New Testament (N.124-141)
The New Testament is the second of the two sections of the Christian Bible or Sacred Scriptures, the first being the Old Testament. It is a collection of 27 books written between about 50 A.D. and the early part of the second century A.D. These writings passed through several stages of editing before reaching their final form around 200 A.D. While the 27 books of the New Testament have been generally accepted by the church since the end of the fourth century, the canon of scripture was declared definitively by the Council of Trent in 1546. The four gospels are the heart of the New Testament, “because they are our principal source for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word our Saviour”. (The Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation N.18)
Nicene Creed (N.170-197)
A creed is a profession of faith or a statement of belief. The word itself comes from the Latin ‘credo’ which means ‘I believe’. From very early in its history the Church found it useful to have brief summaries of its beliefs. These creeds were intended especially for candidates for Baptism. One of the most important creeds is the Nicene Creed which is professed by Catholics during the Sunday liturgy. It is so called because it has its origins in the Council of Nicaea of 325, and the Council of Constantinople of 381. (It is sometimes referred to as the Niceno – Constantinopolitan Creed). You can find out more about the Council of Nicea here.
Noah
A figure of primordial history. According to Genesis 5:28 – 9:29, God saved the righteous Noah, son of Lamech, from the flood which he sent to destroy the whole world because of human wickedness. Following the flood, God made a covenant with Noah (Gen 9) in which he promised never to destroy the world again. The rainbow in the sky is a sign of this promise