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Mystics in Love Mystics in love Overview ofChristianSpirituality And anintroductionto several mediaeval mystics The thought ofmysticismhas endless ability to capture the imagination. The immediate mentalpictureis of bliss, exalted thought, and insights denied those not privilegedto have the gift. There is a certain truth to these concepts, but, asweshall see, the definition of this reality may be far from what appearsat first glance. The medieval mindwas perhapsunequalled for imagery, romance, and poetic expression. Until Petrarchbegan dedicating his poetry to an earthly love, artistic and literaryworksfocussed on religious images. Those in the Middle Ages were frequentlyilliterate, and undoubtedly uninfluenced by the writings of the greattheologiansof the period, yet their entertainment, legends, ballads, and so forthpainted a vivid picture of God's active presence in the lives of Hiscreatures. The true mysticwill neverbe understood, and those honoured as saints were likely, then and now,to be remembered more for what they accomplished (or for what theirintercessionis thought to obtain for their devotees!) than for their mysterious andoften troubling focus on the divine. Many a mystic, Francis of Assisibeinga prime example, is gifted in expression, yet the fullness of theirunionwith God leaves us puzzled. Total unity goes beyond the senses and theintellect, and the greatest of poets is rendered silent by theinabilityto fully share the inexpressible. Christianmysticism seesgrowth in spirituality as involving an ever deepening, personalrelationshipwith God. The mystic, whose longing for a total bond with the Beloved,is not seeking nothingness, nor to “find the God within.” His Lover isalso a Person, albeit one Divine. Since true contemplation is a gift ofgrace from God Himself, the mystic remains fully (and, perhaps,anxiously)aware that his own accomplishments and efforts cannot attain this union. Since ouremphasis at thissite is on delight, it is time to expand the definition! The mysticindeeddelights in his Beloved, but this takes him into new realms. The humanneed for satisfaction of the mind and emotions is ever part of ournature,yet the mystic is dealing with pure spirit, unfathomable intellect,perfectionbeyond human grasp. He will see the emptiness of the world and thelimitsof our own perceptions. Thus, the lover's longing, which in itself is asheer gift of grace, meets with silence. Unchanging, eternal, perfectlovesurely is the ultimate delight, but the mystic, hampered by the cloudedvision of mankind, has both total dedication and the unrequited longingthat cannot be satisfied in this world. Growth inChristian spiritualityinvolves several stages, described as the purgative, illuminative, andunitive ways. An in-depth treatment of these stages is beyond the scopeof this essay, but a brief reference is needed to place the mysticjourneyin perspective. Where the thought of meditation or prayer brings tomindactions of the mind, body (as in observing quiet), senses, andintellect,the way of the mystic is based on submission of the will. His journeybeginswith a renunciation of sin, that will, in time, lead to a certaindarkness.The mystic sees the Scriptures, the teachings of Christ's Church andthewritings of Her mystics, and so forth as divine revelation - and, sincethey spring from a perfect source, will intuitively realise that therecan be no surer path to happiness. His own heightened vision of divinelove (of which he usually is unaware) will leave him troubled, becausethe reality of evil and indifference taps the human sense of futilityandemptiness in this world. The mystic, ofcourse, istotally unaware of his “stage of development”. The growing detachment,so essential to the eventual mystic union, will leave his senses andmindwith further emptiness. The will, which alone can choose and love, isassuredlyturned to God, yet there is much more to human nature - and that partremainsunsatisfied, until the level of detachment is one attained by few. Thisis a process for a lifetime. The mystic, whowill beginwith the self knowledge from which humility is born, but eventuallyreachesthe uncharted paths of that heightened vision that only the divine caninspire, will have continuously advancing awareness of his ownnothingness.This “nothingness” is real - and by no means negative, even if itappearsso to our post Freudian eyes. If humans are created in the image andlikenessof God (that is, with a memory, intellect, and will, and an immortalsoul),and Christ Himself could assume human nature, clearly humanity is agreattreasure in itself. However, when one has had a glimpse of the Perfect,the limits of human nature are clear to him.  Thisvoid naturally is to be filled with that share in God that we calldivinegrace. Still, when one burns with a love that cannot be fullyconsummatedexcept in a life beyond this one, the lover naturally will enduretrialsand the fire of longing that only those who truly love can know. Looking for theGod within,should a mystic fall into this error, would satisfy none of thelonging.The divine essence within each creature is very limited. To turn thefireof mystic longing totally within would accomplish nothing - except,perhaps,to lead him to the error of worshipping himself. The constant strivingfor virtue, whether through prayer or the sacrifices typical of theasceticlife that alone is the bridge to the mystical, aims at pleasing theCreator,with whom the personal relationship constantly grows. Medieval manwould hardlyhave grasped this concept, but he did understand, in his homelyfashion,that God's love cannot be placed in a far off box. The Catholic conceptof the “communion of saints” was known, even if all but the scholarswouldhave been hard put to define this. The man of the Middle Ages had astrongidea of there being a life beyond this one - indeed, that awareness wassustenance in a time when life was short and filled with trials. Healsowould have the idea that all of those who shared in grace (in this lifeor the next, the only exception being the devils and human inhabitantsof hell) merit graces and grieve for sin as a whole. He would not haveunderstood the depth of mysticism, of course, but he would value themysticfor the graces that these chosen ones merited for the sake of all, muchas Christ had attained redemption for the sins of all people (with noboundsof time). The medievalimagination,coupled with the awareness of powers beyond one's self, was hardlyconfinedto divine truths! The occult arts, the wee folk, the goblin and the“beasties”were forces to be reckoned with - and much a part of the medievalviewpoint.Then as now, the key difference between magic and spirituality is easyto overlook. The magic arts, to use one inclusive term, all aredirected,in some fashion, at enhanced power for the individual. The intentionsarenot necessarily evil, but always include knowing, doing, or causingwhatis beyond normal human ability. Spirituality, by contrast, and in a waythat can be frightening to us since the desire for control is so a partof our nature, involves abandonment. With submissionof the willbeing the key element of mystic union (and one against which we allshallstruggle!), abandonment is transformed, in the mystic's vision, from afrightful struggle to a loving union. The mystic's heightenedawareness,so incomprehensible to the rest of us, leads to a knowledge thatnothingwill satisfy him except God. He will have the pain of being unable totakepleasure in the worldly, but his will shall consider these wellsacrificedin light of the ecstasy of eternity. As SaintAugustine wrotein his "Confessions": "O Lord, do Ilove Thee.Thou didst strike on my heart with Thy word and I loved Thee.... Butwhatdo I love when I love Thee? Not the beauty of bodies nor the lovelinessof seasons, nor the radiance of the light around us, so gladsome to oureyes, nor the sweet melodies of songs of every kind, nor the fragranceof flowers and ointments and spices, nor manna and honey, nor limbsdelectablefor fleshly embraces. I do not love these things when I love my God.Andyet I love a light and a voice and a fragrance and a food and anembracewhen I love my God, who is a light, a voice, a fragrance, a food, andanembrace to my inner man.... This it is that I love when I love my God... That same voicespeaks indeedto all men, but only they understand it who join that voice, heard fromoutside, to the truth that is within them. And the truth says to me:"Neitherheaven nor earth nor any body is thy God." Their own nature says thesameThey see that the substance of a part is less than that of the whole.Andnow I speak to thee, my soul. Thou art my greater part, since thouquickenestthe substance of my body by giving to it life, which no body can givetoa body. And thy God is the life of thy life to thee.... Late have I lovedThee, OBeauty so ancient and so new! Too late have I loved Thee. And lo, Thouwert inside me and I outside, and I sought for Thee there, and in allmyunsightliness I flung myself on those beautiful things which Thou hastmade. Thou wert with me and I was not with Thee. Those beauties kept meaway from Thee, though if they had not been in Thee, they would nothavebeen at all. Thou didst call and cry to me and break down my deafness.Thou didst flash and shine on me and put my blindness to flight. Thoudidstblow fragrance upon me and I drew breath, and now I pant after Thee. Itasted of Thee and now I hunger and thirst for Thee. Thou didst touchmeand I am aflame for Thy peace...." More onthistopic from Gloriana's Court - each with quotations and online orderingof related books: Francisof Assisi Julianof Norwich WalterHilton TheCloud of Unknowing AlsoRan MargeryKempe RichardRolle Externallink: The Metaphysics of Mysticism - commentary on the mysticphilosophyof John of the Cross, by Geoffrey Mondello Books Find the latest books on topicsrelated to the essays at Gloriana's Court in the New Bookstores : Amazon.co.ukstore Amazon.comstore © 1996-2000 by ElizabethG. Melillo, Ph.D. Gloriana'sCourt -Index Introduction Internetdesign services Fourclassic temperaments TheBestiary Heraldof the Great King Chaucer'sPrioress Chaucer'sMiller Talesofthe Child Jesus TheHoly Family Tree TheWee Folk Crusadefor Class Acts ChristianMysticism Courtlylove & Machaut Miracles Mediaevalattitudes & astrology WalterHilton Julianof Norwich Cloudof Unknowing Bookstore Mediaevallinks Religiouslinks If you have foundthis samplerof mysticism appealing, you may enjoy the following links: Treatiseon God as First Principle by Frater John Duns Scotus ThreeWays of the Spiritual Life Firewatch EtherealLibrary of Christian Classics CatholicEncyclopaedia Entry: Julian of Norwich Mysticism:The Point of Departure |
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