The first generation of Christians believed that Christ intended to establish a Church (Matthew 16:18) with leaders who would make decisions ratified by God (Matthew 18:18). They believed that Christ gave them ritual observances (Luke 22:19), rules of conduct (Matthew 6:21-22), and guidelines for marriage (Mark 10:11).

We know Jesus wanted a community to grow up because he gathered disciples around him. He called them his "little flock" and spoke to them of his kingdom. He taught them the message they were to proclaim and appointed twelve of them as apostles.

Jesus however, didn’t leave a clear-cut plan or blueprint of what to do in his Church and how to do it. He didn’t specify or dictate what to write down.

Paul uses the term “body of Christ” and “church” interchangeably. The word “church” is a translation of the Greek word EKKLESIA, an assembly of people called forth, “the people of God.” Christ calls forth believers to bring him to the world, especially by their love and community: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). It is the task of the church, then, to perpetuate the love of Christ on earth and to mirror the love of the Trinity.

St. Vincent de Paul wrote "You as a community must do all in your power to be formed in the image of God. And what do we find in God? We see equality of persons, what should that teach you if not that you should all be one and equal”

The final sentence in the Nicene Creed is: “I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come, Amen.”

By this confession, we are saying that in baptism, our sinful self, dies and we start to live a new life of union with Jesus. For those baptized as infants, baptism removed the power sin had over us and gave us the strength to overcome sin by the grace of Jesus. Adults who are baptized (like the candidates for baptism at this Easter Vigil) have their personal sins wiped away as well.

Another article of faith we Catholics profess in the Nicene Creed is: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one holy, catholic and apostolic church.”

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the love eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the reason we are alive, the cause of all that is good in the world. To locate the Holy Spirit, we need only look for that which is good, true, beautiful, and honorable in creation, in ourselves, and in others.

Another article of faith that we Catholics profess as expressed in the words of the Nicene Creed is that Jesus “rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.”

During the profession of faith, we declare that Jesus came down from heaven “And by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary and became man.”This belief of ours is rooted in the scripture. It came from the annunciation when Angel Gabriel told Mary that she would have a son (See Luke 1:3038). We believe that Jesus is truly human because he has a real human nature formed in the womb of his mother Mary, including a human body and human soul. We believe he is truly God because he has also a divine nature. Jesus has no earthly father but was miraculously conceived by God’s power. This is what we profess when we call Mary the Mother of God.

At every Sunday Mass, we publicly profess our faith as expressed in the words of the Nicene Creed. We declare “I believe in One God, the Father Almighty…” The most essential knowledge is acquired not through science or senses but only by faith. For example, we cannot prove we are loved. Yet the mere instant required to say, “I believe I am loved” will radically change our lives. So, it is with faith in God. We cannot put God under a microscope. As with love, the heart is our proof. There is a deep hunger within each of us, a space that only God can fill.

The Mass in its current form has taken shape over the course of 2,000 years. Over time, traditions, structures, and prayers have been put into place.There are certain rubrics for the Mass that are normative wherever you go. This means you could attend Mass in Malawi or Thailand or Italy and stillwatch the same basic liturgy unfold, even if you don't understand the language. There may be some cultural differences from place to place, things that aren't specifically listed. For example, in the United States, most people go up for Communion in a nice neat line. In Europe, everyone gets up around the same time. It's a bit of a free for all!

In the mind of many people, life issues are the defining social, political and theological issues of the twenty-first century. Hunger, homelessness, health care, gay rights, economic justice, abortion, and euthanasia are debated and discussed from all angles and perspectives.

Start on a personal level! How did you and your neighbor become friends? How did you begin to discuss such a personal topic as faith? Communication, spending time together and getting to know each other are essential to forming the bonds of a relationship.