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Liturgy of the Word: Profession of Faith Part 2
The Profession of Faith serves as a
way for us to respond, and to give our assent to the Word of God heard in the
readings and the homily, and for us to recall the truths of faith before we
continue with the celebration of the Eucharist- the great mystery of faith.
Over the centuries, like the other
parts of the Mass, music has been composed for the Nicene Creed, such as, the
‘Mass in B Minor’ by J.S. Bach or ‘Mass in C’ by L. van Beethoven. These
composers took a particular line of text and created a composition around it.
So their Creeds were made of many sections. We can learn from this method
ourselves. Actually, this is a great way for us to reflect on the words of the
Creed. Why not take a line or two and mull over it?
SINCE VATICAN 2.
However, since Vatican 11, it is
preferred that the Creed is not sung, rather that it is proclaimed together,
giving voice to our beliefs and responding to the Word of
God.
If it is sung, as a rule the
congregation is meant to sing it together or in alternation. The musical
style is meant to be declamatory in style, rather than an extensive and
involved musical structure.
A good example of our heritage can be
found in the Catholic Worship Book (1985) ‘Credo in Unum Deum’ (No
541. This is in plainchant, and can be sung either together (as it is often
sung at the Vatican) or in alternation.
Perhaps our younger members of the
congregation find the recitation of the Profession of Faith difficult to
remember. You will find it if you ask at Catholic bookshop. It can
also be found in Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994)
p.49-50.
In some parishes, the Profession of
Faith is presented on the overhead projector to help the congregation to focus
on what they are professing. After all, our Faith is very special and we
need every voice to say with our hearts ‘We believe’.
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