Pastoral Reflection: Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026
The Nicene Creed is a summary of the Church’s beliefs. It was formed at the First and Second Ecumenical Councils in the fourth century. The Creed gave the Church a clear way to express what Christians had received from the Apostles and believed from the beginning. It tells us who God is and what He has done for our salvation.
When we say the Creed together, we are doing more than reciting a checklist of doctrines. We are saying “yes” to the God who has revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We confess that the Son of God became man for us, was crucified, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and will come again. We also confess our faith in the Holy Spirit, the Church, baptism (and by extension all the Holy Mysteries). Finally, we express our sincere expectation for "the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come."
The Creed also reminds us that Christianity is not a private spirituality that we define for ourselves. We receive the "Faith of the Apostles" as members of the Church, and we confess that Faith together. When we say, “I believe,” each of us makes the faith our own. But we are saying the same Creed with the whole Church. Our personal faith is part of a shared life in Christ and a Faith that has been handed down to us from the earliest di sciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.
With love in Christ,
Comments