…the holy, catholic Church; the communion of saints…
In this first part of the 9th Article of the Creed, we are not speaking about the material church, we’re speaking about the Church, founded by Jesus through Peter and his Successors. It is our home and we, the faithful, are welcome. We unite in the one true Faith. We unite when we participate in the Sacraments. We become family.
I’m going to turn again to the Nicene Creed to expand on this unifying statement of the Creed and bring to the forefront the Four Marks or Attributes of our faith:
- One
- Holy
- Catholic
- Apostolic
Before moving to the “communion of saints”.
ONE
The Holy Spirit unites us, brings us into unity with one another and together we continue the mission of Jesus “to the ends of the earth”.
The Church is One – One God; One Faith; One Baptism; One True Religion; One assembly; One apostleship; One truth; One worship.
I’ve been gifted with being able to experience this One Church through my many travels around this beautiful world. No matter where I travel to, I find this ‘oneness’. I encounter the love of God through perfect strangers in foreign countries as they welcome me in to worship with them. I encounter Jesus in the Eucharist in small caves hidden under beautiful Basilicas and even on cruise ships. I heard Mass celebrated in many languages and yet it’s only a small limitation for me as God knows no limit to language. His message and His love reach beyond my human smallness.
This incredible Oneness is so unifying that it cannot be diluted or changed. It is True. It is my constant companion through life. I find that I can’t really separate myself from it. Even in my human weakness and failings, I Believe. This is where my true happiness comes from.
These past months have physically separated us from the True Religion, the assembly, the apostleship, the worship. Yet we have been given this incredible gift to seek and return to Jesus in the Eucharist through Mass. Albeit it can be a challenge. We are asked to register, to make sacrifices to attend outside of usual times and parishes – but again, Jesus is not limited to a church or a time. He is present in all the Tabernacles of the world and desires that we seek Him, come to Him and unite with Him.
We are filled with the one Spirit of Jesus – how can we be anything but “one Church?”
HOLY
Holy, Holy, Holy,
Lord God of Hosts
I thought I would look up the dictionary definition of the word ‘holy’. It’s an adjective which means ‘dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred.’
God who is holiness itself could not have given us a Church, a faith that was not holy. Our doctrine is Holy, our Sacraments are Holy, our worship is Holy. We are dedicated and consecrated to God.
Isn’t it wonderful that this person I call me, is filled with the Holy Spirit? I could be such a force in this world! My faith could move mountains!
I invite you the next time you come into the church to stop for a moment and really breathe in this holy space. You are standing on Holy Ground. Take time to gaze upon everything that invites you to worship. Let your final gaze be upon the Tabernacle. Stay there for a while with Jesus, for Holy is His Name.
CATHOLIC
We are a universal Church. We are invited to reach out, not just live in the bubble. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to travel the world, but we are most certainly invited to reach out and share our faith with those we are close to and to those we encounter in our everyday life. When we hold on to the same Faith, the same doctrine, the same morality united with Rome we will also be gifted with hope, charity and grace.
A few years ago, I had open heart surgery. I was asked what religion I belonged to so I could be visited by a representative from that church. There, while I lay in my hospital bed, a priest came. He heard my confession, he brought Jesus, our Lord to me. We are universal, we are Catholic. We belong. We are united.
Two small letters – RC. Those small letters printed on my admission papers reminded me just how united we truly are. I am a Roman Catholic.
APOSTOLIC
Because the Church is rooted in the belief of the Apostles and continues their mission, she is called an ‘apostolic Church’. She is built on the ‘foundation of the apostles’; Jesus Christ is the cornerstone (Eph. 2:20), and the Holy Spirit unites her.
Can you name the Apostles?
Oh…wouldn’t it have been something to walk with Jesus? To talk to Him. To listen to Him speak. To follow Him. To eat and drink with Him.
Well, we can and we do! He is present with us now. We can walk with Him, talk to Him, listen to Him, eat and drink with Him and follow Him. He invites us to this intimate relationship and all we have to do is spend one hour with Him! Come to Mass….come and be with Our Lord.
The 12 apostles had a personal intimate relationship with Jesus while He was on earth. We find the foundational teachings in the Bible. They were courageous, stubborn, funny, passionate, filled with integrity, compassionate, men of action and faith, and they loved Jesus. They carried the One, Truth Faith truly to the ends of the earth.
- Peter – a fisherman doing his missionary work among the Jews. Crucified upside down on a cross.
- James the Elder – a fisherman preached in Jerusalem and Judea. First apostle martyred
- John – the beloved – a fisherman and preached to the churches of Asia Minor and banished to Patmos. Died of natural causes
- Andrew – a fisherman – preached in Greece and Asia Minor. Crucified on an X-shaped cross
- Bartholomew (Nathanael) – – a missionary and a scholar – preached in Phrygia, Hierapolis, Armenia and India. Flayed alive with knives
- James the Lesser – preached in Palestine and Egypt. Sawn in pieces
- Judas – the treasurer – the betrayer. Hung himself.
- Jude (Thaddeus) – a fisherman – preached in Assyria and Persia. Killed with arrows.
- Matthew (Levi) – a tax collector – the first to write down the teachings of Jesus. Martyred in Ethiopia.
- Philip – a fisherman – preached in Phrygia and Hierapolis. Died by hanging.
- Simon – a fisherman. Died a martyr’s death.
- Thomas – preached in Parthia, Persia and India. Killed with a spear.
- Matthias – (replaced Judas) – preached in Caspian and Cappadocia
Am I a disciple of Jesus? Do I find in the challenge to follow Him a certain peace? A certain joy? I may not be called to a martyr’s death, but I am called to be a witness.
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS
This phrase in Article 9 can be confusing. This one teaches and defines that all the members of the Church – those in heaven, on earth and in purgatory, are in communion with each other. We are one body in Jesus Christ. We can define this as the Church Triumphant (Heaven), the Church Militant (Earth) and the Church Suffering (Purgatory).
Let’s begin with the communion of the faithful on earth. We profess the same faith, obey the same authority, and assist each other with our prayers and good works.
We are in communion with the Saints in heaven as we honor them as glorified members of the church – we also can pray to them and they can pray for us.
We are in communion with the souls in purgatory as we can offer our prayers and good works for them so as to lessen their time in purgatory.
I believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in heaven, altogether forming one Church; and I believe that in this communion, the merciful love of God and his saints is always attentive to our prayers.