Course XIV - Teaching 2: Scale of Christian Perfection

It is very important to know Christian Mysticism and be able to see how the West practices in its own way and with its own names, every ascetic exercise to reach the Divine Union.
As early as in Patristic Christian times, Eastern monks practiced different methodical exercises to reach high grades of spirituality.
Scattered in the wild and in oases of Egypt, the cenobites who dwelled on the convent of Sheeba Sea, carved in the rock of a high, inaccessible mountain beyond the Jordan, were witnesses of admirable exemplars of sanctity. It is of interest to read it in Saint Hilary’s Life, written by Saint Jerome, and in Saint Anthony Abbot’s biography, written by Saint Athanasius.
In 649, Saint Climacus, superior of monks in Mount Sinai, wrote a treatise on mysticism, called “Stair to Paradise” (Scala Paradisi) in which the soul attains ecstasy and Union with God through nine grades of inner and methodical development.
But it was Dionysius the Areopagite, around 500, that wrote famous texts on Mystical Asceticism, which are studied even today, particularly “De Divinis Nominibus” (“Divine Names”), “De Ecclesiastica Hierarchia” (“Ecclesiastic Hierarchy”) and “De Mystica Theologia” (“Mystical Theology”).
In the West, Casianus (360-435) sums up in “Compendium of Cenobites’ Rules” (“Instituta Cenobiorum Collationes”) the monkish asceticism in first four centuries as a whole, and gives a true mystical orientation to his readers; and Saint Benedict (d. 543) makes ascetic life easier with his famous rule and fosters it in his monasteries.
But a new mysticism emerges in Middle Ages, a great era of pair of opposites, with faith bordering on madness, deepest atheism, and sanctity and crime; it is the time of the true Christian Mysticism amid greatest miseries and black superstition, which culminates in most fervent charity and most perfect sanctity.
This movement emerged from few men and comprised thousands of beings after few years, and Christian religion –entirely identified with rites and hierarchical pomp– was renewed in spirit. This culminating movement, a Mystical Asceticism of work and prayer, takes monks out of their cloisters and transforms them into saints through the path that becomes a synthesis of the whole Christian Asceticism: apostolate and prayer, love for God and love for our neighbors.
Saint Dominic of Guzman (1170-1221) and Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) are prominent promoters of this new spiritual life.
Here is the motto of the Dominican school devoted to contemplation and work: “Contemplari et contemplata aliis tradere” (Contemplate and bring others to contemplation).
Numberless successive great ecstatic beings emerged from this rigorous and fecund school: Albertus Magnus (1206-1280) and his comments on Dionysius the Areopagite’s books; Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelicus Doctor (1225-1274), who wrote extensively on Asceticism and reached the loftiest contemplation; Saint Catherine of Siena (1345-1380), transfigured during his lifetime by stigmata and love of Christ; and Blessed Enrico Suso (d. 1365) who left numerous writings on his mystical experiences.
The Franciscan School, which is both poetic and speculative, leads the soul to the summit of perfection by practice of virtues, particularly poverty, and by love for Crucified Jesus.
Here are the luminaries of this School: Saint Bonaventure (1221-1274) and his multiple ascetic and mystical treatises; Blessed Angela of Foligno (d. 1309) and his book on “Visions and warnings”; Saint Margarita of Cortona (1247-1297), who from a public sinner becomes a soul that through all Ascetic Paths reaches the Spiritual Wedding or Divine Ecstasy; Iacopone of Todi (d. 1306), a mystical poet who reaches Crucified Jesus by Sorrowful Mary’s Contemplation; and Saint Catherine of Bologna (1413-1463) who still keeps on her mummified face the mystical kiss of Christ.
Other renowned mystics assisted and helped the Dominican and Franciscan Mysticism, particularly the Flemish School, founded by Blessed John Ruysbroesk (1293-1381), author of “Mirror of Salvation” and “Galas of Spiritual Weddings”, and Thomas a Kempis (1379-1471), author of “Imitation of Christ”.
But Luther’s Reformation in the fourteenth century brings a Counter Reformation to Catholic Christendom, and new types of Mystics join to those already in existence.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the colossus in the Counter Reformation, by means of his Spiritual Exercises teaches the mystical path through individual shaped by Christ’s Will.
It is the Venerable Father de La Colombiere (d. 1682), spiritual director of Marguerite Marie Alacoque (1647-1690), who urged by her promotes Jesus’ Heart devotion and unification of will and feelings with Jesus’ will and feelings.
But from the Carmelite School, founded by Saint Therese of Jesus (1515-1582), the Mystical School of pure contemplation emerges and tends to lead the soul from Christ’s Human Nature to Absolute Divinity.
Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591), disciple of Saint Therese, perfects even more this contemplation by considering that the only result of contemplation is a total disappearance of the human personality in the Divine Immensity.
Miguel de Molinos, a Spanish priest (seventeenth century), in his “Spiritual Guide” even suggests to annihilate the Being, and Fenelon (1651-1715) disseminates similar mysticism called “Quietism”. But mysticism of this kind is condemned by the Church.
Saint Francis of Sales’ Mysticism (1567-1622) is entirely humanistic; a serene consciousness always in God; one can reach sanctity in every stage of life.
The French school (seventeenth century), founded by Cardinal de Berulle, puts Mystical Asceticism at the disposal of the dogmatic Church; every spiritual and psychic force acquired by the soul through asceticism should be poured on the Church for good of the souls and the bliss for the Divine Union should be delayed until the time of Death in the hereafter.
Numberless mystics of the oratory in France became extremely helpful to the Church, like Saint Vincent of Paul (1576-1660), founder of the Sisters of Charity; Father Olier (1608-1657), founder of Saint Sulspice’s Society; and S. J. Edes (1601-1680), founder of Jesus’ and Mary’s Congregation, who disseminated devotions to Jesus’ and Mary’s Holy Hearts.
Christian Mysticism sums up and establishes Christian Mysticism on three fundamental points: Purgation, Enlightenment and Union.
Purgative Way is for beginners in meditation, and necessary to purify the soul and remove its stains. It is an indispensable exercise to overcome difficulties in beginners and lack of experience in practice.
A soul cannot be purified without penitence, which purifies past faults and enables to resist future temptations, cleans and invigorates the physical body by means of fast, calms down emotions and overcomes temptations through devote practices, sense mortification, and alms and good works, and appeases the mind by controlling passions and leaving aside worldly pleasures; this exercise also strengthens three mental powers: memory, understanding and will.
Illuminative Way: puts the disciple in a position of remaining quite affectively concentrated on divine matters for a while. Primordial exercises are positive practice of all Christian virtues and Imitation of Christ’s Humane Nature. In the Purgative Way, the disciple would reflect during his meditation, but now he leaves this reflection aside because his soul is his recreation now. His Union with God becomes intimate and usual, stimulated by fervor and piety, and he achieves the full love by establishing the fruit of his experience in faith, hope and charity.
This meditation is also dangerous; the one who has tasted spiritual goods of meditation but is unable to get them, strives for possessing them again and if this is impossible, feels that is wasting time and stops the practice of meditation.
Unitive Way is intimate and ecstatic Union with God. According to this saying, “Ambulare cum Deo intus”, Simple Union is persistent and loving contemplation of God willingly extended during a more or less long while, which finally becomes continuous, even without intervention of the will. Its effects are a growing intimate sanctification of the soul, an extraordinary understanding of Holy Spirit’s gifts and an ineffable love for Divine things.
There are different grades of Divine Union in Christian Mysticism.
Simplicity Prayer is a state of the soul whose unique content is to see one self and be aware of the presence of God.
Next, Infuse Contemplation is an intellectual vision derived from God, along with a clear understanding and love for Divine things.
Next, Quietness Prayer is sometimes dry and sorrowful, and sometimes sweet and pleasant; here the soul, whether sorrowful or happy, remains suspended between heaven and earth; neither the lightest breeze nor the softest twinkling disturbs the spiritual quietness.
Through Full Union the soul gradually becomes God and eventually remains not only with the will but also absorbed with all soul powers, when is in the Divine presence.
Next, Ecstatic Union, called Spiritual Weddings; senses are in suspense and mind is entirely absorbed by God until it reaches immobility; if the mind wanted to escape from there it would be impossible.
Ecstatic Union has three different particular traits: Simple Ecstasy, that is, the soul faint in the Divine arms; Rapture, that is, impetuosity and violence stirring in an irresistible way; and Flight of the Spirit, that is, the feeling of divine understanding is so great that apparently wants to remove the soul from the body.
Finally, the loftiest state of Christian Ecstasy is the Transforming Union or Spiritual Wedding, that is, a total intimacy, quiet and indissolubility with God. Here are the effects of these Ecstasies: higher sanctity of life, perfect detachment from creatures, immense sorrow for sins committed, frequent vision of Jesus’ human nature and terrestrial living that is entirely Heavenly and Divine.
Here several psychic phenomena occur: frequent bodily, imaginative and mental visions, and frequent Divine touches, followed by a sudden and infuse understanding of things that apparently are inexplicable.
The elevation is so high in certain people that they feel and have upward ecstasy or physical levitation, which is called ecstatic flight or ecstatic journey; they walk quickly and do not touch the ground, like Saint Joseph of Cupertino who flew, carried a heavy cross and put it in a proper place; and sometimes, they walk over the water, in the ascetic exercise called “Transfretatio”.
These beings can emit luminous and odorous effluvia, practice long abstinence and their imitation of Christ is so intense that even have stigmata in their bodies.
Christian Mysticism does not dispose of low forms of Meditation and can bring obsession, a temptation more violent and persistent that ordinary temptations, and possession, a continuous presence of the spirit of evil in the body of the practitioner.