Mysterium fidei (Latin phrase)
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Mysterium fidei (Latin phrase meaning mystery of faith) is a Christian theological term for an article of faith or doctrine which defies man’s ability to grasp. It can also refer to a belief which while it can be understood, deeper meaning can be gathered from meditating upon it (See Mysteries of the Rosary).
Some Christian beliefs which constitute a “Mystery of Faith” are as follows:
- The eternal existence of God (God has always existed, without beginning or end)
- The Trinity (Three Persons form one Godhead)
- The creation of the Universe from nothing
- The Incarnation
- Transubstantiation
[edit] Phrase used in Mass of the Roman Rite
The phrase mysterium fidei (Latin for "the mystery of faith" or "a mystery of faith") has been used for centuries in the Canon of the Mass of the Roman Rite.
Before the 1970 revision of the Roman Missal the phrase occurred within the Words of Institution that the priest spoke at the consecration of the wine. Some have advanced the hypothesis that the phrase was originally a notification by the deacon to the people that the consecration was completed. No evidence has been found to support this hypothesis, nor has any explanation been offered of why, if that was so, the words were later inserted in the midst of the words of consecration of the wine, not at the end.
The Roman Missal of the Tridentine period presented the words as follows:
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The phrase "mysterium fidei" remained hidden from the people not only by the Latin language used but also by the fact that, at that time, the priest spoke the words of the Canon of the Mass inaudibly.
Since the revision of the Roman Missal that was promulgated officially in 1969 and was actually published in 1970, the words "mysterium fidei" have been moved to immediately after the consecration, the showing of the chalice to the congregation and the priest's genuflection. The priest celebrating the Mass proclaims the words, and the people respond with one of the Memorial Acclamations. The same position is assigned to the phrase also in the newer Eucharistic Prayers of the Roman Rite.
Thus, the corresponding text in the Roman Canon or First Eucharistic Prayer is now as follows (here accompanied by the reductive 1973 ICEL translation, due to be replaced soon with a more exact translation):
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