Mystical Prayer

[eschator83]

The following passage was posted by Benedict in our Book Study conversation on the book Daily Meditations by Fr John Kersten.  I repeat it here because I think it deserves more attention, reflection, and easier access.
The Life of the Divine Trinity is best understood through indwelling, inspiration and inflowing and infusion. God, the Holy Trinity dwells within you to the degree that you prepare yourself through kenosis or self-emptying. Examination of conscience, prayers for contrition and desire of grace and prayers for inspiration and understanding and prayers for inflowing of divine love and infusion of virtues and holy contemplation are good practices.
Prayer is broken into two forms: mystical or God-inspired and acquired or discursive prayer that is intellectually driven. The integration of Scripture into one's life is the process of reading, it is this process of meditation that inscribes the Sacred Word upon the tablet of the heart, where the finger of the Holy Spirit inspires living devotion and gives ample means to fulfill what God has put into your heart to accomplish. The Life, that is Christ, which abides in the soul is the fountain of all meditation, contemplation and satisfaction.
While we can prepare for discursive or acquired prayer by mental practices, memorization, and understanding the skopos or goal of the methods we employ they cannot be compared to the dignity and sublimity of mystical prayer which we ought to desire with all spirit longing. For, mystical prayer is the prayer of the Holy Spirit within us, over which we have no power to force or even to equal. Though we may always raise ourselves up, by degrees, with acts of faith, hope and love, acts of desire and contrition, acts of worship and acts of praise and acts of supplication. These pious acts and holy inspirations we ought to pray for, long for, wait for and be desirous of and to savor with all sweetness when they are divinely bestowed upon the dryness of the soul. For God causes the growth even though one man sowed and another watered. For the Sun of Righteousness is the fountain of eternal Light and from Him does the vine ripen and the grape glisten with interior sweetness, made rich by the abundance of life-giving sap, drawn from the Holy Root of the Blessed Seed.

The use of the term mystical raises in my mind concerns that ancient Christians had about the many mystery religions like Gnostics that preceded Jesus and similar heresies that followed Him.  On the other hand, I am well aware that Part II of our Catechism is entitled Celebration of the Christian Mystery.  And I recall St Paul's frustration with his weak reception in Athens and his subsequent resolution to change his kerygma.  But Jesus' persistence was about truth, and that all things hidden would be brought to light.  Can you comment on how and why Church emphasis seems to have changed?

[Benedict]

The use of the term mystical raises in my mind concerns that ancient Christians had about the many mystery religions like Gnostics that preceded Jesus and similar heresies that followed Him.  On the other hand, I am well aware that Part II of our Catechism is entitled Celebration of the Christian Mystery.  And I recall St Paul's frustration with his weak reception in Athens and his subsequent resolution to change his kerygma.  But Jesus' persistence was about truth, and that all things hidden would be brought to light.  Can you comment on how and why Church emphasis seems to have changed?

First of all, you seem confused.
The Gnostics did not precede Jesus but came after.
Saint Irenaeus Against Heresy Book 3 chapter 4 paragraph 1 and 2
"CHAP. IV.--THE TRUTH IS TO BE FOUND NOWHERE ELSE BUT IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, THE SOLE DEPOSITORY OF APOSTOLICAL DOCTRINE. HERESIES ARE OF RECENT FORMATION, AND CANNOT TRACE THEIR ORIGIN UP TO THE APOSTLES.
1. Since therefore we have such proofs, it is not necessary to seek the truth among others which it is easy to obtain from the Church; since the apostles, like a rich man [depositing his money] in a bank, lodged in her hands most copiously all things pertaining to the truth: so that every man, whosoever will, can draw from her the water of life.For she is the entrance to life; all others are thieves and robbers. On this account are we bound to avoid them, but to make choice of the thing pertaining to the Church with the utmost diligence, and to lay hold of the tradition of the truth. For how stands the case? Suppose there arise a dispute relative to some important question among us, should we not have recourse to the most ancient Churches with which the apostles held constant intercourse, and learn from them what is certain and clear in regard to the present question? For how should it be if the apostles themselves had not left us writings? Would it not be necessary, [in that case,] to follow the course of the tradition which they handed down to those to whom they did commit the Churches? To which course many nations of those barbarians who believe in Christ do assent, having salvation written in their hearts by the Spirit, without paper or ink, and, carefully preserving the ancient tradition, believing in one God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and all things therein, by means of Christ Jesus, the Son of God; who, because of His surpassing love towards His creation, condescended to be born of the virgin, He Himself uniting man through Himself to God, and having suffered under Pontius Pilate, and rising again, and having been received up in splendor, shall come in glory, the Saviour of those who are saved, and the Judge of those who are judged, and sending into eternal fire those who transform the truth, and despise His Father and His advent. Those who, in the absence of written documents, have believed this faith, are barbarians, so far as regards our language; but as regards doctrine, manner, and tenor of life, they are, because of faith, very wise indeed; and they do please God, ordering their conversation in all righteousness, chastity, and wisdom. If any one were to preach to these men the inventions of the heretics, speaking to them in their own language, they would at once stop their ears, and flee as far off as possible, not enduring even to listen to the blasphemous address. Thus, by means of that ancient tradition of the apostles, they do not suffer their mind to conceive anything of the [doctrines suggested by the] portentous language of these [Gnostic] teachers, among whom neither Church nor doctrine has ever been established."

There was no change of the kerygma.
Saint Irenaeus Against Heresy Book 3 chapter 1 paragraph 2 excerpt
"The apostles, who were commissioned to find out the wanderers, and to be for sight to those who saw not, and medicine to the weak, certainly did not address them in accordance with their opinion at the time, but according to revealed truth. For no persons of any kind would act properly, if they should advise blind men, just about to fall over a precipice, to continue their most dangerous path, as if it were the right one, and as if they might go on in safety. Or what medical man, anxious to heal a sick person, would prescribe in accordance with the patient's whims, and not according to the requisite medicine? But that the Lord came as the physician of the sick, He does Himself declare saying, "They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." How then shall the sick be strengthened, or how shall sinners come to repentance? Is it by persevering in the very same courses? or, on the contrary, is it by undergoing a great change and reversal of their former mode of living, by which they have brought upon themselves no slight amount of sickness, and many sins? But ignorance, the mother of all these, is driven out by knowledge. Wherefore the Lord used to impart knowledge to His disciples, by which also it was His practice to heal those who were suffering, and to keep back sinners from sin. He therefore did not address them in accordance with their pristine notions, nor did He reply to them in harmony with the opinion of His questioners, but according to the doctrine leading to salvation, without hypocrisy or respect of person."

A little catechetical insight into mysticism.
Christ our Pascha Ukrainian Greek Catholic Catechism
Paragraph 13 excerpt
"The Church encourages everyone to come to the knowledge of God, that by reading and listening to the Word of God, they may live by it daily.
As a seed planted in good soil, the Word of God grows within us, illuminating and leading us into the mystical depth of God’s life."
paragraph 726
"Life in Christ, offered in the Holy Mysteries, is the foundation of Christian morality, of the rules and norms of Christian behavior.
Christian moral life is a witness to faith.
The active manifestation of Christian faith in personal, familial, socio-political, and other areas of human life demands true heroism and courage.
Created in the image of God, one is called to reflect God in his or her Christian life, to mystically reveal the life of the Most Holy Trinity, and in so doing, to grow from the image to the likeness of God.
Every Christian is called to reveal the mysterious reflection of the divine life in their own life ever more clearly.
Achieving divine likeness through concrete actions defines Christian morality."
paragraph 852-854
852 For the Holy Fathers, spiritual struggle is the primary path to divinization.
The first (“purgative”) stage of this spiritual asceticism is purification from passions and passionate intentions through the power and grace of the Holy Spirit. [Reference Macarius the Great, Homilies, 17, 21.]
The second (“illuminative”) stage is the illumination of the mind and contemplation or vision of God (in Greek, theoria).
The third (“unitive”) stage is the actual attainment of divinization. [Reference Macarius the Great, Homilies, 7.]
853 The mystical and dynamic process of divinization takes place in the Body of Christ, which is the Church.
A Christian is a living member of Christ’s divinized Body to the extent in which he or she fully participates in the Church’s mystical life.
In divinization, God’s life becomes our life and our life becomes divinized.
The unique mission of the Church is to be the place and path of divinization.
This mission manifests itself in the proclamation of the good news of God’s Word, in the Holy Mysteries, in prayer and worship, and in the moral and ascetical life.
854 Divinization is the meeting of God and the human person in faith.
It is impossible without one’s openness to grace and one’s spiritual efforts.
Only by fulfilling God’s commandments and purifying one’s heart can a Christian, in cooperation with God’s grace, rise to ever higher degrees of perfection.
Interior purification, a virtuous life, and life in holiness are the primary conditions for divinization, for union with him who is the Source of Holiness, Purity, and Perfection.

Seeking the guidance or counsel of the Holy Spirit regarding the Divine Logos which reveals the Father is a suitable method of access into the Trinity. The other way would be to approach Jesus as the Door and ask Him to pray the Father to send you the Spirit of Truth that you may be lead into all Truth and have the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit dwell within you by invoking them and beseeching their presence earnestly with a humble and pure heart, free from distractions and attentive to the Sacred Scripture.
The written word of God is an excellent means of communicating with the uncreated Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ. The life of communion with the All Holy Undivided Trinity is accomplished through grace and the divine indwelling by which you are made a temple of the Holy Spirit, where the Great High Priest, our Lord Jesus Christ offers fragrant prayers upon the altar of your heart and the love of the Father is poured into you live dew from heaven that you may be cleansed and sanctified as a holy temple dedicated to God, a house of prayer not made with hands.

The Life of the Divine Trinity is best understood through indwelling, inspiration and inflowing and infusion. God, the Holy Trinity dwells within you to the degree that you prepare yourself through kenosis or self-emptying. Examination of conscience, prayers for contrition and desire of grace and prayers for inspiration and understanding and prayers for inflowing of divine love and infusion of virtues and holy contemplation are good practices.
Prayer is broken into two forms: mystical or God-inspired and acquired or discursive prayer that is intellectually driven. The integration of Scripture into one's life is the process of reading, it is this process of meditation that inscribes the Sacred Word upon the tablet of the heart, where the finger of the Holy Spirit inspires living devotion and gives ample means to fulfill what God has put into your heart to accomplish. The Life, that is Christ, which abides in the soul is the fountain of all meditation, contemplation and satisfaction.
While we can prepare for discursive or acquired prayer by mental practices, memorization, and understanding the skopos or goal of the methods we employ they cannot be compared to the dignity and sublimity of mystical prayer which we we ought to desire with all spirit longing. For, mystical prayer is the prayer of the Holy Spirit within us, over which we have no power to force or even to equal. Though we may always raise ourselves up, by degrees, with acts of faith, hope and love, acts of desire and contrition, acts of worship and acts of praise and acts of supplication. These pious acts and holy inspirations we ought to pray for, long for, wait for and be desirous of and to savor with all sweetness when they are divinely bestowed upon the dryness of the soul. For God causes the growth even though one man sowed and another watered. For the Sun of Righteousness is the fountain of eternal Light and from Him does the vine ripen and the grape glisten with interior sweetness, made rich by the abundance of life giving sap, drawn from the Holy Root of the Blessed Seed.

Mystical theology is strictly speaking theology concerning the Mysteries of the Faith, such as the Undivided Trinity, the Incarnation, the Sacred Mysteries (Sacraments), Grace (both actual and sanctifying), Salvation (Redemption, Regeneration, Justification, Sanctification, Deification/Glorification), the Divine Attributes of God, Free-will, Predestination, the Second Coming, the New Creation, the Glories of Heaven, the Torment of Hell. There are more but these are sufficient to enumerate.
What I think is lacking in your understanding is a cohesive grasp that Christianity is a Mystery Religion, greater than all the mystery religions that came before or after. The Sacred Mysteries were considered too holy to be revealed to just anyone.
The process of becoming a Christian changed as persecution increased. A catechetical process was administered, catechumens were not allowed to stay for the Liturgy of the Faithful (the Liturgy of the Eucharist) and instead were taken out of the Church and given catechetical discourses on matters of faith and regularly exorcized according to Saint Cyril of Jerusalem's Catechetical Orations.

I do not understand the vagueness of your question "why Church emphasis seems to have changed?" The Church is an organic body, while the words have changed the same Gospel is preached.
Saint Gregory of Nyssa Great Catechism Prologue Excerpt
"Not that the same method of instruction will be suitable in the case of all who approach the word. The catechism must be adapted to the diversities of their religious worship; with an eye, indeed, to the one aim and end of the system, but not using the same method of preparation in each individual case. The Judaizer has been preoccupied with one set of notions, one conversant with Hellenism, with others; while the Anomoean, and the Manichee, with the followers of Marcion , Valentinus, and Basilides , and the rest on the list of those who have wandered into heresy, each of them being prepossessed with their peculiar notions, necessitate a special controversy with their several. opinions. The method of recovery must be adapted to the form of the disease. You will not by the same means cure the polytheism of the Greek, and the unbelief of the Jew as to the Only-begotten God: nor as regards those who have wandered into heresy will you, by the same arguments in each case, upset their misleading romances as to the tenets of the Faith. No one could set Sabellius right by the same instruction as would benefit the Anomoean . The controversy with the Manichee is profitless against the Jew . It is necessary, therefore, as I have said, to regard the opinions which the persons have taken up, and to frame your argument in accordance with the error into which each has fallen, by advancing in each discussion certain principles and reasonable propositions, that thus, through what is agreed upon on both sides, the truth may conclusively be brought to light. When, then, a discussion is held with one of those who favour Greek ideas, it would be well to make the ascertaining of this the commencement of the reasoning, i.e. whether he presupposes the existence of a God, or concurs with the atheistic view. Should he say there is no God, then, from the consideration of the skilful and wise economy of the Universe he will be brought to acknowledge that there is a certain overmastering power manifested through these channels."

[Benedict]

Excerpt from
St. Teresa's Teaching on the Grades of Prayer by Jordan Aumann, O.P.
"In her first work St. Teresa explains the grades of prayer by using the symbol of the "four waters," or more precisely, the four methods of watering a garden.

The first method is by drawing water from a well by means of a bucket attached to a rope. This is the first stage of prayer and it includes vocal prayer and discursive meditation. The individual is active, exercising the facultiesand reaping what benefit it can through one's own efforts. But lest the beginners think too much and turn their discursive meditationinto an intellectual exercise, St. Teresa advises them "not to spend all their time in doing so. Their method of prayer is most meritorious, but since they enjoy it so much, they sometimes fail to realize that they should have some kind of a sabbath, that is, a period of rest from their labors. . . . Let them imagine themselves, as I have suggested, in the presence of Christ, and let them continue conversing with him and delighting in him, without wearying their minds or exhausting themselves by composing speeches to him" (The Life, chap. 13).

The second method of watering a garden is by means of a waterwheel to which dippers are attached. As the wheel is turned, the water is poured into a trough that carries the water to the garden. St. Teresa explains that this stage, in which "the soul begins to recollect itself, borders on the supernatural. . . . This state is a recollecting of the faculties within the soul, so that its enjoyment of that contentment may provide greater delight" (The Life, chap. 13).

The third type of watering a garden is by irrigation by means of a running stream. It doesn't call for human effort as in the two previous methods. Prayer at this stage is mystical; that is, all the faculties are centered on God. "This kind of prayer," says St. Teresa, "is quite definitely a union of the entire soul with God" (The Life, chap. 17). She calls it a "sleep of the faculties" because they are totally occupied with God. "Not one of them, it seems, ventures to stir, nor can we cause any of them to be active except by striving to fix our attention very carefully on something else, and even then I don't think we could succeed entirely in doing so" (The Life, chap. 16).

The fourth and final method for watering a garden is by means of falling rain. This stage of prayer is totally mystical, meaning that it is infused by God and is not attained by human effort. It is called the prayer of union, and it admits of varying degrees.

The grades of prayer described by St. Teresa in The Life do not correspond to the division of prayer that is usually given in manuals of spiritual theology. There are several reasons for this, and the first one is possibly the fact of the discrepancy of 15 years between her first and the last major work. Secondly, the precise terminology to describe some the transitional grades of prayer between discursive mental prayer and the prayer of the transforming union did not come into common use until the seventeenth century. Thirdly, since she was writing from her own experience, it is possible that St. Teresa had passed immediately from discursive meditation to a high degree of infused, mystical prayer."

[Benedict]

Life of Saint Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church
Chapter 11 paragraphs 10-25
OF FOUR DEGREES OF PRAYER.
OF THE FIRST DEGREE.
THE DOCTRINE PROFITABLE FOR BEGINNERS, AND FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NO SENSIBLE SWEETNESS
"10. A beginner must look upon himself as making a garden, wherein our Lord may take His delight, but in a soil unfruitful, and abounding in weeds. His Majesty roots up the weeds, and has to plant good herbs. Let us, then, take for granted that this is already done when a soul is determined to give itself to prayer, and has begun the practice of it. We have, then, as good gardeners, by the help of God, to see that the plants grow, to water them carefully, that they may not die, but produce blossoms, which shall send forth much fragrance, refreshing to our Lord, so that He may come often for His pleasure into this garden, and delight Himself in the midst of these virtues.

11. Let us now see how this garden is to be watered, that we may understand what we have to do: how much trouble it will cost us, whether the gain be greater than the trouble, or how long a time it will take us. It seems to me that the garden may be watered in four ways: by water taken out of a well, which is very laborious; or with water raised by means of an engine and buckets, drawn by a windlass—I have drawn it this way sometimes—it is a less troublesome way than the first, and gives more water; or by a stream or brook, whereby the garden is watered in a much better way—for the soil is more thoroughly saturated, and there is no necessity to water it so often, and the labour of the gardener is much less; or by showers of rain, when our Lord Himself waters it, without labour on our part—and this way is incomparably better than all the others of which I have spoken.

12. Now, then, for the application of these four ways of irrigation by which the garden is to be maintained; for without water it must fail. The comparison is to my purpose, and it seems to me that by the help of it I shall be able to explain, in some measure, the four degrees of prayer to which our Lord, of His goodness, has occasionally raised my soul. May He graciously grant that I may so speak as to be of some service to one of those who has commanded me to write, whom our Lord has raised in four months to a greater height than I have reached in seventeen years! He prepared himself better than I did, and therefore is his garden, without labour on his part, irrigated by these four waters—though the last of them is only drop by drop; but it is growing in such a way, that soon, by the help of our Lord, he will be swallowed up therein, and it will be a pleasure to me, if he finds my explanation absurd, that he should laugh at it.

13. Of those who are beginners in prayer, we may say, that they are those who draw the water up out of the well—a process which, as I have said, is very laborious; for they must be wearied in keeping the senses recollected, and this is a great labour, because the senses have been hitherto accustomed to distractions. It is necessary for beginners to accustom themselves to disregard what they hear or see, and to put it away from them during the time of prayer; they must be alone, and in retirement think over their past life. Though all must do this many times, beginners as well as those more advanced, all, however, must not do so equally, as I shall show hereafter. Beginners at first suffer much, because they are not convinced that they are penitent for their sins; and yet they are, because they are so sincerely resolved on serving God. They must strive to meditate on the life of Christ, and the understanding is wearied thereby. Thus far we can advance of ourselves—that is, by the grace of God—for without that, as every one knows, we never can have one good thought.

 14. This is beginning to draw water up out of the well. God grant there may be water in it! That, however, does not depend on us; we are drawing it, and doing what we can towards watering the flowers. So good is God, that when, for reasons known to His Majesty—perhaps for our greater good—it is His will the well should be dry, He Himself preserves the flowers without water—we, like good gardeners, doing what lies in our power—and makes our virtues grow. By water here I mean tears, and if there be none, then tenderness and an inward feeling of devotion.

15. What, then, will he do here who sees that, for many days, he is conscious only of aridity, disgust, dislike, and so great an unwillingness to go to the well for water, that he would give it up altogether, if he did not remember that he has to please and serve the Lord of the garden; if he did not trust that his service was not in vain, and did not hope for some gain by a labour so great as that of lowering the bucket into the well so often, and drawing it up without water in it? It will happen that he is often unable to move his arms for that purpose or to have one good thought: working with the understanding is drawing water out of the well.

16. What, then, once more, will the gardener do now? He must rejoice and take comfort, and consider it as the greatest favour to labour in the garden of so great an Emperor; and as he knows that he is pleasing Him in the matter—and his purpose must not be to please himself, but Him—let him praise Him greatly for the trust He has in him—for He sees that, without any recompense, he is taking so much care of that which has been confided to him; let him help Him to carry the Cross, and let him think how He carried it all His life long; let him not seek his kingdom here, nor ever intermit his prayer; and so let him resolve, if this aridity should last even his whole life long, never to let Christ fall down beneath the Cross.

17. The time will come when he shall be paid once for all. Let him have no fear that his labour is in vain: he serves a good Master, Whose eyes are upon him. Let him make no account of evil thoughts, but remember that Satan suggested them to St. Jerome also in the desert. These labours have their reward, I know it; for I am one who underwent them for many years. When I drew but one drop of water out of this blessed well, I considered it was a mercy of God. I know these labours are very great, and require, I think, greater courage than many others in this world; but I have seen clearly that God does not leave them without a great recompense, even in this life; for it is very certain that in one hour, during which our Lord gave me to taste His sweetness, all the anxieties which I had to bear when persevering in prayer seem to me ever afterwards perfectly rewarded.

18. I believe that it is our Lord’s good pleasure frequently in the beginning, and at times in the end, to send these torments, and many other incidental temptations, to try those who love Him, and to ascertain if they will drink the chalice, and help Him to carry the Cross, before He entrusts them with His great treasures. I believe it to be for our good that His Majesty should lead us by this way, so that we may perfectly understand how worthless we are; for the graces which He gives afterwards are of a dignity so great, that He will have us by experience know our wretchedness before He grants them, that it may not be with us as it was with Lucifer.

19. What canst Thou do, O my Lord, that is not for the greater good of that soul which Thou knowest to be already Thine, and which gives itself up to Thee to follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest, even to the death of the Cross; and which is determined to help Thee to carry that Cross, and not to leave Thee alone with it? He who shall discern this resolution in himself has nothing to fear: no, no; spiritual people have nothing to fear. There is no reason why he should be distressed who is already raised to so high a degree as this is of wishing to converse in solitude with God, and to abandon the amusements of the world. The greater part of the work is done; give praise to His Majesty for it, and trust in His goodness Who has never failed those who love Him. Close the eyes of your imagination, and do not ask why He gives devotion to this person in so short a time, and none to me after so many years. Let us believe that all is for our greater good; let His Majesty guide us whithersoever He will; we are not our own, but His. He shows us mercy enough when it is His pleasure we should be willing to dig in His garden, and to be so near the Lord of it: He certainly is near to us. If it be His will that these plants and flowers should grow—some of them when He gives water we may draw from the well, others when He gives none—what is that to me? Do Thou, O Lord, accomplish Thy will; let me never offend Thee, nor let my virtues perish; if Thou hast given me any, it is out of Thy mere goodness. I wish to surfer, because Thou, O Lord, hast suffered; do Thou in every way fulfil Thy will in me, and may it never be the pleasure of Thy Majesty that a gift of so high a price as that of Thy love, be given to people who serve Thee only because of the sweetness they find thereby.

20. It is much to be observed, and I say so because I know by experience, that the soul which begins to walk in the way of mental prayer with resolution, and is determined not to care much, neither to rejoice nor to be greatly afflicted, whether sweetness and tenderness fail it, or our Lord grants them, has already travelled a great part of the road. Let that soul, then, have no fear that it is going back, though it may frequently stumble; for the building is begun on a firm foundation. It is certain that the love of God does not consist in tears, nor in this sweetness and tenderness which we for the most part desire, and with which we console ourselves; but rather in serving Him in justice, fortitude, and humility. That seems to me to be a receiving rather than a giving of anything on our part."

[eschator83]

I am very grateful for your extensive comments, which will take some time to digest.  In general, my impression is that most religions have tried to explain and guide humans to cope with the myriad mysteries of life and the universe.  So, too, does philosophy, and later science, but obviously with different methods and results.
In my reading for the most part I've focused on trying to understand the words of Jesus in the Gospels, and it seemed there is substantial contrast between the style and substance of Matthew and Mark compared to Luke and John.  McSorley's History of the Church offers this summary (p 60):  The theological school of Antioch was in strong contrast with the allegorical, speculative, mystical method of the Alexandria school.  He cites its most important early Alexandrian writers as Clement, Origen, Ss Alexander, Pamphilius, and Gregory Thaumaturgus.  
By contrast McSorley lists Tertullian, St Cyprian, and Hippolytus as most distinguished Western writers and comments that a practical, apologetic spirit dominated their work.
I think Jesus emphasized that He was the Light, and everything hidden would be disclosed, even though it could not all be understood at that time.

[Benedict]

Mystical prayer is also called infused prayer, be it infused contemplation or infused meditation or infused petition or infused supplication or infused praise. The infusion is given by the Holy Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ by the good pleasure of God to help the soul attain to a greater degree of sanctification through expedient means not available naturally. This Supreme Master designs that certain members of the elect should be chosen to receive sublime gifts of prayer and insight either as a means of sanctification of themselves or others or as an actual grace that accompanies and leads to sanctification. In the design of God all His works are for the salvation of souls and His glory. The mystery of mystical prayer is that it leads, very often to a perceivable presence of God within the soul, and often within the body through silent and ineffable union. It is this union with God that is the true goal of every mystic. Visions, insights and instructions may be given by God to the souls that need them but the greatest and most exalted mystical state is the state of union and thus is the last and most blessed of the mystical process. The threefold path is a part of Magisterial teachings that first comes Purification or the purgative way. Then Illumination or the Illuminative way. Finally the soul is brought to union or the unative way. These states are not momentary but habitual though there may be fluctuations between them the most common state of all Catholics is the purgative way, few reach the Illuminative way and even fewer reach the unative way. Though this does not mean that God withholds Illumination or Union from most Catholics it simply means that most Catholics are not habitually receiving divine Illumination or in a state of habitual union with God for prolonged periods of time. Ascetic practices are the means of preparing oneself for the entry into the Illuminative way but God tests the soul to see if it is ready by withdrawing consolations in so far as the soul is capable of bearing their absence. This absence of consolation is intended to create a longing in the soul for the presence of God that can only be satisfied by the grace of God and is a intense motive to seek to remain in a state of grace where the soul is able to spiritually progress and grow in grace, virtue and merit supernaturally.