My dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

As we continue our reflections on the Nicene Creed during this year marking the 1,700^th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, last time we looked in a general way at the first two words, “I believe,” and what it means to believe in something or someone. Today we will look more specifically at the first full statement of the Nicene Creed, “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.” There is a lot packed into that brief statement.

First, we focus on the word “one.” Many ancient religions were polytheistic, that is, they believed in multiple gods. The Greeks and Romans were generally not atheists, but believed in various gods who provided for their different purposes and interests. For example, the king of the gods was known by the Greek name Zeus and the Roman name Jupiter. In fact, the planets of our solar system bear the names of Roman mythology: Mercury (messenger of the gods), Venus (goddess of love), Mars (god of war), Saturn (god of agriculture), Uranus (god of the sky), and Pluto (god of the underworld). The early Christian martyrs were killed because they refused to offer sacrifice to the gods, especially the Roman Emperor, who was considered a god.

The religion of the Jews in the Old Testament and the Christians is the New Testament is monotheistic, that is, believing in one God. Although our contemporary culture does not have a formal system of pagan gods, it might well be said that many people have their own secular gods in the sense of priorities where they put their time and attention, such as sports, entertainment, work, money, power, pleasure, etc. To believe in one God means to make the one true God more important than anyone or anything else in our lives. The fourth declaration of our Fourth Diocesan Synod says, “To be a disciple means to accept Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior. Disciples are those who ‘make a conscious, firm decision, carried out in action, to be followers of Jesus Christ no matter the cost to themselves.’ Catholic discipleship refers to a committed approach to living a Christian life within the Catholic Church.”

Although Christians believe that God is a Trinity of Three Persons-Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit-there is only one God. Jesus introduced referring to the first Person of the Blessed Trinity as “Our Father” when He taught the disciples how to pray (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4). When we were baptized, we became adopted sons and daughters of God the Father and brothers and sisters in Christ.

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Believing in God, the only One, and loving him with all our being has enormous consequences for our whole life. It means coming to know God’s greatness and majesty. … It means living in thanksgiving: if God is the only One, everything we are and have comes from him. … It means knowing the unity and true dignity of all men: everyone is made in the image and likeness of God. It means making good use of created things. … It means trusting God in every circumstance, even in adversity” (CCC, nn. 222-227).

We profess our belief that God is the “maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.” To believe in God as Creator of all things is not opposed to science and to their rightful autonomy. As the Second Vatican Council pointed out in the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, “If by the autonomy of earthly affairs we mean that created things and societies themselves enjoy their own laws and values which must be gradually deciphered, put to use, and regulated by men, then it is entirely right to demand that autonomy. Such is not merely required by modern man, but harmonizes also with the will of the Creator. For by the very circumstance of their having been created, all things are endowed with their own stability, truth, goodness, proper laws and order. Man must respect these as he isolates them by the appropriate methods of the individual sciences or arts. Therefore, if methodical investigation within every branch of learning is carried out in a genuinely scientific manner and in accord with moral norms, it never truly conflicts with faith, for earthly matters and the concerns of faith derive from the same God. … But if the expression, the independence of temporal affairs, is taken to mean that created things do not depend on God, and that man can use them without any reference to their Creator, anyone who acknowledges God will see how false such a meaning is. For without the Creator the creature would disappear” (Gaudium et Spes, n. 36).

Our belief in God’s creation encompasses things seen and unseen. There are invisible realities that are quite real even though we cannot see them, such as the air we breathe, but also metaphysical realities, including angels, demons, our souls, and the virtues, such as faith, hope and love, and the fact that there is one Truth, not your truth and my truth. Our faith in God as the Creator of the visible and invisible realities of the universe is strengthened when we put our trust in God’s grace.

May God give us this grace. Amen.