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Miracle vs. Mystery
What is the difference between saying, for example, the Eucharist is a miracle vs. a mystery? Or anything else for that matter. God Incarnate: a miracle or mystery? Etc.
Comments
The Lord's Incarnation was a "mystery of godliness" [1 Tim 3:16].
We also frequently refer to the Virgin's "miraculous birth" in the praises of the Psalmody. But we do not describe (not that I've heard/read) Christ's Incarnation as being a miracle (not very commonly in the English language anyway, if I'm wrong please corrrect me).
I suppose this post did nothing useful - you'd have to refer to the etymology of the words. Miracle is from the Latin "miraculum" and mystery could either be from Ancient Greek or Latin or Old French.
Sorry for that pointless post that didn't answer any questions :-\
Miracle
mid-12c., from O.Fr. miracle, from L. miraculum "object of wonder" (in Church L., "marvelous event caused by God"), from mirari "to wonder at," from mirus "wonderful," from *smeiros, from PIE *(s)mei- "to smile, be astonished" (cf. Skt. smerah "smiling," Gk. meidan "to smile," O.C.S. smejo "to laugh;" see smile). Replaced O.E. wundortacen, wundorweorc. The Greek words rendered as miracle in the English bibles were semeion "sign," teras "wonder," and dynamis "power," in Vulgate translated respectively as signum, prodigium, and virtus.
Mystery
early 14c., in a theological sense, "religious truth via divine revelation, mystical presence of God," from Anglo-Fr. *misterie (O.Fr. mistere), from L. mysterium, from Gk. mysterion (usually in pl. mysteria) "secret rite or doctrine," from mystes "one who has been initiated," from myein "to close, shut," perhaps referring to the lips (in secrecy) or to the eyes (only initiates were allowed to see the sacred rites). The Greek word was used in Septuagint for "secret counsel of God," translated in Vulgate as sacramentum. Non-theological use in English, "a hidden or secret thing," is from c.1300. In reference to the ancient rites of Greece, Egypt, etc. it is attested from 1640s. Meaning "detective story" first recorded in English 1908.
As with everything else you read on the internet, take it with a grain of salt.
I am still a bit confused on how to clearly distinguish the two and whether they overlap. If a miracle is a "marvelous event caused by God" then it would seem (to me) that the Incarnation was a miracle. However, we do not refer to it as a miracle. Why is that?
So the Eucharist is just outwardly bread and wine with some prayers, but to those who are illuminated the hidden mystery is made known in reality - not just symbolically. Likewise the Incarnation is a spiritual and theological mystery. We see outwardly only a baby born, a man teach and be crucified. But to those who are illuminated we see the Son and Word of God.
The sense is that there is something hidden, that is the key aspect of the term 'mystery'. Something which is not seen by all, not because they lack intelligence or knowledge, but because the illumination of the Holy Spirit is required to truly perceive what is made known to us.
Thus even those who are formally members of the Church may live such that they lack the grace of the Holy Spirit to percieve these things, and it is the goal of the Christian life to so be filled with the Holy Spirit that these things are as manifest to us as God wills.
The idea of miracle is different. It speaks of something taking place by the agency of God outside the normal and natural. A mystery may also be a miracle. But most miracles are not mysteries. Although there is the sense that in all answer to prayer there is an element of the faithful Christian seeing the hidden hand of God at work, even in mundane matters.
Father Peter
The reason I ask is because I came across someone who was referring to all of these things as miracles.
We do not outwardly see the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ (we don't see the dermal layers of skin, subcutaneous fat, muscle, red blood cells etc.). It is a mystery in that it is, as dzheremi quoted "secret counsel from God."
Miracle just doesn't sit right, it doesn't sound right.
I think Father Peter is right (of course) that a miracle is necessarily an event, whereas a mystery is not necessarily an event.
Very well put! :)
dzheremi: what do you mean by an event? Wouldn't it be fair to say that the sacrament of communion - a mystery - is an event that occurs as a conclusion to the liturgy (usually on a Sunday) ?
JG: So to refer to something that is a mystery as a miracle is not necessarily wrong but an insufficient description?
I would say that referring to a mystery as being "miraculous" or "wondrous" is an acceptable, but insufficient description. Using the word "miracle" alone implies that it is something that can be seen or proven by applying logic or science or whatever. I would avoid using the word "miracle" when referring to a mystery such as a Church Sacrament - the action of the Holy Spirit is not referred to as being a miracle as such, but as a hidden, secret rite.
dzheremi: what do you mean by an event? Wouldn't it be fair to say that the sacrament of communion - a mystery - is an event that occurs as a conclusion to the liturgy (usually on a Sunday) ?
Definitely! This is why I wrote (as I interpreted Fr. Peter's post) that a miracle is necessarily an event, but a mystery doesn't have to be. It still can be. I think communion is a perfect example of something that is both at the same time.
Of course in the normal sense of things a miracle is a 'wonder' and so is obvious and seen. So the eucharist is less often considered a miracle, though it is miraculous.