Catholic Hermit: More Thoughts on Mystics

 From correspondence to someone who likely is not that interested in these thoughts, but who is fascinated with saints--who mostly are not "mystics" while some are.  Many and most mystics are not canonized in the Catholic Church.  Mystics can be of other religions, also.

[Dear C,]

While doing manual work on subfloor--locating and pounding down staple tips with a small nail-set tool, I was praying and also practicing the mystical element.  I also was thinking of something Bernard said, as he thinks that anyone can become mystics.  I'm not sure. I was reminded of my paradigm of the Floaters and the Dockers. [Have written of this in other blogs titles, such as Stairway to Heaven].  

I think for most, it would take an act of God such as St. Paul had, for them to have conversions of great impact; and that one was definitely a mystical event for St. Paul!  But in some aspects he represents more the intellectual element.  While Paul had some profound mystical experiences in his own life as an intellectual, verbal, active Christian, the apostle John is the innate mystic by comparison.  So I think the institutional and intellectual elements of the church influence, and most people, tend to think of mystics as anyone who's had a mystical experience.  

No, it is deeper, and maybe like saying all people can be athletes, or all people can be actors and actresses, or all people can become musicians or artists or engineers or doctors or whatever.  But in reality there are aspects of which we are born with certain dispositions, gifts,and purposes. But I do think all people can become aware of the mystical element, and can grow close to Christ and be one with Christ, have mystical union in little bits or even once. 

Consider St. Thomas Aquinas who was not at a mystic, but he had one major mystical experience toward the end of his life that altered his way of thinking about all the writing he'd done.  But he had gift and purpose in writing and establishing theological thought that for the most part have not been replaced or still are considered prime and best written works of theological impact.  

So I was thinking and praying about these things, and figure that we all are born with tendencies and gifts and purposes and missions.  And God wants us to approach Him and love Him and pray and desire Him with all our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls.  It does not mean one is a mystic to do that, nor does one need to be a mystic to do that.

Bernard's life of study and intellectual pursuit and his brilliant mind at 83 are of innate gift and talent and purpose.  He is a scholar, intellectual, and on that topic, a world expert.  He wrote volumes that are outstanding in the area of Western Christian Mysticism--the historical periods all the way through, plus works on specific mystics such as Meister Eckhart.

But can anyone become a mystic?  I rather think David Knowles who was the leading expert on mystics in the mid-twentieth century has the correct response in that mystics are born with the qualities even if they do not come to the fore or are noticed by the person or others until later, sometimes in a pivotal circumstance in life when they realize they are on a different wave-length, so to speak.

But anyone can come to God, can love God and others, can do great things for God in life.  This does not mean they are mystics, not even if they have one or what they feel or might actually be mystical experiences.  And everyone can become aware of the mystical element of religion. That is key and foremost, to recognize and to elevate the mystical element and indeed, the Mystical Element, the Trinity, the God Is Love, and try to impart their grasp of the mystical element into the institutional and intellectual elements as much as they are able.

Anyway, I realized in my pondering and talking over with God this topic, there will likely always be a problem in society, in the temporal world, with mystics and non-mystics.  It is a topic that is uncomfortable for many, particularly if a mystic is around and about.  Mystics and mysticism is a more supernatural reality but one  that the intellectual and the institutional elements will always be wary of and/or keep at bay, because the intellectual and the institutional are temporal, and temporal is what most are comfortable with.  It is not bad, it just is as it is.  

I've lowered my idealism in and of the temporal reality; I am content being as I am but knowing it is most often a more solitary type life style, a life hidden away.  And as in the paradigm of floaters and dockers, some are floaters, but most people are dockers. We all seem to be born in these ways, and in lesser and greater proportions, depending; and I suppose due to the temporal world as being where we exist in the body.  

Also, as for surviving as a mystic, a mystic wouldn't have a career such as Bernard has had or at least not as accepted as he is.  The emphasis in intellectual was necessary, as well as the scholarship, and the teaching at university a set topic.  How do Christian mystics make a living?  In what career would they fit in?  Well, I will not answer that, but it is not one that works out best among others too much, for the mystic is rather not meant for the temporal even if in the temporal, as the mystic is more in another world, the mystical world more so.  I suppose that is why some end up in religious orders, or have done in Christian history, or they are out on their own, hidden, but doing a trade in which they do not have to interface much with people.  Mystics do not really "belong" or "fit in" to this world, and that includes the world of parishes.  Yes, just think on that.  It is truth.  And that is a good truth to grasp and then live accordingly.

Perhaps the best we can hope and pray for is for people to become increasingly aware of the mystical element, and in that, of course, the Mystical Element of the Godhead and all aspects therein.  And also, at least, to learn about mysticism and mystics so as to not be put-off or uncomfortable with the topic, and to integrate more of the mystical element in our daily lives, balancing out the institutional and intellectual elements.  Plus, simply be more accepting of and tolerant of mystics who are dotted among us.

But all people can learn and do and love Christ and so forth, and pray, and are close to Christ--not only mystics, of course!  But there is something more innate in mystics just as there is in others born with certain aspects, and that  innate aspect is the differential.  This differential in mystics (or other) cannot be faked nor acted out nor to somehow make oneself be able to  gain that differential.  But everyone has a mystical spark, and that can be inflamed and grow with awareness.  

Again, I'm not sure, but I tend to go more with what Dr. David Knowles' assessment and scholarship, the former world leading expert on mystics and mysticism back in the mid-20th c., British, Cambridge.  He concludes that mystics are born with the differential that is mystical as innate gift and purpose in life.  I think the  real challenge is that we must consider God's will and what gifts and innate differential God's given us.  

But as to striving and praying and loving and coming to Christ, and in bits of union with Christ while yet on earth, yes, that is possible for all people! Mystics simply are just yet another type of person, another category, but more of a strange one to most people due to not belonging to this world so much.  They are simply spiritually different, and that can be very off-putting in a mostly institutional and intellectual world--especially the United States and quite a bit of Europe now, it seems.  But that is another topic--of other cultures being more open to mystics as well as to the mystical element, even within the Church.  Catholic parishes in other countries and cultures maybe and seem to be more open to mysticism and mystical element as well as to mystics themselves.  I also wonder if Orthodox--Eastern, Russian, or such might be more open to the mystical element, but I have no answers other than that, too, might more have to do with culture and country.

And what I think is a good question to ask:  Why would someone "want" to be a mystic or to want it to be that anyone can become or ought to become a "mystic"?  When we realize that anyone can come to union with God and does not need to be a mystic to do so, then do they propose or say that everyone can be a mystic or ought to be a mystic (Bernard mentioned that quote of Karl Rahner to the effect that if one is not a mystic by the end of the last century, then one is nothing), then perhaps people who are not born with the mystic differential but wish they had it, often for what they think would be so marvelous to have some of the mystical experiences that they've heard or read that mystics can have--maybe we'd not have the problem of scrutinizing mystics so harshly, and there might not be the problem of false mystics, either.  They'd be content with whatever innate differential God gave them, plus all would realize the important aspect is to enhance and learn to place God into all aspects of our lives and thus balance out into healthiness, the temporal problem of the over-weighted and emphasized institutional and intellectual elements.

What will eternity be?  Mystical!  Will there be institutions there?  Will there be such reliance on intellect?  Consider this supernatural reality.  Perhaps mystics are born in part to remind people and to help balance in this world the imbalance of the institutional and intellectual elements, and remind of God and the great spiritual import of the mystical element and the reality of God as source, creator, and alive in and among us, of the supernal beings and the thin veil between worlds.

The option is and is happening increasingly, new age ideologies and spiritism takes root even within churches, for people sense and seek the spiritual, the mystical element, and when it is not balanced nor taught nor of awareness and understanding, and yes, ways taught to help all people bring the mystical element more into their everyday life through prayer and love and less institutional and intellectual--well, it just seems people are seeking that which is out of balance and not taught nor emphasized, particularly.

Perhaps the people in churches then would not be put off by those who are mystics but not called to religious orders--not that mystics fare much better in them or as priests. There is still the tremendous wariness and scrutiny, envy, and/or lack of simple acceptance.  But all that might be simply due to mystics don't really belong to that world of more predominate institutional and intellectual elements, despite the basis and foundation being the Mystical Element, God Is Love, Christ, Holy Spirit--and these elements come under different names and essences in other of the world religions.

Just my thoughts, from the inside looking out, from the perspective of one who was born with the mystical differential more so than other differentials that others are blessed to be born with.