SACRAMENT

[parthens]

The modern definition of Sacrament is “an outward and visible sign of inward and spiritual grace.” Mrs. Eddy spiritualized this definition even further by centering upon the act of healing as the ultimate Christian sacrament, an outward demonstration accomplished by inwardly abiding “in the secret place of the Most High” without the least outward action such as laying on of material hands, anointing with material oil, partaking of physical bread and wine, going through proscribed ceremonial gestures, or indulging in audible prayer of any kind whatsoever. This is the invisible breaking of bread that Christ Jesus established and Mrs. Eddy elucidated, the sacrament that opens my mortal mind to the “spiritual perception of Scripture, which lifts humanity out of disease and death and inspires faith” (Science and Health, p. 547).

[JPalmer]

Thank you for this post!

In regards to “…the sacrament that opens my mortal mind…” is it not more correct to say “…the sacrament that opens my thought…” as mortal mind is not ours, nor do we want it to be.

Mary Baker Eddy wrote on page 399 of Science and Health:
Scientifically speaking, there is no mortal mind out of which to make material beliefs, springing from illusion. This misnamed mind is not an entity. It is only a false sense of matter, since matter is not sensible. The one Mind, God, contains no mortal opinions. All that is real is included in this immortal Mind.

Thank you!

[parthens]

From the standpoint of absolute Christian Science, you are so correct! My comment is based on chapter 6 of Science and Health:
“SCIENTIFIC TRANSLATION OF MORTAL MIND
First Degree Depravity. Unreality
PHYSICAL. Evil beliefs, passions and appetites, fear,depraved will, self-justification, pride, envy, deceit, hatred, revenge, sin, sickness, disease, death.
Second Degree Evil beliefs disappearing. Transitional qualities
MORAL. Humanity, honesty, affection, compassion, hope, faith, meekness, temperance.
Third Degree Understanding. Reality
SPIRITUAL. Wisdom, purity, spiritual understanding, spiritual power, love, health, holiness. Spiritual universe
In the third degree mortal mind disappears, and man as God’s image appears. Science so reverses the evidenc before the corporeal human senses, as to make this Scriptural testimony true in our hearts,
‘The last shall be first, and the first last,’ so that God and His idea may be to us what divinity really is and must of necessity be, – all-inclusive.”

By the phrase “opens up my mortal mind” I mean the gradual transformation of mortal mindedness to Immortal Mind-fullness. As the math-ignorant mind of a child learns the basics of the numeration table, then advances by degrees to master the principles of addition, subtraction, multiplication, etc. all the way up to integral and differential calculus, that mind is gradually throwing off ignorance and gradually embracing more and more understanding of the principle of mathematics in action, growing from simply believing that it is true, to actually demonstrating its truth. To that successful student, ignorance is eventually completely thrown off, that former math-ignorant mind is now completely non-existent, replaced by complete mastery and practical (not merely theoretical) understanding of the subject. Thus my daily prayer: “God grant that my thoughts decrease and His thoughts increase in me — every moment, every day — that I may have no other gods before You, no other mind but Mind, that I may actually come to the realization, beyond mortal belief, that You are the only thinker, Yours are the only thoughts.”

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