I Believe

"Creed" comes from the Latin word for "I believe" at the beginning of this statement. We literally "stand up for what we believe in" because of the Creed's importance, and because it is not just a statement, but also a prayer.
What we commonly call the Creed is also called the Symbol. This Greek word refers to an object that verifies a person's identity. Acceptance of the Creed distinguishes those in communion with the Catholic Church from non-Catholics, heretics, and non-Christians.
The Creed is also called the Profession of Faith. We proclaim the contents of our faith in summary form after hearing and reflecting on the Scriptures and before beginning the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This is similar to the Profession of Faith made by someone entering the Catholic Church through Baptism. Before we enter into the central mystery of the faith, the Eucharist, we recall our foundational identity as baptized Christians.
Most of the time we recite the Creed formulated at the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and amended at the First Council of Constantinople in 381, commonly called the Nicene Creed. It was written by the bishops to clarify the central teachings of the faith in response to widespread errors.
The Apostles' Creed, which is used less often, developed out of the question-and-answer Profession of Faith used at Baptisms in the early Roman Church. It is shorter and simpler.
Both Creeds have a Trinitarian structure: their three parts reflect our belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We bow during the Creed to honor the mystery of the Incarnation, God becoming man, which made our salvation possible.
The Creed is said on Sundays and Solemnities—the most important and well-attended Masses of the liturgical year.

At the end of the Homily, the Symbol or Profession of Faith or Creed, when prescribed, is either sung or said:

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,
At the words that follow, up to and including and became man, all bow.
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.
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.

Instead of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, especially during Lent and Easter Time, the baptismal Symbol of the Roman Church, known as the Apostles’ Creed, may be used.

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
At the words that follow, up to and including the Virgin Mary, all bow.
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting. Amen.

Grant, O Lord, that we may begin with holy fasting this campaign of Christian service, so that, as we take up battle against spiritual evils, we may be armed with weapons of self-restraint.

This collect prayer begins the Mass for Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Jesus is calling us to "take up battle against spiritual evils." We'll explore fasting itself in a few weeks; during the week of Ash Wednesday, we're going to dig into an important set of weapons the Lord gives us to fight evil: sacramentals.

What's a sacramental? Well, if you attend Mass on Ash Wednesday, you're probably going to receive one on your forehead.

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480 152nd Avenue, Holland, MI 49424
lanecatholic@oll.org

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I Believe

The Creed

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The Nicene Creed

The Apostles' Creed