Reveal Thy Mysteries

[Tanya Hoadley]

Does anyone know what it means when we pray "I will not reveal Thy mysteries to Thine enemies" during the prayer before Holy Communion?

Anyone have knowledge of the source?

Thanks in advance,

In Christ,
Tanya

[Paul Cowan]

Hi Tanya:
The Fathers will need to give a better answer to this question of course, but from a nobody in the church, this is what I understand it to mean.

When we say "The doors, the doors." that means for all those that are not baptised into the Church to leave before the confession of Faith. There were many who tried to invade the inner church circles during the persecutions early on in order to "bust up" the hidden groups and bring them to the judges. The sacraments are not meant for those who do not know how to receive them.

Just as Jesus says not to throw your pearls to swine less you get trampled underfoot. The sacraments are not for the unbaptised. To give more to a person than they are ready for may heap condemnation on their heads. That's not to say to keep sinners in the dark, but if you give a whole cake to a little child, he will try to eat it and become very sick. Better to give him/her a small peice and digest that first.

I don't know if this helps or not. It sounds like rambling on many different topics to me. I trust the Fathers will answer more thoroughly.

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!
Paul

[Antonios]

Thank you Paul. I also hope the Fathers can shed some light on this part of the prayer as well. It has been my interpertation, which of course may be frought with error, that the enemies were more of the spiritual kind, that is satan and his demons. So before we partake of the Holy Mysteries and allow the Body and Blood of Christ into our being, we pray to God that after communion, we will strive to keep the demons from entering our minds and hearts, thereby 'revealing the Mysteries'. Again, this is just my interpertation, and may be inaccurate.

[Tanya Hoadley]

Dear Paul and Antonios,

Thank you for your replies. I have pondered this question at length on my own and have asked others who have come up with similar answers.

I guess I'm looking for a more definitive answer as I say this part of the prayer in faith, but I'd like to be able to say it in understanding as well.

And Dearest in the Lord Paul, you are not a nobody in the Church. You are a member of the Body of Christ. :)

May God Bless you and your families as we celebrate the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour.

In Christ,
Tanya