devotions to the blessed trinity
athanasian creed (quicúmque)
Taking its name from its St. Athanasius (+373) even if it is no longer attributed to him, this prayer tells us again the essential doctrines of Christianity, especially the mysteries of the Holy Trinity.
Saint Teresa of Jesus recounts a meditation on this Creed in the following: “Once when I was reciting the Quicumque vult, I was shown so clearly how it was possible for there to be One God alone and Three Persons that it caused me both amazement and much comfort. It was of the greatest help in teaching me to know more of the greatness of God and of his marvels.”
Ant. Glory be to you, equal Trinity, one Godhead, both before all time, now and for ever. (P. T. Alleluia).
Whoever wishes to be saved must, above all, keep the Catholic faith.
For unless a person keeps this faith whole and entire, he will undoubtedly be lost forever.
This is what the Catholic faith teaches: we worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity.
We distinguish among the persons, but we do not divide the substance.
For the Father is a distinct person; the Son is a distinct person; and the Holy Spirit is a distinct person.
Still the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit have one divinity, equal glory, and coeternal majesty.
What the Father is, the Son is, and the Holy Spirit is.
The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, and the Holy Spirit is uncreated.
The Father is boundless, the Son is boundless, and the Holy Spirit is boundless.
The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, and the Holy Spirit is eternal.
Nevertheless, there are not three eternal beings, but one eternal being.
Thus there are not three uncreated beings, nor three boundless beings, but one uncreated being and one boundless being.
Likewise, the Father is omnipotent, the Son is omnipotent, and the Holy Spirit is omnipotent.
Yet there are not three omnipotent beings, but one omnipotent being.
Thus the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
But there are not three gods, but one God.
The Father is lord, the Son is lord, and the Holy Spirit is lord.
There are not three lords, but one Lord.
For according to Christian truth, we must profess that each of the persons individually is God; and according to Christian religion, we are forbidden to say that there are three gods or three lords.
The Father is not made by anyone, nor created by anyone, nor generated by anyone.
The Son is not made nor created, but he is generated by the Father alone.
The Holy Spirit is not made nor created nor generated, but proceeds from the Father and the Son.
There is, then, one Father, not three fathers; one Son, not three sons; one Holy Spirit, not three holy spirits.
In this Trinity, there is nothing greater, nothing less than anything else. But the entire three persons are coeternal and coequal with one another.
So that, as we have said, we worship complete unity in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity.
This, then, is what he who wishes to be saved must believe about the Trinity.
It is also necessary for eternal salvation that he believes steadfastly in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The true faith is: we believe and profess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is both God and man.
As God, he was begotten of the substance of the Father before time; as man, he was born in time of the substance of his Mother.
He is perfect God; and he is perfect man, with a rational soul and human flesh.
He is equal to the Father in his divinity, but he is inferior to the Father in his humanity.
Although he is God and man, he is not two but one Christ.
And he is one, not because his divinity was changed into flesh, but because his humanity was assumed to God.
He is one, not at all because of a mingling of substances, but because he is one person.
As a rational soul and flesh are one man: so God and man are one Christ.
He died for our salvation, descended to hell, arose from the dead on the third day.
Ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty, and from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
At his coming, all men are to arise with their own bodies; and they are to give an account of their lives.
Those who have done good deeds will into eternal life; those who have done evil will go into everlasting fire.
This is the Catholic faith. Everyone must believe it, firmly and steadfastly; otherwise he cannot be saved.
Glory Be…
Ant. Glory be to you, equal Trinity, one Godhead, both before all time, now and for ever. (P. T. Alleluia).
℣. O Lord, hear my prayer.
℟. And let my cry come unto you.
Priests add:
℣. The Lord be with you.
℟. And also with you.
Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, who has enabled your servants, in confessing the true Faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of Majesty to adore its Unity: we beseech You, that by steadfastness in the same Faith, we may ever be defended against all adversity. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
℟. Amen.
Ant. Glória tibi, Trínitas æquális, una Déitas, et ante ómnia sǽcula, et nunc, et in perpétuum. (T.P. Alleluia).
Quicúmque vult salvus esse, ante ómnia opus est, ut téneat cathólicam fidem:
Quam nisi quisque íntegram inviolatámque serváverit, absque dúbio in ætérnum períbit.
Fides autem cathólica hæc est: ut unum Deum in Trinitáte, et Trinitátem in unitáte venerémur.
Neque confundéntes persónas, neque substántiam separántes.
Alia est enim persóna Patris alia Fílii, alia Spíritus Sancti:
Sed Patris, et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti una est divínitas, æquális glória, coætérna maiéstas.
Qualis Pater, talis Fílius, talis Spíritus Sanctus.
Increátus Pater, increátus Fílius, increátus Spíritus Sanctus.
Imménsus Pater, imménsus Fílius, imménsus Spíritus Sanctus.
Ætérnus Pater, ætérnus Fílius, ætérnus Spíritus Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres ætérni, sed unus ætérnus.
Sicut non tres increáti, nec tres imménsi, sed unus increátus, et unus imménsus.
Simíliter omnípotens Pater, omnípotens Fílius, omnípotens Spíritus Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres omnipoténtes, sed unus omnípotens.
Ita Deus Pater, Deus Fílius, Deus Spíritus Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres dii, sed unus est Deus.
Ita Dóminus Pater, Dóminus Fílius, Dóminus Spíritus Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres Dómini, sed unus est Dóminus.
Quia, sicut singillátim unamquámque persónam Deum ac Dóminum confitéri christiána veritáte compéllimur: ita tres Deos aut Dóminos dícere cathólica religióne prohibémur.
Pater a nullo est factus: nec creátus, nec génitus.
Fílius a Patre solo est: non factus, nec creátus, sed génitus.
Spíritus Sanctus a Patre et Fílio: non factus, nec creátus, nec génitus, sed procédens.
Unus ergo Pater, non tres Patres: unus Fílius, non tres Fílii: unus Spíritus Sanctus, non tres Spíritus Sancti.
Et in hac Trinitáte nihil prius aut postérius, nihil máius aut minus: sed totæ tres persónæ coætérnæ sibi sunt et coæquáles.
Ita ut per ómnia, sicut jam supra dictum est, et únitas in Trinitáte, et Trínitas in unitáte veneránda sit.
Qui vult ergo salvus esse, ita de Trinitáte séntiat.
Sed necessárium est ad ætérnam salútem, ut incarnatiónem quoque Dómini nostri Jesu Christi fidéliter credat.
Est ergo fides recta ut credámus et confiteámur, quia Dóminus noster Jesus Christus, Dei Fílius, Deus et homo est.
Deus est ex substántia Patris ante sǽcula génitus: et homo est ex substántia matris in sǽculo natus.
Perféctus Deus, perféctus homo: ex ánima rationáli et humána carne subsístens.
Æquális Patri secúndum divinitátem: minor Patre secúndum humanitátem.
Qui, licet Deus sit et homo, non duo tamen, sed unus est Christus.
Unus autem non conversióne divinitátis in carnem, sed assumptióne humanitátis in Deum.
Unus omníno, non confusióne substántiæ, sed unitáte persónæ.
Nam sicut ánima rationális et caro unus est homo: ita Deus et homo unus est Christus.
Qui passus est pro salúte nostra: descéndit ad ínferos: tértia die resurréxit a mórtuis.
Ascéndit ad cælos, sedet ad déxteram Dei Patris omnipoténtis: inde ventúrus est iudicáre vivos et mórtuos.
Ad cúius advéntum omnes hómines resúrgere habent cum corpóribus suis: et redditúri sunt de factis própriis ratiónem.
Et qui bona egérunt, ibunt in vitam ætérnam: qui vero mala, in ignem ætérnum.
Hæc est fides cathólica, quam nisi quisque fidéliter firmitérque credíderit, salvus esse non póterit.
Glória Patri . . .
Ant. Glória tibi, Trínitas æquális, una Déitas, et ante ómnia sǽcula, et nunc, et in perpétuum. (T. P. Allelúia).
℣. Dómine, exáudi oratiónem meam.
℟. Et clamor meus ad te véniat.
Sacerdotes addunt:
℣. Dóminus vobíscum.
℟. Et cum spíritu tuo.
Orémus. Omnípotens sempitérne Deus, qui dedísti fámulis tuis in confessióne veræ fide: ætérnæ Trinitátis glóriam agnóscere, et in poténtia maiestátis adoráre unitátem: quǽsumus, ut eiúsdem fídei firmitáte ab ómnibus semper muniámur advársis. Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
℟. Amen.