E SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

THE CREED. 57
The Credo is a suitable introduction to the Sacrifice, as
it is a confession of faith in our Divine Redeemer, who
is both Priest and Victim.
After the Gospel on certain days the Creed is said
or sung. These days are, all Sundays in the year, all
feasts of our Lord and the Blessed Virgin, of the
Apostles, and Doctors of the Church, the feasts of All
Saints, the Angel Guardians, and practically all Doubles
of the First Class.
Apostles and Doctors have the Credo, because to
them in a special way belongs the duty of teaching the
truths of faith professed in the Credo. Except the
Mother of God, to St. Mary Magdalene alone among
women the Credo is given. St. Theresa and other saintly
women may have the Credo on their feast in a special
church, because that feast is a Double of the First Class
in that church, or because it claims the saint as its
patron.
The Credo in the Mass is called in the Church s
language Synibolum Nicaenum Constantinopolitamim. Symbolum
means a sign. The Creed is the sign of the true
Faith we profess and to which we belong. In it are
gathered together the chief Dogmas of Faith. In the
Constantinopolitan Creed we have clearly defined the
Divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Arius
denied the Divinity of the Son, Macedonius the
Divinity of the Holy Ghost. At Constantinople in 381
two additions were made to the old Nicene formula.
The clause, of whose kingdom there shall be no end,
was added against Marcellus of Ancyra, who denied
that Christ s reign would continue after the Day of
Judgment. Again, after the clause, and in the Holy
Ghost, the words, the Lord and Life-giver who
proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who