Theresa’s infused wisdom easily surpassed the acquired theological wisdom of most of Christendom’s greatest minds. Jansenism, Calvinism, and numerous other heresies and philosophical novelties plagued France in the 17th century. Father Jean-Baptiste Gonet, perhaps the greatest theologian of his generation, decided to break off his life of tranquil study and battle against any ideas that [...]
Making the spiritual ascent into God is rather like trying to run up a downward escalator. The moment you stop moving steadily forwards is the moment when you start moving steadily downward. Going forwards means finding daily time to do what St Peter told his listeners to do when he was the first to announce [...]
The Transfiguration on Mount Tabor was a pre-enactment of what would happen to Jesus after the Resurrection, when he was glorified. The event not only pre-enacts what happened to Christ at his glorification, but what will happen to us too when the Holy Spirit penetrates us as Jesus was penetrated by the glory of God. [...]
Without any human help, it was my own desperate need to find God that enabled me to persevere in the Dark Night in which I found myself when first fervour left me flat. However, in case I give the impression that first fervour is of little consequence and can easily be bypassed, this is not [...]
Meditation is a means to an end; contemplation is that end. It is our eternal destiny which we will enjoy with all we have known and loved in this life, and those whom we have never known, but who have loved Christ from the beginning. When most readers hear the expression “mystical spirituality” they usually [...]
If we are beginning a journey upon which our whole future depends, it is of paramount importance to understand exactly where we are going. When we begin to pray seriously, St Teresa of Ávila makes it clear that our destination is what she called the Mystical or Spiritual Marriage. If we are beginning a journey [...]
Just as the Catholic Faith has been reduced to little more than an intellectual philosophy of life for the clergy—all head and no heart—the same happened to the laity, who depend on them for their spirituality. In the immediate aftermath of the Council of Trent, Catholic spirituality, in both theory and practice, reached a height never [...]