Some mysteries of our faith can only be experienced. God has touched some people in a special way so they are able to tell us deeper and more holy things about God and ourselves. We call them mystics.

Mystics experience God’s presence in very tangible and sometimes graphic ways. Their experiences confirm Christians’ belief that we truly are temples of the living God.

Through these remarkable 12 lectures by leading Franciscan intellectual and poet Fr. Murray Bodo, you will unlock the mysteries of mysticism. Through the original words of 10 mystics, Fr. Murray shows you the nature of the mystical experience and demonstrates the relevance of mystical words and experiences to our Faith.

God chose to reveal himself through a variety of people. Intellectuals, poets, hermits, radicals, and even the unwed teenage Mary, were touched by God in a mystical way. You will learn the legacy of these five men and five women mystics.

These souls all have God’s revelation in common. His intimate presence to the mystics prove his ongoing communication with us in every age.

Your presenter is Fr. Murray Bodo, O.F.M., Ph.D., a Franciscan priest and a member of the Franciscan Academy. He earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of Cincinnati and taught English and American Literature and the craft of writing for 36 years.

The author of 23 books, including the best-selling, Francis: The Journey and the Dream, and his recent works, Mystics: Ten Who Show us the Ways of God and Song of the Sparrow: New Poems and Meditations. His poems, stories and articles have appeared in magazines and literary journals.

Fr. Murray resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, and spends three months of the year in Assisi, Italy, as a staff member of Franciscan Pilgrimage Programs.

We recommend Fr. Murray’s book, Mystics: Ten Who Show Us the Ways of God, which can be purchased at www.SAMPBooks.org.

Photo by Jack Wintz, OFM.

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Introduction

Mary, the First Christian Mystic

Francis of Assisi, The Mirror of Christ

Julian of Norwich, Anchoress and Visionary of God's Goodness

Jacopone da Todi, Poet of the Madness of God

St. Catherine of Siena, The Body as the Cell of God

St. John of the Cross, Mystic of the Dark Night

St. Therese of Lisieux, Anti-Mystic of the Little Way

Gerard Manley Hopkins, The Mysticism of Words

Simone Weil, Affliction and the Mystical Way

Robert Lax, Hermit and Mystic of Patient Waiting

Conclusion

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