Encountering the Divine Liturgy Part 27: The Creed

The doors, the doors! In wisdom let us attend. The priest Iifts the aer and holds it over the holy Gifts. If several priests are serving, then they lift the holy aer and hold it over the holy Gifts and wave it saying to themselves the Confession of the Faith, as do the people. 

The recitation of the Nicene Creed during the Divine Liturgy occupies a central role in the Liturgy of the Faithful, immediately following the mutual expression of love and unity ("Let us love one another...") and the proclamation of the Trinity ("Father, Son, and Holy Spirit..."). It is introduced with the solemn exclamation, “The doors! The doors! In wisdom let us attend,” recalling ancient liturgical practice when only the baptized faithful were permitted to remain for the Eucharistic mysteries.

The Creed as the People’s Offering of Faith

The Creed is not merely a doctrinal statement; it is a confessional act of worship, the Church’s collective affirmation of the true faith received from the Apostles, preserved through the Ecumenical Councils, and lived by the body of believers. Its liturgical placement before the Eucharistic Anaphora signifies that right belief is the necessary foundation for right worship. As St. Paul affirms: “One Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5), and so, before receiving the one Body and one Cup, the Church proclaims the one Faith.

St. Maximos the Confessor writes:

“The Creed is the seal of the soul’s confession and the key to the mysteries. Without this confession, no one can enter into divine communion.”
(Mystagogia, PG 91.668)

A Communal and Ecclesial Act

Unlike private prayers said by the celebrant, the Creed is recited by all the faithful together, often chanted in unison. This underscores its communal nature: the entire Church confesses one faith with one voice. It is a proclamation of orthodoxy, a defense against heresy, and a participation in the unbroken witness of the Church from age to age.

The theology of this act is beautifully summarized by St. John of Damascus, who explains:

“By proclaiming the Creed, we demonstrate our unity in doctrine with the holy Church and our rejection of every innovation and heresy.”
(Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Book 4, Ch. 12)

The Aer and the Holy Spirit

While the people recite the Creed aloud, the celebrant(s) raise and wave the Aer—the large veil that previously covered the Gifts—over the diskos and chalice. This motion is deeply symbolic. It recalls the “overshadowing” of the Holy Spirit, just as the Spirit overshadowed the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:35) and hovered over the waters in Genesis (1:2). It is a silent invocation of the Spirit’s presence, a foretaste of the Epiclesis, when the Spirit will be called down explicitly upon the Gifts.

St. Germanus of Constantinople reflects on this action:

“The movement of the veil over the Holy Things signifies the invisible overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, who prepares the transformation of the Gifts and the hearts of the faithful.”
(Ecclesiastical History and Mystical Contemplation, PG 98.385)

A Threshold Moment

The recitation of the Creed is thus a threshold between Word and Sacrament, between the proclamation of the Gospel and the celebration of the Eucharistic mystery. It ensures that the Church enters into the Anaphora with clarity of faith, unity of heart, and readiness to receive the Mystery of Christ. Without this confession, the Church would stand divided, and the offering would not be in harmony with apostolic truth.

Conclusion

In sum, the Creed in the Divine Liturgy is not just doctrinal formality—it is the living voice of the Church, uniting heaven and earth, past and present, bishop and layperson, in one confession of faith before the Holy Mysteries. It affirms that the Eucharist is not celebrated in a vacuum, but in the context of revealed truth, preserved, professed, and lived. It is the Church saying, with confidence and joy, “This is our God. This is our Christ. This is the faith of the Apostles.”