Forest Keeper: That's interesting, I didn't know that. Do you know how this fits in with "In the beginning was the Word"? Is this a legitimate reference to before the beginning?
Wrong again. The generation of the Word (Jesus Christ) and procession of the Holy Spirit by the Wisdom (Father) is not temporal but eternal, and always simultaenous. God the Father existed before all ages and so did the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are co-substantial, sharing one essence or nature -- Divine -- as three distinct Persons, not "forms" as Harley's theology states somewhere earlier.
They are distinct in that the Father is the source of everything and all, including the Divinity. The Son is generated and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father (and the Latins will say 'and from the Son'). In this last detail the Orthodox and the Latins have not been able to reconcile their difference in terms of terminology and theology, although the Latin Church does not use the "and from the Son" (filioque) in all places (i.e. the Vatican and the Eastern Catholic Churches).
All three are distinct in God's accomplishment of our salvation (aka Divine Economy), in created time and space.
Note to Forest Keeper - You'll find the Orthodox do not accept the Nicene Creed as it is currently presented and what my reference based his statements on. As Kosta states and you broach on, how can the Trinity proceed one from another when they were all in the Beginning? I think Kosta raises a legitimate point. However, the Orthodox are equally at a loss to explain the references provided of one proceeding from the other and as is the belief stated in the Nicene Creed.
The makeup of the Trinity is a mystery despite what anyone has to say. No one fully understands it although people have attempted to explain it-never to anyone's satisfaction. It's like Ezekiel trying to explain that wheel thingy. All we know is that they are three and they are one.
There are supernatural forces that are simply outside our knowledge to grasp. This is one of them.
Filioque: I would also point out that I've recently been to the Phillipines and India and they use a shortened form of the Creed, totally missing this out. I think the two lungs have been too far apart and perhaps us Catholics need to consolidate and look to our Eastern brethern for where we have made errors.