Quote for the Day
The genuine mystic is purified and illuminated by, and eventually united to, a personal God. From this loving union flows a loving knowledge, a “secret wisdom” that short-circuits the memory and stupefies the intellect because it surpasses abstract, conceptual knowledge. Although we can dispose ourselves to receive it, human effort alone cannot bring it about because it is strictly God’s gift.
— Harvey D. Egan, from the introduction to
An Anthology of Christian Mysticism,
second edition
Peasant:
Wonderful passage! And it points up something that always makes me squirm a little bit when I hear lots of talk from someone about being a mystic: in the final analysis there is not a thing we can do to be mystics. Only God can make a mystic. And if God’s will is to engage us in some other way, there is not a thing that we can do about changing that. Our ‘mystical’ effort is certainly not sufficient. It may not even be necessary. I don’t doubt that our efforts can sometimes be more obstacle than anything else.
judith collier
Peasant, surrender! Jump off the cliff with your whole being and with all of your heart. I believe God gives us as much of Himself as we want. He wants you more than you will ever understand. love, judy
bar
Peasant, you are right.
‘our efforts can sometimes be more obstacle ….’ is spot on,
Bar