The words “I believe,” which suggest a commitment of the mind, do not quite capture the original meaning of the word credo. Based on a word for “heart,” credo more literally means, “I give my heart to.” And the heart in this case represents the total person, not just the mind. So when we say the creed, we are committing our total person to the realities expressed in that prayerful statement of faith.
Two creeds have taken on particular significance in the Catholic Church: the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed. Please read the of both Creeds, which can be found in the Downloadable Guide (page #4).
People who were preparing for baptism in the early centuries of the Christian Church learned a short summary of what Christians believe. One version became accepted as the Apostles’ Creed, because it was thought to include the essential teaching of the 12 apostles, Jesus’ earliest followers. It was into that faith of the apostles that Christians were, and are, baptized. The Apostles’ Creed is therefore a summary of what the Church teaches, and of what Christians together believe.
The Nicene Creed is a more detailed summary of what the whole Church believes about the great doctrines of the Christian faith. It begins with the statement: “I believe…” The Nicene Creed uses the same threefold structure as the Apostles’ Creed but goes into more depth and detail. This is the creed we proclaim during the celebration of Sunday Mass.
As we say the Creed, we join Christians past and present, and from all over the world, in proclaiming our common faith.
Creed Quiz
Complete the Creedal Knowledge: Test yourself on the Apostles’ and Nicene Creed a 20 question quiz to prepare you for Part Two: Explore. The quiz is found in theDownloadable Guide(page #5 – 6)or by clicking the link above.
After you complete the quiz, review your responses to the answers (found on page 7 of the downloadable guide). Think about your responses and record them in your journal:
- Were you surprised by how much you knew about the creeds and how they are used in the life of the Church?
- Did you learn something new about the creeds?