Do You Believe?

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.” – The Apostle’s Creed

It was believed throughout the Middles Ages that the Apostles composed this Creed on the day of Pentecost, while still under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, with each Apostle contributing. If you believe in these profound statements, and profess them with words, then your actions should reflect these beliefs.  

The word communion means “an act of sharing.”  This prayer speaks of the “communion of the saints,” but not just specifically representing the Lord's Supper and Holy Communion, where believers come together to remember Jesus’ sacrifice through the bread and the wine.  The “communion of the saints” represents believers in the past, present and future who share a common salvation in Jesus Christ. This means that we share this blessing with those who have passed from this world, through the death of their bodies, and live in the presence of Christ. Those who will come after us will also have this same salvation. Scripture says, “We have been forgiven through His death and saved by His life.” –Romans 5:10. – and – “We have become God's handiwork to do good works that He has prepared for us.” – Ephesians 2:10.

This first-century theological formula from the Apostles, taught by the authority of Jesus, should be a guide for us.  We should be grateful for how life begins and take seriously the preparation for the end of our life on earth.  

Realizing that the “communion of saints” includes your loved ones who have died, those you love today, and those who are yet to be born, doesn’t it make you want to bring your family and all the people you love to Mass with you to celebrate?  What better gift of grace could you offer them?  

There are people hurting. If they understood that the grace of God sustains those who suffer, and if people were open to receiving His healing, there would be less pain.  Jesus taught us that suffering is redemptive. 

The Church is always there for us; we are blessed with His grace in our Baptism, nourished by the Eucharist, healed by the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and strengthened by the covenant made in the Sacrament of Marriage – but you must come and participate to receive the gifts.    

We celebrated the Feast of St. John Paul II on Oct. 22 – a great example of suffering with Christ.  In 1980, when he was the Holy Father, he convened the first Synod of the Family; and afterward he wrote a document addressed to families titled Familiaris Consortio, or family partnership, which was “The Role of Christian Family in the Modern World.”  

In this exhortation he spells out the expectations of the family involving religion in daily life, relating it to the Catholic sacraments, particularly marriage. He mentions social media, where ideas and solutions may be appealing, but can darken the truth and dignity of the human person.  Consider the changes in the world since that time in 1980, especially in “social media.”   Thirty-four years later, people cannot function without it; and in some cases young people are truly led into darkness by obscured truths about life.  

The most recent Extraordinary Synod of Bishops, which just concluded as the prelude to the general Synod of Bishops in October 2015, addressed the pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelization. There are people wanting change in the Church who remain indignant because it is not happening in matters of marriage and family.  

I pray that, like St. John Paul II, families will partner together to understand what we truly profess in the Church and why – but most importantly that people will allow the Sacraments of Catholic Church to help them heal.  I believe! Amen!