The Dark Night of the Senses comes first and then the Dark Night of the Spirit. I prefer John of the Cross on this stage, one following the other, with some consolations in between to encourage the person in love. These moments of consolation are not sought, and, as I have written on this blog many times, those people who seek consolations will not grow spiritually and can most easily be waylaid by the evil one and taken off the correct path.
The purgation of the senses can be very painful, and long. And, one can slide back from all of these stages, which I know from experience. If we stop praying in the levels we have attained, we slide back.
Not good.
Remembering that God wants all of us Catholics to persevere on the road to perfection, we must keep up a level of energy and attentiveness.
The levels of prayer I have covered so far are mostly active states of prayer, not passive. These first four levels are initiated, through grace, by the person. The last two higher levels are passive, and initiated by God.
Hard work, in other words, to get to the passive stage and one becomes more aware of one's sinful state....to be continued....
The purgation of the senses can be very painful, and long. And, one can slide back from all of these stages, which I know from experience. If we stop praying in the levels we have attained, we slide back.
Not good.
Remembering that God wants all of us Catholics to persevere on the road to perfection, we must keep up a level of energy and attentiveness.
The levels of prayer I have covered so far are mostly active states of prayer, not passive. These first four levels are initiated, through grace, by the person. The last two higher levels are passive, and initiated by God.
Hard work, in other words, to get to the passive stage and one becomes more aware of one's sinful state....to be continued....