What about the Christ within, different from without?

[catholickyle]

I have a couple questions, perhaps you would answer.

1. How is it the mystics seek union with God, and expect to retain independent experience thereafter. That’s what they look for and talk about, attaining union with the “Christ within.”
2. How do they think the “Christ without” relates to the “Christ within”?

Thanks,
Kyle

 

[DavidFilmer]

If you seek replies from people who personally practice a mystical style of spirituality, you may have better luck asking in the “Spirituality” forum. We’re mostly a bunch of crusty, jaded apologists here - not as many mystic types hang out here as in the Spirituality forum.

 

[Pace]

DavidFilmer:

If you seek replies from people who personally practice a mystical style of spirituality, you may have better luck asking in the “Spirituality” forum. We’re mostly a bunch of crusty, jaded apologists here - not as many mystic types hang out here as in the Spirituality forum.

But isn’t the “mystical style”, the union with the “inner Christ”, the one thing necessary?

 

[StCsDavid]

Pace:

But isn’t the “mystical style”, the union with the “inner Christ”, the one thing necessary?

I gotta tell you, I’m suspect of a lot of the “mystical style” stuff as I often see it become almost an occult experience. Christ didn’t tell us to seek out our inner Christ. He gave us pretty clear direction on how to be with him. One word…Eucharist. What more does one really need?

 

[Pace]

StCsDavid:

I gotta tell you, I’m suspect of a lot of the “mystical style” stuff as I often see it become almost an occult experience. Christ didn’t tell us to seek out our inner Christ. He gave us pretty clear direction on how to be with him. One word…Eucharist. What more does one really need?

But St. Paul said that we could receive “to our condemnation”…

So it seems that we may have to have this “inner” to some degree before the “outer” can be fruitful.

 

[springbreeze]

Dear friend

If the Christ within is any different from the Christ without then …‘Houston, we have a problem!’

Christ is the same today, yesterday and forever. What mystics experience are facets of Christ Jesus and in doing so help us to understand Christ in His humanity and Divinity and the Truine God. Always what the mystics experience by the grace of God is in accordance with the Gospel and Catholic Tradition, it has just not previously been enlightened by the Holy Spirit.

To say we do not need mysticism is to undermine the whole Gospel and Catholic Tradition, St Paul was a mystic, St Peter was a mystic (saw visions) our late Pontiff Pope John Paul II was a mystic.

All Catholics are mystics to some extent, participating in the mystery of Christ Jesus. To shun it, is a contradiction in terms.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa