Chapter 5 — "I Believe in God"

OPENING PRAYER

Apostles Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holdy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Amen.

"I BELIEVE IN GOD"
—CCC, Nos. 199–349

What do you and your closest friends do to grow and deepen your relationship with one another? Although you are distinct from one another, what is it about your relationship that also binds you to one another?

God is the creator of "all that is seen and unseen." Through God's wisdom and love, God created the universe "out of nothing"—ex nihilo. God looked at everything God had made and found it "very good" (Gen 1:31). God is a holy Mystery. "The mystery of the Holy Trinity is the central mystery of the Christian faith and of Christian life" (CCC, no. 261). The Holy Trinity is a unity off three identifiable, divine "persons" whom we call "Father," "Son" and "Holy Spirit." They are One in their divine nature, each fully God in a way that is distinct and understood only in relation to the others. The Trinity enlightens all of the other mysteries of our faith. God has absolute sovereignty over all that God has created. God is the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of all life. In God, "we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).

Human beings are the summit of God's creation. God calls each of us into a personal, loving relationship with God and with one another. Ultimately, we are called to share eternal life with God. Humans are a unity of body and spirit (soul). We express and perceive spiritual realities through material symbols, as well as through visible creation. Scripture uses symbols and images such as light, darkness, clouds, wind, fire, water, mountains, trees and many others to speak about God and God's presence.

We are in the process of becoming. God guides creation towards its evolving, ultimate completion or perfection through God's divine providence or plan. God uses the laws of natural science, and the cooperation of the human intellect and free will to work towards experiencing the fullness of God's love, truth, beauty, and goodness.

Please read this week USCCA,Chapter 5, "I Believe in God" (pages 49–63), the CCC, Nos. 199–349 (pages 54–90), and the Compendium,Nos. 33–65

VIDEOS

"Why Do We Believe in God" (Bishop Robert Barron)

"Who is God (Faith Seeking Understanding)" (Bishop Robert Barron)

"What is the Trinity" (Bishop Robert Barron)

"Creeds - God the Father"—CCC, Nos. 185–231 (Fr. Daniel Mahan)

"The Father"—CCC, Nos. 232–248 (Fr. Daniel Mahan)

"The Holy Trinity"—CCC, Nos. 249–281 (Fr. Daniel Mahan)

"Creation"—CCC, Nos. 282–324 (Fr. Daniel Mahan

"Heaven and Earth"—CCC, Nos. 325–384 (Fr. Daniel Mahan)

MUSIC

"I Am Not Alone"

"Do I Trust You?" (Twila Paris)

"Who Am I"

OTHER RESOURCES

"From Mass to Mission – The Concluding Rites"

REFLECT ON YOUR EXPERIENCE

What images and symbols make God present for you?

What practices and ways of living help you to grow in your relationship with the Holy Trinity?

We encourage  and invite you to  spend time to reflect, pray, and write in your journal about what you have read, seen, heard, or experienced this week.  You can find some other questions you may wish to consider here.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, in now, and ever shall be.
Amen.