mysterion - that which awaits disclosure
mysterium fidei - mystery of faith; "a mystery hidden in God which can never be known unless revealed by God"
Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.
This phrase (or a form of it) is also spoken as part of the Catholic liturgy prior to Eucharist (which itself is part of the mystery). It is spoken by millions of believers around the world uniting us all.
The use of the word "mystery" is not to reference something waiting to be figured out….the "who done it??". When we speak of the mystery of our faith we are speaking of something that, until coming to an understanding through the Holy Spirit, one can not *fully* comprehend the depth and meaning of that mystery. The truth was there the whole time but until it is revealed, one can not fully and completely grasp the meaning and it may seem unimportant. And yet….there still remains a mystical element. Even though the mystery of our faith can be illuminated, there remains a great deal of mystery within the faith yet to be revealed. The mystery of how the Kingdom is with us but not yet with us. The mystery of the afterlife. The mystery of what the Kingdom on Earth will look like. And so on.
I came upon one website (http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CAT/aj0207.asp) that related the mystery of the Eucharist and other elements of faith to that of a wedding ring. Symbols of a real, tangible relationship that can not be fully comprehended. A beautiful analogy.
Visible yet hidden. Here but not yet. Until He comes and makes all known to us.
So much regarding pregnancy and birth is mysterion. A mystery hidden, yet somewhat known, but not fully until the sweet soul comes earth side.
There is a great deal we understand about conception, development, fetal behavior, and the process of labor and birth. At the same time there is a great deal (scientifically and physically) that is hidden and has yet to be revealed.
The sperm and egg join and thus begins the process of conception. The embryo implants in the awaiting nutrient-rich lining of the uterus. A life-giving placenta develops. The fetus quickly develops and near the end of gestation can swallow fluid, cry, open his/her eyes, practice respirations, urinate, sleep, and hear sound inside the mother's body and those that are external. All of this going on within the womb but yet, it is a mystery to those on the outside. Labor commences. Both mother and baby begin the work of birth. A work that can be read and understood via texts and storytelling but still…a mystery as no two labors and births are *exactly* the same.
All we see from the outside is a swelling belly. We can see movement under the tight skin of her belly. We can hear heart and placenta sounds. Midwives palpate (feel) to determine fetal position and fetal weight (and I'm pretty good at that one ;) ). The mother can describe what she is feeling and what her intuition is telling her. She and the midwife can tune into intuition to get a feel for the time of day she might be in labor, what to be on the look out for, how she will handle labor, etc. While there are theories regarding the exact reason to what triggers labor, the reason still remains a mystery.
But it's all mysterion until this moment…..
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