Vocabulary for Lesson 1 and a Half

Instructions [ Hide ]

Learning is work. There are multiple ways to study. Different study strategies will work differently for each student. Serious students should try all of them several (6-7) times to see how they work when done well. For the best learning, every student will likely need to use more than one strategy and switch between them. Here are some tips relating to studying vocabulary. You can adapt them for memorizing texts.

Use multiple senses: read, speak, and hear the material aloud. Then, write your version with a pencil into your notebook and notice how that feels. Then, read your own definition aloud as you study. (combine with the next two strategies)
Use your brain: condense the definitions into a form that makes sense to you. Identify key words for every definition. Think of synonyms that you would use. (combine with the other strategies)
Use your body: say your definition and act it out with an expressiveness that fits the meaning.
Use your friends and family: Ask someone to quiz you using spaced repetition for a set amount of time, from your notes. (Example: for 10 minutes, all questions get repeated, but the quicker and more accurate your answer, the longer the interval until that question comes back. Questions you get wrong are repeated sooner.)
Use basic technology: Show all definitions and hide all the terms on this page. Try to remember each term before you show it (by clicking the definition) to check your answer. Then, show all terms and hide the definitions on the page. Only show a definition (by clicking the term) after you have made your best effort to remember your own version of it.
Use tools: Make a stack of index cards with terms on one side and your definitions on the other. When reviewing, don't check the opposite side until you've made your best effort to remember. Sort them into three stacks: Easy, Hard, and Failed. Then re-sort the Failed cards and work through the Hard cards until they are all Easy.
Use advanced technology: On the web (Example: SuperNotes with free signup or with subscription.) or on an app (Example: Anki), create a stack of virtual cards and let the software quiz you. It will use spaced repetition automatically.
Use brute force memorization: Copy a term and definition from this page. Then navigate to Catechesis Contents > Memorization Tool and paste it into the box, then follow the instructions on that page. (Caution: this works quickly for memorizing texts, but must be repeated a few times after a break for long-term recall. It is less effective than the other strategies for understanding what you memorize.)

St. Andrew, Apostle: He was a disciple of John the Baptist, before John directed him to follow Jesus with the words, "Behold the Lamb of God!" (John 1:36). He was a fisherman by trade, the brother of Peter, and the first disciple called by Jesus. He brought his brother to the Lord Jesus with the words: "We have found the Messiah." His feast day is 30 November.
St. Thomas, Apostle: The apostle who was known as "the Twin" (Didymus). He is known for four sayings recorded in the gospel of John: "Let us also go, that we may die with Him" when Jesus sought to return to Bethany to help Lazarus (John 11:16); "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" spoken to Jesus on Maundy Thursday night (John 14:5); "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe" spoken to his fellow disciples when it was reported to him that Jesus had risen from the dead (John 20:25); and "My Lor and my God!" when he finally saw for himself the resurrected Jesus (John 20:28). He is nicknamed "the doubter," though some question this title. Jesus Himself had promised that the Twelve would be eyewitnesses of His resurrection. His feast day is 21 December.
St. John, Apostle and Evangelist: One of the sons of Zebedee and the brother of James the Elder, with whom he shared the nickname "Sons of Thunder" given them by Jesus. He is the evangelist who wrote the fourth gospel, in which he refers to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." He wrote the book of Revelation and three epistles that bear his name. He is the disciple designated by Jesus to care for Mary after Jesus' death. He is one of the inner circle of three, along with his brother James and Peter, who accompanied Jesus at the Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane. He ran to the tomb of Jesus with Peter on Easter morning. His feast day is 27 December.
St. Matthias, Apostle: The man chosen by the casting of lots to fill Judas Iscariot's apostolic office. He was put forward to be an eyewitness of the resurrection fromamong those men who had accompanied Jesus and the Twelve fromthe time of Jesus' baptism until His ascension. His feast day is 24 February.
St. Philip and St. James, Apostles: The two apostles whose feast day is celebrated together on 1 May. The first of the two had a Greek name, was a disciple of John the Baptist, and brought Nathanael to Jesus with the words, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. … Come and see" (John 1:45-46). He received the request of certain Greeks during Holy Week, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus" (John 12:21). The second of the two was the son of Alphaeus and possibly the brother of Matthew, whose father is also Alphaeus. He is sometimes called "the less" or "the younger."
St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles: The two most prominent and well-known of all the apostles, whose feast day is celebrated together on 29 June. The first of the two is always the first named in the list of the Twelve. He is noted for his confession concerning Jesus—"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16), his denial of Jesus in the courtyard of the high priest, his sermon on Pentecost, his vision of the unclean animals concerning the Gospel being preached to the Gentiles, and the authorship of two epistles which bear his name. The second of the two men is not one of the original Twelve, but was the persecutor of the church. He was called to faith and became an eyewitness of the resurrected Lord on the road to Damascus. He was chosen by the Lord to be "the Apostle to the Gentiles." He is the apostle about whom we know the most from the book of Acts and his epistles in the New Testament.
St. James the Elder, Apostle: The son of Zebedee, brother of John. He was a fisherman by trade, as were his brother and father. He and his brother John were nicknamed "Sons of Thunder" by Jesus. He is one of the inner circle of three, along with his brother John and Peter, who accompanied Jesus at the Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane. He and John requested to sit at Jesus' right and left hand in His glory. Jesus predicted that they would share in His suffering and that their ministry would be patterened after His sacrificial death (Mark 10:35-45). Herod Agrippa I cut off his head, making him the first of the apostles to be martyred. His feast day is 25 July.
St. Bartholomew, Apostle: The name of this apostle occurs only in the listing of the Twelve in the gospels and Acts. Most believe he is also known by the name "Nathanael," from John 1:43-51, who was brought to Jesus by the Apostle Philip. On this occasion Nathanael asked philip, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" to which Philip replied, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, He said of him, "Behold, and Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" Nathanael then confessed, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" His feast day is 24 August.
St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist: Son of Alphaeus and possibly brother of James the Less, also a son of Alphaeus. Matthew is also named "Levi." He was a customs officer or tax collector, otherwise known as a "publican," for the Roman government. After he was called by Jesus, Jesus came into his home and ate with him and other "tax collectors and sinners." When the Pharisees objected, Jesus replied, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance" (Matthew 9:12-13). He is the evangelist and apostle who authored the first gospel. His feast day is 21 September.
St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles: The two apostles whose feast day is celebrated together on 28 October. The first of the two is sometimes called "the Canaanite" or "the Zealot." Apart from his call and listing with the Twelve, there are no other references to him in the New Testament. The second of the two is identified by differing theories. He may be the author of the New Testament letter that bears his name. That author identifies himself as the brother of James (Jude 1). This is similar to two references made by St. Luke (Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13), calling Judas the apostle "Judas of James." One tradition says that this is the apostle James the Elder, whether or not St. Jude also wrote the epistle. The other theory is that St. Jude did not write the epistle, which was written instead by the Jude mentioned in Matthew 13:55. Either way, St. Jude is called "Judas (not Iscariot)" in John 14:22, where he asks Jesus, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?"