June 30, 2005
We asked for some questions – and we received them!
Here’s one – a very good question from Donna K.: “When we profess our faith in the Creed, why don’t we profess our belief in the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist?”
I am not surprised that this question concerning the Holy Eucharist was sent to us by a friend of the friars who included the initials SFO after her name. This means that Donna is a member of the “Secular Order of Saint Francis”. Some of you may not be aware that Saint Francis, who had an ardent love of Jesus in the Holy Sacrament, not only wrote a rule of life for men (friars) and enclosed nuns (The Poor Clares), but also for secular clergy and laity which is popularly called the “Third Order of Saint Francis”. Yes, Saint Francis was a lover of Jesus and spoke often of His “precious Body and Blood”.
The Nicene Creed, which we profess at Mass on Sunday and Solemnities, was composed by the bishops of the Catholic Church assembled in Nicaea in the year 325. This is why this creed, or official statement of our common faith, is called the “Nicene Creed”. The purpose of this council or gathering of bishops was to clarify, confirm, and confess the truth of Christ’s identity, a burning theological topic in the Church’s early years. At this time, the Divine nature of Christ was denied by a subtle yet deadly disease that infected the early Church. It was called “Arianism”, named after a priest named Arius. Arius creatively spread his false teachings by writing popular and catchy tunes. “There was a time when he was not” was one of his deadly ditties.
The heretic Arius promulgated his false teachings that Jesus Christ was not equal to God the Father, but rather a created being – “godlike”. No! The Fathers of the Church protested: Christ the Son was both begotten and equal to the Father. This truth taught by the Church is articulated in Saint John’s mystical Prologue – the first chapter of his gospel – “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God.”
In response to his rapidly spreading errors, the Council fathers proclaimed the truth; namely, Jesus Christ was co-eternal and consubstantial (the same substance or “stuff”) – “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God”. The Nicene Creed was a doctrinal torpedo aimed to sink the Arian heresy that denied the Divine nature of Christ. This heresy never completely sank into oblivion, but still swims in tepid and shallow theological waters. It was dredged and dressed up in the last century and is zealously promoted worldwide by a non-Christian sect called “The Jehovah Witnesses”.
So, Donna, one good reason why the Eucharist is not mentioned in the Nicene Creed is simply because the early ecumenical or worldwide councils were often the Church’s emergency response to heresy, or false teachings. In short, in the early years, the reality of Christ’s presence in the consecrated elements upon the altar was universally accepted. As it was not contested and there was no confusion, this teaching was not included in this ancient creed of the Catholic Church. Yet, some centuries later, this truth would be contested by certain so-called church reformers and have to be officially articulated and again promulgated, especially at the Council of Trent.
Fr. Glenn Sudano, CFR
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comments: father benedict @ franciscanfriars.com
