Each Sunday we are fed and nourished by the truth, and we profess the truth again and again. These Truth Loops are set out in the Creed. Truth of the Spirit with Patti Brunner gives us an opportunity to pause to consider and apply basic beliefs of the Church. Part of the Tenets of Truth series. For audio, video and script please continue reading.
Video link:
Audio player:
Yesterday the Lord reminded me: “My child, just as you listen to a teacher and grow as a student in school, certain things are repeated and practiced. A 10-year-old does not quit school because they have learned how to read and to add and subtract. There is more. So too as you look at the tenet of truth must you constantly be reminded of the truth because there is more to discover and to remember. There are ways of application and ways to share what you have been given. Digging deeper helps you to identify truth. As is said about recognizing counterfeit money—you don’t train by studying the counterfeit but by studying the real. Your ‘tenets of faith’ is like that.” The Lord said, “Examine the facets of truth.”
Welcome to Truth of the Spirit and “Truth Loops”. The words we profess on Sunday in the Creed not only feed and nourish our soul. These Truth Loops give us an opportunity to review and learn teachings of our Catholic faith. The Church thus evangelizes as we learn the truth to proclaim the Gospel to others. I am your host Patti Brunner sharing the Tenets of Truth series.
Today let’s look at how Truth Loops within the Creed, our Profession of Faith:
“I believe in one God.” –Believing in one God sets us apart from pagans who believe in many gods. It causes us to cringe when we watch modern movies about Greek gods like Thor. It also reminds us of our commission to reach out to those who profess nothing, the atheists, to witness our belief by our choices. If we make wealth or media our god, we give false witness. “I believe in one God” unifies us with Christians of various denominations and with the ancestors of our faith, the Jews. This confession of belief in one God also sets the stage for the belief in the Trinity as three persons in one God.
“I believe in one God the Father almighty.” –Our God is almighty, omnipotent, able to do all things. He is our Father, our daddy, and we are his adopted children. We act on this belief when we trust God even when human fathers fail us. We act on this belief when, although sometimes everything seems to go wrong, we know that our heavenly Father can bring good out of bad and that like the father of the prodigal son He always welcomes us back home into his arms.
“I believe in one God the Father almighty Maker of heaven and earth.” –We believe that God created everything out of nothing. We believe He is a God of order and that we are wonderfully made. As we examine the magnificence of the cosmos through pictures from the Hubble telescope and others which allowed discovery of countless star systems; we believe God created them too. We can take a drop of water and see those creatures like microbes that are too small for us to see without a microscope; we begin to appreciate his creation. Earth was designed with atmosphere, gravity and orbit that foster life. Our discoveries continue by the intellect and ability and inspiration God has given us.
“I believe in one God the Father almighty Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.” –We believe God created not just material things but also angels and spirits and our very soul. He has given us guardian and messenger angels. They sometimes appear and lead us from danger or away from sin. The choirs of angels worship God for his glory and holiness. God allows the rebellious spirits to be the sandpaper that polishes our roughness, to magnify our great gift of free will, to test us so as remove all impurities like fire, to show us the choices we can make that when we choose God we will stay in his glory forever and ever.
“I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ.” In Hebrew ‘Lord’ means ‘Jehovah’ the Jewish national name of God; calling Jesus Lord signifies that Jesus is God. In Hebrew ‘Jesus’ means ‘God Saves’; Jesus is our redeemer. ‘Christ’ is the Greek translation of ‘Messiah’ and means ‘anointed one’; Jesus is anointed by the Holy Spirit. Kings, priests and prophets were anointed. Jesus is the King of kings, the High Priest, and He is the Word of God. As we profess “Jesus is Lord” it challenges us to put God in the center of our lives. We surrender our will and submit to His.
“The Only Begotten Son of God, Born of the Father before all ages.” – ‘Only Son’ sets us apart as Christians. Both Jews and Muslims believe in one God, but we are the only people who also believe that Jesus is the Father’s only son and is God. Even though the human body of Jesus was born on that first Christmas day, Jesus—truly God—always was. John’s Gospel proclaims this about Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” Jesus establishes for us relationship of father and child. Through Baptism we are adopted children of God and brothers and sisters in Christ.
“God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God.” –Catechism of the Catholic Church #464 explains that Jesus Christ is not part God and part man; He assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it. He became truly man while remaining truly God. Jesus Christ is true God and true man. In the person of Jesus, He is one with the Triune God with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
“Begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.” –The word ‘consubstantial’ means that Jesus is of the same substance as God. We also profess that the Holy Spirit is consubstantial with the Father and the Son.
“Through him all things were made.” –Often times we call God the Father our creator, but this Creed helps us to remember that Jesus the Son –and the Holy Spirit—are also our Creator. Catechism paragraph #316 says, “though the work of creation is attributed to the Father in particular, it is equally a truth of faith that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit together are the one, indivisible principle of creation. We discussed the Presence of the Trinity in nature in PatriarchMinistries.com/216 Finding the Creator of Heaven and Earth.
“For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven.” –We had the need for salvation due to loss of original holiness through the sin of disobedience by Adam & Eve, compounded by every choice to sin by mankind. Jesus came to earth as man, as a perfect sacrifice, to redeem our souls for all sin of all time. Salvation was won by Jesus as his death paid the price. We discussed the Basics of Salvation in episode 60.
“And by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man.” –Although it is beyond our capability to comprehend, we believe that Jesus came forth from God and assumed human form as he was conceived through the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary. This is the Incarnation. In the Gospel of John chapter 1 verse 14 we are told the “Word became flesh”. We also believe that Jesus is the “new Adam” and that Mary, the new Eve, was conceived without original sin and is ever-virgin.
“For our sake he was crucified.” –Sinners of the whole world of all time were the cause of all the sufferings that the divine Redeemer endured. God had warned Adam “you sin you die”. The Devil twisted the warning and man chose not to believe God’s truth. Jesus’ sacrifice paid for the consequence of sin: death for all of us. In unity with the whole human race all men are implicated in Adam’s sin as all are implicated in Christ’s justice and redemption.
“For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate.” –Sharing the name of the governor who officially passed judgment sets the truth that Jesus really existed in history.
“He suffered death and was buried.” -Again proving that Jesus was truly human. The human body of Jesus died, and his soul separated just like ours does at death. In the Creed we profess that Jesus truly died. And if we relate that to our own lives, we truly die. However, we can truly live in him.
“He suffered death and was buried and rose again.” –The soul and body of Jesus reunited in the glorious state, and many witnesses saw him. He conquered death once and for all. “The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ, a faith believed and lived as the central truth by the first Christian community; handed on as fundamental by Tradition; established by the documents of the New Testament; and preached as an essential part of the Paschal mystery along with the cross.” [CCC #638]
“He rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” – “Scriptures foretold the divine plan of salvation through the putting to death of “the righteous one”; … “In particular Jesus’ redemptive death fulfills Isaiah’s Suffering Servant prophecies.” [CCC #601] Proving that the life, death and resurrection were God’s plan of salvation, he sent his prophets to reveal the plan. Other disciples didn’t put it all together until Jesus appeared to two of them on the way to Emmaus after his resurrection and explained it, and then appeared to the apostles in the locked room. This statement of truth reminds us of the importance of studying the Holy Scripture. The foreshadowing of the mission of Christ and the love of God in the Old Testament continually prepares our hearts to receive the grace delivered through the Holy Spirit.
“He ascended into heaven.” –Jesus returned to heaven to prepare a place for us. He shows us the way to our real home for all eternity. For the first time since Adam’s sin, a man had full access to God.
“He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.” — “By the ‘Father’s right hand’ we understand the glory and honor of divinity, where he who exists as Son of God before all ages, indeed as God, of one being with the Father, is seated bodily after he became incarnate, and his flesh was glorified.” [CCC #663] “Being seated at the Father’s right hand signifies the inauguration of the Messiah’s kingdom.” [CCC #664] “Jesus Christ, having entered the sanctuary of heaven once and for all, intercedes constantly for us as the mediator who assures us of the permanent outpouring of the Holy Spirit.” [CCC 667]
“He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.” –Christ already reigns through the Church. As Lord, Christ is also head of the Church, which is his body. Christ dwells on earth in his Church. “When he comes at the end of time to judge the living and the dead, the glorious Christ will reveal the secret disposition of hearts and will render to each man according to his works and according to his acceptance or refusal of grace.” [CCC #682] “By rejecting grace in this life, one already judges oneself, receives according to one’s works, and can even condemn oneself for all eternity by rejecting the Spirit of love.” [CCC #679] Nevertheless, God’s plan is to be fulfilled “with power and great glory” by the kings’ return to earth where a new heaven and a new earth in which justice dwells will be realized and all things are subject to him. The attack by evil powers will cease. [CCC #675]
“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord.” – “On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Trinity is fully revealed.” [CCC #732] As the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, dwells among us and grants us a clearer vision of himself. “No one can say “Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit” [CCC #683] “The One whom the Father has sent into our hearts, the Spirit of his Son, is truly God.” [CCC #689]
“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life.” – “Jesus is Christ “anointed” because the Holy Spirit is his anointing.” [CCC #690] “The Spirit [thus] filled Christ and the power of the Spirit went out from him in his acts of healing and of saving. It was the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.” [CCC #695] Now, fully established as “Christ” in his humanity victorious over death, Jesus pours out the Holy Spirit abundantly. In this way we are given life! Through Baptism the Holy Spirit dwells within us and gives us life abundantly. The Holy Spirit is God connected to man. The Holy Spirit is the power source that connects man to God. This is known as Life in the Spirit. Paul writes in Romans Chapter 5 verse 5: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” NAB The Holy Spirit is the breath of God.
“Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.”– “When the Father sends his Word, he always sends his Breath. The Holy Spirit is consubstantial with the Father and the Son and is inseparable from them in both the inner life of the Trinity and his gift of love for the world.” [CCC #689]
“Who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.” – [CCC #688] The Church is where the Holy Spirit is made known:
— in the Scriptures he inspired;
— in the Tradition, to which the Church Fathers are always timely witnesses;
— in the Church’s Magisterium, which the Holy Spirit assists;
— in the sacramental liturgy, through its words and symbols, in which the Holy Spirit puts us into communion with Christ;
— in prayer, wherein the Holy Spirit intercedes for us;
— in the charisms and ministries by which the Church is built up; — in the signs of apostolic and missionary life;
— in the witness of saints through whom the Holy Spirit manifests his holiness and continues the work of salvation.”
“I believe in one.” — “The Church is one because of her source.” [CCC #813] “What the soul is to the human body, the Holy Spirit is to the Body of Christ, which is the Church.” The Holy Spirit makes the Church “the temple of the living God” [CCC #797]. “The Church” is the People that God gathers in the whole world. The whole universal community of believers exists in local communities and is made real as a liturgical and Eucharistic assembly.” [CCC #752] When we participate in the Mass, the entire Church, in all time and places, are one in the one sacrifice offered by Jesus.
“I believe in one, holy,” –We are holy because Christ is holy. Christ is the head of the Church, and we are his body. “United with Christ, the Church is sanctified by him; through him and with him she becomes sanctifying.” [CCC #824]
“I believe in one, holy, catholic.” – “The word ‘catholic’ means universal” [CCC #830] Our separated brothers and sisters continue to use this term with us when saying the Apostle’s Creed; there is one baptism, one faith, one God, one Lord of all. [CCC #172]
“I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.” –The Catholic Church began when the Holy Spirit filled the apostles at the first Pentecost. The apostles, the original leaders of the Church, have then passed their faith to us. There is an historical line of faith as the Church has chosen and ordained successors for 2000 years. The word “apostle” means the one who is sent. Christ sends us out into the world to share the Good News.
“I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.” – In Baptism we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus. “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.” [CCC #977] “Baptism seals the Christian with the indelible spiritual mark (character) of his belonging to Christ. No sin can erase this mark, even if sin prevents Baptism from bearing the fruits of salvation. Given once for all, Baptism cannot be repeated.” [CCC #1272] Sins committed after Baptism can be forgiven by Jesus through the sacrament of Reconciliation. “Jesus told his apostles: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven.” [CCC #976]
“And I look forward to the resurrection of the dead.” – “We firmly believe, and hence we hope that, just as Christ is truly risen from the dead and lives forever, so after death the righteous will live forever with the risen Christ, and he will raise them up on the last day. Our resurrection, like his own, will be the work of the Most Holy Trinity” [CCC #989]
“And I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.” – “Those who die in God’s grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live forever with Christ.” [CCC #1023] “This perfect life with the Most Holy Trinity—this communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels and all the blessed—is called “heaven.” Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness.” [CCC #1024]
“Amen.” –So be it! Like the great Amen after the consecration during the Mass, our Amen testifies to this great confession of faith. It’s a final “I Believe It!” “The Creed, like the last book of the Bible, Revelation, [Rev. 22:21] ends with the Hebrew word ‘amen’.” [CCC #1061] It confirms the “I believe”; it “expresses solidity, trustworthiness, faithfulness.” [CCC #1062] Paul in Sacred Scriptures says Jesus is the Amen. “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.” [CCC #1065]
The Church has given us, through the Creed, a way to be reminded and refreshed in the proclamation of our faith. These “Truth Loops” pass through the ages to feed and sustain us. We encourage you to pause and ponder as you repeat these words each Sunday at Mass.
You have been listening to “Truth Loops” on the “Truth of the Spirit”. I am your host, Patti Brunner. You can access this information on PatriarchMinistries.com/218. We invite you to our YouTube channel and to subscribe and come back for more. With the Holy Spirit there’s always more! Amen.
Also see:
https://PatriarchMinistries.com/216 Finding the Creator of Heaven and Earth
https://PatriarchMinistries.com/60 Basics of Salvation
