Everyone is Called to Union with God

About ten years ago I had a conversation with an elderly Trappist monk about the book I was writing — a book on Christian mysticism. Hearing that it was intended to introduce mysticism to the general public, he scoffed. “Not everyone is called to be a mystic,” he objected.

“But doesn’t God want us to be in union with him?” I replied. “Well, yes,” he admi…