaining to or of the Church (Greek/Latin: ecclesia). Hence ecclesiastical government is church government (857); an ecclesiastical province is a grouping of church jurisdictions or dioceses (887); an ecclesiastic is a church official. |
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| Ecclesiastical (ee-CLEE-zee-as-tuh-cal) | refers to official structures or legal and organizational aspects of the Church |
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| Economy | The structure and organization of productive work or activity in a society, forming the basis for financial support and stability of individuals, families, and society. The morality of economic activity is judged according to the seventh commandment; economic activity is one of the principal points addressed by the Church's social doctrine (2426, 2430). |
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| Economy Of Salvation (Divine Economy) | From a Greek word (oikonomia, literally ""management of a household"" or ""stewardship"") which refers to God's revelation and communication of himself to the world in time for the sake of the salvation of all humanity; hence, the economy of salvation (258, 1066). The Fathers of the Church distinguished oikonomia from theologia; the latter term refers to the mystery of the internal life of the Trinity (236). The economy of salvation, on the other hand, refers to God's activity in creating and governing the world, particularly with regard to his plan for the salvation of the world in the person and work of Jesus Christ, a plan which is being accomplished through his Body the Church, in its life and sacraments; hence, the ""sacramental economy"" (1076, 1093). |
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| Ecumenical Council | See Council, Ecumenical. |
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| Ecumenism | Promotion of the restoration of unity among all Christians, the unity which is a gift of Christ and to which the Church is called by the Holy Spirit. For the Catholic Church, the Decree on Ecumenism of the Second Vatican Council provides a charter for ecumenical efforts (8l6, 820-822). |
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| Ecumenism/Interdenominational/Ecumenical | A movement for spiritual understanding and unity among Christians and their churches. The term also is extended to apply to efforts toward greater understanding and cooperation between Christians and members of other faiths. |
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| Encyclical | A pastoral letter written by the Pope and sent to the whole Church and even to the whole world, to express Church teaching on some important matter. Encyclicals are expressions of the ordinary papal magisterium (cf. 892). |
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| Entrance Procession | Priest, deacon, altar servers, lectors, enter the church or designated place for celebration of the liturgy. |
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| Entrance Song/Music | The song/music which takes place during the entrance procession. |
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| Envy | Resentment or sadness at another's good fortune, and the desire to have it for oneself. One of the seven capital sins, envy is contrary to the tenth commandment (2539). |
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| Eparchy | See Diocese. |
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| Epiclesis | The prayer petitioning God to send the Holy Spirit so that the offerings at the Eucharist may become the Body and Blood of Christ and thus the faithful, by receiving them, may themselves become a living offering to God. In every sacrament, the prayer asking for the sanctifying power of God's Holy Spirit is an ""epiclesis"" (1105, 1127). |
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| Epiphany | The feast which celebrates the manifestation to the world of the newborn Christ as Messiah, Son of God, and Savior of the world. The feast of Epiphany celebrates the adoration of Jesus by the wise men (magi) from the East, together with his baptism in the Jordan and the wedding feast of Cana in Galilee (528; cf. 535). |
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| Episcopal | Refers to a bishop or groups of bishops as a form of Church government, in which bishops have authority. |
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| Episcopal/Episcopate | Pertaining to the office of bishop (Greek: episkopos), hence episcopal consecration, the episcopal college, episcopal conferences (883, 887, 1557). ""Episcopate"" is a collective noun referring to all those who have received sacramental ordination as bishops. |
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| Eremitical Life | The life of a hermit, separate from the world in praise of God and for the salvation of the world, in the silence of solitude, assiduous prayer, and penance (920). |
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| Eschatology | From the Greek word eschaton, meaning ""last."" Eschatology refers to the area of Christian faith which is concerned about ""the last things,"" and the coming of Jesus on ""the last day"": our human destiny, death, judgment, resurrection of the body, heaven, purgatory, and hell--all of which are contained in the final articles of the Creed (1001, 1020-1050; cf. 2771). |
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| Eternal Life | Living forever with God in the happiness of heaven, entered after death by the souls of those who die in the grace and friendship of God (988, 1020). In preaching the kingdom of heaven, Jesus called all people to eternal life, which is anticipated in the grace of union with Christ: ""This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent"" (Jn 17:3). |
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| Eucharist | The ritual, sacramental action of thanksgiving to God which constitutes the principal Christian liturgical celebration of and communion in the paschal mystery of Christ. The liturgical action called the Eucharist is also traditionally known as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is one of the seven sacraments of the Church; the Holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation (1322 ff.). The Sunday celebration of the Eucharist is at the heart of the Church's life (2l77). See Mass. |
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| Eucharistic Prayer | The prayer of thanksgiving and sanctification. It is the center and high point of the celebration. During the Eucharistic Prayer, the Church believes that the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. See Canon of the Mass. |
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Catholic Glossary 
