Third and Fourth Mansions:

The Beginnings of Contemplation

Part VII of a Lecture Series Given by Fr. Ermatinger

Young Nun at Prayer, Sergei Gribkov 1852

Outline of Talk

  • Last Time Recap: 0:00-0:34
  • This Time: 0:34-2:50
    • Foundations Prior to (Infused) Contemplation: 0:34-0:56
    •  Contemplation: 0:56-2:03
      • The Essential Mystical Grace:
        • If the Essential Is Missing, the Secondary Are Dismissed: 1:48-2:03
    • Normally Years of Cooperation with Grace Prior to Contemplation: 2:03-2:50
      • Next Time: Active Purification of the Spirit: 2:32-2:50
  • Spiritual Life is Very Simple: 2:50-5:34
    • Charity and Charity Expressed as Configuration to the Will of God
    • Progress Towards Second Two Mansions of the Illuminative Way: 4:28-5:34
      • Sufficient Purification of Senses
      • One’s Chief Pursuit is God Himself not Avoidance of Sin
  • Beginning of Illuminative Way (3rd Mansion): 5:34-17:12
    • The Pious Souls
      • Not to Be Compared to Those in the 4th Mansion: 7:40-9:17
      • Still Not Perfect in Their Penance
      • Problem: Memory of the First Mansions are Still Present: 9:17-10:49
        • St. Thomas: Memory Is to Be Subjected to Prudence: 9:45-10:49
          • Purification Through Interior Penance
      • Progress Increases Gifts of Piety and Fear of the Lord: 10:49-13:24
    • Transitory Phase: 13:24-15:46
      • Detachment and Degree of Penance Allow One to Pass Through the Mansion: 13:48-14:10
      • Be Attentive and Docile to Divine Inspirations: 14:10-15:46
        • Take Our Thoughts Prisoner: 14:41-15:46
          • Do They Give God Glory or Do I Think of Other Things?
    • Type of Prayer: Prayer of Simplicity: 15:46-17:12
  • The 4th Mansion: 17:12-23:35
    • The Fervent: 17:12-20:03
      • Zeal in Mortification, Abnegation, and Penance: 17:45-18:18
      • Graduated from Doing Penance to Being Penitential: 18:18-18:57
        • Penance is Part of Their Identity
      • Lord More Easily Illumines Them with Truths of the Faith: 18:57-19:29
      • Temptations Are Few: 19:29-20:25
      • Prayer of Simplicity Comes Easily for Them: 20:25-20:33
      • No Mortal Sin, Vigilant to Avoid Venial Sin: 20:33-21:41
        • They Don’t Examine Themselves Enough to Overcome Temptations
        • Not Slaves to Their Passions
      • Relative Peace After Difficult Night of the Senses: 21:41-20:03
    • God May Grant the Soul Infused Contemplation at This Time: 20:03-23:35
      • Infused Contemplation Is an Extraordinary Grace and Should Not Be Asked For
        • Salvation is Through Sacramental Grace, Prayer, and Virtue: 23:28-23:35
          • Also Determine Degree of Holiness
  • Book Recommendations: 23:35-24:44
  • Infused Contemplation: 24:44-29:35
    • Unmistakable Experience of God’s Presence Caused by the Holy Spirit and His Gifts
    • Do Not Cease Discursive Meditation Until the Call to Higher Prayer is Clearly Received: 27:09-29:11
      • Conversely, Do Not Return to Discursive Meditation Until Contemplation Is Over: 27:38-29:11
    • Don’t Presume that God Will Not Give the Grace or That One Has to Do Nothing: 29:11-29:35
  • Norms of Conduct for These Stages: 29:35-36:00
    • Towards the End of the Illuminative Stage, It Is Not Uncommon to Receive Infused Contemplation: 31:58-33:54
      • Image of a Lightning Strike in the Midst of Darkness
      • Elizabeth of the Holy Trinity: Faith is a Face-to-Face Encounter with Someone in the Dark: 33:11-33:54
    • Catholics Are Not Experience Driven in the Spiritual Life
      • It is Through Faith, Hope, and Charity That We Truly Touch God: 33:54-34:04
    • Detachment and Denudation of Good Things to Possess God: 34:04-36:00
St. John Resting His Head Upon Christ’s Breast

— Fr. Ermatinger

The Goal of The Spiritual Life, Part I: The Purgative Way Part I — Click Here

The Goal of The Spiritual Life, Part II: The Purgative Way Part II — Click Here

The Goal of The Spiritual Life, Part III: Memory and Virtue — Click Here

The Goal of The Spiritual Life, Part IV: Meaning and Efficacy of Penance — Click Here

The Goal of The Spiritual Life, Part V: Introduction to Mystical Marriage — Click Here

The Goal of The Spiritual Life, Part VI: Passive Night of the Senses — Click Here

The Goal of The Spiritual Life, Part VII: 3rd and 4th Mansions: Beginnigs of Contemplation — Click Here

The Goal of the Spiritual Life, Part VIII: Active Purification of the Spirit — Click Here

The Goal of the Spiritual Life, Part IX: Final Purgation of the Soul — Click Here