The Holy Mysteries(Sacraments)

Life in the Church, the Kingdom of God here and now, is marked and supported by what are called the “Holy Mysteries” (also known as “sacraments”). The Holy Mysteries are a way we experience the world as it was before the fall, and as it will be at the end of time. Before the fall, all of creation was intended to lead us to communion with God. In the Holy Mysteries, the elements of our everyday lives, for example bread, wine, oil and water, are transformed into something of the Kingdom of God. Thus, the Holy Mysteries are ways that we encounter God, who is the ultimate Mystery.

The union of the physical and spiritual in the Holy Mysteries is a way that we meet Christ. St. Paul identifies Christ as the Mystery of God’s plan for the world. 1 Just as Christ, the son of God, became “flesh and dwelt among us,” 2 so too our material world is transfigured in the Holy Mysteries. It is significant that we call the sacraments “Holy Mysteries” because in them we experience an incarnation of God, that is Christ, in our lives.

The Holy Mysteries show us how to look at the world in which we live. In the Holy Mysteries, we experience the day to day elements of our lives as something of God.

God is in all things. In the Holy Mysteries, we experience the divine in things, the way we are supposed to. For example, the bread and wine of the Eucharist show us that food is meant to be a means of communion with God. The Holy Mysteries are therefore not just special moments in our lives where we commune with God, but instead they lead us to seeing all life, every moment, every creature, every encounter, as sacramental, as a potential opportunity to unite with God.

It’s a Mystery!

A mystery, by definition, is something that is partially revealed yet partially hidden.

Likewise, the Holy Mysteries involve both physical items or gestures (the part we see) and participation in the life of God (the part that remains hidden to the eye).

There are two aspects of the Holy Mysteries that we can learn about from the name “Mystery”:

There are outward signs (physical things or gestures) which have a deeper reality contained in them. We see these outward things, but we also realize that what we see is not all that there is. For example, in baptism, the immersion of the person in water is not just a bath, a physical cleansing of the body. Rather, it is a union with the death and resurrection of Jesus, a birth into new life with God, and a cleansing of the soul for forgiveness of sins. These things really do take place in baptism, but require the eyes of faith to see beyond the physical actions taking place.

We encounter God in the Holy Mysteries. God is mysterious – we know God, but we cannot possibly know everything about God or even know God completely. When we participate in the Holy Mysteries, we step out into the deep, into the presence of God, to participate in the life of God, life in the Kingdom. We encounter the ultimate mystery – God.

The Seven Holy Mysteries(Sacraments)

The Church has named seven sacraments or Holy Mysteries. Indeed, it is recognized that experiencing God’s presence or communion with God is not limited to these, as God is everywhere present and fills all things. However, the Holy Mysteries are places where we know we will encounter God. The Seven Holy Mysteries are:

Baptism: Through immersion in water, we participate in Christ’s death and resurrection, and therefore become part of the Church. (More about Baptism)

Chrismation: Through anointing with chrism (special oil) a person is made the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Reconciliation: By confessing our sins to God before a priest, we are offered God’s forgiveness and healing. This Mystery renews our baptism. (Preparation for Reconcilation), (Forgiveness Heals People)

Anointing of the Sick: Through anointing with oil, we ask God to physically and spiritually heal a person with a serious illness.

Marriage: The love of a man and woman becomes an icon of the love of Christ for the Church through mutual consent and the blessing of the Church. (More about Marriage) , (Living together before Marriage)

Holy Orders: The consecration of a person for permanent service as a deacon, priest or bishop in the church through the laying on of hands.

Liturgical Sacramental Moments

Besides the Seven Holy Mysteries recognized by the Church, there are several other occasions which the Church recognizes as “sacramental moments.”3 These include:

These moments show us that all of life is meant to bring us closer to God. Christianity was founded not as a new religion, but as a new life. It is a life where we live the Kingdom of God here and now, in the midst of the world. Through our union with God, we work to bring about the transformation of the world into the Kingdom of God.