The Catholic Defender: Hold Fast To Our Profession

Hebrews 4:14-16 states, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high preist who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.”

Every Mass Catholics collectively and individually do hold fast to our confession (Profession) of faith. This is central, every rosary said we do the same thing. I love verse 16, “So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.” The throne of grace is also where the Altar of God is, this is interestingly connected with the Mass where we receive His great mercy. Also in the confessional we receive His mercy which does give us His timely grace for help.

I believe in one God, (Mark 12:29, 12:32, Ephesians 4:6)

Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'

the Father almighty, (2 Corinthians 6:18)

Therefore come out from them, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch nothing unclean; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

maker of heaven and earth, (Genesis 1:1, Revelation 4:11)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

of all things visible and invisible. (Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 11:3)

for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities--all things were created through him and for him.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Corinthians 8:6, Ephesians 4:5)

yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

the Only Begotten Son of God, (John 3:16)

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

born of the Father before all ages. (Colossians 1:15, 1:17)

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation; for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities--all things were created through him and for him.

God from God (John 1:1-2),

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.

Light from Light, (John 1:4, 1:9, 2 Corinthians 4:6, Hebrews 1:3)

For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

true God from true God, (1 John 5:20)

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, to know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

begotten, not made, (John 1:14)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

consubstantial with the Father; (cf. 1 John 1:5 & John 8:12)

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.

through him all things were made. (John 1:3, 1:10, Colossians 1:16, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Romans 11:36, Hebrews 1:10)

all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

For us men and for our salvation (Matthew 1:21, 1 Thessalonians 5:9, Colossians 1:13-14)

"she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

he came down from heaven, (John 3:13, 3:31, 6:38)

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day.

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, (Luke 1:34-35)

And Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" And the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

and became man. (John 1:14, Hebrews 2:14)

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.

For our sake he was crucified (1 Peter 2:24) under Pontius Pilate, (Mark 15:15)

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barab'bas; and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

he suffered death (Matthew 27:50) and was buried, (Matthew 27:59-60)

And Jesus cried again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. And Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb, and departed.

and rose again on the third day (Mark 9:31, 16:9, Acts 10:40)

but God raised him on the third day and made him manifest;41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

in accordance with the Scriptures. (Luke 24:45-46, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9)

And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

and is seated at the right hand of the Father. (Mark 16:19, Luke 22:69)

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

He will come again in glory (Mark 13:26, John 14:3, 1 Thessalonians 4:17)

And then they will see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

to judge the living and the dead (Matthew 16:27, 2 Corinthians 5:10, 2 Timothy 4:1, 1 Peter 4:5)

For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done.

and his kingdom will have no end. (Hebrews 1:8, 2 Peter 1:11)

But of the Son he says, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, the righteous scepter is the scepter of thy kingdom.

I believe in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8), the Lord, the giver of life, (John 6:63, 2 Corinthians 3:6)

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth." It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

who proceeds from the Father (John 15:26) and the Son, (John 16:7)

But when the Counselor comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, (2 Corinthians 3:8)

will not the dispensation of the Spirit be attended with greater splendor?

who has spoken through the prophets. (1 Peter 1:10-11, Ephesians 3:5)

The prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired about this salvation; they inquired what person or time was indicated by the Spirit of Christ within them when predicting the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glory.

I believe in one (Ephesians 4:4), There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. holy (Ephesians 1:4, 5:27), even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. Catholic (Matthew 28:19, Acts 1:8) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." and apostolic (Ephesians 2:20) So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Church (Matthew 16:18, Romans 12:4-5, 1 Corinthians 10:17) And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it..

I confess one baptism (Ephesians 4:5, Galatians 3:27, 1 Corinthians 12:13) for the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 2:12-13, Acts 22:16) one Lord, one faith, one baptism,6 one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. and you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead (Romans 6:4-5, 1 Thessalonians 4:16)

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

and the life of the world to come (2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1).

But according to his promise we wait for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Amen.

Very true!