by Sister Guadalupe Maria Cervantes, PCI Contributor
Sister Guadalupe Maria Cervantes, PCI is a member of the Pax Christi Institute.
We have heard proclaimed the joyous Gospel tidings, the living and risen Jesus spoke to us in the words of Scripture. He has told us that he came to seek and to save. He has exhorted us to carry our cross after him if we wish to be his disciples. He has given proofs of his goodness and love. He has told us of the beauty of heaven and the reward awaiting those who strive to attain it. We have listened to a homily that explains to us the Word of God and relates it to our needs and hopes.
Still under the wondrous spell of his great miracles, his sublime teaching and his divine example, and as part of the Liturgy of the Word, the congregation with joy cries out: “I believe.” There is no more appropriate time than now to pour forth to Jesus the beautiful profession of our faith. Truly, the faithful soul must out of necessity break forth in jubilation: “My Lord and my God, I believe in You, I believe in Your Word.”
The Church gives us a prayer to recite as our response. It is a prayer composed by the fathers of two councils–Nicaea in 325 and Constantinople in 381. From the very beginning of Christianity, candidates were asked to make an act of faith before Baptism. As time went on it became clear that there was need of a creed so that faith truths could be expressed more completely. The bishops composed a summary of what Christians truly believe: a creed (a word that comes from the first words of a creed in Latin Credo–I believe).
We begin by renewing our faith in God our Father, who created the world and gave us life and a soul at our conception. Praise the Father for our gift of life and for creating us in his image and likeness.
As we affirm one faith in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Mary, we acknowledge his divinity and humanity. The Church asks us to bow our heads at the words about the incarnation of Jesus Christ because the most solemn moment of history deserves an act of reverence from us.
Our continued reflection on the saving work of Jesus includes his passion, death, resurrection and second coming. The whole process is called the “paschal mystery” because Jesus passes through death to life for our sakes. It is mystery because we can only know it with faith and this truth needs to be revealed to us.
The Creed leads us to an act of faith in the Holy Trinity and what each divine person does for us. The Spirit is God and gives us divine life, the gift of faith, and all the graces we need to be living and courageous witnesses to Christ.
Finally, we are asked to renew our faith in the Church and the sacraments. Christ gave us the Church and the sacraments to assure us that we would have a way to receive the gifts of salvation throughout our journey to God. The Creed concludes with the call to believe in our resurrection from the dead and eternal life in heaven.
General Intercessions: Prayers of the Faithful The Liturgy of the Word concludes with a series of prayers for the needs of the Church, the local parish and each member of the worship assembly. The General Instruction for the Roman Missal says that in the Prayers of the Faithful, we exercise our priestly role in interceding for all of humanity. Our minds are often filled with images of suffering from around the world. As Catholics we should never forget that it is our duty to intercede endlessly on behalf of all people.