STATE
255
STATE
ire corporal austerities, mortification of the appetite,
ibnegation of one's own will, and conformity to the
ftill of God. In a word, thr distinctive notes of tliis
state are war against those temptations which entice
the soul to sin by the attraction of pleasures of the
senses and the natural shrinking from pain; and re-
pugnance to acts known to be contrary to the will
}f God. The characteristic virtue of this state is
humility, by which the soul is made sensible of ita
3wn weakne.ss and its dependence upon the succours
)f the gra(!e of God.
What mystical writers describe as the active and aassive purifications of the spiritual life may be Drought under, and arranged according to, their three itates of perfection, though not confined to any one )f them. The active purification consists in all the loly efforts, mortifications, labours, and sufTermgs by s'hich the soul, aided by the grace of God, endeavours X) reform the mind, heart, and the sensitive appetite, rhis is the characteristic work of the purgative way. rhe passive purifications are the means which God employs to purify the soul from its stains and vices, md to prepare it for the exceptional graces of the supernatural life. In the works of St. John of the Ilross these purifications are called nights, and he livides them into two classes, the night of the senses md the night of the spirits. In the state of beginners
- he soul is often favoured by God with what are
- alled "sensible consolations" because they have
- heir beginning and are felt chiefly in the senses or
lensible faculties. They consist in sensible devotion md a feeling of fervour arising from the consideration )f God's goodness vividly represented to the mind md heart; or, from external aids, such as the cere- nonies of the Church. These consolations are often vithdrawn, and a state of desolation ensues, and then ,he passive purification of the senses begins.
The Illuminative Way. — The illuminative way s that of those who are in the state of progress and lave their passions better under control, so that they !asily keep themselves from mortal sin, but who do lot so easily avoid venial sins, because they still ake pleasure in earthly things and allow their minds o be distracted by various imaginations and their learts wHth numberless desires, though not in matters hat are strictly unlawful. It is called the illumina- ive way, because in it the mind becomes more and nore enlightened as to spiritual things and the prac- ice of \-irtue. In this grade charity is stronger and nore perfect than in the state of beginners; the soul 3 chiefly occupied with progress in the spiritual life ind in all the virtues, both theological and moral. rhe practice of prayer suitable for this state is medita- ion on the mysteries of the Incarnation, the Life of )ur Saviour, and the mysteries of His Sacred Passion. 'Though the mysteries of the Passion ", as Ven. Luis le Lapuente says, "belong to the illuminative way, specially in its highest degree, which approaches learest to the unilive way, nevertheless they are
- xceedingly profitable for all sorts of persons, by
chatever way they walk, and in whatever degree of lerfection they live; for sinners will find in them most ffectual motives to purify themselves from all their ins; beginners to mortify their passions; proficients o increase in all kinds of virtue; and the perfect to ibtain union with God by fervent love" (introduction o "Meditations on the Passion"). The funda- nental virtue of this state is recollection, that is, a onstant attention of the mind and of the affections if the heart to thoughts and sentiments which ele- 'ate the soul to God — exterior recollection which onsists in the love of silence and retirement, interior ecollection in simplicity of spiritand a right intention, 18 well as attention to God in all our actions. This loes not mean that a person has to neglect the duties if his state or position in life, nor does it imply that lonest and needful recreation should be avoided,
because these lawful or necessary circumstances or
occupations can well be reconciled with perfect
recollection and the most holy union with God.
The soul in the illuminative^ way will have to ex- perience periods of spiritual consolations and desola- tions. It does not at once enter upon the unitive way when it has passed through the aridities of the first purgation. It must spend some time, perhaps years, after quitting the state of beginners, in exercis- ing itself in the state of proficients. St. John of the Cross tells us that in this state the soul, like one re- leased from a rigorous imprisonment, occuijies itself in Divine thoughts with much greater freedom and satisfaction, and its joy is more abundant and in- terior than it ever experienced before it entered the night of the senses. Its purgation is still somewhat incomplete, and the purification of the senses is not yet finished and perfect. It is not without aridities, darkness, and trials, sometimes more severe than in the past. During the period of desolation it will have to endure much suffering from temptations against the theological virtues and against the moral virtues. It will also have to endure sometimes other diabolical attacks upon its imagination and senses. Also, God will permit natural causes to combine in afflicting the soul, such as the persecutions of men, and the in- gratitude of friends. Patient suffering and resigna- tion have to be borne during all these trials, and the devout soul should remember the encouraging words of the pious and learned Blosius: "Nothing more val- uable can befall a man than tribulation, when it is endured with patience for the love of God; because there is no more certain sign of the divine election. But this should be understood quite as much of in- ternal as of external trials, which people of a certain kind of piety forget." And again he says: "It Ls the chain of patient suffering that forms the ring with which Christ espouses a soul to Himself" (Institutio Spiritualis, viii, §3).
The Unitive Way. — The unitive is the way of those who are in the state of the perfect, that is those who have their minds so drawn away from all temporal things that they enjoy great peace, who are neither agitated by various desires nor moved bj' any great extent by passion, and who have their minds chiefly fixed on God and their attention turned, either always or very frequently, to Him. It is the union with God by love and the actual experience and exercise of that love. It is called the state of "perfect charity", because souls who have reached that state are ever prompt in the exercise of charity by lo\'ing God habit- ually and by frequent and efficacious acts of that Divine virtue. It is called the "unitive" way, be- cause it is bj' love that the soul is united to God, and the more perfect the charity, the closer and the more intimate is the union. Union with God is the prin- cipal study and endeavour of this state. It is of this union St. Paul speaks when he saj's: "He who is joined to the Lord, is one spirit" (I Cor., vi. 17). Souls thus united to God are penetrated by the highest motives of the theological and moral virtues. In every circumstance of their lives the supernatural motive which ought to guide their actions is ever present to their mind, and the actions are perfonned under its inspiration with a force of will which makes their accomplishment easy and even delightful. These perfect souls are above all familiar with the doctrine and use of consolations and desolations. They are enlightened in the mj'steries of the supernatural life, and they have experience of that truth proclaimed by St. Paul when he said: "We know that to them that love God, all things work together unto good, to such as, according to his purpose, are called to be saints" (Rom., viii, 28). The form of prayer suit- able to persons in the unitive way is the contemplation of the glorious mysteries of Our Lord, His Resurrec- tion, Appearances, and Ascension, until the coming
