Detachment: Part II
A Talk by Fr. Ermatinger
The Goldfinch, Carel Fabritius, 1654Outline of Talk
Detachment Part II:
- Recap of Last Time: 0:00-0:25
- Active Purification of the Senses –> Passive Purification of the Senses: 0:25-3:43
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- aka Night of the Senses
- Active Night Is Our Penance
- St. John of the Cross’ Doctrine Can Frighten People 1:53-2:23
- Because We Don’t Understand It
- Through it Making Space for Christ in One’s Heart: 2:23-3:43
- One Advances but Never Graduates from Active Purification: 2:58-3:43
- St. Teresa of Avila: As One Advances One Becomes More Penitential: 3:25-3:43
- One Advances but Never Graduates from Active Purification: 2:58-3:43
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- Passive Night — God’s Own Activity in the Soul: 3:43-7:38
- God leads the Soul: 4:19-7:38
- Period of Aridity, Trial, and Dryness
- For Greater Purification of Senses and Inordinate Attachments
- Trials Cause One to Cling to God All the More: 5:15-6:09
- For Greater Purification of Senses and Inordinate Attachments
- When Confronted with Iniquity Response Should Be to Make Reparations Rather Than Criticize: 6:09-6:48
- Become More Attuned to Vices Within Us: 6:48-7:38
- Period of Aridity, Trial, and Dryness
- God leads the Soul: 4:19-7:38
- Passive Night of the Senses: 7:38-27:37
- Depravations of Good Things / Pain in Body
- Disinterest in Former Things
- Prayer Grows: 8:37-13:45
- Prayers Go from Discursive to Affective (the Will): 9:25-10:00
- Not Emotionalism but Charity
- Beginning of the Illuminative Stage Affective Prayer 10:00-10:20
- Lasts Many Years
- Middle Prayer of Simplicity 10:20-13:45
- Always the Same Dynamic: 10:25-11:18
- Purification of Intellect and Then the Will
- Allow Affective Prayer to Grow: 11:18-11:45
- Prayer Gets Simpler: 11:45-12:58
- Prayer of Simplicity Is Highest in Ascetical Prayer
- Not Contemplation Which Cannot Be Earned or Achieved
- Simple Thought of God Simple Act of Love for God
- St. John of the Cross Quote: 12:58-13:45
- Always the Same Dynamic: 10:25-11:18
- Prayers Go from Discursive to Affective (the Will): 9:25-10:00
- Dark Night Is Needed to Deal With Being Attached to Consolations: 13:45-16:03
- Distinguish Between the Gifts of God and the God of Gifts: 14:47-16:03
- Three Signs that the Soul Has Entered into the Passive Night of the Senses: 16:03-18:53
- 1. No Consolation in the Things of God or Created Things: 16:09-16:29
- 2. Memory Ordinarily Dwells on God but With Pain: 16:29-17:36
- Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
- Sorrow that God Is Being Offended
- 3. Inability to Meditate: 17:36-18:19
- Book Recommendation: Three Ages of Interior Life: 18:19-18:53
- 43-53 of Vol II
- Aredity → God Brings the Soul from Meditation to Contemplation: 18:53-27:37
- Pay No Attention to Attempting Discursive Meditation
- Patience and Perseverance in Prayer
- Loving and Peaceful Attentiveness to God
- Sometimes People are Unaware of How Often They Pray: 21:08-
- 3 Signs that are Indications that God Is Calling One to a Deeper Conversion: 22:12-
- Likely Results in Infused Contemplation
- Love of God Is Practiced by Attraction to God Only: 22:47-
- An Awareness of Self – Vileness and Misery of Self: 26:25-
- Self-Abasement and Feeling Useless = God Is Most Pleased
- Disparity Between One and God
- Choice for Despair or Humility
- Soul Bears a Habitual Remembrance of God: 25:56-
- Exercises all Virtues Together
- Trial Becomes a Time of Blessing: 27:12-
- Prepares the Soul for Deeper Purification in the Night of the Spirit: 27:20-27:37
- Night of the Spirit: 27:37-40:57
- Privations and Desolation in the Dark Night of the Valley of Shadow of Death: 27:37-28:00
- Whole Itinerary Has to Either Be Completed Here or In Purgatory: 28:00-29:13
- Process Repeated in the Lives of the Saints
- Active Night of the Spirit (Mortification of the Spirit): 29:13-40:57
- Affects Memory Understanding Will
- Crucial Importance of Theological Virtues to Purify a Faculty: 29:50-31:21
- Faith –> Intellect
- Hope –> Memory
- Charity –> Will
- Mind Memory and Will Need to Be Adequated to God
- Leads to Passive Night of the Spirit: 31:21-31:38
- “Hellish”
- AofMC Book II and III: 31:38-32:28
- God’s Work of Purification in Intellect, Memory, Will
- Many Called Do Not Pass Through Due to Difficulties: 32:28-33:15
- They Frustrate the Work of Grace
- Preparation for Passive Night: 33:15-40:57
- Passive Night Moves One from Illuminative to Unitive Stage
- What Moves One from Pius Fervent Catholic to Saint
- Only God Can Bring About Union
- What We Can Do Is To Strip the Soul of Attachments Crutches Hindrances: 34:45-38:09
- Visions Are Obstacles to Advancement if One Does Not Practice Denial: 36:16-38:09
- Live on Faith Not on Visions
- Visions Are Obstacles to Advancement if One Does Not Practice Denial: 36:16-38:09
- The Stains of the Old Man Remain Until Purified by Spiritual Fire: 38:09-40:57
- The Defects of the Proficients: 38:22-39:21
- Illuminative Stage = No Mortal Sins, Rare Venial, Profound Spiritual Life
- Must Be Purified From Every Human Attachment to All Created Things
- Aside: Friend’s Love for Wife and Children Was Disordered: 39:21-40:57
- Love Must Be Purely Supernatural
- Aside: Friend’s Love for Wife and Children Was Disordered: 39:21-40:57
- Passive Night Moves One from Illuminative to Unitive Stage
- Next Time: 40:57-41:39
— Fr. Ermatinger
Detachment Part I: Click Here
Detachment Part II: This Talk