Mystics: Singers Of A New Song

Jubilation, the wordless prayer of ordinary worshipers in the "age of faith," occupied an even greater place in the prayer lives of mystics during that period and the centuries that followed. The writers speak of jubilation and spiritual inebriation in referring to the entire spectrum of spontaneous bodily and vocal prayer which might include glossolalia, inspired songs, dancing, and intense bodily movement. Until the seventeenth century, this kind of prayer was mentioned by the majority of religious writers and was experienced by most of the well-known mystics. Many people misunderstand the term mystic as it is applied to Christian experience. A mystic is a person who is given to deep spirituality and seeking after God. Although some mystics practice silence and solitude, most do not. According to original sources, mystics of earlier centuries were warmly involved in intimate human contact. More often than not they possessed an extraordinary sense of humor, and some-like St. John Go…