"I" vs. "We" Believe

My friend +Jim Balija, says in his recent e-Newsletter

"As I presided at liturgy recently with the community at Holy Trinity I was reflected on how and what we did in reciting the Creed together. As a group I was struck by the fact that we seemed to 'race through it' rather than reflect on what it was we were confessing as our beliefs."

In a way, I can relate to that -- as text, the Nicene Creed is pretty dry. In my Liturgy http://am-cath.org/GregLit.html, I combat that with a few bits of stagecraft:


First, we say "_I_ Believe" -- making it personal -- and I punch the "I" in my delivery. And yes, all you "Spirit of Vatican II" types, I do know that "We" is in the Conciliar documents, but the whole Church, East and West, used "I" ("Credo" in Latin) in the Liturgy from about AD 1000 onwards. I still do.

My problem with "we" is that it allows language-lawyering about belief. "I believe this part about Jesus, Suzy over there believes the part about the Holy Spirit, and George, in the back, believes the part about the Church." (I.e. We don't necessarily agree about the rest.)

"We" is descriptive -- "I" is intimately prescriptive.


Second, some callisthenics in the middle of the Creed, to break up the otherwise dry recitation:

"...For us men, and for our salvation, he came down from heaven;

{Here, we kneel in reverence for the Lord's Incarnation}

By the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary; and Became Man. For our sake, He was crucified under Pontius Pilate, He suffered, died, and was buried.

{A moment's silence, then all rise}

And on the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures..."

The Roman Liturgy prescribes a bob-and-dip genuflection at "..and Became Man...", but I extended it in both directions for dramatic effect. I bow my head during the silence, count 5 or so heartbeats, then rise up and mime the Ascension by raising my arms to heaven.


Finally, I lead the recitation in a measured and formal tone and cadence -- I never allow it to become a rattle or a race to see how quickly "we" can finish. The Niceo-Constantinopolitan Creed is the central statement of the Christian Faith -- enunciated as we came out of the Catacombs into the daylight of the Roman world, and repeated for emphasis regularly since. Who does not believe the Creed in its entirety is not Christian.

The Creed is also the high point -- the culmination -- of the Liturgy of the Word, where we announce out unity of belief before entering into the Sacred Sacrifice which is the true heart & glory of the Mass.

+Sam'l B.