Crucified with Christ -The extraordinary Mystics of the Church
"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church..."
-St Paul to the Colossians- (Colossians 1:24)
This website is devoted to the countless Mystics of the Catholic Church, including the popular Saint mystics, and also those who are not so well known. Some of the mystics presented here have been formally beatified or canonised, and others have not. Some may never be formally raised to the altars. It is not the authors intention to anticipate the judgement of the Catholic Church in presenting the lives of those not yet formally beatified or canonized. For those not canonised, the statements presented herein rest on human authority alone. The author submits wholeheartedly to the infallible wisdom and judgement of the Catholic Church in regards to the persons presented on this website. Please see this important note on judging mystics and private revelations and obedience to the Catholic Church.
Blood and Fire -The mystery of suffering and love in the extraordinary lives of the mystics
The central point of Christianity is that Jesus suffered a horrible death on the Cross so that we may be forgiven of our sins. Scripture says- "...Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed."
(Isaiah. 53:4-5)
Thus, Jesus became a victim for our sins, and because of this at the same time a sword of sorrow pierced the heart of His Mother, who suffered in union with Her Divine Son. (cf. Luke 2:34-35).
By the express Will of God, the Mystics are untied with Jesus and Mary in suffering for the conversion of sinners. As victim souls, they are fastened to the Cross in union with Jesus in order to continue our Saviours offering to the Father, in reparation for our sins. In other words, they are coredeemers with Christ and their mission is to lead souls to God. They are the great lovers of God who offer and give of themselves completely to "fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church" (Colossians 1:24).
Although the Mystics are often submerged in a sea of pain, as willed by God, they are also at the same time full of love, joy and happiness, ravished by the love of God, in a joyful union with Jesus and His Mother. And so we have for example the remarkable Saint Gemma Galgani saying to Jesus in a ecstasy of love- "Jesus possesses my heart, and being in possession of Jesus I find that I can smile, even in the midst of so many tears. I feel, yes, I feel that I am happy even in the midst of so many sufferings."
Because of their unique participation in the Passion, and consequently their special union with Jesus, the Mystics of the Church are known for their extraordinary expressions of love for God and souls. Often, these accents of love that dart forth from their hearts all on fire for the love of God are captured in their diaries and letters, or in many cases, in their words of love that escape from their lips while in ecstasy, and are carefully noted by those nearby. Such expressions of love are truly a treasure that inspires and inflames the heart of those of us who read them. The expressions of love and devotion that we have from the mystics coupled with the example of their lives of heroic sacrifice, suffering and virtue, form a treasure of the most exquisite spiritual gems and pearls, unique to each mystic, of which we hope to offer on this website.
We can learn so much from the lives of the Mystics. Because of our weak human nature, we naturally shy away from suffering and sacrifice, and the lives of many of the Mystic-victim souls are certainly full of sacrifices and sufferings! But we must not shy away from the Mystics, as they provide us with a treasure of devotion, inspiration and spiritual guidance, showing us first hand how God is to be loved with all ones heart, in all times and seasons, and especially during times of sufferings, trials and sacrifices. In fact, it is the mystic-victim souls in particular who address the "problem" of human suffering. They teach us how to suffer in union with Jesus, offering to Jesus our sufferings and sacrifices, and uniting our sufferings with Him. The Mystics teach us that quite often love and sacrifice go hand in hand, and that even amidst our adversities it is always our union with the Passion of Jesus that gives us strength, peace and joy.
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