mirrors 21-death; spiritual adulthood. Now begins the work of repentance, throwing off the fetters that kept him from communion with the divine, loosing himself from the world wide web of passions. The first is compliance. May we continue to grow in the spiritual life, with love and prayer, humility and self-control. The seven steps or stages roughly correspond to seven spiritual … Unitive Way: this is the final stage of Christian perfection. If a man is illuminated, he can look at morally neutral objects in the world and see them as they really are, or as God intends them to be seen. The Ten Commandments dominate in this phase. He will irresistibly undermine their good fortune with his thoughts, words and actions. Likewise, a man afflicted by the passion of envy will look at every material, social and moral success of his neighbor with disdain. The following will describe each of these three stages. only to enter deeper into repentance and prayer. Purification of the Heart. After the Earthquake, the Spirit of Trut h The First Stage He First Loved Us 4.Longing to See the Lord 5.Seeking Greater Things 6.Knowing the Gift of God 7.Entering Into a Covenant with God The Second Stage The God of Glory Thundereth 8.Man Comes to Himself 9.An Invitation to Overcome Death a. He seems unable or unwilling to be unmoved by the stimuli of daily life. the problem of the three stages of the spiritual life in ascetical and mystical theology index introduction statement of the problem. • The Illuminative Way. Then, grace enters his heart. provides a roadmap for our struggle and quest, we enter into communion with Him. The Fathers, theologians, and saints of the Church discuss three stages, or states, of perfection in the spiritual life: the purgative way, the illuminative way, and the unitive way. In this stage, the soul loves God and others without limit. This article defines the meaning of this phrase in its historical development and present-day usage. The spiritual life is not a template; it is a process meant to change our lives. The human heart is plagued with sin, habits of sin, that begin in our youth and torment us to the grave. Our prayer life starts to get harder, sometimes among other things too. Conversion isn’t just about avoiding sins. Likewise, when the heart is purified from the passions, and life is spent peering into the mysteries of God and the world, and the person grows toward perfect love, he or she is like the iron placed in the furnace, becoming like God, yet remaining human. These are called in Greek: catharsis, theoria, and theosis. He explains the three stages of the spiritual life-the Purgative Way; the Illuminative Way; and the Unitive Way-showing the transitions or conversions from one period to another. For example, if a greedy man sees gold, he will immediately see it as an opportunity to hoard, or to trade for something that will give greater pleasure. Three Stages of the Spiritual Life. We have misunderstood the meaning of human life, our role in the created order and our origins. provides a roadmap for our struggle and quest, we enter into communion with Him. Impressed by the example of some Cyril and Methodius Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 2017 with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) Only then do we taste heaven, and participate in the divine life of God; only then are we fully united to God and one another in the communion of saints. Three stages to the spiritual life. So, today we are going to discuss the 3 stages of Spiritual Life as described by many Saints and Doctors of the Church either in their personal journals or diaries. The image that God has impressed in human beings, the crown of creation, has been disfigured and corrupted by sin. In my last article we discussed the three stages of spiritual development that occur over the course of ones lifetime. Then I will present some helpful aids to bring about, over time, the purification of the heart. Each “way” or state represents an advancement toward sanctity—perfection—and total union with God. Reginald Garrigou-. He realizes that his entire life, in the pursuit of sin, has been a life of vanity and catching after wind. • … All rights reserved. The Advent Mysteries of Annunciation & Incarnation. Peter’s progress began when Jesus caused the first miraculous catch of fish. The Three Stages of the Spiritual Life 3. The Ten Commandments dominate in this phase. The first three are primarily external; the last three primarily internal–though of course, there are deep interior moves in the first three more external stages, and there are serious engagements with the outer world in the last three more internal stages. The series can be found here: https://godwithusonline.org/events/purification-of-the-heart/. https://godwithusonline.org/events/purification-of-the-heart/, How Can Beauty & Culture Save the World? So, today we are going to discuss the 3 stages of Spiritual Life as described by many Saints and Doctors of the Church either in their personal journals or diaries. In the future, I will present some reflections on the Eight Vices according to St. John Cassian. For you to grow in holiness and be a saint, you don’t need to do extraordinary things. These states are also designated "ways", because they are the ways of God by which souls are guided on the road to heaven according to the words of the Psalmist: "He hath made His ways known t… These are called in Greek: catharsis, theoria, and theosis. The first is compliance. Vision fulfillment is sweet, but the joys of success doesn’t last … The basic idea of the three stages of the spiritual life is drawn from St. John of the Cross’s classic, The Dark Night. It is also about making improvements—growing in the virtues of humility, temperance, zeal, love, and so on. The Three Stages of Spiritual Life Joseph the Visionary, An Introduction JOSEPH HAZZAYA, or the Visionary, was born into a Zoroastrian family some time around 710. The following will describe each of these three stages. How can In this compact book; the famous Thomist; Fr. Author’s note: Three webinars were presented through God With Us Online, an initiative of the ECED, who provide catechetical formation for many of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Garrigou-Lagrange; sets forth the classic Catholic traditions on the spiritual life as the full flowering of Sanctifying Grace in the soul. One way of looking at the spiritual journey is to view it as a journey of six stages. There are stages in the spiritual life that move us from one level to another. How can one become a saint without knowing the way -- the pitfalls; common mistakes; and experience of Saints who have gone before. The Three Ways of the Spiritual Life. The spiritual classic The Three Ages of the Interior Life by Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. Deep within the river of tradition, shared by both the Eastern and Western Churches, the spiritual life lived in Christ has three stages of progress: the purification of the heart, divine illumination, and union with God. He no longer sees the world as a means to fulfill his own passions. Deep within the river of tradition, shared by both the Eastern and Western Churches, the spiritual life lived in Christ has three stages of progress: the purification of the heart, divine illumination, and union with God. In this illuminating Bible study, Dr. Brant Pitre looks at the spiritual life of Saint Peter through the lens of the three traditional stages or 'ages' of the spiritual life: • The Purgative Way. CONVERSION. In the Greek tradition, the word for these habitual sins is “passion(s).” When a sinful passion has its root in the heart, a man is moved every which way toward greed, envy, anger, lust and pride. © Copyright 2020 Catholic Exchange. The stages of purification, illumination and theoria are. The Illuminative Way (Fr. Human beings, made in image and likeness of God, should have given us a glimpse of the divine each time we looked at our neighbor, our husbands and wives, our parents and children. The illumined man will see gold as an opportunity to decorate and beautify God’s house or as an opportunity to feed and clothe the poor. The Three Life-long Stages of Spiritual Development Posted by John Cameron King | May 27, 2017 | Intimacy: Being God's Friend | 0 | This evening as I was reflecting on Psalm 100, particularly verses 4 and 5, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his … These passions take such deep root in the human heart that sinful thoughts, words and actions become a second nature, a fallen nature. St. Bernard once said that no matter how sinful one might have been in the past, he is stilled called to the heights of prayer—to the depths of the riches of the spiritual life. This little essay will examine echoes of this spiritual journey in the life of St. Peter with an application to us. A beautiful analogy that I have heard to explain this stage of the spiritual life is this: a blacksmith, when he holds a piece of iron in the furnace, the iron becomes hot and red, it takes on the properties of the fire, yet the iron remains iron. The spiritual life is not a template; it is a process meant to change our lives. © 2013 - 2018 GoodConfession.com & Catholics Come Home, Inc. He is tangled in a web of his own passions (passions hardened into his heart over many years), and he is tangled in the web of the passions of everyone throughout the whole world. Dec 15, 2014 The spiritual life is not a template; it is a process meant to change our lives. It is as if the clouds that darkened his vision begin to part, the light shines through and he sees himself, the world, his neighbor and God more clearly. Charles Pope On the Purgative, Illuminative and Unitive Stages of Spiritual Life, as seen in a Cartoon In the spiritual journey, there are generally denoted three basic stages through which the soul must pass that draws us to deeper union with God: the Purgative, the Illuminative and the Unitive. this is the intermediary stage between purification and total union with God. expressed as such for the sake of explaining the indescribable. Purgative, Illuminative, and Unitive. Since the Fall of Adam and Eve to the present day, human beings have had a darkened vision of world, of reality, of the truth, and of God. The goal of this first stage or age – which is that of infancy or childhood – is to attain, with God’s grace, purity of heart. What we actually observe is the life as lived by Elder Sophrony. This helps us to mature and to especially grow in perseverance and fidelity to our faith. During our lives, we may experience tastes of each of the stages in greater or lesser degree as we grow in holiness or experience setbacks. Really, any man or woman in an occupation that needs an objective view of its field ought to be engaged in the purification of their own heart. Foreword: Sick, and You Cared for Me. As the sinner engages in the necessary work, with God’s help, to purify his heart from sin, the passions slowly over time begin to lose their grip over his heart. There are now only occasional “slips” into sin. This book is an explanation of the philosophy and theology of the spiritual life. proposed division of the three stages of the spiritual life. The part of the human heart that perceives the world no longer distorts and twists everything it sees, hears, touches, and thinks about. But, if an illumined man sees the same beautiful woman, he will give glory to God for His masterful hand in creation. Three Stages of the Spiritual Life Purification of the Heart. The entire vision of the world and his whole life shatters in an instant; he awakens from his slumber. Fr. Another example: if a lustful man sees a beautiful woman, he will desire her in his heart, maybe even seek to use her for his own visual or physical pleasure, as an object for himself. mirrors. Since the Fall of Adam and Eve to the present day, human beings have had a darkened vision of world, of reality, of the truth, of God. If such is the life of grace, if such is the spiritual organism of the infused virtues and the gifts, it is not surprising to find that the development of the interior life has often been compared to the three periods or stages of physical life: childhood, youth, and manhood. In this illuminating Bible study, Dr. Brant Pitre looks at the spiritual life of Saint Peter through the lens of the three traditional stages or 'ages' of the spiritual life: • The Purgative Way. The Three Spiritual Ways The classical purgative, illuminative, and unitive ways in Christian spirituality. The heart must be pure in order for the eye of mind to look upon the world, our neighbor, and our Creator in the fullness of their truth. Therefore, our vision of the unfallen natural human being and of God Himself has been disfigured and corrupted. three stages of the spiritual life. Foreword: Sick, and You Cared for Me. Everyone is called to ongoing conversion. Lagrange developed his masterpiece The Three Ages of the Interior Life based on the book of St. John of the Cross, The Dark Night of the Soul, and the life of St.Peter. The Three Stages of Spiritual Life Joseph the Visionary, An Introduction JOSEPH HAZZAYA, or the Visionary, was born into a Zoroastrian family some time around 710. In this stage it is often difficult to overcome daily temptations, and practicing the virtues can require an inner battle because of attachment to venial sin. A soul in the unitive state has a constant … Or, he will look at the praise given to his neighbor for a good and honorable work and immediately find fault. We have misunderstood the meaning of human life, our role in the created order, and our origins. Over time, we recognized seven stages of spiritual development we all pass through along the way. He graduated from Sts. And those who seek union with God must realize that such union, while always the gift of God, requires process, often painful, that must pave the way the way for that union. Now, what’s the point of all this? The Ten Commandments dominate in this phase. You can probably look back to times in your life where you can remember making great progress on your spiritual journey, and other times when you have felt like you were moving backwards. Theosis then becomes an unending growth toward deeper union with God. The Greek word for this stage is “theoria,” related to “vision,” and our modern, specific word, “theory”. 1. the transition from one stage to another in the spiritual life. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). each stage _____ a stage in one's life. The Three Ages of the Interior Life [Garrigou-Lagrange, Rev Reginald] on Amazon.com. So, I would argue, that a scientist, if he or she is to fulfill their vocation, ought to be engaged in the labor of purifying their own heart from the passions. 112 pgs; PB Dark Night of the Senses and Dark Night of the Spirit. Impressed by the example of some purgative way-mirrors ages 1-14; spiritual childhood. The human heart is plagued with sin, habits of sin, that begin in our youth … God seeks to purify us of this self-love by taking away some of the sensible pleasures He has given us. the transition from one stage to another in the spiritual life. Of the purgative way, proper to beginners, in which he treats of the active purification of the external and internal senses, the passions, the ... 2. Catholic Exchange is a project of Sophia Institute Press. We’ve had a deep interest in the spiritual journey for more than three decades. When attending Mass or the Divine Liturgy, her mind penetrates into the mysteries of the Sacraments and the power and the meaning of the prayers and the rituals. Three stages to the spiritual life. degree. the problem of the three stages of the spiritual life in ascetical and mystical theology index introduction statement of the problem. The Friendship with God Phase. mirrors 14- early 20's; spiritual adolescence. Father Reginald Garrigoue-Lagrange gathered this information from various Saints and wrote a 2 Volume masterpiece titled, The Three Ages of Interior Life . unitive way-. Conversion is a process. These are the states of beginners, the state of progress, and the state of the perfect. He will see every opportunity to increase his wealth while neglecting every opportunity to love his family, or the poor, or the Lord. *St. Theophan the Recluse is a Russian Orthodox saint of the 19th century. Finally, the third stage is called in Greek, “theosis.” I personally am not sure what this stage looks like or how it is experienced, but I do believe that many of the saints in the Church have experienced this stage of union with God in this life. The first age is the “Purgative Way,” where we in prayer identify our sins against God and repent of them. He will look at the wealth of his neighbor and immediately turn to thoughts of ingratitude for his own lack of wealth. Deacon Thomas lives in Manchester, New Hampshire with his wife and baby. two darknights the soul experiences. You need only to focus on continuous conversion, the nitty-gritty practice of daily avoiding sins, growing in virtue, being fervent in prayer, and growing in intimacy with the God who loves you. • The Three Stages of the Spiritual Life: Catholic theology teaches about three stages in the spiritual life: (1) the Purgative Way, (2) the Illuminative Way, and (3) the Unitive Way. When the heart becomes pure, one can see, through meditation and contemplation, the reality of her inner life, the world around her, and God Himself. There are stages in the spiritual life that move us from one level to another. | R. Jared Staudt, PhD, The Lost Riches of Catholic Catechisms with Aaron Seng of Tradivox, The Catholic Faith in Public Life After the 2020 Election with Derek Rotty. When the heart becomes pure, one can see, through meditation and contemplation, the reality of her... Union with God. … He is a full time high school theology teacher, a per diem chaplain at a community hospital, and serves as a deacon at Our Lady of the Cedars Melkite Greek Catholic Church in Manchester, NH. When the state of a person’s heart and whole life is one of perfect love, they actually taste heaven in this life. and by the saints of all ages) that is, in the three stages, as. Purgative way-. In this stage, there is enlightenment in the ways of God and a clear understanding of his will in one’s life. “God is love” as the Apostle John writes, and so men and women who experience this stage are made perfect in love (1 John 4:8). Father Reginald Garrigoue-Lagrange gathered this information from various Saints and wrote a 2 Volume masterpiece titled, The Three Ages of Interior Life . The second stage of the spiritual life helps us get past self-love. Once her heart is pure and free from the passions, it peers into depths of the Creator and His created order. In the spiritual journey, there are generally denoted three basic stages through which the soul must pass that draws us to deeper union with God: the Purgative, the Illuminative and the Unitive. by Msgr. It is in the latter sense we have to understand the word state in this article, and, according to the various classes of souls who aspire to perfection in this life, The Fathers and theologians distinguish three stages or states of perfection. A soul in the unitive state has a constant awareness of God’s presence and habitually conforms to God’s will. Three stages to the spiritual life. Our process of conversion to Christ is a journey that takes place over the course of a lifetime. Impr. But what are these stages? The Illuminative Way is the intermediary stage between “purification” and … Though the desire for perfection and progress is there, the beginner falls frequently. The spiritual classic The Three Ages of the Interior Life by Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. In other words, a man afflicted with the passion of greed will view his time and his energy, his neighbor and his skills, as nothing more than means to acquire wealth. When she reads the Scripture, the illumined woman understands as God intended her to understand rather than according to merely human or darkened reasoning. And so, with clouded vision we look at one another, tarnished likenesses of God. this is the state of beginners. This map of the path to wholeness is the result of extensive research and understanding of the human energy system, along with a wide range of experience with ourselves, our clients, and students. These three levels are not necessarily static or chronological. There are stages in the spiritual life that move us from one level to another. illuminative way- In my opinion, the ability to see the world, our neighbor, and God with clarity of vision is an essential aspect of being a good scientist. 2. Though, He also gives us tastes of states beyond our current stage in His infinite love and wisdom. One stage flows into another, but all three can develop simultaneously. The human heart is plagued with sin, habits of sin, that begin in our youth and torment us to... Divine Illumination. The Three Stages of Spiritual Life in the Theology of Elder Sophrony Session 1: Introduction and From Faith to Faith Session 1 Questions and Answers Session 2: Sing a New Song and Longing to See Session 2 Questions and Answers Session 3: Entering into a New Covenant Session 3 Questions and Answers Session 4: The Merciful Chastening This site is meant to help you in the process of conversion. The first age is the “Purgative Way,” where we in prayer identify our sins against God and repent of them. A sword pierces his inner life. catholicexchange.com | 07-22. As a child of seven he was taken captive during a raid, to be sold first to an Arab, and then to a Christian in the region of mount Qardu (north Iraq). And so, our sins and our habitual wicked thoughts, words and actions, poured forth from a fallen heart, must be purified and made clean. If a beginner concerns himself seriously with repenting of his sins and has an actionable desire to stop offending God, he may eventually move to the Illuminative Way. proposed division of the three stages of the spiritual life. As a child of seven he was taken captive during a raid, to be sold first to an Arab, and then to a Christian in the region of mount Qardu (north Iraq). The three periods of the spiritual life. Therefore, this is a very important aspect, because one cannot speak of the spiritual life and of the following stages – contemplation of God, first indirect and then immediate – … The three stages of awakening normally should not be understood to follow in a rigid, logical order. The ordinary work of God in our spiritual lives is to bring us from one stage to another in succession. He explains the three stages of the spiritual life-the Purgative Way; the Illuminative Way; and the Unitive Way-showing the transitions or conversions from one period to another. In the case of Saint Paul, the awakening to the second and third stage was by a kind of violence. With it In order to separate the human heart from the passions, the process of purification begins with what St. Theophan the Recluse* calls, a “grace-filled awakening.” The sinner walks through life in a spiritual slumber, unaware of the dangerous reality of his wicked life. The first is compliance. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The man will see the reality and dignity of a woman made in the image and likeness of God, with all her glory and honor. this is the final stage of Christian perfection. The sake of explaining the indescribable see God ” ( Matthew 5:8 ) will in one s... 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God has impressed in human beings, the purification of the Interior life by Father Reginald,! Some reflections on the Eight Vices according to St. John Cassian © 2013 - 2018 GoodConfession.com & Catholics Come,. Peers into depths of the three stages of purification, Illumination and theoria.! Understanding of his neighbor and immediately find fault awakening normally should not be understood to follow in rigid... Us from one stage to another in the unitive state has a constant awareness of God Home, Inc 5:8! Is the intermediary stage between purification and total union with God so, with and. … the spiritual life some helpful aids to bring about, over time, we enter communion...