Episode Transcript  

One

They Had to Leave

Maybe you have noticed this and wondered what is going on. At Sunday Mass, after the readings and the homily, those who are preparing to come into the Catholic Church are dismissed, and they leave. The Catholics remain, and those who are preparing are dismissed. They are not yet admitted to the Eucharistic sacrifice. Then fast forward to the Easter Vigil. After months or even years of preparation, the moment finally arrives. Those not yet baptized renounce Satan and are asked, “Do you believe in God, the Father almighty…? Do you believe in Jesus Christ…? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit…?”

“I do.” They respond. Then they are baptized. And now, for the first time, they remain with the faithful for the Eucharist. Same with those who were baptized but not Catholic: before they can receive Confirmation and the Eucharist, they must make a profession of faith, “I believe and profess all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.”

Then they may receive the sacraments. Something has changed. What?

Two

The Creed Stands at the Door

This helps us understand where the Creed stands in the Mass. God has just spoken to us through the Liturgy of the Word. Now we must respond. “Okay, Lord, I believe you; I trust you; I give my assent to what you have revealed.” That is why right after the Homily in which the priest explains the readings we profess the Creed. Credo in Latin means “I believe.” Only after that profession do we move into the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

So the Creed is not an interruption between the homily and the “important part” of Mass. It stands like a doorway between the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

God speaks. We hear. We make the choice to believe. Then we enter into Christ's sacrifice and into Communion with Christ in the Eucharist.

Three

What Does “I Believe” Really Mean?

Faith is much more than saying, “I think these statements are correct.” God reveals himself so we can share His life and have communion with Him.

By faith we say, “I believe You are God. I believe You cannot deceive or be deceived. Therefore, everything You have revealed is true. So, I believe You.” And the Creed summarizes the whole Catholic faith we have received.

In practical terms, when we profess the Creed, we are embracing the whole Catholic faith, the faith laid out for us in the Catechism. We are saying: This is what I believe. This is the truth upon which I am staking my life. But that is not all that faith means; there is one more important step for it to be real faith.

Four

If I Believe It, I Must Live It

But biblical faith cannot be separated from life. Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” St. James says, “Faith without works is dead.”

Of course we will sometimes fail. We sin. We fall. We need Confession and constant conversion. But we cannot authentically say, “I believe,” while simultaneously saying, “I have no intention of following this or that teaching of the Catholic Church.”

Faith means: I hear what God teaches through the Church. I believe Him. And I commit myself to living what He has revealed. That is what Credo demands of us.

Five

I Believe—Therefore I Give You My Life

And now we can see why the Creed comes immediately before the Liturgy of the Eucharist. God has revealed Himself in the Liturgy of the Word. We answer, “I believe.” And then comes the offertory. We bring forward bread and wine, but ultimately we are bringing ourselves.

The movement of the Mass becomes: God speaks, “Here is My truth.” We answer in the Creed, “I believe You. I accept what You have revealed. I will live by it.” Then at the Offertory, we say, “Because I believe You, I give You my life.” And ultimately Jesus responds by giving us His life, His Body and Blood.

Today, when you say the Creed, make it an expression of your gift of self in faith, or if you have already been to Mass, say it slowly on your own. Make the Creed a personal act of surrender: “Jesus, I believe You. I embrace everything You have revealed through Your Church, and I commit myself to living it. I give You my life. Please give me the love and strength to live it!”

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