Name (Christian) · is the first name or common name of a person. In pagan cultures, when someone became a Christian, they took on the name of a saint or virtue to mark their new life in Christ. Since Christendom, it has been common for parents to use at least one such name for their children. In mission territories, ministers often added a saint’s name to the cultural or common name of anyone they baptised. This custom is maintained to a degree with the taking of a Confirmation name — not having a civil effect but calling on the patronage of a saint for the person.
This all ties back to ancient naming practices. In Roman culture, for example, there were three names: the praenomen (used within the family, and abbreviate to an initial in public use), the nomen (used for business and in public life), and the cognomen (the family name, as still used in the West). I follow this convention when publishing as “N. Patrick Webb”.
Nathan [given name] · from the Hebrew Natan (נָתָן) means ‘he gives’. With the added divine-affiliated suffix ‘-el’ (אֵל) Nathanael means ‘God gives’ or ‘gift from God’.
Natural Law · includes all that naturally governs (in) the created order. This includes instincts, natural forms of and inclinations to love, and many inbuilt ways of being. The Christian stance (as per the Summa Theologiae I-II.91.2) is that natural law aligns with and indeed has its origins in God’s eternal law.
Nave [in architecture] · denotes the main body of the Church. Usually there is some resemblance of a boat, harkening to typology tracing its origins to Noah’s ark. The faithful assemble for worship in the nave; often, meetings or festive gatherings might also be carried out there. This is distinct from the sanctuary which is restricted from general access and is reserved for the sacred use.
Neocatechumenal Way · is a style of Catholic community originating in Spain during the late twentieth century. Technically, it is a process of post-baptismal catechesis (formation in the faith). The Neocatechumenal Way professes it is at the service of bishops and pastors with a special care for faithful who wish to rekindle in their lives the richness of the Christian process of initiation. ‘The Way’ as they call themselves (reflecting an early term for the Church when it was a sect of Judaism) is missional by nature but is present in parishes and small communities. It is marked by stylised liturgical celebrations; all their practices are biblical or apostolic in origin or aspiration.
New Testament · includes the gospel accounts and many writings of the early Church. It continues the revelations of God contained in the Hebrew Scriptures (the ‘Old Testament’) as one continuous corpus. The Catholic Church lists twenty seven ‘books’: the four Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the Acts of the Apostles [a second part of the work begun in Luke’s gospel account] a series of letters to the early Church from Paul — to the Romans, Corinthians (I–III), Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians [not Philippines], Colossians, Thessalonians (I&II); letters from Paul to Timothy (I&II), Titus, and Philemon; an anonymous letter to the Hebrews; letters from James, Peter (I–III), John (I–III), and Jude; and finally the Revelation (aka ‘the apocalypse’) of John.
While these books have been held as a sacred set since antiquity, it was not officially set for some time. The list was ‘canonised’ in 1546 at the Council of Trent in response to attempts to discredit or lower the significance of Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation. There are other both authentic and dubious works of apostolic origin or fabrication that are not listed in the canon of scripture. These include the so-called gnostic gospels.
Nicene Creed · was written at the Council of Constantinople (381) to reflect the teachings of the Church at the Council of Nicaea (325). While it has undertaken some revision, and debates on the filioque notwithstanding, this creed is accepted by all mainstream Christian traditions. It is proposed for use in the liturgy on solemnities not as a prayer per se but as a symbol of faith. The alternative (suggested for used during Lent and Easter and used at the beginning of the rosary) is the so-called Apostles’ Creed (not of apostolic authorship, so similarly misleading in name) is briefer and is used in most parishes year-round.
Novena · from the Latin novem (nine) is a series of nine days dedicated to prayer for a certain intention. It is typically more petitionary or sombre in tone than the more festive octaves (eight days); this may be attributed to its Jewish origins in association with the nine-day mourning periods. The most famous novena appears 17–24 December in preparation for Christmas (marked by the ‘O’ antiphons). A common novena is the novena to the Holy Spirit leading up to Pentecost.
Novice · is a beginner in any field. It comes from the Latin word novus (new) and usually applies to the first formal phase of religious life (lasting 1–2 years and subject to very strict guidelines in Canon Law and congregational constitutions) involving rigorous training in the ways of religion and the evangelical counsels. The regime is so strict that novices are not only dispensed from the usual disciplines of Chrisian life (e.g. fasting in Lent) but are forbid from also undertaking such penances on their own. One never repeats a noviciate; even if one moves religious order, the noviciate is always recognised. If a priest joins an order, they too must also undertake the noviciate, even though they have been through almost a decade of religious-styled seminary training.
Novus Ordo · is a term for the way of celebrating Mass (The ‘Mass of Vatican II’) that is quickly becoming obsolete and is recognised by many as increasingly not fit-for-purpose. It was originally used when Pope S. Paul VI published the ‘new typical edition’ of Mass in the Missal of 1970. Now, approaching fifty years of use, it is no longer new. Often this term is used in contrast to the ‘Tridentine’ form of the Mass (the ‘Latin Mass’; another misleading term as it is really the Missal of Pope John XXIII, revised in 1962 but with ancient origins — not the Mass of Trent). It is considered more proper to forfeit the term ‘Novus ordo’ for the wording of Pope Benedict XVI and call the Missal of 1970 the ‘Ordinary Form’ (then the 1962 Missal becomes the ‘Extraordinary Form’).
Many say the ‘Novus Ordo’ is recognisable for its use of the vernacular (English) and versus populum (the priest leading part of the Mass from behind the altar). In fact, the Extraordinary Form can and has used both through the centuries; and the missal of Paul VI is written to use Latin as the primary language and ad orientem (all facing the altar) as the default. To the average faithful attending, a ‘Novus Ordo’ and a ‘Tridentine’ Mass could be almost indistinguishable.
Nuncio · represents the Pope from an ecclesial (Church organisation) perspective. This means they are the civil ambassadors of the Holy See (as a country) to their respective jurisdiction(s). Practically speaking, nuncios are the envoys of the Pope, doing the groundwork in the selection and deposition of bishops. Nuncios are chosen from among the presbyterate and are highly trained as diplomates before spending many years in apprentice as secretary to nuncios. When then appointed to a nunciature, they are ordained to the episcopate and given the rank of Archbishop.
Nun · is an colloquial umbrella term for religious women living together in community. Usually, there is a contemplative dimension to their lives.
Nuptial Mass · is a Mass with the Rite of Christian Marriage. The rite is not ‘tacked in’ after the homily arbitrarily as the prayers and readings of the Mass speak to the mystery of the Sacrament and how it ties into the mysteries of God’s love.