Do you ever question why the priest, at every Eucharistic celebration after the words of consecration, utters the words “The Mystery of Faith”?
Is he talking of some mystery novel or something that cannot be figured out?
I do not think I ever understood the words or the concept for the first few years as a young priest, even after formal theology studies. It only made sense to me the first time I was transferred from my initial assignment at Annunciation parish in Wayne to Resurrection in Randolph in 1980.
Up to that point in my young life, I had never experienced loss or deep upheaval. I had led a charmed life of security and inner peace.
After eight years in my first assignment, something stirred in me that made me think a change was needed to broaden my perspective and deepen my call to the priesthood. Around that time, the founding pastor of Resurrection, Fr. Martin Rauscher, whom I had known as a friend since our time together on the staff of De Paul High School in Wayne, invited me to consider joining the staff at the newly established parish in Randolph.
I must admit I was very happy at Annunciation. We had a great Youth group where we had begun the SEARCH program that still exists to this day. I was close to the staff and very close to the people, many of whom were my age at the time. This was a difficult decision, leaving the security of the parish I loved and moving to someplace called Randolph, which I had never heard of, much less to a parish that did not yet even have a church building!
However, the Holy Spirit prompted me to say YES, to let go of security and step out to take a risk, to “die” to my security and open myself to new life. I am sure we all remember the words of Robert Frost, “and that has made all the difference,” from his famous poem,
The Road Less Travelled. And, looking back, I can see that this is certainly true for me!
As I reflect on the gift of my eight years at Resurrection as a part of brand-new, dynamic community, with the opportunity to build a church and to be involved again in Youth Ministry and so many other aspects of parish life, I finally came to understand the “Mystery of Faith”, the Paschal Mystery.
To embrace the Paschal Mystery is to die and to rise, to risk security and our comfort zone and step out to new life. We hear in the gospel of John (12:4): “Unless a grain of wheat dies and is buried it never bears fruit.” We also hear in the letter of Paul to the Romans (6:4-5): “Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in the newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like this.”
These words we hear so often refer to much more than our physical death and the gift of eternal life. These words of Scripture apply to the whole of our life journey as we are invited to leave behind the past and our security and take the risk to embrace new life. We call it the MYSTERY of faith because the word MYSTERION in Greek means something which can only be grasped through God’s perspective, through spiritual wisdom.
In Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, we are given the model and power for a new and fuller life on this earth, as well as in the eternity of heaven. As we hear in John’s Gospel (10:10): “I have come to bring you life, life to the full.”
Last week I took a few days off and went away to reflect on my feelings and emotions as I prepare to leave the security of pastoral ministry as I know it and the wonderful gift of St. Matthew’s.
I realized the blessing of that first transfer in my priestly ministry and those that came afterwards. I must admit these changes were painful but, in time, they opened me to new and deeper life. They are one of the most important paths that have helped me understand those words I have prayed at mass just about every day of my life since May 26,1973: “The Mystery of Faith - We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your resurrection.”
During those days of prayer and reflection, I read a wonderful but brief book entitled “The Star in My Heart” by Sr. Joyce Rupp, S.M.
Her words just spoke to my heart to help me get in touch with the way God is moving me to new life. I would like to close with a quote from this book:
“Deep inside me I know that Wisdom draws me to what will bring me to greater life. The Wisdom of God gives me strength to let go of my securities. She leads me to insights and to truths deep inside that will bring me to greater freedom and greater life.”