To believe can mean both to trust and to test. The word in Latin for I believe is credo, which combines two root words—cor (heart) and do (give). In its first meaning to believe is to give my heart, to trust.
In saying, “I believe,” Christians express their trust in God as the ultimate source of their being. We give our hearts to God in an act of our whole selves, a commitment to this deep and sustaining relationship. We trust God holds us in being. To believe, first of all, is to belove and trust God, to belong to God.
In the 1600s a second meaning of the word believe developed. People began to use their minds to test and question what we can say about God. To believe acquired a second meaning—to hold an opinion or theory. Saying I believe is stating an opinion that others may question and doubt.
Commonly today, to believe has this second meaning—to accept something as true or real, to think or suppose. I suppose the bus will come on time as usual. I believe the cosmos has evolved over 13.7 billion years.
To believe for a Christian involves both trusting one’s heart to God and testing the doctrines and traditions Christians hold. Perhaps when people say, “I’m spiritual but not religious,” they mean they trust and respond to their relationship with God but haven’t come to understand the doctrines and traditions of their Church.
Christianity has two main credos that express what Christians believe—the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed. In both creeds Christians proclaim that God creates all that is, becomes one of us in Jesus, and moves within us in the Spirit toward holiness and wholeness.
In Sunday’s gospel Jesus insists that faith in him is powerful. In each Sunday gospel we see in Jesus who we are and who we can become.
Faith is a personal act— the free response of the human person to God’s self-revelation in creation, in Israel, in Jesus. Faith is also what we believe; for example, Jesus is truly God and truly human.
Catechism of the Catholic Church www.usccb.org paragraphs 150-153, 166-167, 179-181
What do you believe?
Growing from childhood to adulthood requires using new brainpower to understand the religious traditions we inherit from earlier generations. We ask questions and try to express our experience of the mystery of God in our lives.
To create a creed, circle or highlight the statements of faith below that most express what you believe and how you relate to God. You can use these statements from teens, or write statements of your own. Then choose 20 statements to comprise your own creed. Write them on a piece of paper.
I believe GOD creates the world…leads humankind with freedom and love rather than force…causes evil and suffering…allows humanity to cause evil and suffering…cares about me and my life…looks like a human being…is a parent who tells me what to do all the time…is the same God as in other religions…is a friend…will forgive anything…is okay with me questioning…will help me choose my path in life…answers prayers…has a master plan for every person…God is real…like breath, gives me life
I believe in life after death…hell… miracles…a world without prejudice based on a person’s status, race, age, or sex…peace…asking for help during tough times…true love…guardian angels…making decisions that are right, even if they are not easy…being open to new people and ideas…setting goals…never giving up…living in the present and trying not to worry about the future… smiling, laughing, and having fun…trustworthiness and healthy relationships following Jesus’ way of love…putting others before myself…me
I believe that a strong work ethic will take me where I want to go…everything happens for a reason …faith is a process…marriage is a bond that should not be broken…we can all do some good in the world…we should help out the less fortunate…every life is precious and should be respected…it’s important to do what I love…it is important to stand up for myself and my beliefs…praying makes a difference…good things and bad things happen to all people…we make mistakes in order to learn from them…everything in the bible did happen…I should go to church on Sunday…everyone deserves a second chance…I was created for a reason…Jesus is truly human and truly divine…the Holy Spirit acts in each of us.
I believe every person deserves an education…has a story…has some sort of unique ability…has good in them…has evil in them…deserves respect.