| Sabbath | The Sabbath or seventh ""day,"" on which God rested after the work of the ""six days"" of creation was completed, as recounted in the opening narrative of the Bible. Creation is thus ordered to the Sabbath, the day to be kept holy to the praise and worship of God. Just as the seventh day or Sabbath completes the first creation, so the ""eighth day,"" Sunday, the day of the week on which Jesus rose from the dead, is celebrated as the ""holy day"" by Christians--the day on which the ""new creation"" began (345-349). Thus the Christian observance of Sunday fulfills the commandment to remember and keep holy the Sabbath day (2175). |
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| Sacrament | An efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us through the work of the Holy Spirit (774, 1131). The sacraments (called ""mysteries"" in the Eastern Churches) are seven in number: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance or Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony (1210). |
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| Sacramentals | Sacred signs which bear a certain resemblance to the sacraments, and by means of which spiritual effects are signified and obtained through the prayers of the Church (1667). |
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| Sacramentary | Contains the opening prayer, prayer over the gifts, prayer after communion, and solemn blessings, Eucharistic prayers and prefaces for all of the Masses, including special occasions. |
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| Sacred Heart | The symbol of the love with which Jesus continually loves the eternal Father and all human beings without exception (478). |
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| Sacrifice | A ritual offering made to God by a priest on behalf of the people, as a sign of adoration, gratitude, supplication, and communion (2099). The perfect sacrifice was Christ's death on the cross; by this sacrifice, Christ accomplished our redemption as high priest of the new and eternal covenant (616). The sacrifice of Christ on the cross is commemorated and mysteriously made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Church (1357, 1544). |
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| Sacrilege | Profanation of or irreverence toward persons, places, and things which are sacred, i.e., dedicated to God; sacrilege against the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, is a particularly grave offense against the first commandment (2120). |
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| Saint | The ""holy one"" who leads a life in union with God through the grace of Christ and receives the reward of eternal life. The Church is called the communion of saints, of the holy ones (823, 946; cf. 828). See Canonization. |
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| Salvation | The forgiveness of sins and restoration of friendship with God, which can be done by God alone (169). |
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| Sanctifying Grace | The grace which heals our human nature wounded by sin by giving us a share in the divine life of the Trinity. It is a habitual, supernatural gift which continues the work of sanctifying us--of making us ""perfect,"" holy, and Christlike (1999). |
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| Sanctuary | (1) The part of a church set apart for the principal rites of worship (cf. 1183). (2) A shrine or place of pilgrimage (1674). |
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| Satan | A fallen angel or the devil; the Evil One (391, 395, 2851). |
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| Satisfaction (For Sin) | An act whereby the sinner makes amends for sin, especially in reparation to God for offenses against him. The penance given by the confessor in the Sacrament of Penance constitutes such satisfaction. All true satisfaction for sin must be a participation in the satisfaction for sin made by Christ through his death on the cross (1459). See Penance; Penitent/Penitential; Reparation. |
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| Savior | Jesus (which means ""God saves"" in Hebrew). The Son of God became man to achieve our salvation; he is the unique savior of humanity (430). |
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| Scandal | An attitude or behavior which leads another to do evil (2284). |
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| Schism | Refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff, or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him (2089). |
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| Scripture, Sacred | The sacred writings of the Old and New Testaments (101). See Bible. |
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| Seal Of Confession | The confessor's obligation to keep absolutely secret what a penitent has told to him in the Sacrament of Penance; also known as the ""sacramental seal"" (1467). |
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| Second Coming Of Christ | See Parousia. |
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| Second Vatican Council | A major meeting of the Bishops of the world convened by Pope John XXIII to bring about a renewal of the Church for the second half of the 20th century. It ran from 1962 to 1965 and produced important documents involving liturgy, ecumenism, communications and other areas. |
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| Secular Institutes | Societies of men and women living in the world who dedicate themselves to observe the evangelical counsels and to carry on apostolic works suitable to their talents and opportunities in every day life. |
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| See | Another name for diocese or archdiocese. |
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| Seminary | An educational institution for men preparing for the priesthood or diaconate. |
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| Sensus Fidei | A supernatural appreciation of the faith (sensus fidei) shown by the universal consent in matters of faith and morals manifested by the whole body of the faithful under the guidance of the Magisterium (92). |
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| Septuagint | A pre-Christian Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made by Jewish scholars, and later adopted by Greek-speaking Christians (213). |
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Catholic Glossary 
