On a regular basis, Christians around the world are referred to as “believers,” moreover, we Christians also refer to ourselves as “believers.”
There are millions of people around the world who believe in some kind of higher power, so what is so unique about our Catholic belief? The “who” and “what” of our Catholic faith is described well in the Nicene Creed which we Catholics profess at Holy Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.
Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has encouraged all Catholics to study the Vatican II documents, the Scriptures and the Catechism of the Catholic Church with renewed vigor during this Year of Faith.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us, “‘To believe’ has thus a twofold reference: to the person and to the truth: to the truth, by trust in the person who bears witness to it’.” (CCC 177) It is fitting and appropriate to reflect more closely on what and Who we believe, during this Year of Faith.
Mother Church teaches us that the Nicene Creed “draws its great authority from the fact that it stems from the first two ecumenical councils in 325 and 381. It remains common to all the great Churches of both East and West to this day.” (CCC 195)
Before delving into the words of the Nicene Creed, let us first look at its origin and credibility. The teaching authority which gave us the words to the Nicene Creed is referred to as the “magisterium.” When we hear or read the word “Tradition” with a capital “T,” it usually refers to the magisterium.
The Church’s magisterium, or teaching authority, established the canon of the 27 books of the New Testament in 393 A.D. at the Council of Hippo and in 397 A.D. at the Council of Carthage. We give the teaching authority and Tradition of the Church, the magisterium, as much credence as we do to the authority of Scripture, which reminds us, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle.” (2 Thes 2:15)
The Nicene Creed is a high expression of the Church’s Tradition and magisterium; a prayerful study of it will help us on the path to learning and holiness.
In this reflection, we will begin by considering the first words of the Nicene Creed: “I believe in One God.” The first word of the Nicene Creed tells us that this God is a personal God, not an abstract one. The Latin word “Credo” means, “I believe,” which is from where we get the word “creed.” Something has to first be “mine” if I am to later share it with “them” or others, therefore, one must first be able to say, “I believe” before “we believe.”
Some have written that the word “credo” comes from the Latin word “cor” which means heart, and the Latin variations “dare: do, das, dat” which mean “to give.” “I give my heart” they say is the original meaning of “credo.” Unfortunately, many scholars dismiss this word origin as wishful thinking. Even if this is so by linguistic standards, the fact that we must believe with our whole hearts in the God of the Nicene Creed is irrefutable.
Saint Augustine tells us that we cannot love what we do not know, and Saint Anselm is known for the famous statement: “I do not seek to understand so that I may believe, but I believe so that I may understand, and what is more I believe that ‘unless I do believe I shall not understand’.” The Creed is not a magical formula for infusing one with faith; rather, it clarifies and bolsters one’s faith. The Nicene Creed helps us to understand our faith better, and in understanding our faith better, we are then able to love the God of our faith more profoundly.
The “I” in “I believe” sets a personal tone, and the believer should subsequently profess in the same personal way the psalmist does in Psalm 63:2: “O God, you are my God–it is you I seek! For you my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts, in a land parched, lifeless, and without water.” (Emphasis added) The interplay between “I” and “you” or “you” and “my” in the psalmist’s expression is the same interplay that God is inviting us to when we profess the Creed.
We proceed now to the remaining words of the first phrase, namely: “I believe in one God.” During Lent of 1273, Saint Thomas Aquinas presented sermons on the Apostle’s Creed in which he said, “We see that the sun, moon and stars, as well as all natural matters, have a determined pattern, which would not happen if they were issuing from chance. Thus if there were anyone who would not believe God to be, such a one would be foolish according to the Psalm: ‘the stupid man said in his heart: there is no God’.” (Ps 14:1)
Saint Thomas appeals to order, which leads to God who is the ordering principle¬. Thomas invokes the authority of Scripture, inviting us not to be unbelieving in the one God, like the fool in Psalm 14.
Saint Thomas’ reflection on the Apostle’s Creed starts with the intellect, and then journeys deeper into matters of the heart and soul. Exploring the explanation of our faith with intellects, free wills and loving hearts is exactly what Pope Benedict is asking of us during this Year of Faith. An intellectual study of the Nicene Creed, without loving hearts and assenting wills, would only be a trivial academic exercise.
God tells us “You believe that God is one. You do well. Even the demons believe that and tremble. Do you want proof, you ignoramus, that faith without works is useless?” (Jas 2:19-20) May our faith inspire us on to a deeper understanding of what we profess to believe, and may our increased understanding help us to love God more fully in how we behave.