Perfection Series II: lii

Perhaps the most obvious state of perfection to see in the world is the Illuminative State, or stage. At this level, the Catholic works in obvious ways to build up the Kingdom of God. As noted before, this is the stage of the foundation of orders, the formation of schools, hospitals, as well as the work of holy scholars.

One can see the Illuminative State physically and spiritually in the person who lives the life of virtue easily, without any barriers, having had sin and the tendencies to sin cleansed from the imagination, intellect, soul and body.

One point, which must be made, involves the fact that some saintly people at this state suffer intensely. Suffering may be found in all stages of holiness, which confuses some people, who expect saints to stop suffering after years of purification.

By the way, some good works can be done purely out of faith, such as the foundation of orders when the founder remains in the Dark Night, without the release of the virtues witnessed in the Illuminative State. However, this phenomenon would be rare, and God would allow this to teach the Church that living solely by faith in God, while in great darkness and without any consolations, forms a great good. Such a journey was seen in the life of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, whose long, long Dark Night of fifty years, did not hinder her from creating a new order. God allowed her to suffer those long years of solitude in darkness to teach the Church to have faith in dark times.

Her long suffering matches the long years of physical suffering of Blessed John Paul II. The public suffering of this Pope reveals, again, that suffering is necessary for holiness. 

Too many priests teach that saints are imperfect. This is not the view of the writers we have followed on this blog. Preaching that one does not need to actively seek for purification and perfection may be one reason why the Church remains so weak. People say, "Would it not be a good time for a great saint, like Ignatius or Augustine, to renew the Church?"

Yes, it would be, but we are the people who God calls to be saints, and to sit in mediocrity, aiming only at
getting into purgatory, remains one of the sad lies of our century.

To respond to the call of saintliness means that those in the Church are willing to say "yes" to the suffering necessary to arrive at the Illuminative and Unitive States.

I have met a few people in the Illuminative State. I have not met anyone in the Unitive State. Why?

Saints respond to the call of God, through suffering, to the life of the virtues.

to be continued....