Recent Bulletin Sermons

Series on the Mass: Part 21: The Creed, conclusion
May 31 2020

The Creed continued: “He was crucified also for us, suffered under Pontius Pilate, and was buried.” The mention of Pontius Pilate gives an historic fact and dates the events. Our Lord is God and Man and so as man, He truly suffered and died for us. As a Divine person, He could make reparation for the infinite harm we caused Him by our sins. When He expired on the Cross, His soul was separated from the body and, on the third day, His body and soul were reunited and He arose from the dead and ascended into Heaven. He fulfilled all these things according to the Scriptures and the prophesies that He had given concerning His death and resurrection. His ascension into Heaven brings Him to the right hand of the Father and from there He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

In the next section we profess belief in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life. This section of the Creed clearly affirms the divinity of the Holy Spirit, and underlines His origin as proceeding from the Father and the Son. He is God, equal to the Father and Son, and thus the adoration that is given Him is the same as that for the Father and Son. At the mention of the adoration of the Holy Spirit, we bow our heads, just as we did at the mention of God at the beginning of the Creed and at the mention of our Lord’s holy name. For the verse that mentions the incarnation, we genuflect. These are all signs of adoration that are given to God.

The end of the Creed gives precisions concerning the Church and the four marks by which we can recognize it: one, holy, catholic and apostolic. There is also mentioned baptism for the remission of sins, for this sacrament is necessary to be incorporated into the Body of Christ and to obtain salvation. Finally, we profess our resurrection from the dead and life everlasting. All these articles should give us pause, if we pray the Creed with devotion and attention, so that we should be constantly trying to live a holy life in line with the articles we profess.

Sincerely in Christ,
Rev. Charles Van Vliet, FSSP
Pastor, Regina Caeli Parish