Catholics have a super short prayer that sums up SO much of what we believe. Can you think of what it is? You’ve probably “performed” it several times already today: The Sign of The Cross. Because it’s called a sign, and because of the active gestures that accompany it, we may have never stopped to think of it as a prayer. Yet, it is – in fact, it’s (at least partially) a special kind of prayer called a statement of belief, or creed, prayer.
I surmise that more than any other kind, a creed prayer just may be the one that falls most tenderly upon our Lord’s ears. Allow this analogy: If a beloved child approaches to speak to you, would you deep-down rather hear a complaint, a request, a (not quite adequate) praise, an (incomplete) apology, or a sincere acknowledgement of the child’s belief in you and in your relationship? On this beautiful solemnity, let’s consider where our hand pauses:
- “In the name of the Father:” At the head … the source of leadership, creativity, wisdom, thoughtfulness, and imagination (Image-ination?); the point from which all growth and motion become possible; the mysteries of which are, despite centuries of scientific and philosophical study, still largely unplumbed.
- “And of the Son:” At the heart … the way we come to fully understand love; the place where the truest, most profound decisions are made; the final leap between logic and hope; the beat in which generosity and surrender become possible. And at the stomach … where Christ in the Eucharist begins to infiltrate our every cell; the seat of ever-fulfilled, ever-yearning hunger; the center of the original instinct we have to feast on abundant life.
- “And of the Holy Spirit:” At the shoulders … the resting place for little ones in need of tenderness; the muscle behind our commitment and courage; the path that takes work from our heart out to our hands (and back again); the turn of which can repel temptation; the platform for bearing redemptive burdens; the stretch that opens arms wide – in welcome, and mercy, and sacrifice.
Amen!
Marian Bart