"I believe in a God who is totally loving," I remember saying. And the more I think about it, the more true that is. God IS love. We know that from the Scriptures. But it's only recently that that's been becoming clear to me. For so long, I thought "God loves everyone else, but He CERTAINLY can't love ME! My sins are so horrible and I'm so persistent in my sinning that he can't POSSIBLY love me. Sure, there's resurrection for everyone else, but for me? No way." Well, over the Christmas Holiday, I was able to begin to come to terms with sin and realize that God DOES love us, and waits for us patiently. I think "patient love" is a better term that "unconditional love." Unconditional (to me) indicates a lack of concern; God is surely concerned about us and about our choice to follow or not to follow him. But he does love patiently, always waiting for ME to make the choice to come back to HIM. Only when I am in Him can I state:
I believe in one God, the Father,
There's no way I can believe in God if I don't put him first! There are so many other things that lead me away from His love and grace. Sin is dangerous since it makes me "choose" between our heavenly Father and our earthly wants. So often, what appears crucial isn't. I can survive, and if I believe in God, He will lead me away from sin and temptation. But I must try, and cry out "ABBA! Father!" to Him in every situation when I need that help.
the Almighty maker of heaven and earth, of all things seen and unseen.
God gave us everything, and we must see Him in everything and everyone. I truly believe this, and as such, must strive to see God in all things. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriem! AMDG! To the greater glory of God!
I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven:
I always think of Jesus as the perfect role model. He truly came to save me and to be with me and to experience humanity, yet was at the same time fully divine. He came so that I may see the Truth and the Light; even after 2000 years, His message shines forth through the holy Word, and I am made whole by it. He preached the Good News, the Gospel, and it is my duty to live that Gospel and spread it by my own actions and words. If I seek to emulate Jesus and believe his message, I will be reunited with my heavenly Father when I finally shed these earthly trappings. I can only accomplish that, though, if I ask "What would Jesus do?" Constant evaluation of my life and reliance on Him is the key.
By the power of the holy spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
The Holy Spirit. The Paraclete. The Helper. The Encourager. It gives me strength when my strength is gone. It is true power. I receive protection from my holy Mother Mary, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Church. She can pray for me when my will is weak. And knowing that God became man, I am encouraged that it is possible to live life in accord with my holy Father's will.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried.
Look at that pain that I have caused my Lord! My sins are the nails in His hands and feet, the spear in His side. But in His coming, I can rest assured that he took away sin, so that I will not suffer eternal damnation. In His total self-giving, He saved me and everyone else in this human situation. Would that the world were perfect and He didn't have to die. But He did, and I must be ever aware of that and the reasons why.
On the third day, he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
Look at the love of God! He brought his son out of the land of the dead and brought Him to Himself. If I do not believe that, then "I am a pitiable person indeed."
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
He does reign and He does see every corner of my soul, even those that I want to hide from Him. But He comes in glory, not in wrath, for He wants me and all sinners to choose (and a choice it is) to be with him forever.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets.
One God in three persons. What a mystery. But as a child of God, I must accept this and other mysteries. That's called "faith." And I also have faith that the Bible is genuinely God's word since its stories are true and its words inspired. The Holy Spirit is the inspiration, the tongue of God, speaking through all those that will listen. There are modern day prophets through whom He speaks that I must listen, and I must be open to God speaking prophetically through me.
I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
One day, God will bring all His children together into his singular Church. Until then, I pray that all people may be inspired by the Holy Eucharist, by the true presence of Jesus Christ in it, and come to truly understand it. Until that day, unity will not be achieved.
I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
In baptism, the stains of Original sin are washed away. I will certainly sin throughout my life, but in constant prayer and the sacraments, those sins, too, are forgiven. Once in the Lord, the spirit is upon me, and that can NEVER be washed away. How lucky I am!
I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come.
I will be reunited with God when my life has run its course. I will be born into a new life, a new and amazing one where I will see all the follies of this one and come into true knowledge. I will live in that knowledge forever. The great hug will never end.
Amen.
This is my statement. This is what I believe. This is the center of my faith and the center of my being. I believe all that is expressed here and have made these things my own in my heart. I firmly accept and renew my baptismal promises, and will attempt to do everything in my power to bring about the Kingdom of God and to thwart satan and his evil powers.
There's so much more that I can say, but only so many words in the English language. How can one adequately express awe? I don't think it's entirely possible.