The Goal of the Spiritual Life, Part VII: Third and Fourth Mansions: The Beginnings of Contemplation – A Talk by Fr. Ermatinger

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
- Spiritual Theology by Fr. Jordan Aumann , O.P.
- The Three Ages of the Interior Life: Vol I, Vol II, by Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange O.P.
- The Spiritual Life by Fr. Adolphe Tanqueray, S.S.
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