What strikes me after reviewing the chapter “The Bedroom” by Mr. A. Hunt is the question, “What is a mystic?” Standard dictionary defines a mystic as “a person who sees visions, one that tends to rely on dreams and fancies or on imaginary or ideal conceptions or projects having little basis in reality; an impractical person.” Likewise a vision is “…something seen otherwise than by ordinary sight: an imagining, supernatural, or prophetic sight beheld in sleep or ecstasy; especially one that conveys a revelation.” Wow! That’s a mouthful and one with a slightly bitter aftertaste too, it seems.
What does holy Mother Church mean when she talks of mystics and mysticism? It may be interesting to note that there are Protestant theologians who claim that mysticism is essentially non-Christian. They fail to distinguish between the mysticism of Hinduism/Buddhism and the mysticism of Christianity. These Protestants have no norms by which they might recognize mysticism. Still others consider mysticism a type of psychopathology --- insanity.
Catholic theology describes mystics three ways. A person may be one or all three of the following: 1. Mystics are holy persons, 2. Mystics are gifted contemplatives, 3. Mystics may be persons who manifest charismatic phenomena.
Mystics as holy persons have reached for and grasped or nearly grasped Christ’s perfection. They are NOT beginners. Their main concern is unity with Christ.
Mystics as contemplative are considered “infused contemplatives”. Infused contemplation is a kind of prayer that we cannot achieve by our own efforts. It is a prayer in which God’s real presence is felt and experienced. The word often used to describe this experience is “bliss”.
Mystics are persons who manifest charismatic phenomena such as phenomena that do not occur in normal spiritual life development. These charisms or phenomena when genuine are ALWAYS for the benefit of others and are apostolic and not “personal” gifts from God.
According to Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.:
In God's providence, I have had occasion to deal professionally with persons who in my judgment were authentic mystics. They were people who had reached a high degree of sanctity. I remember the woman bedridden with agonizing pain for over 17 years. She was totally resigned to God's mysterious providence in her life. She saw the divine will in her sufferings and was a personification of peaceful and loving acceptance of the divine will. But I have also met and again dealt with professionally those who had the reputation of being mystics. But in my judgment they had neither reached Christian perfection nor were they gifted contemplatives. They had powerful imaginations, far above normal. They were so immersed in what they thought were either visions or locutions from God or specially inspired revelations from on high. Nothing I could say could change their complete conviction that they were specially chosen agents of the Most High with a special mission to the people of our day. All this is not to say that you or I could not have real experience of God at any time that we could recognizes as being miraculous or visionary or even blissful. What is to say is there is a “seen and unseen” that we profess belief in every time we recite our creed. It is to say that if God in His perfect will chooses to let any one of us glimpse ”… as through a glass darkly…” His perfect love, mercy, beauty and majesty we will experience our Lord as He sees fit. But the life of a mystic is surely one to aspire toward; and our holy Mother Church has given us her blessing to do so. We have been given permission to take the “leap” into the unknown toward the Unseen and embrace the mystery as we fly on the wings of eagles. I have a daughter who once told me she could, for a time, perceive Jesus in the people around her (and it frightened her). I told her that there were countless grown-ups – good people, who have lived their whole life for an experience like hers.
As Mr. Hunt sums it up, “ God reveals Himself through human reason an intelligence to be sure. But even more, God’s glory is shrouded in mystery.” Our church helps to realize and treasure this mystery. It is so much of what we celebrate as God’s people.
check out the appendix pages 154-157
In His Grip,
S of A
Great review S of A!
ReplyDeleteOne additional thought for consideration on Mysticism: We need to remember that Mystics are persons who are charismatic and very impressive, however, such phenomena does not occur in normal spiritual life development. Someone who professes a gift or power believed to be divinely bestowed, when genuine, their gift is always for the benefit of others, are apostolic and not “personal” gifts from God. True mystics are obedient to the Church's authority.
St. Anthony of Padua
ReplyDeleteMysticism is a mystery to me, for sure! Or so I think. Trained and educated as a scientist, but deep down a romantic at heart, I do feel a certain tug to learn more about this important part of The Church. Recently we were down at the Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers, GA and I struck up a conversation with Carl McColman who is the book store manager and author in his own right. He has a book out on the Narnia Chronicles as well as one relevant to this chapter. The book is called "The Big Book of Christian Mysticism". I bought a copy and it looks very interesting. I must confess that I have not had time to delve very far in to it, but I will send it along to class this week for those of you who are interested. Carl also has in interesting blog dedicated to this sort of thing. You can check that out at: www.anamchara.com
ReplyDeleteWell, my wonderful Saint, Saint Teresa of
ReplyDeleteAvila, is reputed to be one of the most famous Catholic mystics, yet according to her biography that I read, she at times herself questioned what was happening to her and had to seek reassurance from her priest. Life is not so easy to figure out, even for a Saint, I guess. I think this is a lesson to all of us that the search to follow Christ is always worth the struggle. And that Saints also have human fears and concerns in common with us. She was seen by others actually levitating off the floor a few feet as she prayed in the santuary of the church! She also had visions, which were commemorated by the famous sculptor Bernini in what is perhaps one of the most famous statures of a Cathlic saint ever made! You can google pictures of it. Two of her prayers are daily inspirations to me.
Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)
Christ Has No Body
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks with
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks with compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
God Alone is Enough
Let nothing upset you,
let nothing startle you.
All things pass;
God does not change.
Patience wins
all it seeks.
Whoever has God
lacks nothing:
God alone is enough.
Doesn't it make you feel good to have Saint
Teresa of Avila on your side every day and by your side every day?
Did you ever think you could get advice from a Catholic Mystic Saint? When I read these, I think how lucky the people who knew her and got to speak with her were!
ReplyDeleteSaint Teresa of Avila Quotes
All things must come to the soul from its roots, from where it is planted.
Be gentle to all and stern with yourself.
God gave us faculties for our use; each of them will receive its proper reward. Then do not let us try to charm them to sleep, but permit them to do their work until divinely called to something higher.
God has been very good to me, for I never dwell upon anything wrong which a person has done, so as to remember it afterwards. If I do remember it, I always see some other virtue in that person.
I do not fear Satan half so much as I fear those who fear him.
It is here, my daughters, that love is to be found - not hidden away in corners but in the midst of occasions of sin. And believe me, although we may more often fail and commit small lapses, our gain will be incomparably the greater.
O my God, what must a soul be like when it is in this state! It longs to be all one tongue with which to praise the Lord. It utters a thousand pious follies, in a continuous endeavor to please Him who thus possesses it.
Our body has this defect that, the more it is provided care and comforts, the more needs and desires it finds.
Pain is never permanent.
The feeling remains that God is on the journey, too.
The tree that is beside the running water is fresher and gives more fruit.
There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers.
To have courage for whatever comes in life - everything lies in that.
To reach something good it is very useful to have gone astray, and thus acquire experience.
We can only learn to know ourselves and do what we can - namely, surrender our will and fulfill God's will in us.