This I Believe

This I Believe is a program that invites people to write essays about the core beliefs which guide their daily lives.   The essays are often heard on National Public Radio.  The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.  Murrow created the series at a time when America was divided and worried about the Cold War, McCarthyism and racial tensions.  He hoped that hearing the core beliefs of others would help Americans come together by finding common ground in spite of their divisions.

This is the spirit in which we profess our faith, or Creed.  We come from many diverse backgrounds, cultures and beliefs.  Yet, we find commonality in the beliefs we profess in the Creed.  The word creed comes from the Latin word credo, meaning “I believe.”  Credo is a derivative from the Latin cor dare, meaning to give one’s heart.  So when we profess the Creed, we are uttering the beliefs to which we give our hearts.   You will notice some changes in the Creed as a result of the new translation of the New Roman Missal.  The first words will be “I believe” and not “We believe.”  This reflects the Latin original as noted above.  It also reflects the original creeds professed by the ancient Church.  The first creeds came in the form of a question-and-answer dialogue with those about to be baptized.   We still use this type of dialogue with those about to be baptized, as well as with the entire community on Easter Sunday.    A big change in the Creed will be the word “consubstantial,” which replaces “one in being.”   Consubstantial is a closer translation of the Latin original and means that Christ shares the divinity of God.   The Nicene Creed, which we profess each Sunday, is a combination of the creeds which originated at the Council of Nicaea (325) and the Council of Constantinople (381).  We now also have the opportunity to profess the simpler Apostles’ Creed, formerly reserved for Masses with children.   Let us pray that whatever Creed we use and whatever new words we use, we will become a people united in faith, hope and love, for the life of the world.  AMEN.