A popular way of describing growth in mystical union with the indwelling Trinity is to speak of the three        interior ages (also the title of a two-volume work by   Garrigou Lagrange).  The three ages are, (1) the Purgative Way, (2) the Illuminative Way, and (3) the Unitive Way, which correspond to stages of growth in holiness.  It is the Holy Spirit, Who leads us on the journey into God, sanctifying/transforming us as we go.   The journey     begins when we first say 'yes' to falling in love with God, with our whole hearts, mind, soul and strength.  From there it is a pilgrimage of love unparalleled by any other wonder. 
     The first stage, or the Purgative Way, is characterized by our hard effort to build a daily habit of prayer,    including the fighting of constant distractions.  Prayer can be vocal or mental.  The latter may involve using our imagination to, for example, meditate upon the events or mysteries of Jesus' life (envisioning the scenes of  Scripture), and conversing with God about what we imagine, in order to gain insights into God and inspiration for living the Gospel.  Prayer will also include ACTS, or Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, and   Supplication (Petitioning), which are the common prayer responses to God.  Beginners will strive to pray for five or ten minutes a day, but this grows into half an hour, and for some, even an hour.  Without a habit of daily prayer, our growth in holiness will be severely impeded.   
     Besides building a habit of daily prayer into one's life, the Purgative Way is also characterized by the virtue of penance.  One attempts, with all their might, to recognize and root out sin, in cooperation with the Holy Spirit: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself" - Luke 9:23.  The soul is slowly cleansed from sin, by grace, and the will is strengthened for good deeds.  Fruitful  subjects for meditation in this stage, are: the wound of original sin, the three sources of temptation (the flesh, the world, and the devil), mortification of our body and our passions, the seven capital sins (pride, envy, anger, sloth, gluttony, greed, lust), and Jesus Christ crucified.  As the Purgative Way opens up to the Illuminative Way, the Holy Spirit begins to take over one's prayer, more and more, and the building of virtues follows the abatement of vice.  Entrance into the Illuminative Way is not easy, however, for at this juncture there is a great testing of faith.  More on this, next week. 
    Fr. Michael

453 pledge cards were received at Masses last weekend.  Pledge cards were mailed with the November FORERUNNER and can be returned at any Mass during the month of November.