St Luke's Anglican Church

What we profess every Sunday at Holy Mass (and, what one should include in one's daily private prayers), is summarized in the words of what's commonly called the Nicene Creed, as generally accepted by the Church since around 451AD. Of the many translations extant today, the translation we use is that of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Note that the Creed (or "Symbol of Faith) begins with "I believe" in the original language, rather than "we believe". Yes, we stand, and make our profession of faith together, yet ultimately, this profession must be that of each individual...one is individually accountable to the Creator at the last day. We believe that Christ's salvific action on the cross, overcoming death by death, brings us, once having come up out of the waters of Baptism, into new life in Him. Hence, we are "saved". Yet, this is not a "once and done" proposition, but rather, as one reads in the Epistles of Blessed St. Paul, a process of "working out our salvation with fear and trembling" throughout our entire lives. So then, through our daily prayers, weekly and seasonal fasting, and daily reading of the Scriptures and writings of the early Church Fathers, we strive to conform ourselves, our souls and bodies, more and more, to the nature and likeness of our Creator, in whose image we are created. And, at the last day, Lord have mercy upon us all, we hope to be saved.