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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
  • • 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
• 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
    • 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
• 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
  • 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
      • 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
• Next Time: 40:57-41:39

— Fr. Ermatinger

Detachment Part I: Click Here

Detachment Part II: This Talk