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.
What do we mean by looking forward to the resurrection of the dead?
After nine months, a baby can no longer remain in the mother’s womb. Everything that has been keeping it alive seems to fall apart. Actually, that dying process leads to the baby’s birth and to living in a new way. Our bodies will wear out because of age, illness, or accident. But death will be birth once again. Face-to-face with Jesus, we will be fully alive in a new world of growth, knowledge, and love infinitely surpassing anything here on earth.
Exactly how this will happen is unknown. Saint Paul wrote, “what you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bared seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain…. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body” (see 1Cor. 15:35-49).
And the life of the world to come?
Jesus leaves no doubt about the reality of eternal life (see John 6:40) but doesn’t tell us much about what it willbe like. What will heaven be like? As our life on earth goes beyond the womb, so life in heaven will go beyond thisexperience, Certainly, all that is good, beautiful, and exciting in this life will be more powerfully present in heaven.
The New Testament teaches that we are able to choose eternal separation from God, called hell. We don’t knowwhat hell is like, but the worst suffering for those in hell will be the realization that the one power able to bringhappiness, God’s love is what they have set themselves against forever.
Catholics believe that God’s mercy extends beyond death in a temporary state of purification called purgatory.This belief is based in biblical references to prayers for the dead (2Maccabees 12:38-46) and on Saint Paul(1Cor. 3:15). Most of us will die with imperfections that make us uncomfortable in God’s presence.Purgatory will be an after-life experience of God’s forgiveness.
We complete the profession of faith with a resounding “Amen.” This word means “Yes” or “So Be It.”We say “yes” to the Creator, Son and Spirit, “Yes” to the goodness of life in the Church today; and “yes” to thepromise of eternal life in the world to come. Doubts are to be expected. If we meet them with prayer, study,and a life of holiness, they can provide an opportunity for growth in faith.
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