Catholic Word of the Day: PROVIDENCE, 01-11-10

CatholicReference.net ^ | 01-11-10 | Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary

[Salvation]

Featured Term (selected at random):

PROVIDENCE

God's all-wise plan for the universe, and the carrying out of his plan by his loving rule or governance. the eternal world plan and its fulfillment in time are together called divine providence. As expressed by the First Vatican Council (1869-1870), "God in His providence watches over and governs all the things that He made, reaching from end to end with might and disposing all things with gentleness" (Denzinger 3003). Divine providence is universal in that all events, even the most personal decisions of human beings, are part of God's eternal plan. It is infallibly certain because the ultimate purpose that God has for the universe will not fail. And it is immutable because God himself cannot change. (Etym. Latin providentia, foresight, foreknowledge.)

All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

[Salvation]

We can all ask ourselves how we fit into God's plan.......

[Salvation]

Catholic Word of the Day – links will be provided later by another FReeper.

 

Casualism	Victim	Frustulum
Unity	Isaiah	Episcopal Curia
Wake	Canonical Age	Paschal Candle
Doctrinal Demythology	Pro Armenis	Lamb
Responsory	Dogma	Roman Martyrology
Greek Rites	Anglican Orders	Attritionism
Ciborium	Paenitemini	Amice
Feast of the Visitation	Our Lady Protectress of Rome (Salus Populi Romani)	Tosefta
Györ	Poverty of Sharing	Sollicitudo Omnium Ecclesiarium
Penalty, Penitential	Intuition	Witness
Sanctuary of [Our] Sorrowful Mother	Basilians	Evil Habits
Orate Fratres	Codex Sinaiticus	Clothing of Religious
Unam Sanctam	Eckhartism	Christendom
Herodias	Tower of Babel	Tabula Rasa
Jeronymites/Heironymites	Individuation	Swastika
Testimonials	Anglican Orders	Providence

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[Cvengr]

He’s provided a dispensational shoehorn to help us out. ;^)

[Tax-chick]

Like a square peg in a round hole? ;-).

[Cvengr]

Oxford English Dictionary (the OED) illustrates three different meanings for the word with quotations from the writings of Defoe a century earlier:

1. The foreknowing and beneficent care and government of God (or of nature); divine direction, control, or guidance.
“providence which is...the administration of heaven’s government in the world”
1727, Defoe, Histor. Appar.

2. Applied to the deity as exercising prescient and beneficent power and direction.
“What Providence has reserved for me he only knows.”
1704, Defoe, 15th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm.

3. An instance or act of divine intervention; an event or circumstance which indicates divine dispensation. Special Providence, a particular act of direct divine intervention.
“How can he sweeten the bitterest providences!”
1718, Defoe, Crusoe.

Crusoe refers to Providence throughout the novel; his shifting from one meaning to another as occasion warrants is reflected in his sometimes capitalizing the word and sometimes not.

Interestingly, Defoe was a Puritan.

[Straight Vermonter]

Earlier Catholic Words of the Day

Casualism	Victim	Frustulum
Unity	Isaiah	Episcopal Curia
Wake	Canonical Age	Paschal Candle
Doctrinal Demythology	Pro Armenis	Lamb
Responsory	Dogma	Roman Martyrology
Greek Rites	Anglican Orders	Attritionism
Ciborium	Paenitemini	Amice
Feast of the Visitation	Our Lady Protectress of Rome (Salus Populi Romani)	Tosefta
Györ	Poverty of Sharing	Sollicitudo Omnium Ecclesiarium
Penalty, Penitential	Intuition	Witness
Sanctuary of [Our] Sorrowful Mother	Basilians	Evil Habits
Orate Fratres	Codex Sinaiticus	Codex Sinaiticus
Unam Sanctam	Eckhartism	Christendom
Herodias	Tower of Babel	Tabula Rasa
Jeronymites/Heironymites	Individuation	Swastika
Testimonials	Anglican Orders	Providence