| Index of Catholic Terminology |
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L
Laicization: The process by which a priest is returned to the status of a layperson.
Laity:Members of the Church who do not belong to the Clergy or Religious Orders.
Layman, Woman, Person: Any Church member who is neither ordained nor a member of a religious order. When the Second Vatican Council spoke of the laity, it used the term in this more common meaning.
Last Judgment:The judgment of every person by Jesus Christ at the end of time.
Last Rites: Properly called Viaticum. The Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Anointing given to a dying person; the term itself is no longer officially used by the Church. Most people mistake Last Rites for the Anointing of the Sick. See Anointing of the Sick.
Last Supper:The supper Jesus had with his disciples on the night before he died, during which he instituted the Eucharist.
Latin Rite: Western or Roman Rite of the Catholic Church; Catholic Churches with the Roman liturgy. The Latin Rite is one of 23 Catholic Rites that recognize the Pope as the head of the Church.
Lay Ministries / Lay Apostolate:These are ministries within the Church that are carried out by laypersons. Included are altar servers, Eucharistic ministers and lectors.
Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR): Organization of major superiors, who represent more than 90 percent of the active women religious in the
Lectern:The stand from which the Scriptures are read in church. Often called an ambo.
Lectionary: The ritual book which contains the Scripture selections to be read at Mass, both weekday and Sunday celebrations, arranged in accordance with the liturgical seasons*. The Lectionary, as revised by the Second
Lectionary Cycle:The Scripture readings used in Mass are set in a 3-year Sunday cycle and 2-year weekday cycle
Lector: The person who proclaims the first two Scripture readings at the Sunday Mass or the first reading at a weekday Mass
Lent:A period of six weeks leading up to Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday and is a time of self-denial in preparation for Easter. Catholics usually choose some form of self-denial which they observe during Lent.
Limbo: Never an official teaching of the Church, A term used in the Middle Ages and later in an attempt to explain the eternal destiny of unbaptized children who died; a state of natural and eternal happiness.
Litany:A form of prayer in which the Priest recites a series of petitions to God, or calls on the help of Saints. These petitions are followed by a set response said or sung by the congregation.
Liturgical Colors: Colors used in vestments and altar coverings to denote special times in the Church year. Green is used in ordinary time, red denotes solemn feast days, purple denotes penitential times and white is used for joyful occasions including Christmas, Easter and some saintsÍ feast days. See also Colors.
Liturgical Season: Refers to the various periods of time in the Church calendar which are annually celebrated. There are five such seasons: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time. Through the unfolding of this annual cycle of seasons, the Church celebrates the Paschal Mystery* of Jesus Christ. Thus, the very passage of time itself becomes a holy observance.
Liturgy: From Greek, leitourgia, "public works," this term denotes the communal, public and official worship of the Church contained in texts and rites celebrated by the people of God when they gather. As the original Greek suggests, this activity is the work of the whole Church and does not lie with any one person or group. The entire household of the faithful does the liturgy and in so doing directs itself to the praise and glory of God.
Liturgy of the Eucharist: The section of the celebration when the gifts of bread and wine are prepared and the Eucharistic Prayer is proclaimed by the celebrant, and the Blessed Sacrament is distributed to the assembly.
Liturgy of the Hours: This is the preferred term in the Latin rite for the official liturgical prayers sanctifying the parts of each day.
Liturgy of the Word: That section of the celebration where readings from the Scriptures are proclaimed and reflected upon. On Sundays and major feasts, there are three readings: Old Testament selection, New Testament selection (from the Epistles), The Gospel reading
Liturgical Year:The worship of the Church over the period of a year during which central mysteries of faith are unfolded. The chief festivals are Christmas, Easter and Pentecost.
Lord's Prayer:The prayer Jesus taught his followers to say. The prayer of petition for both daily food (which for Christians means also the Eucharistic bread) and the forgiveness of sins. The Our Father. Click Here to read the Lord's Prayer
Love: Charity and concern for self, others, and God. Not an emotion but an act of the intellect and of free will.