Mysticism In The Roman Catholic Church

Before taking this class, Mysticism as a religious practice was a mystery to me. Actually, I have never heard of this topic. Growing up Protestent, we are not affiliated with the Roman Catholic order or any of the Saints in the Catholic Church. Therefore, through this course I grew to understand and learn about the idea of mysticism and its importance in the Roman Catholic Church. Dating back hundred of years, mysticism is the idea of having a direct experience of ultimate reality, which in the end is God. Through mysticism, one was suppose to transform suffering into peace, joy, and liberation. Serenity was the ultimate goal. Furthermore, Serenity was the idea of happiness that didn’t depend on external circumstances. However, serenity was
Many prior mystics drew on the ideas of their life being ascetic (overcoming the body), devoted to prayer, mediation, scripture reading, and inherently concentrating on God with no distractions. However, Augustine of Hippo stepped on to the scene and shifted some of the previous norm sin society. As soon to becoming one of the most influential writers of his time, Augustine searched for answers on god and the strength of live a life through God. Through the combination of Love and intellect, Augustine of Hippo was one of the first to have union with God while dealing with the idea of diving down in the image of God and overcoming the image of God. Through his writings in The Confessions, On the Trinity, and The literal Meaning of Genesis, Augustine of Hippo shows his model of what it takes to live a mystical path and become one with God. Through my mediation, Centering of Prayer, Church sermons and growth through this course, I became to believe Augustine of Hippo work as the most important in the mystical path. As presented in Light to Light, Augustine of Hippo believed in “mysticism of the image, specifically, the image of the Trinity which he finds in the minds power to remember, to understand, and to love its God.” (Dupré & Wiseman