Dear Brethren:  At the beginning of the Rosary, the Apostles’ Creed is recited.  Everything that we must believe, in order to attain to eternal life, is contained in this Creed.  It puts in explicit words all that of which the sign of the Cross is the symbol.  Tradition tells us that this profession of faith originated with the Apostles, and for this reason it is called the Apostles’ Creed.  To be sure not all the dogmas of the Catholic Church are declared in the twelve articles of the Creed, but any dogmas not expressly mentioned are included in the ninth article, which says:  “I believe in the Holy Catholic Church.”  In these words the Catholic declares that he believes everything which the holy infallible Catholic Church teaches and requires of us to believe.

The Creed is, therefore, by its origin, as well as its contents, a truly holy and excellent prayer.  It we duly appreciate this beautiful prayer we shall say it with more devotion, to the greater glory of God, and our own good.

I.  “I believe in God.”  With these words I express my firm conviction that there is a God, and that everything that God has revealed is infallible truth, because God is truth itself and can neither deceive nor be deceived.  With these words I submit my mind, my reason and my will to the infallible authority of God.

“I believe in God the Father.”  This means that I believe that in God there are three Persons, of whom the first Person is called the Father because He is the origin of all existence; because from all eternity He begot the Son, who is equal to Him in essence but different in Person.  Further, He is our Father because He created us His children.

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty.”  It is befitting that at the beginning of the Creed the omnipotence of God should be emphasized.  Our faith contains many mysteries, which no created understanding can comprehend.  Because I firmly believe in the omnipotence of God I profess that to God nothing is impossible.

In His omnipotence, God, the Father, created the world, calling it into existence from nothing.  Hence we say:  “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth.”  But God not only created the world, He also preserves and rules it through His omnipotence.  As by virtue of His will He created the world, so does God cause it to continue in existence.  A building erected by a master hand remains standing even though the master absent himself; yet the world, according to St. Augustine, could not continue to exist for one moment did not God preserve it.  This world which God called forth from nothing would, the very moment that God should withdraw His almighty hand, fall back into nothing.  “And how could anything endure if thou wouldst not?” Thus we read of God in the Book of Wisdom (ii, 26).  Since we are then so utterly dependent upon God that at any moment He could cut the thread of our lives, how greatly should we fear to offend Him?