Stages of the Spiritual Life

Feb 3

February 5, 2023

Jesus Christ: Yesterday, Today, and Forever ~

Lent is fast approaching and I started thinking about what to do, and more importantly, how to spiritually prepare. This gets me thinking about the spiritual life and a pastor’s column I wrote 18 months ago on the stages of the spiritual life. I reread it and thought I should share it with you again. A reminder, you can access all my past pastor’s columns on our website.

There is a path or way in the spiritual life to holiness or sanctity, common to all saints. Few know of its existence, and fewer still reach the highest stage in this life, most people never even start on the journey. I find it simultaneously enlightening and depressing. Enlightening because I can see the way forward, what can be, and how to proceed. Depressing because I’m so far from where the great saints ended up and honestly question just how far I can go, or more accurately, how far I am willing to go with God’s grace.

There are three basic stages of the spiritual life called the Purgative, Illuminative, and Unitive Ways. One passes from the lowest (purgative) to the highest (unitive) along a spectrum. Most people are not even in the first way, Purgative, so I added a “Pre-Purgative Way” to help the majority recognize where they are at on this journey.

The information below is a macro picture of the spiritual journey, and not meant to supplant the uniquely personal relationship we each need to have with God, but to help it grow. I hope this enlightens, inspires, and challenges you as much as it has me.

I Love You in Christ,

Pre–Purgative Way [Most People]

Mortal Sin: Little to no resistance; may not be aware of them. Sometimes or frequently justifies the mortal sins they commit as not being serious, or impossible to overcome. Does not avoid near occasions of sin. If they ever go to Confession, they are almost always incomplete (forgetting or ignoring many sins).

Venial Sin: Perpetually engages in them, frequently without being conscious of them.

Prayer: Sporadic, rare, or not at all. Only to ask God to give them something (petition prayers).

Sacraments: Attends Mass on Sundays hit and miss, rarely, or not at all. Confession is rare, usually not at all.

Purgative Way

Underdeveloped

Mortal Sin: Weak resistance. Rarely avoids near occasions of sin, but seriously regrets having sinned, and makes adequate confessions.

Venial Sin: Considered insignificant and even at times embraced or desired. Hence the lukewarm state of the will. Does nothing whatever to prevent venial sin, or to pay enough attention to avoid it, or to uncover and uproot it when it is less conspicuous.

Prayer: From time to time, prayer is still done in an ad-hoc fashion. Spiritual fervency is inconsistent and fleeting. Prayer is far from habitual but is valued, even if minimally so. Prayer is usually either intermittently attentive vocal prayer, or a petition-based focused on temporal needs and desires.

Sacraments: Attends Mass regularly and pursues confession once in a while.

Developing

Mortal Sin: Loyal resistance. Habitually avoids the near occasion of sin. Deeply regrets mortal sin when recognized. Does penance to make reparation.

Venial Sin: Sometimes deliberate. Puts up a weak fight. Sorrow is only superficial. Makes an examination of conscience, but without any method, preparation, or coherence.

Prayer: Practices vocal prayer regularly. Not yet firmly resolved to remain faithful to structured meditation (time, place, topic, and material). Gives up as soon as dryness is felt, or as soon as there is business to attend to.

Sacraments: Attends Mass daily and pursues confession at least quarterly.

More Developed

Mortal Sin: Never. At most very rare and only when taken suddenly by surprise and then, often it is to be doubted if the sin is mortal. It is followed by ardent feelings of guilt and a desire for penance.

Venial Sin: Vigilant in avoiding and fighting it and rarely deliberate. Intense sorrow, but does little by way of reparation. Consistent particular examen, but aiming only at avoidance of venial sin.

Imperfections: The soul either avoids uncovering them so as not to have to fight them, or else easily excuses them. Approves the thought of renouncing them, and would like to do so, but makes little effort in that direction.

Prayer: Consistently faithful to specific time and approach to prayer, no matter what happens. This prayer includes vocal prayer and meditation that is often affective. Alternating consolations and dryness, the later endured with considerable hardship.

Sacraments: Always attends daily Mass if able. Pursues confession on a regular basis.

Illuminative Way

Underdeveloped

Venial Sin: Never deliberate. By surprise, sometimes, or with imperfect advertence. Keenly regretted and serious reparation made.

Imperfections: Wants nothing to do with them. Watches over them, fights them with courage and diligence in order to be more pleasing to God. Still, imperfections are sometimes accepted, though regretted at once. Frequent acts of renunciation. Particular examen aims at perfecting in a specific virtue.

Prayer: Vocal and mental prayer is constantly practiced and gladly prolonged. Prayer is often affective and the prayer of simplicity begins to emerge. Alternation between powerful consolations and fierce trials.

Sacraments: Fervently participates in daily Mass. Pursues confession on a semi-monthly basis. Imperfections are offered in confession for the purpose of obtaining the grace necessary to overcome them (i.e., devotional confession).

Developing

Imperfections: Guards against them energetically and with care and love. They only happen with half-advertence.

Prayer: Habitual life of prayer, even when occupied in external works. Thirst for self-renunciation, annihilation, detachment, and divine love. Hunger for the Eucharist and for Heaven. Graces of infused prayer, of different degrees. Often passive purification.

Sacraments: Fervently and joyfully participates in daily Mass. Fervently pursues confession on a semi-monthly basis. Imperfections are offered in confession for the purpose of obtaining the grace necessary to overcome them (i.e., devotional confession).

Unitive Way

Developing

Imperfections: Nothing but the first impulse.

Prayer: Supernatural graces of contemplation sometimes accompanied by extraordinary phenomenon. Pronounced passive purifications. Contempt of self to the point of complete self-forgetfulness. Prefers suffering to joys.

Developed

Imperfections: Hardly apparent and rare.

Prayer: Frequently experience the transforming union.

Adapted from: Burke, Daniel. Navigating the Interior Life. Steubenville: Emmaus, 2012