Mysticism and starting over

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ZenFred said:
I don’t mean to offend any of the theologically orthodox but just that theology for me is a hindrance to God’s presence which defies any attempt to be systematic.
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I wonder how much systematic theology is what we deduce or surmise God must be like and how much is an articulation of the experience of God. How does one describe one’s experience of God? For me a lot of it falls back to our tradition and images that I then apply to my experience. But if I try to set that aside and let God be God as God will be here and now for me. I find a freshness in the present moment but it is difficult to interpret it as encountering another person. Unless the word “person” applied to God means something very different than when applied to humans. After all, God is omnipresent yet many people do not sense or even believe in that presence since it seems so hidden. No voice, vision or tangible presence to affirm. No wonder people doubt.

So faith is a great gift. It keeps us hanging in there and bridges an existential abyss and reconciles opposites such as the power of silence, the dynamics of stillness, the presence in absence. Blessed be the name of Jesus, who “holds all things together in himself”.

But let us give him the freedom to also remain a mystery to be encountered as well as an article of faith.
 
I am also a big fan of Merton’s “New Seeds of Contemplation.” If you are looking for practical help in Christian prayer, there are lots of online sources that discuss “lectio divina,” which is a fundamental starting point for personal prayer in the Catholic tradition. Some of my favorite books on Christian mysticism in the Catholic tradition include the works of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross and “The Cloud of Unknowing.”

If you are serious about practicing prayer and growing in the spiritual life, I recommend finding a good spiritual director. If you have a monastery or retreat house nearby, that’s a good place to look.

If you want to read about the history of the mystical tradition in Christianity, the preeminent writer today is Bernard McGinn, author of the Presence of God series.
 
adowcday said:
I am also a big fan of Merton’s “New Seeds of Contemplation.” If you are looking for practical help in Christian prayer, there are lots of online sources that discuss “lectio divina,” which is a fundamental starting point for personal prayer in the Catholic tradition. Some of my favorite books on Christian mysticism in the Catholic tradition include the works of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross and “The Cloud of Unknowing.”

If you are serious about practicing prayer and growing in the spiritual life, I recommend finding a good spiritual director. If you have a monastery or retreat house nearby, that’s a good place to look.

If you want to read about the history of the mystical tradition in Christianity, the preeminent writer today is Bernard McGinn, author of the Presence of God series.
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👍 Ditto on this. Anything by St Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross. Arguably the greatest mystics of all time. For an easier read/explanation, perhaps, Fr Thomas Dubay covers them well in “Fire Within”.
 
Thank you to everyone for thier posts. Not just to this thread but every time I’ve come with a question or issue with the church you all have handled with wisdom and compassion.

I’m going to talk to my priest about doing a baptismal vow renewal for me during a service sometime and study with them on preparing for it so it will be meaningful and sincere. God has been so gracious and patient but relentless with me.

I ask for your prayers. Again thank you and to God be the glory.
 
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