…and in life everlasting.
Article 11 and 12 are intimately connected. For it is with the resurrection that comes life everlasting.
There is a lot of theology that goes into these four words.
At my death, my immortal soul will be separated from my body and I will be judged. There’s always the nervous giddiness and jesting when we talk about heaven or hell – will I go up or down? Well, at my moment, I will know, and I will not be able to do anything about it. That’s what my life here on earth is all about – returning to the Father.
On my way to the Father comes that state of purification when my soul will be cleansed from all remaining stain of sin. Purgatory. Only then I will be prepared for my union with God in Heaven.
I sure don’t want to go “down”! An everlasting separation from God – and one that I chose. Hell. My persistence to live in mortal sin without repentance will bring me there. Thank you, my God for the gift of repentance and forgiveness.
Ahh…to be in a perfect and everlasting union with God and all those who are united in Christ. I think I choose “up”. Heaven. But I have to work on that. It will not come to me without my cooperation, without my “yes” to God’s call to me to be His witness, to do His good works. I have to come to Him in humility through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, to seek Him in His Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and be with Him in His Holy Church.
An image comes to me of standing on a cliff and calling out, waiting for an echo to return to me. No precipice – no call – no answer. My everyday is lived on that cliff and I don’t know when I will fall. All I have to do is call out to God. He will answer me. And when I do fall, if I choose to live in Him, He will be there to catch me.
At the end of all time, my body will be reunited with my soul. It’s a good thing there are “many rooms in my Father’s house”. (John 14:2)
Everlasting is a very long time. God willing, may my prayer be answered that my everlasting will be in one of those rooms.
We can’t forget about Amen.
The Creed is a hymn of praise of God.
We thank Him as our Father for all that we are and all that we have.
In Jesus, He has given the world salvation and peace.
In the working of His Spirit He urges us to pass on by word and deed, his kindness, and His love.
The Creed is enclosed by the words ‘I believe’ and ‘Amen’. It cannot be recited without expressing trust in God’s relationship with man and without a strengthening of our own life. It is this trust in the living and life-giving God that we express by “Amen”, the last word of the Creed. Our last word “It is so”. “I believe”.
Thank you for journeying with me these past six weeks through our Creed.