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PRACTICE BEING A MYSTIC IN
EVERYDAY LIFE

Life pushes on in steady and seemingly unceasing beats. Going to work, doing errands, caring for children, getting over illness, working through grief, caring for pets, gardening, paying bills, phone calls, email, meetings. It can seem impossible to experience mysticism in such an environment. We convince ourselves that if we were going to have a mystical experience, it would have to occur in a still and silent place, where no demands were being made on us and we could direct our full attention to the world of the spirit. But God does not withhold mystical encounters until we find ourselves in a monastery or hermitage. Indeed, it is in the unfolding of everyday events, tasks, and encounters that we glimpse the enigmatic wonder of the Holy One’s touch.

- To begin this prayer practice, set aside 30 minutes and find a space in the midst of everyday life. You might choose a bench on a busy street, a hectic public office, a children’s playground, a crowded coffeehouse. Take your journal with you to the place you choose.

- Center yourself by closing your eyes and paying attention to the feelings in your body. Where are you holding tension? What places inside seem open and loose? Is your mind busy or calm? Are you feeling overwhelmed or anticipatory? Place your hand over your heart and notice how it beats. As you feel its beat, acknowledge that the beats occur only by the grace of the Holy One. Offer a prayer of gratitude for the gift of the beat of life in your heart.

- Open your eyes and notice the energy all around you. Look at the people, listen to the conversations, feel the colors, smell the odors, let yourself be swept up in the thumping activity. Notice how the beat in life is similar to the beat in your own heart.

- Now close your eyes again and imagine that a silent shadow is moving in the midst of the noise and activity. You can sense that it is the loving presence of the Holy One. While those in the crowd may be completely unaware of this presence, the Holy One touches each of them and leaves behind a trace of that touch. Notice how the scene is transformed by this Divine touch.

- Now imagine that the Holy One comes and touches you. What does that touch feel like? What happens in your body, your mind, your heart, your soul? Are others around you able to see the mark that the Holy One leaves on you? How do you feel about returning to the busy-ness of your life, knowing that the shadow of God has passed over you?

- When the shadow moves on and is no longer visible to you, open your eyes and record in your journal any feelings, thoughts, or images this experience has raised for you. Then, place your hand over your heart once again, and as you feel the steady beat, offer a prayer that every creature will come to know that they have been touched by heaven.

Prayer
O God, in moments of swirling energy and hushed stillness, let me know that you are as near to me as my next breath. When I would insist on sight, rather than faith, let me suddenly sense a sweet scent that can only be your Holy Presence. When I stand wondering about the tattered edges of my life, let me be so still that I can feel your fingers weaving my soul together again. I ask this for the sake of your great love. Amen.