creed article 1

1. THE APOSTLES’ CREED: ARTICLE 1The book is a complete explanation of the 12 Articles of the Apostles’ Creed.

ARTICLE 1:I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER

ALMIGHTY, CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH

Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate

To purchase the Book, or for theological inquiries (e-mails only), contact the author:

AUTHOR Rev. Fr. Paolo O. Pirlo, SHMI

EDITION 1st Edition, Manila, May 19, 2013

PUBLISHER Sons of Holy Mary ImmaculateQuality Catholic PublicationsIsabella De Rosis St., Multinational1708 Parañaque City, PhilippinesTelefax(02) 828-2338Tel. (02) [email protected]

Loving Father, giver of all that is, help me to remember that every gift I have comes from you. Expand my vision so that I can appreciate your goodness in the world around me.

Jesus, our Redeemer, you are the path to the treasures of my heart and soul. Strengthen my commitment to be a catechist and deepen my capacity to share your truth with those in my care.

Holy Spirit, Love Divine, all life and energy flows from you. Illuminate my thoughts and intensify my desire to grow ever deeper in my faith.

I lift up my prayer to you, God—Father, Son, and Spirit—in humility and hope. Amen.

2. A CATECHIST’S PRAYER


3. WHAT ARE THE FIVE PARTS OF THE 1ST ARTICLE?


The 1st Article of the Creed is divided into five parts:

1. The Virtue of Faith,

2. The Holy Trinity,

3. God the Creator,

4. Angels and Demons,

5. Man and Original Sin. The Icon of the Holy Trinity

Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in the existence of God and in his revelation.

Etymologically, it comes from the Latin word fides, which means “the act of believing.”

Abraham is the Father of All Believers, because he followed the will of God to the extent of sacrificing his son Isaac.

4. THE VIRTUE OF FAITH:What Is Faith?


The Sacrifice of Isaac.

5. THE VIRTUE OF FAITH:What are the three Theological Virtues?


1. FAITH, by which we believe in the existence of God and his revelation, is the virtue that concerns the past.

2. LOVE, or charity, by which we do good deeds for God and neighbor, is the virtue that concerns the present.

3. HOPE, by which we desire Eternal Life as the rewardfor our faith and good works, is the virtue that concerns the future.

6. THE VIRTUE OF FAITH:Are we saved by faith or by good works?


According to Martin Luther, who initiated the Protestant Reformation in 1521, salvation can be achieved by faith alone; his motto was: “By faith alone, by grace alone, by Scriptures alone.”

On the contrary, we Catholics believe that salvation can be achieved by faith and good works; and that grace must be accompanied by the Sacraments, and Scriptures by the Church’s Tradition. The apostle James wrote: “Faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17).

7. THE VIRTUE OF FAITH:Can we demonstrate God’s existence?


The existence of God can be rationally demonstrated by applying the Principle of Causality: for every effect there must be a corresponding cause. A watch (effect) requires a watchmaker (cause); a building, an architect; the universe, God.

On the other hand, the truths of Revelation, such as the Trinity and the Divinity of Christ, cannot be rationally demonstrated but must be accepted by Faith.

8. THE HOLY TRINITY:What is the Dogma of the Holy Trinity?


The Dogma of the Holy Trinity says: “God is One Divine Nature in Three Divine Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

Although acting as One God, each Person has a specific task: the Father creates, the Son redeems, the Holy Spirit sanctifies.

The word Trinity comes from the Latin trinus and unitas, meaning “three in one.”

9. THE HOLY TRINITY:Where in the Bible

can we find the Trinity?


The Dogma of the Trinity is based on Jesus’ proclamation: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

10. THE HOLY TRINITY:What are the biblical proofs of the Trinity?


The divinity of God the Father is evident in Jesus’ words: “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name (Luke 11:2).

The divinity of God the Son is revealed: A) In the Prologue of the Gospel of John (“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” - John 1:1). B) In the answer given to Philip (“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father - John 14:9-10). C) In Thomas’ profession of faith (“My Lord and my God” - John 20:28).

The divinity of God the Holy Spirit was revealed on Pentecost Day: “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim” (Acts 2:4).

11. THE HOLY TRINITY:Can we rationally demonstrate the Holy Trinity?


The Dogma of the Holy Trinity cannot be demonstrated with human reason, but it is accepted by faith.

St. Augustine saw a child scooping water from the sea into a hole in the sand. When the Saint laughed at the impossible task, the child replied: “It is easier to empty the ocean in this small hole, than to place the mystery of the Trinity into your small mind.”

12. THE HOLY TRINITY:What are the Trinitarian heresies?


ARIANISM: This heresy denies the divinity of Christ and, consequently, the Trinity.

MACEDONIANISM: This false doctrine rejects the divinity of the Holy Spirit, by saying that he was created by the Father.

MODALISM: This error claims that there is only one God, and that the three Persons are only different manifestations of him.

TRITEISM: This heresy maintains that there are three gods, represented by the three Persons of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

To remain free from Trinitarian heresies, St. John Damascene formulated the following principle: “The three Persons are united but not confused; distinct but not divided.”

13. THE HOLY TRINITY:Why is the Holy Family the Icon of the Trinity?


The Holy Family of Nazareth, composed of three persons united in a relationship of love, is the closest possible representation of the Trinity.

The Trinity is a mystery of love, because “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and only those who love, can understand it.

14. GOD THE CREATOR:Who created the

universe?


The universe was created by God, as the Bible says: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

God created out of nothing, because he did not use any pre-existing matter.

God created out of love, in order to share and manifest his goodness.

15. GOD THE CREATOR:Why is Christ the Alpha and Omega of creation?


Christ is creation’s “Alpha and the Omega”, which are the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet, because the creation was done by him and for him.

This truth is expressed at the Paschal Vigil, during the blessing of the Paschal Candle.

16. GOD THE CREATOR:What are the heresies about creation?


PANTHEISM: this heresy identifies God with the creation. The Church replies that God is distinct from his creation, as a painter is distinct from his painting.

DUALISM: this error believes in the existence of two gods: the good-god who created goodness, and the bad-god who created evil. The Church answers that there is only one God, who is good; and evil is the absence of goodness.

DEISM: this philosophy states that God, like a watch-maker, created the universe and then left it to itself. Therefore, any form of prayer or trust in the divine Providence is useless. The Church answers that God is not only the creator, but also the provider for all his creatures.

MATERIALISM: this philosophy denies the existence of God, and claims that the universe is an interplay of eternal matter. The Church replies that order and design cannot originate by themselves, but require God as supreme designer.

17. GOD THE CREATOR:What is the Problem of Evil?


The Problem of Evil consists of this enigma: “If God created all things out of nothing, why is there evil in the world?” The Church gives two answers:

Evil is the absence of good, and was not created by God. For instance, cutting off the hand of a neighbor is evil; but it is man’s fault, and not God’s.

God allows evil for a greater good, which is the freedom of man; because the gift of freedom is greater than all the evil man can ever commit.

THE MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE

18. GOD THE CREATOR:What is the Divine Providence?


The Divine Providence is the disposition by which God cares for all his creatures. The title El-Shaddai means “God Provides.”

Although God could provide personally for all his creatures, he wants man’s cooperation. Thus, we must work to support ourselves, our family, and make a better world.

The Holy Family doing their daily work.

19. GOD THE CREATOR:Are Creation and Evolution compatible?


Concerning the origin of the universe, and of the species of plants and animals, there are three basic theories: The Theory of Creation believes that they were created by

God directly and out-of-nothing. The main argument is that their order and design cannot originate spontaneously. This is the Bible’s teaching.

The Theory of Evolution speculates that the Universe came into existence after a Big Bang Explosion, and that life originated by the random combination of atoms. This theory, that was proposed by Charles Darwin (1859) and never demonstrated, is atheistic and cannot be accepted by a Christian.

The Theory of Theistic Evolution maintains that God created the matter from which the Universe and the living beings evolved. This syncretism of Creation and Evolution, that was initiated by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955), may be accepted by a Christian, although it was never demonstrated.

20. GOD THE CREATOR:A comparison between Creation and Evolution


The Theory of Creation, revealed in the Bible, believes that God created the universe and all species of plants and animals, and that purpose of man is eternal life in Paradise.

The Theory of Evolution, proposed by Charles Darwin with his book On the Origin of Species (1859), believes that God does not exist, that living beings originated by a random combination and evolution of bacteria; and that the destiny of man is extinction.

21. GOD THE CREATOR:Did God create the Universe in six days?


We believe that God created the universe in six days; however, there are two interpretations, both acceptable:

Literal interpretation: God created the universe in six days of 24 hours, and rested on the seventh.

Day-age interpretation: The six days of Genesis are geological ages of millions of years.

22. ANGELS AND DEMONS:Who are the angels?


The angels are spiritual and immortal beings created by God. Angelos in Greek means “messenger,” because their office is to serve God and to announce his Word to men.

The Guardian Angel is the one assigned by God to each person, to guide and protect him.

23. ANGELS AND DEMONS:Who are the archangels?


The archangels are angels endowed with extraordinary gifts, namely:

RAPHAEL (Medicine-of-God), who was given the

gift of healing.

GABRIEL (Power-of-God), who

has the power of actualizing God’s plans.

MICHAEL (Who-is-like-God?), who has the power of defeating Satan.

24. ANGELS AND DEMONS:Who are the demons?


The demons are fallen angels, who disobeyed God and were cast into Hell; their leader is Lucifer.

Lucifer, meaning Bearer-of-Light, was the brightest archangel, but he grew proud and wanted to take the place of God. After being banished from Heaven, his name was changed into Satan, which means Accuser; Devil, meaning Divider; and Beelzebul, which means God-of-Flies.

25. ANGELS AND DEMONS:How can Demons affect our life?


The demons can interact with men in three ways:

TEMPTATIONis the act of alluring a person to commit sin, by appealing to man’s intellect and will.

POSSESSIONis the act of taking over the intellect and will of a person, and can only be removed by an exorcism.

OBSESSIONis the act of scaring a person away from God, by affecting external objects and appearing in visions.

Jesus tempted by the Devil.

St. Anthony Abbotobsessed by the Devil.

Jesus exorcises the possessed man.

26. MAN AND ORIGINAL SIN:Why did God create man in his image and likeness?


Man was created “in the image and likeness of God”, meaning, he was endowed with intellect and will, to be able to love God.

Plants have the vegetative soul (birth, growth, and reproduction); Animals possess the sensitive soul (internal and external senses); men have the rational soul (intellect and will).

Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel, Creation of Adam.

27. MAN AND ORIGINAL SIN:What is the Original Sin?


The Original Sin is the first act of disobedience committed by Adam and Eve, who ate the Forbidden Fruit. As a punishment, they lost the original holiness, acquired the concupiscence, and were destined to die.

The original sin is transmitted to all men, with the exception of the Virgin Mary, who is Immaculate, meaning: she was conceived without the Original Sin.

28. MAN AND ORIGINAL SIN:What is the

Protoevangelium?


The Protoevangelium, or “The First Gospel,” is the first announcement of the coming of the Messiah.

God made a promise to Adam and Eve: “I will put enmity between you [the Devil] and the woman [Virgin Mary], and between your offspring and hers [Jesus]; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel” (Genesis 3:15).

creed article 1

Spiritual

virtue of faith

holy trinity

holy spirit

god father

existence of god

good works

father almighty

good deeds