Transcription
[Music] Many people wonder what the mystery of faith is about. The mystery of faith is what the priest says immediately after the consecration of the chalice. The previous translation used to translate mysterium fidei as "Let us proclaim the mystery of faith." And yet, mysterium fidei does not mean "let us do anything." It's simply a statement about what's there on the altar in front of the priest.
In order to fully understand this, in order to fully appreciate it, we need a little bit of knowledge about the word mystery. I think this is an amazing part of the Mass. First of all, let's look at what the Roman Missal says should be done at that moment in the Mass after the consecration. When the priest has said "The mystery of faith," the people pronounce the acclamation using one of the prescribed formulas. And in the Order of Mass at number 112, the priest says "The mystery of faith," and the people continue. Notice the priest alone says "The mystery of faith," and then the priest remains silent. The instruction says the people continue the acclamation.
Why is this? To fully appreciate this, we've got to understand that the original meaning of the word mystery is rooted in a tiny ancient word, a three-letter word, muo. M-U-O. This word means literally to shut the mouth. Muo is the root word from which we get the English word mute. So the word mystery has as its foundational meaning being rendered silent or dumbfounded by the magnificence of the mystery revealed to us.
So imagine this: the consecration of the bread and wine has just happened. The priest comes up from the genuflection, and it's almost as if he recognizes that right before him on the altar is the Body and Blood of Christ. It's almost as if he blurts out "The mystery of faith," but is then so overwhelmed by the mystery before him, he's rendered speechless. And as, as the rubric is written, the people come to his aid and continue the acclamation: "When we eat this bread and drink this cup," or "Save us, Savior of the world." It is this marvelous combination of priest and people working together in celebration of the Mass.
Here's a perfect example of how a deeper understanding of the meaning of the different parts of Mass can lead to a fuller, deeper, more intelligent participation in the mysteries being celebrated. This deeper internal participation nourishes the spiritual life of both priest and people.
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