What does it mean to be a mystic? What is the journey that one must travel to become a mystic? The way we answer these two questions will determine the path we take and the God that we seek. Likewise, the goal of the mystical journey will differ depending on who takes the journey. We will see later in the course that although the end is the same, the path is different for Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, etc. In the quest for the transcendent One,...

This segment introduces the listener to an ancient and tested way of reading that we call Lectio Divina, or "Holy Reading." It will build on the previous segment and give you tools that can be used for a mystical reading of sacred texts. We will look at the concept of leisure, as well as the writings of the Church Fathers.

The mystic is one who lives and breathes in the context of darkness. This is not to say that darkness has value in and of itself, but that it's the place where we often find the presence of God. In the successes and the happiness that come to us on good days, often we could say that we do not need God. In some respects, we begin to think that we are God during such times. It is only when things begin to fall apart that we begin to look for God.

Good theology should lead to spirituality, and good spirituality is rooted in good theology. The hinge between them is religious experience. In this segment, we will explore what we mean by "religious" and what we mean by "experience." We will look at the concept of mystery, the experience of grace and of God, and God's desire for us.

Fr. Ciorra's book, Everyday Mysticism, was his first attempt to develop and express his thinking on the subject of mysticism. The watershed moment at the Second Vatican Council was the discussion on holiness. The Council Fathers began the discussion in the context of the religious life but changed course midstream and moved the discussion into the document on the Church. The clarion all of the Council was what the fathers called "the universal call...

The mystical experience is one that leads to harmony and convergence among religions. The reason is that the mystic does not focus on doctrine, but rather religious experience. On the level of religious experience, it is the one God that we all encounter regardless of race, religion, economic status or nationality.