Man wants to be free, but always looks for a king to rule him. A strange contraction in human nature. The truth is, when things are great and seem to be under our control, we just want to be left alone. We don’t want anyone to tell us what to do when we have what we want, and we gladly take credit for our own fortune. However, when things get bad, we cry for a savior and blame anyone but ourselves for the troubles we find ourselves in. (Hmm… I think I just defined both political ideologies) Everyone has varying degrees of each in their lives, but this article is about the latter: Our search for a messiah to save us from our troubles. The sad truth is, we had one, but we didn’t like what he had to offer.

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Technorati Tags: Christian Mysticism, fake messiahs, Jesus Christ, material messiahs, political saviors

“If you want peace, work for justice.” – Pope Paul VI
“If you want justice, work for chastity.” – Pope John Paul II

This begins a serious of articles I have decided to write in defense of the Catholic Church and her controversial teachings in our current post-modern culture. I have entitled this series “Catholisense” because this is a mystical apologetic rather than a theological one. It is my belief that the presence and teachings of the Catholic Church are not outdated or irrelevant but rather necessary. Indeed, I will argue it is the very presence alone of the Catholic Church and the Vatican that is preventing our society from falling off a cliff of self destruction. Continue Reading »

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In light of the upcoming holidays, (Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day), I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the nature of death and how it applies to Christian mysticism.  The dead and departed has been one of the areas in my thinking which has undergone the most change since entering the Catholic Church.   It has not changed much from a doctrinal or theological perspective, but rather from the perspective of awareness.  Where I once divided my world view into the world of the living and the afterlife, I now realize the present life and the afterlife are intertwined within the Body of Christ. Continue Reading »

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The Catholic Church has become the center of attention aggression in the global discussion of, not just abortion, but birth control.  To stand against birth control isn’t just unpopular in the secular world but also amongst modern day Christians and even many Catholics themselves. Considering the arguably more urgent concerns such as abortion, genetic engineering, and embryonic stem cells, birth control seems trivial by comparison.  The stance against birth control seems futile, not because it is a petty concern, but because we have already lost so much.  As the other boundaries of the sacred womb fall, what we are really loosing is our own humanity. Continue Reading »

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I joined the Roman Catholic Church about 2 years ago, after living as an “out of place” mystic in the evangelical world for over 17 years. I am compiling this list out genuine thankful reflection and I have no intention of being provocative (and every intention of being funny). I am very much of an ecumenical mindset and know full-well the Holy Spirit works outside the Roman Catholic Church, that is why I use the term “Christian mysticism” instead of “Catholic mysticism”. Indeed, much of Christian mysticism comes from the Eastern Orthodox church. Anywho… I felt compelled as I have greatly enjoyed my new life in the Catholic Church and wanted to send out some kudos.

#10) Social Drinking - Seriously, I love being able to go out after a parish event with fellow parishioners and know I can order a drink without worrying about offending the “Jesus turned water into grape juice” guy.

#9) Cool Accessories – I admit, I love accessories. Rosaries, medals, scapulars, etc. add a textile elements to religion I enjoy. What I really like is that I feel less stupid holding a Rosary during a prayer, which has generations of history and meaning, than a “Prayer of Jabez” lucky coin.

#8) Art and Style - I love great art (like art that requires hard work, not that “my kid could paint that” stuff). The Catholic Church is stuffed full of centuries of art. I am always surrounded by works of expression by those who love Jesus Christ.

#7) Bigger Bible – I always wanted a sequel to Proverbs.

#6) Catholic Radio – This is probably one of the major factors that lead me to the Catholic Church. I listen to the American Catholic Radio podcast every week as well as Catholic Answers and my local station. I virtually never hear a word about Iraq, Hilary Clinton, or the real estate crash. Catholic Radio is timeless, talking about things that are relevant to our souls and everyday life instead of fads and temporary issues.

#5 ) Knights of Columbus – Great life insurance! I’d tell you more, but then I would have to kill you… (just kidding… or am I?)

#4) Blessings – I have been using blessings and purifications for years. Most evangelicals consider that “voodoo”, but now I get the bonus of having a priest who can do it with the whole authority of the Church!

#3) I Can “Come Out” – Many evangelicals think you attend Hogwarts and ride a broomstick when you say you are a “mystic”. When I tell Catholics I am a mystic, they usually know what I am talking about and start talking about St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila.

#2) Saints – It is like collecting baseball cards as a child. The Catholic Church has a vast history of people who broke the norms and rose above the world they were in. It is hard to find role models these days for genuine faith, so having a well documented history of thousands of individuals who overcame the world and achieved the miraculous is an inspiration. It is also nice everyone has a “Patron Saint” that relates to their particular circumstances.

#1) The Real Eucharist – No more Welch’s and saltines for me! Reading letters by the Early Church Fathers lead me to realize just how much they cherished the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The Catholic Church’s dedication to keeping the sacred and divine nature of Eucharist in tact is probably the greatest driving force for myself, and many others, to convert.

Technorati Tags: Catholic Mysticism, Christian Mysticism, funny, roman catholic church, why I love being catholic

St. John of the Cross is one of the major founders of Christian mysticism, his book “The Dark Night of the Soul” exhaustively outlines the spiritual process all who seek a deep mystic experience with God must go through. Basically, the book explains a period of “darkness” that all who travel the mystic path experience at some point as their own sinful nature and worldly attachments must be purged in order to continue toward enlightenment and communion with God. This experience is testified too by later mystics such as C.S. Lewis in “A Grief Observed”, and John Bunyan describes it in “A Pilgrim’s Progress”. The “darkness” is caused us having to face the sinful and perverse reality of our true self and the world around us. During this time we feel lonely, depressed, discouraged, and overwhelmed. As St. John of the Cross would explain, the darkness is not from God but from the light of God exposing our own darkness. The Dark Night of the Soul is the point at which most people give up, and usually take medication. For those who preserver, God rewards them with the secrets of His Kingdom. Continue Reading »

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Next Wednesday, September 5th is the 10th anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa. My local Catholic newsletter asked readers to submit a letter of explaining what Mother Teresa meant to them. Below is what I submitted:

Mother Teresa was one the major influences which lead me to join the Catholic church. When looking for role models or heroes in this world it is pretty hard to find anyone else who better manifests the commands and virtues of Christ. However, so many people have raised her to a super-human level, like a myth or a legend, because it is so hard to believe that we could be held to the same standard. Her recently discovered writings, while they have been used by some who wish to discredit her, have made her more real and more human to me.

For someone who has done so much good in this world, Mother Teresa has a lot of critics. Especially in the evangelical world I grew up in, people were always trying to attribute her actions to anything other than charity. I have heard everything from “She is nieve and confused” to “She is just insane.” to “She is a devil in disguise trying to promote evil Catholic doctrine.” Those criticisms actually lead me to respect Mother Teresa more and more as I looked into her history and personal writings.

I think some people will do anything to discredit Mother Teresa because people like her set the bar too high for the rest of us. When Christ said that we are to be like Him, we don’t really believe it, but Mother Teresa did. Mother Teresa shows us how far we ourselves can go, and how much good those who truly believe and obey the teachings of Jesus Christ can accomplish.

When I first heard saw the reports of her writings about her inner struggle of faith and pain caused by the darkness around her, I cried. Not because I was disappointed, but because it hit me just how human she really was, and how genuine was her work. I myself am tempted to think of Mother Teresa as an exception to the human condition, but that report reminded me that she was a human just like me. She was an imperfect person who faced the full brunt of the darkness of this world and overcame it. If that doesn’t define a saint, I don’t know what does.

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