These stages are also designated ways because they are the ways of God by which the angels guide souls on the road to heaven.  We ask the holy angel to lead us through each of these stages so that with his help we may finally reach the goal, holiness.  Our Guardian Angel, as a messenger and channel of God’s grace, is eager to help us to accomplish the goals of each state leading us to an ever-deeper union with the Holy Trinity.

Conversion is the predominant characteristic of the purgative way.  Our Guardian Angel carries the call to conversion.  His first task is to help his protégé to cleanse his soul from sin, die to sin, and turn ever more to God and His love. The examination of conscience and the Sacrament of Penance are very important means of progressing through this stage of purification.

A good way to examine your conscience is to invite your Guardian Angel to show you the areas of your life that aren’t in keeping with good Christian living.  Ask yourself, “What did I do wrong and why did I do it?”  Many people ask themselves what they did wrong, but miss the why.  Often the why reveals what is in our heart that needs cleansed.  Our guardian angels are with us constantly.  They see everything we do, good and bad.  Pray you can stand humbly before him and ask him to shine his light on the darkness in your heart so you can see what needs repentance and take it to the confessional.

What is real contrition and how do we get it?

Why do we need a firm resolution to change?

Why must we complete a penance when we receive the Sacrament of Confession?

The soul in the Illuminative Way earnestly wishes to take up the cross daily to follow Christ more closely and to imitate His virtues, striving to avoid mortal and venial sin.

Illumination is directly related to the intellect, but can also move the will because of the intensity of the experience of a truth, like when we come to know in our heart God’s immense love for us.  This knowledge fills our heart with a burning charity or an intense will to serve or suffer for God.

Share an experience you’ve had where you experienced the immense love God has for you. 

God often uses our Guardian Angel to enlighten our mind and heart because he is filled with the light of God. By his purity and transparency, he helps us gain a more profound understanding of the truth of God’s love.  His enlightenment causes our emotions to overflow with love and moves us to want to do great things for God.

Have you ever experienced God’s love in such a way that you were inspired to do something great?

Have you ever given him all you are, all you have or all you’ll ever have?  What was that like?

The good angels and the demons will seek to inspire us. To discern whether it is the good or evil spirit who inspires us, we first have to discern whether we are seeking God and His will, or pleasure, comfort or profit.  The good angel always bears the sign of the cross.  He calls us to put God’s will ahead of our own.  The fallen spirits appeal to what is better for “me”.

What are some situations where you turned away from temptations, making a better choice?  What helped you make the decision you made?

The unitive stage is the stage of perfect charity.  Souls in this state have a serious duty to practice contemplation and reserve time for God.  The angel will remind the soul of this and help her to abandon good but lesser projects in order to dedicate herself more fully to her highest calling, prayer and contemplation of divine things.

In the practical exercises for this month we were directed to study and meditate the remaining passages of the Catechism on prayer. 

Were you surprised by anything you read in the Catechism?  Did you learn anything new there? What?