The Apostle's Creed - Part 3

The Apostle's Creed - Part 3

God the Holy Ghost, often called the Holy Spirit, is the primary Person of the Most Holy Trinity addressed in the third part of the Apostle's Creed. This section better explains God's relationship with His Church here on Earth. As with God the Father and God the Son, God the Holy Ghost is also eternal, of the same substance, infinite, Creator and Lord of all things. To God the Holy Ghost is attributed the act of sanctification of the soul. Even though this act results from all three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity acting in, on, and through the person in question, the works of love are attributed specifically to the Holy Ghost, and sanctification of the soul is a work of love.

Apostle's Creed - Part 3

"I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen."

"I believe in the Holy Ghost"

The third Person of the Most Holy Trinity has effects that can be seen throughout Sacred Scripture, specifically through the Prophets of the Old Testament and in the Acts of the Apostles. During Pentecost, the Apostles received Tongues of Flames, one of the many descriptors of the Holy Spirit found in Sacred Scripture. Other biblical descriptors of the Holy Spirit include water, anointing, a dove, clouds, and light.

"The Holy Catholic Church"

The Church is called Holy and Catholic for specific reasons. The Church is Holy by the nature of its origin—it was established by God the Son, Jesus Christ. The Church is Holy by effect of Her Cause, Jesus Christ. The Church is called Catholic because in Greek καθολικός (katholikos) means universal. The Catholic Church is the Universal Church, established for Jew and Gentile alike—for everyone in union with Jesus Christ.

The Church as established by Jesus Christ is a physical society, one that can be found and joined, but also one from which a person can be removed. A person is removed from the Church as a result of some sinful act that the person refuses to repent of while remaining in the state of sin. This removal is called excommunication. Excommunication is a punishment for wrongdoing, but it is intended for the remediation of the person to bring them back to Christ through His Church.

"The Communion of Saints"

This phrase demonstrates the unity of everyone in the Church. All spiritual goods, both internal and external, are available for the use of those in communion with the Church. This provides a means for the dispensation of grace, both sanctifying and actual grace.

The internal goods include the graces received through the Sacraments, Faith, Hope, and Charity (the three theological virtues), the infinite merits of Jesus Christ, the superabundant merits of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints, and the fruit of all good works done in the Church.

The external goods are the Sacraments themselves, the Sacrifice of the Mass, and the prayers of the faithful. Only those who are not in a state of mortal sin participate in these graces.

"The forgiveness of sins"

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ demonstrates the authority to forgive sins. He also gave this authority to His Apostles when He said, "Whoever's sins you forgive are forgiven, and whoever's sins you retain are retained" (John 20:23). As He passed this authority to His Apostles and by extension to the Catholic Church, the Apostles passed this authority on to their successors who formed the Bishops and Priests of the Church. This Sacrament, which brings one from spiritual death into spiritual life with Christ, is called the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

"The resurrection of the body"

The resurrection of the dead will take place at the Second Coming of Christ, prior to the General Judgment of all people on Earth. This will be accomplished through the infinite power of the Omnipotent God, through whom nothing is impossible.

"And life everlasting. Amen."

This is the part of the Creed toward which every believer looks with hope, and which every unrepentant sinner will come to despise. Life in the presence of God is an eternity of happiness and bliss, because God is Happiness and Bliss—He is the Good in infinite perfection. Unfortunately, those in Hell will be forever deprived of the Happiness and Bliss that is in and of God. As they rejected Him in this life, He will reject them in the next.