The Nicene Creed – Changes #8 – I confess; I look forward to
This Week’s Focus on the Change by Fr. James Chelich
“I confess” “I look forward to”
“Confess” means get your faith out of the enclosure of your mind and give it expression in word, action and in your very being. We are to do more than simply believe in our Baptism, we are to “confess it.” Your Baptism should be expressed in the things you do, and in the woman or man you are striving to be. Saint Paul writes:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as [being] dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:4, 10-11)
Confessing our Baptism is living our lives in a way that becomes an invitation for others to try it on themselves.
“Look forward to,” is again a stronger expression than simple, “I believe.” “I believe,” can easily reduce itself to an intellectual proposition: “Yeah, I think that’s an interesting idea. I’m willing to accept that it might happen. If it did, it would be OK with me.”
“Look forward to,” makes us think about how we are living our lives day to day: Are we living them in a way that truly is looking forward to “resurrection and the life of the world to come?” Do our priorities and choices indicate that we are looking forward to “resurrection and the life of the world to come?”
The New Roman Missal
The Nicene Creed
Part 1 – The Creed and “I believe…”
Part 2 – …consubstantial with the Father
Part 3 – Was incarnate of the Virgin Mary
Part 4 – of all things visible and invisible
Part 5 – the only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages
Part 6 – he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day, in accordance with the Scriptures.
Part 7 – who has spoken through the Prophets.
Part 8 – I confess; I look forward to