Commentary on the Gospel of

Paulson Veliyannoor, CMF

In “Practical Mysticism”  Evelyn Underhill observes that for most people, mysticism sounds as something other-worldly, dreamy, and impractical, but in reality, mysticism is so very practical that everyone can and should embrace it. What Jesus speaks of today in the Gospel is practical mysticism: nobody undertakes a task without anticipating the cost and ensuring that one has enough resources to realize the task, and hence, the same should apply for our “Project Life.” If God is our ultimate goal and eternal life is our highest hope, wouldn’t it be eminently practical to recognize the cost and ensure that all our energies are directed towards God as the highest motive and love of our lives? Every other love will be relativized from the perspective of our primary and ultimate love—love of God. Paul underlines the same in his letter we heard today.

This will make us all practical mystics in life, fulfilling Karl Rahner’s predication: “The devout Christian of the future will either be a ‘mystic,’ one who has experienced ‘something,’ or he will cease to be anything at all.”

Paulson Veliyannoor, CMF
frpaulson@gmail.com

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