Last evening's sunset. It's hard to see that and not be a mystic.
I have used a quote before from Karl Rahner about being a mystic, but yesterday I came across a more complete version of it: The devout Christian of the future will either be a "mystic," one who has "experienced" something, or he will cease to be anything at all.
Someone asked me recently what a mystic was. I immediately replied, "Someone who has a direct experience of God." Even though that was a spur of the moment description, I think it is accurate. The experience can be prompted by something like last evening's sunset, or it may simply be a kind of intuition of God's presence that seems to come out of nowhere.
I think most people have these experiences or intuitions, even those who may not have a name to put to them. But knowing what they are when they happen can encourage us to be more alert to their happening again. Regular contemplative prayer can sharpen our senses and our intuition so that, when God arrives, we recognize the Divine and are moved to love.
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