The Creed

Introduction

Among the most common prayers, right after the Lord’s Prayer, which was given to us by Our Lord Jesus Christ himself, we find the Creed, which means I believe in Latin.

More than a prayer, the Creed represents a true profession of Christian faith, received directly from the Apostles.

In the following lines we will see its origin and history, the meaning of this profession of faith and why the Creed is essential in Christian life.

Spiritual meaning of the Creed

From the earliest centuries, the Church has sought to gather the essence of its faith into a synthesis, which would establish the basic principle common to every candidate for Baptism, as well as to every Christian.

This synthesis was established not according to human opinions, but represents a condensation of all Scripture into a single teaching common to all Christendom, " in a few words all the knowledge of true piety contained in the Old and New Testaments ." Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Section, 186

This summary is called the "Profession of Faith" because when we recite it, we summarize the faith professed by all Christians. We also call them Symbols of the Faith. Why "them"? Simply because there are three of them:

• The Apostles' Symbol
• The symbol of Nicaea Constantinople
• The symbol of Athanasius or Quicomque.

Origin and history of the Creed

From the first centuries after Jesus Christ, several Doctors of the Church and Christian Theologians referred to the "symbol" without ever specifying its text.

According to them, it was a symbol of faith received directly from the Apostles.

The first official definition of a Creed of the Christian faith is the result of the councils of Nicaea (325) and Constantinople (381), amplifying the Apostles' Creed used from the beginning.

Moreover, in France, the short version, the symbol of the Apostles, remains official, in favor of the Profession of Faith at Mass.

Pope Benedict VIII ordered in 1014 that all churches in the West sing the Creed, in the form of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed.

However, in France in particular, the short version, Apostles' Symbol, remains official.

The texts

• The Apostles' Symbol

The Apostles' Creed, in Latin Symbolum Apostolorum, was directly transmitted to the apostles through the influence of the Holy Spirit. The beginnings of the creed of faith can be found as early as apostolic times.

I believe in God, the Almighty Father, Creator of heaven and earth,
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord
He who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born of the Virgin Mary;
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, was buried, descended into hell;
On the third day, he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
He is seated at the right hand of God, the Almighty Father;
From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit
To the Holy Catholic Church
To the communion of saints,
For the remission of sins,
At the resurrection of the flesh
To eternal life.

Amen.

• The symbol of Nicaea-Constantinople

It was promulgated at the Council of Nicaea in 325 and completed at the Council of Constantinople in 381, hence the expression "Nicaea-Constantinople symbol" which usually designates it.

The Nicene symbol is shared by Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and most Protestant churches.

• The symbol of Athanasius or Quicumque

The Quicumque (sometimes spelled Quicunque) is believed to have been composed in Latin at the beginning of the 6th century in southern Gaul.

It is now recited only at the prime office on Trinity Sunday and at prime every day at the office of certain monastic communities.

1. And although he is both God and man,
   Nevertheless, there are not two persons, but one Christ;

2. He is one, not that divinity has been changed into humanity,
   but because he took humanity to unite it with divinity;

3. one finally, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person;

4. because the rational soul and the body are one man,
   Likewise, God and man are one Christ.

5. who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, and rose again on the third day,

6. has ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,

7. from where he will come to judge the living and the dead.

8. At his advent, all men must be resurrected with their bodies

9. and they will be held accountable for their own actions.

10. And those who have done good will go into eternal life;
    Those who have done evil will be in eternal fire.

11. This is the Catholic faith: whoever does not believe it faithfully cannot be saved.

Why the Creed is essential in the Christian life

The symbols of Faith are a sign of recognition and communion among believers. They serve as the primary point of reference for Catechesis.

The Creed sets forth the main dogmas of the Catholic Church, which are the belief in a Trinitarian vision of God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but also the belief in the Church, the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection of the dead.

It allows us, members of the Christian community, to assure each other that we believe the same thing, that we share the same hope.

Moreover, it is recognized and is the link between all Christian denominations, whether Catholic, Orthodox or from Protestantism.

Conclusion

Today I explained to you what the Creed is, and what importance it has for all Christians.

In a more practical approach, I strongly advise reciting the Creed, in its original form, the Apostles' Symbol before any personal prayer, in the morning and in the evening.

Furthermore, it should not be seen as a mere introduction to be quickly glossed over. On the contrary, it must be recited slowly, thinking about each phrase, each word, because it is more than a simple prayer; it is a true profession of Faith, the one and only Faith, our faith!

Likewise, it is good to dedicate one or two moments each day to God, before an altar specially provided for this purpose, and for this altar, Stella Christi offers you a set of quality crucifixes and Christian objects at the best price!

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Founder Stella Christi