The amazing thing about this stage of spiritual growth is that the efforts are completely taken out of one's own hands. God takes over the entire purgation process. One only has to cooperate with grace and suffering.
What does this mean in practice? The key is letting God do everything, even conduct one's prayers. No longer can one pray as before, as God wants to reveal Himself directly.
Patience is the key. One can no longer demand anything of God, but wait. And, this waiting may take a long time.
Nothing else matters but the realization that Divine Providence will take care of all.
Does one suffer? Yes, and perhaps intensely, but patience is given.
Knowledge is given as much as God wants the person to have. Sometimes one can only see a bit of a whole, but the understanding is at a different level. One understands that one is being cared for like a little child.
One does not give up responsibility for duties, but these things happen more automatically. One no longer relies on the old ways of doing things. All seems different and new. One can block the process by impatience and pride, but if one cooperates an entire new relationship with God occurs.
I cannot emphasize enough that God wants ALL lay people to experience this intimate relationship with Him. At first, it might seem like a betrothal, with God initiating all the spiritual activity.
At this point, one must go into silence. That is the only way to find the Bridegroom Who is calling to the Brid.
One is very aware that one is totally unworthy of this Divine Attention. Of course, there is no earning of this attention. The passive purgation will happen.
It is really important not to force spiritual growth. Here is the state summarized perfectly by Garrigou-Lagrange:
In prayer, we should not seek to feel the gift of God, but should receive it with docility and disinterestedness in the obscurity of faith. Spiritual joy will be added later on to the act of contemplation and love of God; but it is not joy that should be sought, it is God Himself, who is greatly superior to His gifts.
One does not seek anything but lets Christ reveal Himself.
If the soul that has reached this period of transition is faithful to what has been said, then will be realized what St. John of the Cross affirms: "By not hindering the operation of infused contemplation, to which God is now admitting it, the soul is refreshed in peaceful abundance, and set on fire with the spirit of love, which this contemplation, dim and secret, induces and establishes within it." (6)
The secretness of this state is so important. If one can find a spiritual director to help, that would be a great help. Sadly, there are few available who understand these movements of the soul.
It is obvious that the nuns at Tyburn not only understand, but experience this stage.
As the mystical doctor says: "The soul should content itself simply with directing its attention lovingly and calmly toward God," with the general knowledge of His infinite goodness, as when after months of absence, a loving son again meets his good mother who has been expecting him. He does not analyze his sentiments and his mother's as a psychologist would; he is content with an affectionate, tranquil, and profound gaze which in its simplicity is far more penetrating than all psychological analyses.
One waits for God....
To be continued...
