As the weather begins to change and we are driven more and more indoors, perhaps it is a good opportunity to go “spiritually indoors,” too. Our Catholic spiritual tradition speaks to us of the interior life, the life of the soul in its relationship with God. Traditionally, this interior life takes the stage of a spiritual journey. It’s been described in three stages—the purgative way, the illuminative way, and the unitive way. Together, they show us the path to God.

If we want to arrive at perfect union with God (and we do, even if we don’t realize it yet), we have to start with throwing out everything that keeps us from him. This is the essence of the purgative way. Turning away from sin was the very first exhortation of Jesus in his public ministry (“Repent!” – Matthew 4:17). St. Frances de Sales, a spiritual master and the most gentle of teachers, was nonetheless quite firm on this point. “What is the attitude of your heart towards mortal sin?” he wrote. “Have you a firm purpose never to commit it, no matter what may happen? This resolution is the foundation of the spiritual life.” We must be cleansed of everything that separates us from God first if we are to be united with him. And if we find ourselves in sin, good news—Jesus died for that. He is merciful and will forgive us. A good confession is all it takes.

The second stage of the spiritual journey is the illuminative way. This stage is marked by prayer, which always requires silence. If I don’t have silence, I can’t really listen to God speaking to me. That takes effort, but it is worth it. In the illuminative way, the soul is illuminated by the light of God. Something wonderful happens in this stage—God starts doing the work. The soul is transformed by God’s grace and initiative. It doesn’t all depend on us. He works in us mysteriously and in a beautiful way.

And finally there is the unitive way. This is a foretaste of what heaven will be like. In the unitive way, the soul is completely united to God, loving what he loves and willing only what he wills. Maybe it sounds like fluff or a fairy tale, but it’s not. Many of the saints have experienced this intense joy and freedom from all the cares of the world. Crucially, it is always marked with an outpouring of charity. No self-absorbed cloud gazing here! To be one with God means to love like him, and that means the Cross. It’s intense, all-consuming, and filled with a peace we can hardly imagine. A destination worth running towards! Wherever we are on this journey, let us continue courageously, and
ask God for his help.