Mystical Body of Christ

Visited the Da yesterday.  He is deep into the Fr. Leen book given him at Christmas.  Says he wished he'd read it back in seminary days...70 or more years ago.  Says Fr. Leen is a mystic.  And what is a mystic?  Someone who seeks and has union with Christ.  Live in Christ in the present moments, and remain in His love so He remains in the mystic.

And the Church should be made up of mystics, for it is called the mystical body of Christ.  We should all be mystics, and then there would be fully the mystical body of Christ.

The temporal Catholic world has clashes and missteps.  Seems for me the curtain between worlds (or is that the stairway to heaven?) has been rent (or I am on the stairway?).  When the Da and I put out the two worlds, we asked, "If we had three days left to live, which would we choose?  The temporal Catholic world or the mystical Catholic world?"

We chose the mystical Catholic world, for that is merely what God wills, is it not?  If all were mystics in the mystical body of Christ, the temporal would unfold in faith, hope and love.  There would be no need for committees and counsels, or for councils and canon laws.

Recently a cleric hit the wall.  He had been stalked and harassed by a parishioner for a long time, and humiliated by the person.  Finally he had to get protective orders through the court against this person.  Then the temporal Catholic world moved him to a larger parish in a different city.  He did not need more and different.  He simply needed some support and help.  He'd been through hell for several years.  

So he left.  Wrote the bishop he was leaving.  The diocese knew but kept it quiet, told no one.  Finally the family found out and filed a missing person's report with police.  He was located a month later. Police and family honored his wishes to be left alone. 

The temporal Catholic world wanted the departed, depressed man to get in touch.  A statement to the press asked the priest to call, as the diocese had not been contacted, so they could offer him assistance if needed [too little too late], and that they must validate his leave of absence since it was unauthorized as it stood.

Mystical body of Christ would offer assistance early on in the stalking ordeal.  Mystical body of Christ would search for the lost lamb until found, not hushed his disappearance for 17 days.  Mystical body of Christ would say call us for we want to help you (and are truly sorry we were insensitive).  

Temporal Catholic world needs the paperwork validated for an authorized leave of absence....  

Of course, mystics in the mystical body of Christ in the mystical Catholic world would not stalk anyone to the point of breakdown, nor would there be a skeptical or unwelcoming view of mystics because all would be mystics in the mystical body of Christ in the mystical Catholic world.

But we have one tiny example of the difference between how the mystical body of Christ should exist and move and have its being, compared to many examples one can find in the temporal, temporal Catholic world--a temporal world with far too many temporal Catholics in it.

Recall the theologian who wrote that if by the end of the [20th] century we are not all mystics, then we will be nothing.

The Da wanted me to write about the mystical body of Christ.  He said, "You understood it a year or two ago!  You were describing the mystical Catholic world!  You have to get people to understand!  Write a blog or something!"  

Am thrilled he's with me on this now, for I told him many others had ridiculed it.  The Da said, "Well that is someone who does not get it! This is what we all are to be: In Christ and His light through us, in the mystical body of Christ!  The other does not matter!  Our bodies are temporal, yes, but we are to be mystics and exist in the mystical body of Christ!"

I guess if you get it, you get it, and that must mean you have at least a foothold on the stairway to heaven.  To be in Christ in every present moment, to live Him and not any more be self but Christ--in Christ, through and with Christ--is to be on the stairway.  

It may also mean not being so welcome in the temporal Catholic world anymore, or to find it tremendously distracting due to the varied and temporal, temporal Catholic world distractions.  If we are Christ lives, not I, there should be no temporal distractions in the mystical body of Christ that exists and breathes in the mystical Catholic world.