Why do the Byzantines use Mysteries instead of Sacraments

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In the apologetic forum from the the thread are Orthodox schismatics a discussion arose about marriage and why Byzantine Catholics use the term Mysteries instead of Sacraments. First the spiritual philosophsy of the Eastern Catholic is different then the Latin rite. The Eastern Catholic does not try to scruntize every bit of dogma because it is out of realm of human thinking. For instance The Father,and The son, and the Holy Spirit as all catholics know this is the Trinity. For ages man has been trying to understand this. How can there be one God but three seperate persons. The Eastern Catholic takes it as a mystery. Since the Trinity is outside of time and space, humans with their finite reasoning can not truly understand it. It is the same with the Eucharist. If you would put the the Eucharist under a microscope it would come up as wheat, water, yeast(for the eastern host), and wine. Yet we know that it is the Body and Blood of our Savior. How can this be so? Well the Eastern Catholic would say it is a mystery, only God can truly and fully understand. So then why do Eastern Catholics use the term Mysteries rather then Sacraments? We use the term Mysteries because it is rather diffucult to understand fully how God can pour His graces into us through the Sacraments. The example that I used above about the Eucharist is one. How can this bread and wine be the Body. Blood, Soul, and Divinty of our Savior Jesus Christ. How by the pouring of water in the right form can wash the effect of original sin from our souls when we do not know what the soul looks like and makes us adopted children of God. How can Chrismation (Confirmation) by the annoiting of the person makes us soldiers for Christ and bestows the Holy Spirit on us. Pennace, when we make a truly holy and thoughtful confession we feel like a weight has been lifted off us.Marriage, how can the Sacrament of marriage makes us co-creators with God. God needs no help to create just look around but He uses us to help Him in His Divine plan. Annoiting of the Sick and Holy Orders fall in the same realm. As Easterners we would not try to pick apart every minute detail on how this happens but just say it is a Mystery because we can not fully grasp God and explain His Divine wisdom. I hope this helps you Maggie. I will futher go in to detail about the Byzantine marriage rite in the future.

Glory be to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!
 
I prefer the term ‘Mysteries’ too!
Because that is what it is. In doing so, this creates the reason why we have faith in what is believed. If it wasn’t a mystery, then how can you believe in something that you can explain. The unknown becomes known and the guessingt is over.

‘Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.’ Jesus.

Go with God!
Edwin
 
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diaconate:
In the apologetic forum from the the thread are Orthodox schismatics a discussion arose about marriage and why Byzantine Catholics use the term Mysteries instead of Sacraments. First the spiritual philosophsy of the Eastern Catholic is different then the Latin rite. The Eastern Catholic does not try to scruntize every bit of dogma because it is out of realm of human thinking. For instance The Father,and The son, and the Holy Spirit as all catholics know this is the Trinity. For ages man has been trying to understand this. How can there be one God but three seperate persons. The Eastern Catholic takes it as a mystery. Since the Trinity is outside of time and space, humans with their finite reasoning can not truly understand it. It is the same with the Eucharist. If you would put the the Eucharist under a microscope it would come up as wheat, water, yeast(for the eastern host), and wine. Yet we know that it is the Body and Blood of our Savior. How can this be so? Well the Eastern Catholic would say it is a mystery, only God can truly and fully understand. So then why do Eastern Catholics use the term Mysteries rather then Sacraments? We use the term Mysteries because it is rather diffucult to understand fully how God can pour His graces into us through the Sacraments. The example that I used above about the Eucharist is one. How can this bread and wine be the Body. Blood, Soul, and Divinty of our Savior Jesus Christ. How by the pouring of water in the right form can wash the effect of original sin from our souls when we do not know what the soul looks like and makes us adopted children of God. How can Chrismation (Confirmation) by the annoiting of the person makes us soldiers for Christ and bestows the Holy Spirit on us. Pennace, when we make a truly holy and thoughtful confession we feel like a weight has been lifted off us.Marriage, how can the Sacrament of marriage makes us co-creators with God. God needs no help to create just look around but He uses us to help Him in His Divine plan. Annoiting of the Sick and Holy Orders fall in the same realm. As Easterners we would not try to pick apart every minute detail on how this happens but just say it is a Mystery because we can not fully grasp God and explain His Divine wisdom. I hope this helps you Maggie. I will futher go in to detail about the Byzantine marriage rite in the future.

Glory be to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!
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Thanks!!! That’s pretty cool 😃 !!! It makes sense and makes the mystery of the Sacraments more clear… I think the Westerners use the term mystery a lot to describe the Sacraments, but this really fully integrates it and keeps you from forgetting it or taking it for granted. I like that!!! Thank you so much!
 
The two terms are not all that incompatible.

Sacramentum in Latin means 'an Oath or Covenant"

Latins use the term Sacrament, not out of any denial of Mystery, but because of it.

We know that the Eucharist is in fact the Body and Blood of Christ because we have God’s Sacrament, His Covenant, His promise, if you will, that it is so. It IS, because God said it IS. Christ said “This is my Body” and we agree, not because we understand, but because Christ said it was so.

It’s a Sacrament because it’s a Mystery.
 
I was also told that the Greek word for Mystery/Mysteries which is in Scripture could not be transliterated into Latin in the exact same way the Greek is understood. Mysteries is actually the Scriptural term.
 
Yes I do agree that the terms Mysteries and Sacraments are interchangeable and synonymous. What I was trying to illustrate here is how the Eastern Catholic thinks and looks at things. Either word is proper to use.

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!
 
Simple answer: Byzantines use the Greek text and the word there is mysterion while the Latins use the word sacramentum (sacrament) because that’s how St. Jerome translated the Greek term. If you’ll pardon the pun, there’s no mystery here.

Deacon Ed
 
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