He died, was buried, and descended to the dead...

HE DIED, WAS BURIED, AND DESCENDED TO THE DEAD...

“[T]he death of Jesus signals more than the end of mortal life.  It guarantees as well the human capacity to survive failure… The function of failure, as Jesus shows us so clearly is to prove to us that, really, in the end, nothing fails at all.  The only thing that can fail is our ability to believe that nothing in life is wasted, that it will all come to some good end, sooner or later, with us or without us, whether we can see it or not.  To say, ‘I believe in Jesus Christ… who died, was buried and descended to the dead’ is to say, ‘I believe in God’s own time.’”

Practice:  Believing in God’s time requires patience and openness to that which we do not understand, and it is operative from our most petty frustrations to our greatest difficulties in life.  In order to prepare for such moments, practice praying the “Ecce, Fiat, Magnificat” breathing prayer proposed by Fr. Michael Gaitley and based on Mary’s statements in the Gospels. 

First, after breathing out but before breathing in again, hold one breathless moment, and in that empty space, recognize your own weakness and need of God’s mercy, praying the word “Ecce,” or “Behold,” and offering yourself just as you are to God.  Then, inhale, and pray, “Fiat” – Mary’s “Yes, let it be done to me,” a petition for God’s merciful love to flow into our hearts.  Finally, exhale, praying “Magnificat,” offering praise to God for all the good he has done in our lives.  This conscious attention to breath within prayer helps us to leave human time and more easily accept God-time…

Quotations from Benedictine sister Joan Chittister’s book In Search of Belief, which explores the Apostles’ Creed phrase by phrase, demonstrating how the Creed is not a static set of rules or statements, but a living document that speaks to the deepest meaning of our existence and serves as a life guide, calling all of us to engage more deeply in relationship with God and with each other.  Sr. Chittister’s thoughts challenge us to live the Creed more fully as Christians; her writing is thought-provoking and inspirational.

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