Christian Spirituality (Classic Reprint) - Tapa blanda

Christian perfection and the ways that lead to it. Dogmatic Theology teaches what we should believe, Moral Theology what we should do or not do to avoid sin, mortal or venial, and above them both, though based upon them both, comes Spirituality orS piritual Theology. This, again, is divided into Ascetic Theology and Mystical Theology. The former treats of the exercises required of aspirants to perfection. Ordinarily the soul rises to perfection by passingthrough three stages. First of all, it gets free from sin by penance and mortification; then it forms inner virtues by prayer and the imitation of Christ; and, lastly, it advances in the love of God till it reaches habitual union with Him. It is for us to enter the path of perfection and to traverse its stages more or less quickly. God calls us to do this, and gives us the graces needed for corresponding with His call. It is otherwise with the extraordinary states dealt with in mystical theology states such as mystical union with its concomitant manifestations i.e., ecstasy, visions, and revelations. The mark of these states is their independence of those who experience them. They are the privilege of the few to whom God unites Himself ineflF ably by flooding them with light and love. No one can eflfect these mystical phenomena within himself by any efforts or merits of his own. The soul of the ascetic with the help of grace makes an effort to rise towards God; but the soul of the mystic is suddenly and impetuously visited by God without exerting any activity beyond that of receiving and enjoying theD ivine gift. Here I have merely sought to summarize the ascetic and mystical spirituality of the early Church from the days of her birth to the beginning of the tenth century. The riches of Christian antiquity are too ample to attempt any detailed account of them. My aim is rather to make the early authors known
(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)