Mysterion: The Revelatory Power of the Sacramental Worldview

by Harrison Ayre

Mysterion unveils the underlying vision at the heart of Christianity and invites us to enter into a deeper understanding of the mystery and saving work of Christ. In this book, Fr. Harrison Ayre reveals a forgotten way of seeing and living the Christian life that can help us understand what it means for us to be "in Christ," to participate in Christ's life in and through the Church, and to allow his life and grace to work in us.

Genres: Catholic, Christianity, Theology, Nonfiction

179 pages, Hardcover

Published January 3, 2022

Reviews

[Bianca Rojo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Fr. Harrison is very eloquent with his words. He writes about how one should approach living out a life in Christ in a clear, easy to understand, and in some cases relatable way.

The only drawback was that it was so well written I thought he could've kept going. But the length of the book lends itself to being a perfect book to read in a small group.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fr. Harrison Ayre uncovers a unique worldview oft forgotten in the Church today. If you've sought an aid on how to live a holier life more oriented towards God, you've come to the wrong book. Fr. Ayre is more interested in pointing the reader towards how the sacramental worldview unveils Christ, his Church, life and all of creation. I learned a lot through Fr. Ayre's wisdom. A highly recommended read.

[Rachel Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that breaks open the concepts of sacramentality and the sacramental worldview – terms that sometimes do get thrown around in Catholic circles with little understanding or explanation as to what they mean. I appreciate how Fr Harrison broke down the definition and how the sacramentality is found in various aspects of the ecclesial tradition like mass, prayer and evangelization/discipleship. The discussion of modernism (chapter 3) is a particularly important part of this book as it shows the alternative: what Catholics can still fall victim of by virtue of the fact that we live in the world. I definitely could have read more from Fr Harrison on this topic, but it also had an accessible length that wasn’t overbearing. It was to the point and well-thought out.

[J.P. Iglesias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, but profound.

Easily one of the best books I've read that directly comments on the daily life of a Christian, particularly in modern times.

I was particularly keen on the way active receptiveness and contemplation were touched upon, pinnacles of our faith that we often forget about.

[Matt Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really an excellent book and great rebuttal to the self-help and "practical tips" culture we find ourselves in. We always want the quick fix and the step-by-step guide to how to live the Christian life, but really we should just focus on seeing the ways in which God makes Himself present in our lives and act in response to how Christ calls us to act.

While this sounds abstract, it is quite clear in practice. That doesn't mean we have a direct line to God, a red phone that rings and He gives us direct instruction, but it simply means that we remain aware of His presence in our moment-to-moment existence, responding to His will as it is revealed through those things and fleeing from sin and into the loving and forgiving arms of Jesus.

I am not good at following through on all of this, but this is a book that was certainly motivating for me to reinvigorate my prayer life and I will be revisiting it in the future. I highly recommend it for spiritual reading.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much appreciated this book, and would recommend to any Catholic looking to deepen or fortify their faith. It feels at its core more of a reminiscence than a revelation; it, like many great guides or discussion, seems to remind you of things you recognized you knew rather than flip your worldview on its head. That's why it succeeds so well at what it does.

While many contemporary religious books focus on stories and platitudes (some effectively, others not so much), Fr. Ayre jumps right into trusting the audience to grasp the concepts that he discusses without too much fluff. While examples and analogy are common (along with a few personal narratives), he never turns the book into a glorified witness. It stays in the nitty-gritty details of Catholicism and the sacramental worldview with a confidence that the audience will either grasp what he is talking about or slow down to ensure their own comprehension. By no means is this a difficult read though - it's easily understood and Fr. Ayre is very clear with his points.

By no means was anything super revelatory for me; but it was a good fortification of my own faith, and helped to establish a definition for what the "sacramental worldview" really is. It's a meaty book, and has a lot of information packed into its length. Mysterion is a great read for any Catholic (or Protestant!) looking to deepen or reinforce their faith. The book stays away from simple and trite answers to provide a foundation for the reader to take deeper breathes of their faith and see God in all that is around them. If you take the time, the book is incredibly rewarding.

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing book. Everything about it is beauty. The cover art itself is a testament and a foreshadowing of what the contents will be; it is a preview of sacramentality. This is a topic that can very often become so lofty and philosophical that it can be lost to those who aren’t familiar with the discussion. But the author makes it very easy to understand without losing any of the significance or power. Furthermore, the way he has the chapters ordered creates a nice, logical flow from one chapter into the next. Fr Harrison does what I wish many other catholic writers would do - say what you want to say concisely, and then move on. He does a great job of relaying the point, apply it to our lives, and then moving to the next significant point. Finally, it’s nice to have a solid definite and rebuttal against modernism, rather than the way the term is often used on the internet as referring to anything coming from the 60s or later. Overall, I love this book. Will read it again. And will recommend it to friends.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book. I appreciated the Fr. Harrison broke the information down the way he did.
So many passages really spoke to me. I will definitely be re reading this book.

Also, the cover set is just beautiful.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fr. Harrison Ayer with this very small volume has performed a great service for the Church. Pushing back against our cultural tendency to empiricism and over intellectualization, he presents an integrated understanding of the whole of creation leading our reason to contemplation of God. This was the aim of Aristotle's Metaphysics, and Fr. Ayer has presented the realities of sacramentality in a way that is both accessable and profound. This is an understanding that we desperately need to reclaim in order to break free of the bonds of earthbound drudgery which we are surrounded by and raise our minds to heavenly things.

[Randy Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful introduction to the Sacramental world view.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and concise about how we can participate in the mystery of faith in God.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think many people could get a lot out of this book, but I was not one of them, simply because none of it was new to me. That’s not a defect of the book but a fact of where I am as a reader.

[Canon Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book that helped bring to light and correct some of the ways I view the world in a non sacramental way. Definitely gave me things to chew on in prayer and inspired me with beauty.