This is the 100^th article of our Pax Sinica column! You may read the past articles on-line at www.fatheranthonyho.ca. This week, we are going to launch a series of catechetical articles on the Creed. God willing, there will be more catechetical series on the Commandments, the Sacraments, and Prayer in the next couple years.

Jesus Christ is the Truth, the Way, and the Life. As the Truth, we learn from Him what we ought to believe, which are summed up in the Apostles’ Creed. As the Way, we learn from Him how we ought to live the moral life, which is summed up in the Ten Commandments. As the Life, Jesus is our source of grace. And the main channels of grace are the seven Sacraments and prayer. Hence, to know the Catholic Faith, we must learn about doctrine, moral, and worship.

Who made you?

Many people remember the first two questions of the Penny Catechism: “Who made you? God made me.” “Why did God make you? God made me to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next.”

Notice the sequence: know, love, and serve. We must know God first, because it is impossible to love a person without first knowing him. And it is also difficult to serve a person without first loving him. Hence, the objective of studying Catechism is not just to gain head-knowledge, but to grow in love for God.

All human beings are created to give glory to God and to love Him. All men will give glory to God for all eternity—either glorifying His mercy forever in heaven or glorifying His justice forever in hell. But only those who accept the charity of God here on earth will be able to love Him forever in heaven.

Here on earth, we accept the charity of God through Jesus Christ, who teaches us how to know, love, and serve God through the Catholic Church. And the chief truths taught by the Church are summed up in the Apostles’ Creed.

Summary of Faith

The Catechism is a summary of the essential truths of our Faith. The Apostles’ Creed further summarizes the truths in twelve articles. The Sign of the Cross summarizes even further by expressing the two most important truths—Trinity and Redemption.

The Apostles’ Creed can be divided into three parts. The first article is about God the Father as Creator of heaven and earth. The second to the seventh articles are about God the Son as Redeemer of mankind. The eighth to the twelfth articles are about the God the Holy Spirit as Sanctifier of the Church.

The Apostles’ Creed contains truths both of the natural order and of the supernatural order. Truths of the natural order can be discovered by human reason. For example: the existence of God, His providence, the immortality of human soul, the reward of the good and the punishment of the wicked.

Truths of the supernatural order can be known only by divine revelation. For example: The Holy Trinity, the Incarnation of the Son of God, and Redemption of mankind by Christ dying on the Cross.

According to a Catechism book, Christians have the following duties to the Creed:

1. To know the Creed and to recite it often;
2. To recite it with a lively faith in its truths, and in a spirit of prayer;
3. When circumstances require it, to make exterior profession of the truths which it contains.

   首先，今天是本人在此專欄第一百篇拙作，各位可到www.fatheranthonyho.ca網址，核閱過往的文章。

   本週開始，本欄將探討「信經」內一系列的要理；而將來，我們也可能接觸到有關誡命、聖事和祈禱內涵的當信道理。

   耶穌基督是「真理、道路和生命」。有關「真理」，我們從耶穌學習到的，都是真理，應當全信，而當全信的，均綜合在「宗徒信經」內。至於「道路」，天主「十誡」已經把我們導向應守的道德生活，儼如一條走向「成全」不異之路。耶穌是聖寵之源，養育我們超性的「生命」，七件聖事與祈禱，正是提供聖寵的器皿。故此，天主教信仰，要求我們學習教理、道德及崇拜。

   誰創造了你？

   相信很多人還記得，早期的「要理問答」，劈頭的問答，已經清楚說明『天主創造人類』，為了讓『人類在現世認識祂、愛祂和侍奉祂，在來世與祂共享永福。』

   注意這個順序：『認識、愛和侍奉』！我們先要認識天主，才會去愛祂，然後侍奉祂。假如我們不認識一個人，我們怎會愛他，更遑論去侍奉這個人了。換句話說，學習要理，並不止於懂得要理，而還需增長對天主的愛。

   人類的受造，是為了光榮天主和愛天主。所有的人都要永遠光榮天主 —— 或在天堂永遠光榮天主的慈悲，或因地獄永遠光榮天主的公義 —— 但只有在此世接受天主的愛而去回愛天主，才能在天堂愛祂於永恆之世。

   我們在現世，通過耶穌基督去接受天主的愛。耶穌藉祂創立的教會，教導了我們，怎樣去認識、愛慕及侍奉天主，而箇中真道，全在教會的「宗徒信經」之內撮要出來。

   信仰的撮要

   「天主教要理」是綜合了我們信仰的主要真理，而「宗徒信經」以十二點節，道出這些主要真理。我們的「十字聖號」，簡潔地顯示兩項真理 —— 天主的三位一體、救贖普世的十字架。

   「宗徒信經」基本上可分作三部份。第一部份說明，天主是創造天地萬物的父；第二部份則說明，天主聖子是人類的救世主；第三部份提到天主聖神，是聖化教會的師保者。

   其實，「宗徒信經」亦蘊藏了「本性」和「超性」的真理。

   「本性」的真理是能夠被人類的理智所發現；譬如有關天主的存在以及祂的照顧，人類不死不滅的靈魂，賞善罰惡的公義等。

   「超性」的真理必需要來自天主的啟示；譬如天主是三位一體，天主聖子降生成人，基督死在十字架上救贖眾生的奧蹟等。

   一本「要理問答」書的作者指出基督徒對「信經」的責任：

   認識「信經」，並常熟誦。

   以活的信德誦唸「信經」，要心領神會。

   3.外在生活，要活現「信經」內的信德和真理。