Question: What do we believe concerning the Holy Spirit?
Answer: We believe that the Holy Spirit is true God (Acts 5:3-4), the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity (Mt 28:19), proceeding from the Father and the Son (Jn 14:16, 26) as from one sprinkle (1Jn 5:7 KJV / 1Cor 12:4-6).
In many places of Scripture, the Holy Spirit is spoken of as a person and divine perfections are attributed to him. Here we may mention the solemn charge of our Lord to the apostles: “Go, therefore, teach ye all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19). In this text the Holy Spirit is mentioned on the same plane with the Father and the Son, and as they are God and divine persons, so is He, God and a Divine Person.
Lk 12:10-12 - “But he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him…, do not become anxious about how or what you should speak in your defense, or what you should say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
The Holy Spirit is God - and the Church has always believed in the divinity of the Holy Spirit, and all the noted profession of faith contained this doctrine. The first council of Constantinople, A.D. 381, condemned the Macedonians, who adhered to the heretical doctrine that the Holy Spirit was not God. The Athanasian Creed says: “The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, not made nor created not begotten, but proceeding.” The Father and the Son did not, however, exist before the Holy Spirit; He proceeds from them from all eternity (Jn 14:16, 26). The Greek heresy from the time of Potius, the unlawful patriarch of Constantinople, in the ninth century, the separated Greek Church has held that the Holy Spirit proceeds only from the Father, and not also from the Son. This heresy was condemned by the Church.
Question: What are the attributes of the Holy Spirit?
Answer: The Holy Spirit, because He is God, is eternal, omnipresent, all-knowing, and almighty.
a. The Holy Spirit is God - Acts 5:3-4; Mt 12:31-32
b. The Holy Spirit is eternal - Heb 9:14
c. The Holy Spirit is omnipresent - Ps 139:7-13 KJV
d. The Holy Spirit is all-knowing - 1Cor 2:10-11
e. The Holy Spirit is almighty - Lk 1:35; Rom 8:10-11, 15
The Third Person is called Holy Spirit, from the Latin spiritus, a breath, because He is, as it were, breathed forth by the Father and the Son. He is called holy because he proceeds from the will of the Father and the Son, and this will and its acts are all holy. Other names of the Holy Spirit are: “Holy Ghost,” “the Spirit,” “the Spirit of Truth,” “Love,” “Substantial Love of Father and Son,” “Substantial Holiness,” “The Gift”, “The Paraclete” - that is “the Patron and Consoler.” (Jn 14:16, 26, 16:13; Heb 9:14)
Question: When does the Church commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit?
Answer: The Church commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost or Whitsunday. Pentecost is a Greek word meaning the fiftieth day, and we celebrate the feast on the fiftieth day after Easter. The Jews also had a religious feast at the same time, called by the name. (Acts 2:1-4)
Question: Is the Holy Spirit sent by the Father and the Son?
Answer: Yes, as the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son He is said to be sent by Them in the works He performs. (Jn 14:15-16, 26)
The mission of the Holy Spirit is to sanctify the individual soul and to teach, guide and preserve the Church. “The charity of God is poured forth in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given to us” (Rom 5:5). “If I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (Jn 16:7). “When He, the Spirit of truth, will come He will teach you all truth” (Jn 16:13).
Question: When is the Holy Spirit given to us?
Answer: In Holy Baptism. While the Holy Spirit is given to us always in sanctifying grace, He is given in a special way in the sacrament of confirmation (Acts 19:6, 8:17-19) and holy orders (Jn 20:21-23), and when he comes with a copious outpouring of graces and gifts (1Cor 12:4-9).
Question: What is meant by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?
Answer: When the Holy Spirit comes to pour forth sanctifying grace in our soul, He himself remains or abides within us as long as we do not drive him out by seen. This inhabiting of our soul is called “the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1Cor 3:16, 6:19, 20, 2:10-15). We drive Him out when we commit a mortal sin.
Question: What are some of the special and extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit?
Answer: Some of the special and extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit are the gifts of tongues and the power of working miracles.
The gifts of tongues and the power of miracles are special gifts principally for the benefit, not for the recipient, but of others, and they were quite frequent on the apostolic days and even later. There are two forms in which the gift of tongues is bestowed:
The first is to speak a language one has never learned. (1Cor 14:1-19)
To speak in one’s own language and be understood by persons who do not know that language. (Acts 2:1-12)
St. Francis Xavier and St. Vincent Ferrer are said to have received occasionally the gift of tongues. Besides this gift, the first Christians obtained the power of working miracles, of healing, of prophesy, of seeing visions and similar favors. The Church has never been entirely deprived of these extraordinary graces, though they are not necessary now that the faith is spread visibly and generally throughout the world. In modern times, if we wish to read about miracles, we have only to open the biography of almost any canonized saints to learn how food and money were multiplied, the dying brought back to health, the dead sometimes raised to life, and similar wonderful deeds perform. The story of Lourdes is almost one continuous miracle. And as to favors in prayer, such as ecstasies, visions, and suspension in the air without support they have been more or less common in all ages of Christianity.
Question: What are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit?
Answer: The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are:
Question: What are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit?
Answer: The nine fruits of the Holy Spirit are (Gal 5:16-26)
love - 1Cor 13:1-13
joy - Phil 4:3-5, 10
peace - Phil 4:6-9
patient endurance - James 1:4, 5:11; 2Pet 1:5-7
kindness - Rom 11:22
generosity - Tob, Prov 22:9, Acts 28:34-35
faith - Heb 11:6; Mt 21:21-22
mildness - Mt 5:5; 1Cor 4:21
chastity or sexual purity - in dress (1Pet 3:1-7), looks (Mt 5:28-29), speak (Eph 5:4), intentions (Gen 39:7-12)
We can never repay the Holy Spirit for the grace of sanctification and for taking up his lodging within us. How consoling to reflect that any time, when in doubt, anxiety, or distress, we can have recourse to the Holy Spirit within our soul for counsel, comfort and aid! He is our best teacher and instructor, and is always at our hand. But, cheering at this thought is closely connected with it as the solemn warning: “If any man violate the temple of God, him shall God destroy. For the temple of God is Holy, which you are” (1Cor 3:17). By sin we defile ourselves, desecrate God’s temple, and expel the Holy Spirit. Let us “grieve not the Holy Spirit of God” by such conduct, but rather cultivate an intimate and trusting familiarity with him.
The Ninth Article of the Apostles’ Creed: “The Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints.”
Question: What is the importance of this article?
Answer: The lessons on the Catholic Church are among the most important in the study of the religion; for if we once admit that the Catholic Church is the true Church established by God to teach men infallibly the way to heaven and that he was commanded all men to be members of it, our way is clear. We know, then, just what we must believe and do to be saved. But if there is no true Church or we do not know which it is, we shall have no guide as to what we must believe or do to reach heaven.
The Bible is a historical document. It is just as worthy of belief as any other testimony of history.
Wis 6:22 - “I will tell you what wisdom is, and how she came to be, I will not keep anything secret. I will trace her history from the beginning, and make knowledge of her open to all. I will not ignore any part of the truth. (GNB)
Wis 8:8 - “Do you want to have wide experience? Wisdom knows the lesson of history and can anticipate the future. She knows how to interpret what people say and how to solve problems. She knows the miracles that God will perform, and how the movements of history will develop.” (GNB)
Census of Religious Bodies, 1936
History, Doctrine, and Organization
History
“The Holy Catholic Apostolic Roman Church, commonly known as the “Catholic Church, recognizes the Bishop of Rome as Pope, the vicar of Christ on earth, and the visible head of the Church. It dates its origin from the selection by Jesus Christ of the Apostle Peter as ‘Chief of the Apostles,’ and it traces its history through his successors in the bishopric of Rome.”1
From all history, both secular and profane, as well as from the Bible considered as a human document, we learn that Christ established a Church, which from the earliest times has been called Christ's Church (Mt 16:18), Church of God (Gal 1:13) Church of Judea (1Thes 2:14), Church of the Lord (Acts 20:28), Church of the First Born (Heb 12:23), Church in the wilderness (Acts 7:38), Church of Jerusalem (Acts 15:4) Church of Babylon (1Pet 5:13), Church of Rome (1Pet 5:13 Tyndale Bible), Church of the Living God (1Tim 3:15). Then as local churches grows in numbers, it was also biblically called Churches of Christ (Rom 16:16), Churches of the Pagan Nations or Churches of the Gentiles (Rom 16:4), Churches of God (1Cor 11:16), Churches of the Saints (1Cor 14:33 KJV), Churches of God’s people (1Cor 14:33 GNB).
Question: How did Christ proceed in founding His Church?
Answer: Christ taught a body of religious truths and precepts.
He chose twelve apostles, trained them, and bade them go and preach his doctrine. He gave them the same power as he had himself.
Jn 20:21 - “As the Father hath sent me, I also send you.”
He endowed His apostles with the power to offer sacrifice (Mt 26:26-28; Lk 22:19-20), to forgive sins (Jn 21:23), and to rule the Church (Acts 20:28). One of them (Peter) he made chief pastor over the others when he promised to build the Church upon him as on a rock (Mt 16:18-19), and when after the resurrection He said, “Feed my Lambs,” “Feed my sheep” (Jer 50:6, Jn 10: 16), He sent them forth to all nations (Mt 28:18-20) and promised salvation to all who believed what they taught, while to those who refused to believe He threatened with condemnation (Mk 16:15-16). He promised to be with the Church to the end of time (Mt 28:20; Lk 10:16, Mt 18:17-20).
Question: How did the Church carry out the commission of the Divine master?
Answer: The Apostles on the day of Pentecost began to preach and on the first day converted three thousand persons (cf. Acts 2:38-47), baptized them, and received into them Church. They then dispersed into various countries of the world, and everywhere they acted in the same manner, preaching Christ's doctrine, baptizing the believers, laying down precepts to be observed, organizing of the local bodies of the faithful, and appointing bishops (Acts 20:28; DV) and priests (Titus 1:5 DV) to rule over and minister unto them (Jn 21:15-17; Mt 28:18-20).
In other words, the Apostles, who had been taught and trained by Jesus and knew his mind, understood that Christ Jesus had founded a Church, a visible kingdom, which was to last forever till the end of time (Dan 2:44; Rev 5:10; Heb 3:1; 1Pet 2:5, 9). They helped this Church to organize and propagate in a large portion of the world, according as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:16, 26) notwithstanding threats, floggings, imprisonment, persecution, and difficulties of all kinds, they persevered, and finally sealed their belief in Christ and his doctrines by dying as martyrs for his religion.
Question: How is it that the Church of Christ is Catholic?
Answer: The true Church of Christ is Catholic because Christ intended His Church for all nations (Mk 16:15). The word Catholic is derived from a Greek word, and means “universal”. (Lk 4:14 - “Kai Feme Ekelthen Katholis Tes Perikorou”)
The Fathers of the Church call it “Catholic” because it exists at all times and because it opens its doors to all men. St Cyril of Jerusalem says: “It is Catholic because it is in the whole world”; and in the sense in which catholicity as a mark of the Church is generally taken. The Church of Christ was Catholic or universal from the beginning because, soon after the first Pentecost the Apostles dispersed into the various countries of the world, preaching the Gospel, so that even in his time St Paul could say of them:
Rom 10:18 - “Yes, verily, their sound hath gone forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the whole world.”
1Cor 14:23 - “Si ergo conveniat universa ecclesia (Universal Church) in unum.” (Latin Bible)
We have received without any merit on our part, the great grace of belonging to the true Church. How many there are outside the Catholic Church who perhaps would have made far better Catholics than we if they had our opportunities! We can best show our gratitude by becoming active, earnest Christians. Some Catholics, unfortunately, bring disgrace on the holy Mother, the Church, by their sinful lives, by lives deprived of examples of holiness. There is one mark of the Church, holiness in particular (Eph 5:26-27), which we can and should imitate and carry out in our lives by trying to become saints, as we are expected by our profession of faith (1Pet 1:15-16; Mt 5:48).
Question: What is the Communion of Saints?
Answer: The Communion of Saints is the spiritual union and intercourse between all the members of Church (1Cor 12:12-27)
Question: Between whom does the union exist?
Answer: This union exists between all Catholics on earth, the saints and angels in heaven, and the souls in purgatory (cf. Eph 5:23; Rev 8:3-4; 2Mac 12:41-45; Sir 7:33; Heb 12:22-24).
Men often pride themselves on the distinguished rank of their family, but is there any honor equal to that of having as brothers and sisters the great saints of all ages? We are members of the body of which Jesus Christ is the head (Col 1:18), and as such we always have the saints and angels of heaven at our beck and call (Tob 12:11-18; Rev 8:3-4; Acts 8:24). We now belong to the saints on earth, and one day, if we are faithful, we shall be princes in heavenly court (1Cor 14:33; Mt 22:30). We are already a part of the royal family now; and how should we be careful not to tarnish our high dignity! (Heb 12:12-24; Ps 8:4-6)
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS
This is one of the most consoling doctrines of the Catholic Church. We are not fighting our battle alone (1Cor 12:12-26).
The Church Militant (or, Pilgrim Church). This part of the Body of Christ is on exile, away from home; heaven is our home, and we are still trying to find way back home. That is why it is “militant” from the Latin “militare” which means “to walk”; we are on a journey, and heaven is our destination. In the meantime, we cooperate with grace, we do a lot of sacrifice and we do a lot of battles. We are fighting against the world, the flesh, and the devil (Rom 8:18-25, 7:14-25; Eph 6:10-18). We are assisted by the souls in purgatory and the saints in heaven. They help us by their prayers (Lk 16:27-28 / Rev 8:3-4 KJV). We owe a lot of gratitude to the suffering souls and to the saints. We can repay them by offering payers for the souls in purgatory (2Mac 12:41-45) and to honor and venerate the saints in heaven (Sir 44:1-2, 9-10, 14 / GNB).
The Church Suffering. The souls in purgatory are pleasing to God. They have conquered, but they have suffered spiritual wounds in the battle. Yet, they are anxious to help us their brothers, who are still in the fight (Eph 6:10-18). They plead with us to help them by our masses and prayers (2Mac 12:41-45). It is “purgatory” because it means “cleansing or purification”; and that’s exactly what is being done with our brethren prior to their entrance into glory.
Jn 5:15-17 - “And if we know that he hears us whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the request made by him. If anyone sees his brother committing what is not mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life - for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that we have to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal.” (Oxford Annotated Bible)
Jude 1:22-23 - “…save some, by snatching them out of the fire; on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” (Rev 19:6-8)
Wis 3:4-6 - “It might appear that they have suffered punishment, but they have confident hope of immortality. Their sufferings were minor compared with the blessings they will receive. God has tested them, like gold in a furnace, and found them worthy to be with him! (GNB)
1Cor 3:13-15 - “And the quality of each person’s work will be seen when the day of Christ exposes it. For on that day fire will reveal everyone’s work; the fire will test it and show its real quality. If what was built on the foundation survives the fire, the builder will receive a reward. But if anyone’s work is burnt up, then he will lose it; but he himself will be saved, as if he had escaped through the fire.”
The Church Triumphant. These are the saints in heaven who have won the complete victory and enjoy their eternal reward with Christ, the Great Captain. They, too, are our powerful friends who wish to help us by their prayers if we ask them, they should be our inspiration to do great things for God (Jn 14:12; Lk 9:54; Rev 7:9-17).
We belong to a glorious army of whose the leader is Christ. Let us resolve to do battle valiantly in company with the triumphant, suffering, and militant members, and we shall one day share Christ's glory.
1Tim 6:12 - “Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God called you when you firmly professed your faith before many witnesses. (GNB)
Phil 3:14 - “So I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize, which is God’s call through Christ Jesus to the life above.”(GNB)
Phil 3:20-21 - “We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. He will change our weak mortal bodies and make him like His glorious body, using that power by which He is able to bring all things under His rule.” (GNB)
2Tim 4:8, 18 - “And now there is waiting for me the victory prize of being put right with God, which the Lord, the righteous judge will give me on that day - and not only to me, but to all those who wait with love for Him to appear…, and the Lord will rescue me from all evil and take me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever! Amen.” (GNB)
The Tenth Article of the Apostles’ Creed: “The forgiveness of sins.”
Question: Through whose merits are sins forgiven?
Answer: Sins are forgiven through the merits of Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 2:38, 10:41-43; Mt 26:28).
St John the Baptist pointing to Jesus Christ said, “Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29). St Paul said of Christ: “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of sins” (Col 1:14). In the old law sin was taken away by belief in the redeemer to come (Lk 1:67-77, 2:34-38); in the new law sin is forgiven through faith in Christ who has come (Acts 4:10-12).
Question: By what sacrament is sin principally remitted?
Answer: Sin is principally remitted by the sacraments of Baptism (Acts 2:38-39) and Penance (Lk 13:3-5; 2 Cor 5:17-20; Jn 20:21-23)
Christ as the High Priest (Heb 3:1) forgave sins (Mk 2:5-7). Christ on earth forgave the sins of Mary Magdalene (Jn 8:3-11), of the paralytic (Lk 5:17-26), and of a good thief (Lk 23:34, 42-43). After His resurrection He gave the power of forgiving sins to the bishops and priests of the Church (Jn 20:21-23; Mt 16:18-19, 18:17-18). No actual sin, however, can be forgiven unless the sinner has sorrow and repentance for it (Lk 18:10-14, 13:3-5; Mt 4:17).
All men commit some sin. St John says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth in not in us” (Ecc 7:20 / Jn 1:8). But in order to encourage us he adds: “My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. But if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Just” (1Jn 2:1). When St John says that everyone sins, he refers principally to venial sins; for many Christians do not commit mortal sin, at least not frequently (Jn 5:16-17).
Things to remember regarding Actual Sin:
The danger of presumptions. The text of the Scripture, “He that thinketh himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall” (1Cor 10:12), warns us against presumption and overconfidence, and teaches us that humble distrust of ourselves is a necessary preservative against sin. We are always walking on slippery ground in the spiritual life.
All sins can be forgiven. The repentant sinner is told in the Scripture: “If your sins be as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow” (Isa 1:18). No matter, then, how grievous our sins are, they shall be forgiven if we truly repent. The sin against the Holy Spirit which Christ said shall not be forgiven is the sin of one who refuses the grace of conversion and to die in final impenitence (Mt 12:31-32).
Forgiven sins do not return. If after his forgiveness, a man relapses, he commits a new sin, but the old forgiven sins never return. “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our iniquities from us” (Ps 103:12).
Venial sins. One who is in the state of grace can obtain pardon for venial sins in many ways, provided he is no longer attached to them. Example is generosity (Tob 12:9), prayer (1Jn 5:16), good work and repentance (Lk 18:10-14).
Let us show our gratitude for the forgiveness of past sins by leading a good life in the future (Jn 8:11). Some of the greatest sinners have become eminent saints, and we, too, no matter how far we have strayed from God, can still attain holiness (Mt 9:12-13). To doubt God’s pardon and mercy is to doubt the power and efficacy of our redemption by Christ passion and death (Isa 53:1-8).
The Eleventh Article of the Apostles’ Creed: “The Resurrection of the Body” (Ezek 37:1-10).
Question: What happens at death?
Answer: At death the soul is separated from the body, is judged, and is rewarded with heaven or sentence to hell or purgatory (Heb 9:27; Ecc 12:7, 14). The body begins to corrupt and return to the dust from he was taken (2Cor 5:1-10; Sir 10:9-11; Gen 3:19).
Death came into the world through Adam’s sin, and all his descendants who shamed in his sin, have to die (Rom 5:12, 14). Even Jesus and His mother submitted to death, although both were free from all faint of sin, and therefore were not subject to the penalty which man in general must undergo. Christ told His Disciples the parable of the householder who knew not when the thief would come, for if he knew he would be ready, and “would not suffer his house to be broken open”. Thus death, too, comes as a thief in the night when we are not expecting it, and so we must always be prepared (Mt 24:42-51; 2Pet 3:10; Sir 7:36).
Question: Why the time of our death is concealed?
Answer: God has mercifully hidden the time of our death. If we know just when we were to die we might be overcome by dread and fear as the moment approaches; and some, too, might lead sinful lives in the hope of turning to God at the end.
2Pet 3:12, 14-15 - “Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the element will melt with intense heat… therefore beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless.”
Question: How are we to prepare for death?
Answer: We are to prepare for death by always leading a good and holy life and avoiding sin. If we keep ourselves in God’s grace and love, we shall not have to fear death, but rather we shall look upon it as an angel who comes to bring us home to heaven” (Sir 7:36; Jn 14:1-5/2Cor 5:1-10).
Question: When will our bodies rise again?
Answer: Our bodies will rise again on judgment day at the end of the world (Jn 5:27-29; 1Thes 5:1-11; Ezek 37:1-10; 1Cor 15:50-57).
Question: Are there types of resurrection in nature?
Answer: There are many types of resurrection in nature (1Cor 15:35-57)
Question: Has the Blessed Eucharist something to do with man’s immortality?
Answer: The Blessed Eucharist plants the seed of immortality in the body according to the words of Christ.
Jn 6:55 - “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him in the last day.”
Question: How will the resurrection take place?
Answer: An angel will sound the trumpet, and the bodies of all men will spring to life in a moment. In the twinkle of an eye, and all will come to judgment (1Cor 15:52).
Question: In the resurrection, shall we have the same bodies we had on earth?
Answer: Yes, there will rise with the same bodies we had on earth (Jn 5:27-29).
Question: Why our bodies will be the same?
Answer: If our risen bodies were not the same bodies we had on earth, it could not be said that our bodies had risen. In that case we would have new and different bodies and so we would be different persons - and there would be no resurrection. Holy Job speaks these beautiful words: “For I know that redeemer liveth, and in the last day I shall rise out of the earth. And I shall be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh shall see my God.” (Job 19:25-26)
Our bodies remain the same despite changes. The elements of the human body are constantly changing during life. Waste is always going on in the particles of bone, muscle, and skin, and this waste is replaced by new growth from the food and drink we take. And yet though the particles of the body are constantly changing, the body from youth to old age is ever the same body.
If one asks how the elements of the body can be gathered together again after they have been reduced to dust, we reply that all things are possible to God (Lk 1:37; Ezek 37:1-10). Jesus Christ is known to have raised three persons from the dead, and holy men and women have by miracles brought back hundreds to life. After Christ's resurrection the bodies of many rose from the grave. And what happened in these cases can surely be repeated for all men by the mighty power of God.
Question: Why is death called “sleep” in the Bible?
Answer: The Holy Scripture frequently calls death a sleep because it will not last forever. The Lord Himself said that Lazarus and the daughter of Jairus were sleep, knowing they were dead. Our bodies, too, on the last day will wake up from their long sleep (Jer 51:39; Dan 12:2; Jn 11:11; Acts 7:60).
Question: Will all rise on the last day?
Answer: Yes, all will rise on the last day (Jn 5:27-29). The bodies of the just will be beautiful and radiant (1Cor 15:40-54), and the bodies of the wicked will be hideous and repulsive (Sir 14:8-9; Mk 9:47-48; Mt 10:28).
Question: What are the qualities of a risen and glorified body?
Answer: St Paul tells us that our resurrection will be like that of Christ (Rom 6:5). Our risen bodies, like His, will have the following qualities:
Impassibility - by which they will no longer be subject to pain, suffering, disease or death (Rev 21:4). “Death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying or sorrow.”
Brightness - by which the bodies will carry their own light and shine in glory (1Cor 15:40-41). “There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.”
Agility - which will enable the bodies to pass with quickness of thought to all parts of the universe.
Jn 14:3 - “And after I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to myself, so that you will be where I am” (Rev 14:4-5).
Eph 4:8, 10 - “When He went up to the very heights, He took many captives with Him… so the one who came down is the same one who went up, above and beyond the heavens, to fill the universe with its presence (Eph 5:23/ Mk 13:26-27; Mt 22:30)
Subtility, or spirituality; which will, as it were, spiritualize the body; make it independent of hunger, thirst, fatigue, and sleep; render it insensible to heat or cold; and enable it to penetrate material substances as our Lord did after resurrection when He entered the upper chamber, the doors being closed (Jn 20:19; Rev 7:16-17/ 1Cor 15:44).
The bodies of the just will be perfect, without blemish or deformity and without the defects of the natural body (1Cor 13:10). But as the brilliancy of the sun and moon surpasses that of the stars, and as star differs from star in glory, so in the resurrection body will differ from body of beauty and refulgence, according as men have differed in virtue upon the earth (1Cor 15:41).
As our bodies are destined to enter heaven and live with the angels and saints in the presence of God, we should have the greatest respect and reverence for them, and be careful not to defile them by sin. We should carefully guard our eyes (Mt 5:27-28), ears (Acts 28:26-27), tongue (James 3:3-6), and hands (Mk 9:43-44), for the five senses, as by five windows, sin may enter into the soul (Rom 7:14-25). We should make our body an instrument of virtue, and not an instrument of sin and defilement (1Cor 3:16). While it is natural for us to grieve at the death of our relatives and friends, we should not indulge our sorrow to excess (Sir 38:16-23), as those do who have no hope, for our faith teaches us that our love one’s will rise again, and we with them (1Thes 4:12). In the trials and affliction of earth let us console ourselves with the thought that they will soon pass, while the joys of the resurrection will have no end (Lk 16:19-31; Rev 7:9-17).
The Twelfth Article of the Apostles’ Creed: “And life everlasting.” (Rev 21:4)
Question: What do we mean by life everlasting?
Answer: By life everlasting we mean that there will be another existence after the present life, and that the just will be happy in it forever (Rev 21:3-7; Mt 25:46).
Question: What do we mean by heaven for the just?
Answer: When we speak for heaven we generally mean the above of the just, in the presence of God and His angels (Tob 12:15; Heb 12:22-24)
Question: What is the greatest joy of heaven?
Answer: The greatest joy of heaven is the beatific vision, which means that the blessed see God face to face. The vision is called “beatific” because it renders happy those who have it (Heb 12:14; Mt 5:1-11; 2Cor 12:1-4; 1Jn 3:2-3; 2Pet 1:4).
In the beatific vision we possess and enjoy God, the Greatest Good; we know and love Him to our utmost capacity; and are known and loved by Him in return (1Cor 13:12) when we desire things on earth, the possession of them makes us happy to a certain extent. Thus, one who ambitions a home, a farm, or an office or dignity feels content when he gains the object of his desire. But earthly things can never fully satisfy the heart, and so we can never be completely happy in this life. The possession of God in heaven, however, since He has all good in Himself and can satisfy all our desires, will make us supremely happy. Having Him we shall wish for nothing else. In heaven we shall resemble God and become partakers of His divine nature, for said John tells us that “We shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is” (1Jn 3:2; 2Pet 1:4).
Some other joys of Heaven for the Just:
Question: Will the reward of heaven be the same for each?
Answer: No, each will be rewarded according to his good works done while he lived. The martyrs (Rev 6:9-11), the virgins (Rev 14:4-5) and the doctors or teachers of truth and religion will each have a special aureole or reward that will not be given to others (Dan 12:2-3; 1Cor 15:41:42).
Is not heaven a prize worth working for? At times the struggle with trials and temptations seems almost unbearable; but the thought that these will soon pass, and that bliss of heaven awaits us at the end will encourage us to make every sacrifice. Let us strive manfully, that one day we may hear the consoling words: “Well done, good and faithful servant: because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things; enter thou into the joys of they Lord” (Mt 25:23). The great saints, when they meditated on the joys of heaven, were filled, like St Peter, with a desire to be dissolved and be with Christ (Lk 5:5-8; Jn 6:65-69).
VI. THE NICENE CREED
The First General Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. was to refute the heretical theories of Arius. In addition, the council formulated a summary of Catholic belief which is known as the “Nicene Creed”. Originally the creed did not contain the phrase “filioque” in the passage: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son.” In the fourth and fifth centuries this phrase, actually an already established article of faith, began to appear because of the Arian heresy denying the divinity of Christ, and the Macedonian heresy denying the divinity of the Holy Spirit. The Greeks refused to accept it, and it finally becomes one of the principal issues of the Eastern schism. The Nicene Creed was put forth by the Fathers of the Church at Nicaea in A.D. 325 and recorded by Eusebius of Caesarea in a letter to his people. It is popularly known as the “Creed of the Trinity”.
VII. THE FORMULATION OF THE NICENE CREED
The formal and orderly presentation of the chief doctrines of the Catholic Church was formulated at First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea in response to the attack against the divinity of Christ and the Holy Spirit. It established, in an authoritative and true expression of belief, the Divinity of the 2nd person of the Trinity by announcing that the Son is “consubstantial with the Father”. It was at the beginning of the 11th century that the Nicene Creed, already incorporated in the Liturgy of the Mass in some places; it was officially made part of the Roman Rite of the Mass by Pope Benedict VIII, and it remains so today as a profession of faith by the priest and the people. In the Roman rite the Nicene Creed is said or sung at Mass on Sunday, feasts of our Lord, our Lady, the Apostles, and all principal feasts, ferias or masses for the dead. Although the inclusion of the Nicene Creed in the Liturgy was officially adapted in the universal Church in the 11th century, but the practiced and custom of reciting it at the Eucharist was introduced in Antioch in 473 A.D. in response to the heretical teachings of Arius and Macedonius.2
VIII. TRANSLATION OF THE NICENE CREED WITH BIBLICAL REFERENCES
We believe in one God, - Isa 42:8
The Father, the Almighty - Ex 6:2-3; Jn 17:3
Maker of Heaven and Earth - Dt 32:6; Ps 33:6
Of all that is seen and unseen - Col 1:16
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ - 1Cor 8:6
The only Son of God - Jn 1:1, 14, 18, 3:16
Eternally begotten of the Father - Isa 9:6; Mic 5:2; Heb 5:5, 1:5-10; Jn 17:5
God from God, light from light - Jn 14:9-11, 10:30-33, 8:12; 1Jn 1:5
True God from true God, - Jn 17:1-5; 1Jn 5:20
Begotten, not made, one in being with the Father - Jn 1:18, 10:30-33, 5:18-23, 14:7-11,
16:15, 17:10; Col 1:15
Through Him all things were made - Col 1:15-16; Heb 1:10
For us men and for our salvation - Ps 8:4-6; Heb 1:8-14; 2Pet 3:13-15
He came down from heaven - Jn 3:31, 8:23
By the power of the Holy Spirit - Lk 1:28-35
He was born of the Virgin Mary, and become man, - Lk 2:7, 1:41-43; Mt 1:18, 23;
Phil 2:5-11
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate - Jn 19:10-16; Isa 53:1-8; Eph 2:16
He suffered, died and was buried - 1Cor 15:1-4
On the third day He rose again in the fulfillment of the Scripture - 1Cor 15:4
He ascended into heaven - Acts 1:9-10
And is seated at the right hand of the Father - Mk 16:19
He will come in glory to judge the living and the dead - Mk 13:24-27; 2Tim 4:1-2; Acts 10:42
And His kingdom will have no end - Dan 2:44; Lk 1:33; Rev 21:1-7
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life - Mt 12:31-32; Acts 5:3-4,
19:6, 2:1-12; 2Cor 3:17-18; Rom 8:11
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son - Jn 14:16, 26
With the Father and the Son He is worship and glorified - Mt 28:19; 1Cor 12:4-6;
Eph 6:18; Jude 1:20; Jn 4:20-24
He has spoken through the prophets - 1Pet 1:10-13
We believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church - Mt 16:18-19, 28:19-20;
Eph 4:3-6, 5:26-27, 2:20; Mk 16:15; Rom 1:7-8
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins - Eph 4:3-6; Acts 2:38-39; 1Pet 3:21
We look for the resurrection of the Body - Ezek 37:1-10; Jn 5:27-29; 1 Cor 15:14, 31-56
And the life of the world to come - 2Pet 3:3-14; Rev 7:9-11; 1Cor 15:50-56
Amen - 2Cor 1:20
IX. CREED IN THE LITURGY OF THE EAST AND WEST
CONCLUSION
Let us prize our faith as our most precious possession, and live up to what we profess. Often during the day while at home, in school, or walking on the street, we can make short acts of faith. The following acts are suitable: “I believe”, “I believe all the Church teachers”, or, “O, Lord, increase my faith.”
It is a privilege to spread our faith among unbelievers. We can help the missionaries by our prayers and by our alms. What a great crown was won by St Francis Xavier, who converted so many hundred of thousands to the faith in India and Japan (Rom 10:14-16; 1Tim 4:16; James 5:19-20).
