The Mysteries of the Church

Introduction — Meaning of “the Mystery”
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the word “mystery” (secret) means a hidden grace not seen, granted to a person through the priesthood and an outward rite. Each mystery has an outward action (material and rite) and a hidden grace not seen by the bodily eye.

The nature of the mysteries and examples

• In the sacrament of anointing the material is the chrism oil and the priestly prayers; the hidden grace is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
• In the Eucharist the material is bread and wine and the rite and prayers transform them by the hidden grace into the body and blood of the Lord.
• In the sacrament of priesthood the hidden grace is the authority of binding and loosing granted by laying on of hands, the holy breathing, and prayers.

Liturgy and liturgical prayers
Every mystery is accompanied by special liturgical prayers which prepare the material and effect the hidden grace through the priesthood.

The sacrament of marriage
The marital union before people is perfected by a spiritual grace that makes the two one and that is not broken except by death, adultery, or change of religion; this grace is granted through the priesthood.

Baptism: many hidden graces

• First grace: forgiveness of original sin and all actual sins prior to baptism (see Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16).
• Baptism effects the death of the old man and the birth of a new man in the image of God (see Romans 6; Colossians 2:11-12).
• Baptism is a second birth by water and the Spirit (John 3; Titus 3) in which the Holy Spirit births the believer anew.
• The baptismal water is sanctified by prayer and a portion of chrism is added so the water becomes able to give the new birth.
• The use of chrism in baptism is distinct from the separate sacrament of chrismation which comes after baptism and involves anointing many parts of the body.

Salvation, baptism, and children
Baptism is linked to salvation (Mark 16; 1 Peter 3); therefore children are baptized too, relying on the faith of their parents — as shown in Acts (the Philippian jailer, Lydia) — and prefigured in Old Testament symbols (circumcision, Passover, crossing the Red Sea) which model baptism and the infants’ reception of salvation through their parents’ faith.

Simplicity of faith and its reasons
The Saint emphasizes the simplicity of faith of the poor and ordinary people and the importance of the Church being accessible to them without complex philosophical conditions; children are often more faithful than adults, which is why the Church baptizes children on the faith of their parents.

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