Stages of the Spiritual Life

Aug 22

Jesus Christ: yesterday, today, and forever,

After having been a priest for about five years I came across the stages of the spiritual life. That’s right; I got none of this in my seminary formation! Having the knowledge that there is a path or way in the spiritual life, common to all saints, is super helpful – if you know what it is. One of my sabbatical goals was to explore the stages of the spiritual life; specifically to answer the question: how does one go from living in habitual mortal sin, to the highest state of holiness? I’m not the first to explore this topic; as one day on my sabbatical a monk simply handed me the information you’re about to see.

There are three basic stages of the spiritual life (holiness), called the Purgative, Illuminative, and Unitive Ways. One passes from the lowest (purgative) to the highest (unitive) along a spectrum.

You’ll notice as you read the first stage, purgative, that the person is already a practicing Catholic, with all that entails. So I’ve added a “pre-way” stage along the same lines as the others, to define what the moral and spiritual life of those who aren’t even on the journey looks like. Please find where you are currently at and strive to improve. I hope this enlightens you as much as it has me.

I Love You in Christ,

Pre–Way

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

Sacraments: Attends Mass on Sundays hit and miss, or rarely, or not at all. Confession is rare if 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 attention enough to avoid it, or to uncover and uproot it when it is less conspicuous.

Prayer: From time to time, prayer well be still 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 more frequently.

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 mediation (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 phenome. 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.