I Believe [Apostle's Creed]

CatholicExchange. com ^ | 10-04-06 | Mickey Addison

[Salvation]

by Mickey Addison

Other Articles by Mickey Addison

I Believe

10/04/06

We begin each rosary with the words, "I believe," the first words of the Apostle's Creed. It is our "statement of faith," one that is more written on our hearts rather than in a book.

To “believe" is something more than "guess" and something slightly less than "know." In fact, the first dictionary definition of "believe" is to "have confidence." This, of course, describes our Catholic faith quite precisely. We have great confidence in our Lord and His Church, and we have a number of good reasons for this confidence.

We have confidence because we have been taught by someone with authority to teach. The Christian faith is not a "religion of the book," that is, not based strictly on the Sacred Scriptures. Surely the Bible informs and strengthens our faith because it is the Word of God, but our Lord didn't flip an armload of scrolls to His disciples and tell them to figure it out for themselves. St. Paul enjoins his priests to “stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught, either by an oral statement or by a letter of ours (2 Thes 2:15). The Apostles were eyewitnesses to the inauguration of the Kingdom of God, and their successors had confidence in them. Because of the unbroken line of bishops succeeding the Apostles, we can maintain this confidence through their faith, thereby strengthening our own and opening our hearts to the working of the Spirit.

Our confidence is confirmed in the revelation of what we see around us. When I was stationed in Hawaii, I was mesmerized by the deep Pacific skies. I could sit for hours and stare out into space, marveling at the vastness of the cosmos yet completely aware that the same Creator Who willed this vast ocean of stars into being was not distant, but near. This nearness was underscored by the unpretentious complexity of the living things around me, and the decidedly un-complex love I shared with my family. Both the unimaginable yet obvious order to the universe, and the indescribable but delightful bond with my loved ones, speaks of a God both awesome and close.

It must be plain, even to the most hardened atheist, that there is something greater than what our mere senses detect. Even Carl Sagan, the famous cosmologist, couldn't reject God altogether; he acknowledged that there was "something" out there that numbers and theory couldn't quantify.

We can also have confidence in our own experience as humans who encounter the Living God in person. As Catholics, we have the tremendous privilege of approaching God in word and sacrament. Inviting Jesus into our hearts and accepting Him as Lord and Savior is powerful, but it pales in comparison to a physical encounter with our Risen Lord in the Eucharist. In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we can see Him, touch Him, speak to Him, and incorporate Him physically within us just as we open our hearts to invite Him in. Our worship is spirit and body, as is Christ. The confidence born of what we see and hear and taste open our hearts to the Breath of God, the Holy Spirit, Who in turn conforms us to Christ; it is Christ Who presents us to the Father.

None of this is possible without God reaching for us, for as St. Paul writes in his Epistle to the Philippians: “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." In the Catechism this search for God and His call to us is described as written on our hearts by our Creator:

The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to Himself. Only in God will he find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for. The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God. This invitation to converse with God is addressed to man as soon as he comes into being. For if man exists it is because God has created him through love, and through love continues to hold him in existence. He cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his Creator. (#27)

With the reason He has given us, coupled with the very "God-shape" of our human hearts, God tends the garden of our faith. Through the Church, we have a teacher in whom we can have confidence. With our hearts and our hands we can accept Christ, literally taking Him inside our own bodies in the Eucharist. Our faith is a very gift from God and our hearts a vessel for His love.

It is through the assurance born of these remarkable graces that we can confidently proclaim, “Credo,” I believe.

© Copyright 2006 Catholic Exchange


Mickey Addison is a career military officer, and has been a catechist at the parish level since 2000. He and his wife have been married for 19 years and they have two children. He can be reached at addisoncrew@gmail.com.

This article was previously published on the Rosary Army’s website and is used by permission.

[bethelgrad]

Thanks for posting the Creed in Latin. I don't know latin, but I know the creed. I'm inspired to memorize it in Latin!

[Jaysun]

Nice.

I thought so too. Appropriate as well. And just as the liberals do, you point out something irrelevant and ignore everything else. My original sentiments are lost. Let us talk about something else, somewhere else.

[Titanites]

Let us talk about something else, somewhere else.

That's what I'm asking you to do; start your own thread about the Virgin Mary. This one is about the opening statement of the Apostle's Creed.

[frogjerk]

Thanks and sorry about the misdirected post.

[Iscool]

The fact there are so many little denominations proves the point. When you rely solely on Scripture and personal interpretation thereof, chaos insues.

Oh Contraire...There are nearly as many divisions in the Catholic church and numerous divisions in any given diocese...

But the divisions have very little to do with who is, or who isn't a Christian...

[NYer]

[i]pray this prayer for nine days for anything you may desire. It has seldom been known to fail.[/i]

Thank you for posting this timely reminder!

and

Welcome to Free Republic!

I hope you decide to hang around here for a while. We have some great discussions and always enjoy rediscovering timeless prayers, like the one you posted.

[Conservative til I die]

There's a fine line. I've seen it crossed by some Catholics firsthand.

So you're judging our doctrine based on the admitted actions of "some Catholics"?

Do you normally judge all blacks by the actions of a minority of them?

[Conservative til I die]

don't delude yourself into thinking there are no Christians outside the Catholic church...

Eh? What Catholic here or elsewhere has said that? You're straining.

[Conservative til I die]

I'm not hijacking shit.

As someone that's been here for going-on 3 years, you really ought to know better.

I recognized Catholics as important and cautioned against the deification of Mary

Who cares what you find important or caution against?

The flurry of comments to my post further justify my post.

Yeah right. Troll elsewhere, friend.

[Jaysun]

Thanks for your comments.

[Fudd Fan]

I'm so glad you like it. If you say it in Latin every day (don't worry about pronounciation) you'll soon find you can do it without reading it. I do like to say the Rosary in Latin.

[Fudd Fan]

How wonderful to hear about your friend, God bless you both.

[Conservative til I die]

Thanks for your comments.

Ah, so you're going to bow out now? Typical. Trash the thread and then run. I'm sure *I'll* be the one the Moderator gets on though, as is usually the case at AntiCatholicRepublic.com

[Jaysun]

Ah, so you're going to bow out now? Typical. Trash the thread and then run. I'm sure *I'll* be the one the Moderator gets on though, as is usually the case at AntiCatholicRepublic.com

I was simply acknowledging your replies. If you wish to cry and have me hear it you can do so via private message, I'll happily listen and reply accordingly.

Suck it up, Nancy. I tried to pay you a compliment.

[Zuriel]

**I believe you've seen it; however we're not supposed to put her on the same level with God.**

Boy, ain't that the truth!

**Not trying to prolong an argument, just wanted to point it out. There certainly are some people who don't get the difference and it's an important one.**

Yep, there is only one omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent God. For anyone else to be able to hear the prayers of thousands around the world at the same moment (omnipresent), know what they are asking for in dozens of languages (pretty much requires some omniscience), and have the ability to relay the constant flow of petitions faster than received (almost omnipotent?)....nevermind. Just one has those attributes.

Paul writing to the Romans (To all that be at Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints), spoke of that One: "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you" Rom. 8:11

That's some power, but then, that's God! Praise his Holy Name!

[Conservative til I die]

Suck it up, Nancy.

There's nothing to suck up. I pity folks like you. BTW, you've shown a very, very strong Christian witness on this thread. Kudos.

[VOA]

bump

[Jaysun]

There's nothing to suck up. I pity folks like you. BTW, you've shown a very, very strong Christian witness on this thread. Kudos.

Pity me if you'd like. Perhaps you can put in a prayer for me to Saint Tooth Fairy, or whomever.