What Catholics Believe Series:
This listing can also be found on our "Indices" page, but I thought I'd make it a "posting" too. Great work CathMom5!
AMDG,
Scott<<<
Qui Locutus - Formerly The CathApol Blog - a Catholic Apologetics Blog Defending the Faith and keeping Catholics Catholic! Scott Windsor, MEd. - aka: CathApol
Showing posts with label Nicene Creed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nicene Creed. Show all posts
What Catholics Believe Series
What Catholics Believe Series:
This listing can also be found on our "Indices" page, but I thought I'd make it a "posting" too. Great work CathMom5!
What Catholics Believe, The Creed Part 5
I believe in one God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial
with the Father;
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate
of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son
is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
********************************************************PART 5
I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.********************************************************PART 5
866 The Church is one: she acknowledges one Lord, confesses one faith, is born of one Baptism, forms only one Body, is given life by the one Spirit, for the sake of one hope (cf. Eph 4:3-5), at whose fulfillment all divisions will be overcome.
867 The Church is holy: the Most Holy God is her author; Christ, her bridegroom, gave himself up to make her holy; the Spirit of holiness gives her life. Since she still includes sinners, she is "the sinless one made up of sinners." Her holiness shines in the saints; in Mary she is already all-holy.
868 The Church is catholic: she proclaims the fullness of the faith. She bears in herself and administers the totality of the means of salvation. She is sent out to all peoples. She speaks to all men. She encompasses all times. She is "missionary of her very nature" (AG 2).
869 The Church is apostolic. She is built on a lasting foundation: "the twelve apostles of the Lamb" (Rev 21:14). She is indestructible (cf. Mt 16:18). She is upheld infallibly in the truth: Christ governs her through Peter and the other apostles, who are present in their successors, the Pope and the college of bishops.
870 "The sole Church of Christ which in the Creed we profess to be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, . . . subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him. Nevertheless, many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside its visible confines"(LG 8).http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p3.htm#866
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins
The Sacrament of baptism unites us with Christ and "saves us now."
For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit. In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him. (I Peter 3:18-22)
977 Our Lord tied the forgiveness of sins to faith and Baptism: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved."521 Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of forgiveness of sins because it unites us with Christ, who died for our sins and rose for our justification, so that "we too might walk in newness of life."522
521 Mk 16:15-16.
522 Rom 6:4; Cf. 4:25.
985 Baptism is the first and chief sacrament of the forgiveness of sins: it unites us to Christ, who died and rose, and gives us the Holy Spirit.
 |
| Durer -- 1510 |
of the dead and the life of the world to come.
We believe the promises of Scripture and the teachings of the Church. We do as Jesus asked us to do and we will see Him face to face.
If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you. (Romans 8:11 NAB)
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus, bring with him those who have fallen asleep. (I Thess. 4:14)
1011 In death, God calls man to himself. Therefore the Christian can experience a desire for death like St. Paul's: "My desire is to depart and be with Christ. "579 He can transform his own death into an act of obedience and love towards the Father, after the example of Christ:580
- My earthly desire has been crucified;
. . . there is living water in me, water that murmurs and says within
me: Come to the Father.581
I want to see God and, in order to see him, I must die.582
I am not dying; I am entering life.583
579 Phil 1:23.
580 Cf. Lk 23:46.
581 St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Rom.,6,1-2:Apostolic Fathers,II/2,223-224.
582 St. Teresa of Avila, Life, chap. 1.
583 St. Therese of Lisieux, The Last Conversations.
Amen is the final word of the Creed. It means we believe; it's done.
1061 The Creed, like the last book of the Bible,644 ends with the Hebrew word amen. This word frequently concludes prayers in the New Testament. The Church likewise ends her prayers with "Amen."
1062 In Hebrew, amen comes from the same root as the word "believe." This root expresses solidity, trustworthiness, faithfulness. And so we can understand why "Amen" may express both God's faithfulness towards us and our trust in him.
1065 Jesus Christ himself is the "Amen."648 He is the definitive "Amen" of the Father's love for us. He takes up and completes our "Amen" to the Father: "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why we utter the Amen through him, to the glory of God":649
- Through him, with him, in him,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all glory and honor is yours,
almighty Father,
God, for ever and ever.
AMEN. - 644 1 Cor 5:28.
648 Cf. Mt 6:2,5,16; Jn 5:19.
649 St. Augustine, Sermo 58,11,13:PL 38,399.
650 Rev 3:14.
651 2 Cor 1:20. - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a12.htm
What Catholics Believe, The Creed Part 4
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son
is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
**********************************************************Part 4
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
The Holy Spirit is, we believe, the third Person of the Blessed Trinity. He can be seen in Scripture. He appeared at Jesus' Baptism and at His Transfiguration in the form of a dove. At Pentecost, He came in the form of wind and of fire. He, too, is called Lord, and He, too, is God. This Person of God is often neglected by believers, but remains forever in the Body of Christ, the Church.
the Lord, the giver of life,
Lord is used in the Old Testament in place of JHWH (Jahweh, Jehovah, the name for God that was not pronounced). Lord was used to refer to God without using His name. Jesus was called Lord in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit makes subtle appearances in the Old Testament, but more overtly in the New Testament. We call Him Lord because He is God.
who with the Father and the Son
*******************************************************End Part 4
I believe in one, holy, catholic,
I believe in one God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial
with the Father;
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate
of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
**********************************************************Part 4
 |
| Carlo Docci, 1630 |
The Holy Spirit is, we believe, the third Person of the Blessed Trinity. He can be seen in Scripture. He appeared at Jesus' Baptism and at His Transfiguration in the form of a dove. At Pentecost, He came in the form of wind and of fire. He, too, is called Lord, and He, too, is God. This Person of God is often neglected by believers, but remains forever in the Body of Christ, the Church.
the Lord, the giver of life,
Lord is used in the Old Testament in place of JHWH (Jahweh, Jehovah, the name for God that was not pronounced). Lord was used to refer to God without using His name. Jesus was called Lord in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit makes subtle appearances in the Old Testament, but more overtly in the New Testament. We call Him Lord because He is God.
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
The Spirit proceeds from the Father in a special way, in a way similar to the Son. He, the Holy Spirit, can be seen in all of Salvation history as the work of God. He inspired the Old Testament writers (in Hebrew and Greek) and made Himself visible to His people. For example, He came in a form of a pillar of cloud and fire to Israel.
He proceeds from the Son, also. The Son sent the Spirit to His Apostles. We see this is Scripture when He said, "For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you." (John 16:7; NAB) and he breathed on the Apostles and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:22; NAB) The filioque, the phrase "and the Son" was added to the Creed for this very reason--Jesus gave the Spirit to His Apostles and promised Him to His Church.
The Spirit proceeds from the Father in a special way, in a way similar to the Son. He, the Holy Spirit, can be seen in all of Salvation history as the work of God. He inspired the Old Testament writers (in Hebrew and Greek) and made Himself visible to His people. For example, He came in a form of a pillar of cloud and fire to Israel.
He proceeds from the Son, also. The Son sent the Spirit to His Apostles. We see this is Scripture when He said, "For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you." (John 16:7; NAB) and he breathed on the Apostles and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:22; NAB) The filioque, the phrase "and the Son" was added to the Creed for this very reason--Jesus gave the Spirit to His Apostles and promised Him to His Church.
who with the Father and the Son
is adored and glorified,
The Holy Spirit is God just as the Father and the Son are God, therefore He is worthy of the same worship, adoration, and glory as the Father and the Son.
The Holy Spirit is God just as the Father and the Son are God, therefore He is worthy of the same worship, adoration, and glory as the Father and the Son.
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe that He is the source of inspiration for the prophets. He spoke through them to His people, then He used men and their talents to write what He willed to be written in the Scriptures.
We believe that He is the source of inspiration for the prophets. He spoke through them to His people, then He used men and their talents to write what He willed to be written in the Scriptures.
*******************************************************End Part 4
I believe in one, holy, catholic,
and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection
of the dead and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
What Catholics Believe, The Creed Part 3
 |
| Icon of the Crucifixion |
I believe in one God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial
with the Father;
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate
of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
*************************************************Part 3
*************************************************Part 3
 |
| Ecce Homo by Antonio Ciseri |
This is now considered historic fact. When the creed was first developed and before the Scriptures were canonized (chosen by the Church under the guidance of the Holy Spirit), the belief in Christ's Passion, and Resurrection was already an integral part of Christianity. The naming of the historic Roman official in charge makes it that much more real.
he suffered death and was buried,
Jesus was crucified on a cross, the usual punishment for criminals who were to be made an example. He was tortured for hours before hand, was treated inhumanely, and then nailed painfully to a cross. Here we see His fully human side. He was taken down from the cross by disciples before the evening came--when it would be the Sabbath. Sabbath Law would not allow them to do so, and Jesus' humiliation on the cross would have lasted another day. He was taken down and put in a new tomb--a tomb that was not used by any one yet.
Jesus was crucified on a cross, the usual punishment for criminals who were to be made an example. He was tortured for hours before hand, was treated inhumanely, and then nailed painfully to a cross. Here we see His fully human side. He was taken down from the cross by disciples before the evening came--when it would be the Sabbath. Sabbath Law would not allow them to do so, and Jesus' humiliation on the cross would have lasted another day. He was taken down and put in a new tomb--a tomb that was not used by any one yet.
 |
| Icon of the Women at the Empty Tomb |
in accordance with the Scriptures.
Jesus made reference to both Jonah and the temple when speaking of His body and His bodily Resurrection. He told the disciples He would rise on the third day. They didn't understand what He was speaking of until it actually happened. The women came on the third day, Sunday morning, to wash and prepare His body for the tomb. They brought oils, herbs, and fresh linens. Because of the hurry to get Jesus down from the cross and place Him in the tomb, He was hurriedly wrapped in the Shroud. So, the women went to the tomb to do the job properly. Of course, once there, they became the first witnesses to the Resurrection--Jesus wasn't there!! And, unlike Lazarus who would eventually die again, Jesus' body was transformed and would never die.
Jesus made reference to both Jonah and the temple when speaking of His body and His bodily Resurrection. He told the disciples He would rise on the third day. They didn't understand what He was speaking of until it actually happened. The women came on the third day, Sunday morning, to wash and prepare His body for the tomb. They brought oils, herbs, and fresh linens. Because of the hurry to get Jesus down from the cross and place Him in the tomb, He was hurriedly wrapped in the Shroud. So, the women went to the tomb to do the job properly. Of course, once there, they became the first witnesses to the Resurrection--Jesus wasn't there!! And, unlike Lazarus who would eventually die again, Jesus' body was transformed and would never die.
 |
| The Ascension by Benjamin West, 1801 |
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
We say he ascended because that is how it seems from here. He went up into the heavens to Heaven. He has rejoined His Father in the glory of Heaven. He has picked up the scepter of His Kingdom and will reign forever.
We say he ascended because that is how it seems from here. He went up into the heavens to Heaven. He has rejoined His Father in the glory of Heaven. He has picked up the scepter of His Kingdom and will reign forever.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
The belief of all Christianity is the Second Coming of Christ. He will be the ultimate judge of who will enjoy eternal life and who will endure eternal punishment. (CCC 677-679)
The belief of all Christianity is the Second Coming of Christ. He will be the ultimate judge of who will enjoy eternal life and who will endure eternal punishment. (CCC 677-679)
and his kingdom will have no end.
Time does not exist beyond this world. Once His Kingdom is fully fulfilled, there is no end--it is forever. In the Catechism it says, "Everyone is called to enter the Kingdom. First announced to the children of Israel, this messianic kingdom is intended to accept men of all nations. To enter it, one must first accept Jesus' words:
*************************************END PART 3
Time does not exist beyond this world. Once His Kingdom is fully fulfilled, there is no end--it is forever. In the Catechism it says, "Everyone is called to enter the Kingdom. First announced to the children of Israel, this messianic kingdom is intended to accept men of all nations. To enter it, one must first accept Jesus' words:
The word of the Lord is compared to a seed which is sown in a field; those who hear it with faith and are numbered among the little flock of Christ have truly received the kingdom. Then, by its own power, the seed sprouts and grows until the harvest." (See Mark 4:14, 26-29; and Lumen Gentium no. 5)For a fuller explanation of the Kingdom, one can read the Catechism numbers 543-560.
*************************************END PART 3
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son
is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic,
and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection
of the dead and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
What Catholics Believe, The Creed Part 2
 | |
| Secondo Pia's 1898 negative of the Shroud of Turin |
I believe in one God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
****************************Part 2
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
Lord here is not the title of an earthly lord. It is used as another word for God. The name of God is Hebrew was not used, so God was usually referred to in Scripture as Lord. In the New Testament Lord is frequently used for both God the Father and Jesus Christ. (CCC 446) Elizabeth proclaimed it to Mary, "Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"
Jesus is the name announced by Gabriel at the Annunciation; the name Jesus means "God saves." It is not just a name but the very core of the meaning of the Incarnation. (CCC 430)
Christ is the Greek word for the Hebrew Messiah which is "anointed". (CCC 436)
These names/titles reveal much about Who we believe Jesus was and is. He is God. He saves. He is the anointed One of God. This is what we believe as Catholics.
the Only Begotten Son of God,
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. (Gal. 4:4-5)We believe that Jesus was, literally, the Son of God born of a woman, Mary, and the Holy Spirit. He "came from God" (Jn 13:3), "descended from Heaven" (Jn 3:13), and "came in the flesh" (I Jn 4:2). (CCC 423) He came from the Father in the Person of Jesus Christ. He suffered and died for us. He is now, after rising, living with us forever. (CCC 426)
born of the Father before all ages.
Born means produced or generated from. Just as we receive our humanness from our father, so Jesus received His divine essence from God. St. Peter said that Jesus was "the Christ, the Son of the living God", to which Jesus replied, "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father Who is in Heaven." (Matt. 16:16-17)
We also believe that Jesus always existed in God.
 |
| Michelangelo's Jesus on the Sistine Chapel |
We also believe that Jesus always existed in God.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through Him, and without Him nothing came to be. What came to be through Him was life..." (John 1:1-4a)God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
Jesus is not God the Father; He is God the Son. They are distinct from one another but the are both God. To continue with John 1:4: "...and this life was the light of the human race." The Father and the son light each other and in turn light the world with life. They are of one voice, one "testimony". (John 8:17-18) We believe that Jesus is God; He is light; He is true God.
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
In the early Church, some of the heresies that cropped up were that either Jesus was not God, but only a man; that Jesus was God who came in the appearance of a man; and that somehow God coexisted in the body of a man. However, the Nicaea Creed emphasizes the fact that we believe He is of the same substance, homoousios, as the Father. At the Council of Chalcedon, the Church affirmed that Our Lord Jesus Christ is
"Perfect in divinity and perfect in humanity, the same truly God and truly man, composed of rational soul and body; consubstantial with the Father as to His divinity and consubstantial with us as to His humanity; "like us in all things but sin." (CCC 467)
 |
| Separation of light and darkness (Michelangelo) |
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
Appropriately, the name Jesus means "God saves." (CCC 430) The perfect name for the Incarnation Who came to free mankind from the bondage of sin. As God, He existed before there was a world. He came down from His home for the love of mankind.
The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God's love: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him." (1 John 4:9) "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) (CCC 458)There is not much more I can say than that.
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate
of the Virgin Mary,
But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God....for nothing will be impossible for God.” (Luke 1:34-35,37)
The Scripture tells us the name of His Mother and the manner of Jesus' conception. It is not by Joseph or any other man that Jesus comes into being. He becomes incarnate in the Virgin Mary's womb by the Holy Spirit. Mary's virginity is and remains a dogma (something a Catholic must believe) of the Church. Mary conceived "without any detriment to her virginity, which remained inviolate even after His birth" (Council of the Lateran, 649). Mary in this way becomes the Mother of God. (More on this later)
But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God....for nothing will be impossible for God.” (Luke 1:34-35,37)
The Scripture tells us the name of His Mother and the manner of Jesus' conception. It is not by Joseph or any other man that Jesus comes into being. He becomes incarnate in the Virgin Mary's womb by the Holy Spirit. Mary's virginity is and remains a dogma (something a Catholic must believe) of the Church. Mary conceived "without any detriment to her virginity, which remained inviolate even after His birth" (Council of the Lateran, 649). Mary in this way becomes the Mother of God. (More on this later)
and became man.
He became truly man while remaining truly God. Jesus Christ is true God and true man. (CCC 464) From apostolic times the Christian faith has insisted on the true incarnation of God's Son "come in the flesh." (CCC 465)
*******************************************************End Part 2
For our sake he was crucified
under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son
is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic,
and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection
of the dead and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Feast of the Assumption
The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary - another example of "not-so-ordinary" days! These are COUNTING days - and...
