Written by Jesse Weiler, East Lake Dad
“For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” – Nicene Creed
Have you ever thought about these words that we say in the Nicene Creed every Sunday at Mass?
The Nicene Creed is packed with so much meaning and mystery. It can be difficult to understand these mysteries, especially when you have a toddler screaming, “Are we all done yet!?” That’s why it’s important to take time to prayerfully reflect on these mysteries. The Church even provides ways in which we can dive deeper through gestures, seasonality, and unity in worship.
Liturgical gestures are a way to understand these theological mysteries in a human way. Think about when you’re waiting for a friend to arrive for coffee. What do you do when they arrive? Depending on your relationship, you may simply stand up, offer a handshake, or give a loving embrace. Now, what would you do in the presence of our Lord and Savior? The Church offers ways in which we can take our cultural and human understandings and align them with our worship.
Let’s take the aforementioned quote from the Nicene Creed. What are we doing when we recite these words at Mass? We are asked to bow profoundly. There are two kinds of bows that we see at Mass: a bow of the head from the neck and a bow of the body from the waist.
Why would we be making a more pronounced bow during this part of the Creed? Because, as God humbled himself through the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, we too humble ourselves with a deep bow at the waist. In fact, when you say these words on the Feast of the Annunciation, you emphasize them further by kneeling, an even more reverent sign of humility.
These words in the Creed carry extra weight when spoken during the season of Advent as we await the birth of Jesus. They mean something entirely different during Lent. The Church gives us a calendar to further enjoin our earthly realities with those of our divine destination, Heaven.
Think about what is happening with nature during the Easter season. We see what once was dormant, or even dead, turn into new life in plants and animals. Advent is less about the historical date of Christ’s birth and more about a dedicated time to think about the core pillars of the Incarnation, Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Those pillars are seen in the form of candles in our homes and churches surrounded by a wreath. The priest will even wear purple, the color of royalty, as we await the birth of our King.
Thinking back on the recitation of the Creed, we are speaking and bowing together. This is what the Church calls corporate worship, or the worship done by the body [corpus in Latin] of Christ. It is Christ that truly unites us. While you can, and should, recite the Creed on your own, doing so in unity brings about a new perspective.
We have all experienced division in our culture, politics, and possibly families. But, when you are next to your fellow Christian at Mass this Sunday, bowing profoundly and thinking about this week’s theme of Joy in the incarnation, remember that you are one with Christ. Reflect on how God humbled Himself “for us men and for our salvation.” He came for “us and our,” not “me and my.”
These concepts are intended to set you on a path of wonder and awe as we approach the birth of our Lord. There is so much more out there for you to discover, and I pray you spend your entire life chasing these mysteries. Think about these things at Mass this Sunday and share them with your family and friends. Remember, “He came down from Heaven,” so that you may be in Heaven.