Today, as Michael left church, he informed me: "I am not a catholic. I am a Lutheran."
An odd thing to say, you might think, but Michael has this reaction once a year. It invariably happens on Trinity Sunday when we confess the Athanasian Creed. You see, Michael USED to be a Roman Catholic, and he has never forgotten his conversion to Lutheranism and the joy that it brought to his heart. He just doesn't get this Creed that shows up in the liturgy once a year here.
The key, as always, to attend to what is confessed. The Creed leaves you in zero doubt as to what the Catholic faith is:
"And the catholic faith is this: that we worship one God in in trinity and Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance." (LSB translation)
Friends, the Romans do NOT have the word "catholic" copyrighted as their own. It belongs to those who worship one God in three persons and three persons in one God. THAT is the catholic faith, nothing else. Let this bring joy and comfort to your hearts. To be catholic is nothing more and nothing less than to join the countless multitude who stand before the throne of God and proclaim:
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever! Amen.
So, to Michael and any others who were disconcerted by what was confessed today: focus on the words of the Athanasian Creed and rejoice in true catholicity - join in the glorification of the Holy, Consusbstantial, Life-creating, and Undivided Trinity, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages! Amen!
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