Five Ways to Put Your Heart into the Creed
(Maura Thompson Haggarty)
If you ever have difficulty putting your heart into the Creed, here are five suggestions.
- If you yearn to pray using other words, spend some time outside of Mass thinking about the text of the Creed and expressing the same beliefs in your own words. You may find that your prayer using the ancient words will gradually become deeper and more meaningful.
- Think about how vast the world is and the fact that the Nicene Creed is said by Christians that span the globe. Imagine yourself in communion with all of these people.
- Remember the Creed is not claiming any special status for the Catholic Christians and that when our prayer talks about the wonderful qualities of the Church – one, holy, catholic, and apostolic -we are not bragging about ourselves. Our prayer is uttered with the hope that we will recognize what God has given to us and that we will become more and more the people that God calls us to be.
- Keep in mind that when we recite the Creed at Mass we are at prayer. Reflect on these words from the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “To say the Credo with faith is to enter into communion with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and also with the whole Church which transmits the faith to us and in whose midst we believe” (CCC 197).
- Think about the Creed’s context in Mass. Its placement after the readings and the homily is deliberate. When we recite the Creed, we are responding in faith to the Word of God we have just heard. This leads us to the liturgy of the Eucharist that will follow.
Writing Your Own Creed
Spend some time integrating what you have learned about the Nicene Creed by creating your own contemporary creed. Use your own words and imagery to describe what you believe. Develop your creed in four sections:
- What I believe about God. . .
- What I believe about Jesus. . .
- What I believe about the Holy Spirit. . .
- What I believe about the Church. . .
Below are two examples of contemporary creeds. Click on the triangle to open the section to review the examples.
Example of a Creed
We believe in God, the Creator!
Maker of everything,
Author of the Universe,
And Mystery behind every matter.
We believe in Jesus Christ!
God from God, Light from Light, true God and true human,
One with the Creator.
He is the Word made flesh and the Savior of all creation!
We believe in the Holy Spirit!
Breath of God moving among us,
One with the Creator and one with Christ,
He is our Guide and the Mentor of all creation!(Copyright Andreas Wagner. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.)
Example of a Creed
We believe in God the Creator, who created and is creating everything: the universe, the world, the plants and animals, and us; each of us, unique, individual and beloved of God.
We believe in God the Christ, who saved and is saving everything: the universe, the world, the plants and animals, and us: each of us; unique, individual and beloved of the Christ.
We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who guided and is guiding everything: the universe, the world, the plants and animals, and us; each of us, unique, individual and beloved of the Spirit.
We believe that this one God in three persons, is present among us, working directly in our lives and the lives of all who are born into this world, striving to bring us back into harmony with all creation and with God: forgiving, healing, touching everyone, never rejecting any who willingly receive this freely offered gift of love and grace and eternal life. Amen.
(Creed by Lisa Frenz. Copyright Andreas Wagner. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.)