Savouring Mystery in Mystagogy

I am a Mystagogue, I am so glad to have
discovered my niche in life! And I have
been a mystagogue since I was small,
experience has always been more
important to me than rational,
scientific analysis and
theoretical concepts.

On p. 146 David Regan says mystagogy entails
we do not learn cold, abstract truths, but find
a burning core to be experienced – and this
describes the way I enjoyed my studies at
university perfectly, and why teaching as
rational, abstract analysis and imparting
knowledge made me fall ill.

I experienced epiphany when Sir Gawain and
the Green Knight was read to us in English
class and when Frau Professor Stielau did
language development from Altdeutsch
to modern Hochdeutsch by explaining
how the sounds of p,t,k changed into
other consonants.

And I could not share this with anybody, all my
fellow students laughed at me when I tried to
explain how I felt - a wild elation studying
philosophy, discovering Sartre’s existen-
tialism described my own lost condition
perfectly and was preceded by the
same thing in the Psalms.

I LOVED writing my weekly journal in French and
felt the highest exaltation in singing Latin chants
in the choir at university – but could not identify
with any of the students who did not share
or understand any of my passions, my
alienation was complete.

On p.142 David Regan says the spirit has been
banished from the church for a thousand years
and only artists, poets, musicians, dramatists
offered the prophetic service of exhortation –
now I understand why no true artist remains
a member of orthodox liturgy and church;
it is impossible to breathe where feeling
has been outlawed!

On p.144 David Regan says mystagogy allows one
to savour mystery in HOLISTIC fashion and my
mentor called my own approach HOLISTIC;
therefore, before I knew the term with
which to describe my attitude, I was
applying mystagogy – no wonder I
did so badly in pedagogy, it is
anathema to me!

David Regan “Experience The Mystery” Geoffrey
Chapman, London, 1994; pp. 142, 144, 146.