1. Is Spiritual Theology a separate discipline from moral theology?

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1 Spiritual Theology Review Sheet 1. Is Spiritual Theology a separate discipline from moral theology? 2. What is the source of man s capacity for grace. 3. What are the three graces of Christ? 4. What is the primary grace of Mary? 5. Are these graces merited? 6. Explain the source of the universal call to holiness. 7. Is grace necessary to know truth? 8. Is grace necessary to avoid sin? 9. Is grace necessary for man to love God above all things? 10. Can man fulfill the commandments without grace? 11. Can man merit heaven without grace? 12. What is the difference between the grace of Adam and the grace of Christ? 13. How does Christ share in the various states of nature? 14. Does man need grace to persevere in grace? 15. Define sanctifying and actual grace. 16. What is the material cause of grace? Where does it reside? 17. What is the formal cause of grace? 18. What is the difference between gratia gratis data and gratia gratum faciens? 19. What is the difference between operating and cooperating grace? 20. What is the efficient cause of grace (Be Careful!) 21. Explain the two components of judtification? 22. Can man merit justification? 23. Is justification miraculous? 24. Does God depend on man for justification? 25. Explain the two kinds of merit.

2 2 26. How do both God and man cooperate in man s meriting heaven? 27. Can someone know they are in the state of grace? 28. What is the source of the universal call to holiness? The indwelling presence of the Trinity in the soul is the source of our call to holiness. This entrance of God begins at baptism and with the receipt of sanctifying grace. The presence of God elevates our souls to share in divine nature and thus allows us to look on the persons of the Trinity as our friends. God alone is holy by essence and call us to that same holiness by participation. 29. Are there two different paths to holiness in the Church, one perfect and the other imperfect? There is only one holiness in the Church because there is only one Trinity in whose nature we participate by grace. All enter the progress in holiness through baptism in which the Holy Spirit enters the soul be grace. All baptized persons are elevated to communion of the Trinity and God never gives a seed but he does not expect it to bear fruit in the final experience of the infused virtues and the gifts. The degree of charity determines the degree of holiness. 30 and 31 Does the universal call to holiness means that religious do not have a special place in the Church and what is the exact contribution of the profession of the evangelical counsels to the Church? Though all are called to the perfection of holiness, religious are called to it under a special title: to be models and witnesses and encourage others to pursue holiness. They are signs of the human formation of this pursuit. The religious state is not a natural state like marriage but rather bears witness to what man s life was like in the state of innocence and will be like in heaven. It is not against nature, but above or beyond nature. The counsels are means by which religious renounce legitimate goods in order to pursue something better which is union with God by perfect charity in a right intention. The counsels are means to holiness and not ends in themselves. Their purpose is to provide a witness and growth in charity. 32. Define perfection. Perfection is a state or condition of being finished or completed. Only God is absolute perfection which involves him lacking nothing whatever because in him essence and existence are one and so he is infinite. Human beings can only attain relative perfection. This can be in two ways: First perfection (perfection in being) possessing all the things necessary to act, i.e. first act. In the case of growth in prayer, sanctifying grace.

3 3 Second perfection (perfection in act) when that nature participates fully in the being with which it has the potential for union. In the case of growth in prayer, the virtues and the gifts of the Holy Spirit in action. 33. What are the three ways in which perfection is found in a being? Perfection in Being lacking nothing due its nature Perfection in Action no excess or defect in faculties, like walking properly as opposed to with a limp Perfection in attainment of end to which the being is ordered. In the spiritual life the perfection of being occurs through sanctifying grace, perfection in acting in the formation of the virtues and the gifts which are given together with grace in baptism and perfection of attainment of end occurs in the beatific vision for which charity is the proper preparation. 34. Can charity be perfected without the practice of the infused virtues? No. Even though charity unites man directly with God through the love and desire of the will and so is a sharing in the divine nature, that man according to this nature occurs only through the virtues and especially the infused moral virtues of prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude. Charity is the highest and form of the virtues, but it would be unfitting for God to provide less for grace than he does for nature. By nature, we can develop the virtues by our own power, but by grace we cooperate in those given to us. Charity must be carried out in act and the infused virtues assure this. 35. Why is charity necessary to give our actions meritorious value? An action only has merit to the degree that it is done with charity. The difficulty of an act only increases merit if it causes and increase in charity. None of our actions can have merit without sanctifying grace. 36. Are the gifts necessary for the completion of the life of grace and virtues? Why? The gifts are necessary for this because while the infused virtues function under the direction of reason illumined by faith, their operation is restricted to a human mode of action. But since man is called to a friendship with Christ which involves an exchange of hearts and adopting the supernatural point of view, he must also do actions which act from a divine or supernatural mode of action. This divine mode of action is necessary for us to truly act from our participation in divine nature. 37. Explain the place of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and Beatitudes in Christian perfection.

4 4 The fruits allow us to joyfully, delightfully and spontaneously act according to the virtues. The Beatitudes are more perfect than the fruits. These allow us to have the same joy, delight and spontaneity but with the works of the gifts. The virtues and gifts are habits in the soul, but the fruits and beatitudes flow from them. 38. Are the practice of the virtues and asceticism the end of the spiritual life? No, they are a means to the end, which is union with God and the vision of God in heaven. Asceticism, which is an application of cooperating grace, has as it goal the deeper reception of the operating grace by which God moves us. Since our happiness consists in partaking of divine nature, mystical theology is the final perfection of ascetical theology. The human mode of action is not enough, but we must also act in a divine mode. 39. Is asceticism necessary for the virtuous life? Yes, because there are two basic experiences on the way to the perfection of prayer. One is the rooting out of faults and growth in the virtues characteristic of the purgative way and the other the dark nights characteristic of the illuminative way which are both painful and demand learning passivity and receptivity from God. The powers of our souls must be tempered by practice and detachment to receive more from God. Without God, I can t but without me, God won t. 40. Is there a limit to charity? Why? Charity has not mean like the other virtues. It has no measure but God s nature which is infinite. The same is true in a way of faith and hope but especially true of charity. Rather, the Holy Spirit is the only measure of charity and since the Holy Spirit is infinite, the more charity approaches an extreme the better it is. 41. Is everyone called to the life of the counsels? Everyone is called to embrace the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience according to their state in life, but only religious are called to do this by fixed mode of life through vow. The counsels are not perfection, but only a means to perfection. Hence, the more people live the counsels according to their state in life, but more charitable they can become. For religious, what is a matter of freedom and choice for the laity becomes a matter of justice and sin because they place their living of the counsels under the virtue of religion. 42. Is the mystical life a necessary part of the perfection of the life of every Christian? Yes, the mystical state and infused contemplation are a necessary part of the perfection of grace. This is not to say that everyone is called to a contemplative way of life strictly speaking but all are called to the mystical state as the perfection of the ascetical state. The goal of the ascetical state is to open the person to receiving

5 5 a deeper experience of friendship with God which is basically God working in us through operating grace. Mental prayer is the beginning of this state in us but it is completed in contemplative prayer. 43. What are the three ages of the spiritual life? They are: spiritual childhood also called the purgative way; spiritual adolescence also called the illuminative way and spiritual maturity also called the unitive way. Purgation relates to the detachment in which one addresses rooting out faults and seeking to grow in the virtues. The illuminative way is characterized by the dark nights of the senses and spirits and is characterized by learning to receive in infused prayer and contemplation. The unitive way is the transforming and conforming union in which God and the soul become completely unity in knowledge and love. 44. Are venial sin and positive imperfection the same thing? Fr. Aumann maintains that: An act that is good in itself does not cease to be good even though it could be better (imperfection). Venial sin, on the other hand, is something intrinsically evil however light an evil it may be. This may be an exaggeration as a venial sin is not contrary to the law of God but only outside of it. Still, willed imperfections would be detrimental to the spiritual life. 45. What is the difference between infused virtues and sanctifying grace? Sanctifying grace resides in the essence of the soul while the infused virtues reside in the powers. Both grace and the virtues are a quality of a substance yet there is this difference: the virtues are a habit oriented to action and grace is a habit of being. One can only be developed or lost with difficulty (the habit of acting) but the other can be developed or lost easily by one act (the habit of being). 46. Which virtues are lost in the condition of mortal sin? In mortal sin all of moral virtues are lost together with charity. Faith and hope are also lost as to their perfection but they remain in a imperfect and dead way. They thus can lead to repentance in confession. However, further sinning can lead to a loss of faith and hope. 47. What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit and where are they found? Intellect: Speculative or theoretical intellect: Understanding deeper insights into divine truth Knowledge judgment about the truths of faith

6 6 Wisdom judgment about the world and especially human conduct based on seeing it from God s perspective Practical Intellect: Counsel a supernaturally induced prudence Piety a supernaturally based respect for God as Father and attitude towards others Fortitude affirming faith and charity in the face of death Fear of the Lord -- denying oneself the pursuit of pleasure by the realization that no earthly good can bring consolation or final happiness 48. What is the central element in the practice of the mystical life? The activation by God of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the central element in the practice of the mystical life. Whenever a gift acts, there is a mystical act which is more or less intense. When the activation of the gifts is frequent and repeated so that is motivates the infused virtues, the soul enters the mystical state. The Holy Spirit of love forms a kind of fusion between the soul and God in Christ which is the most intense friendship and leads the person to view Christ s attitude towards the world and other as his own. 49. Is this a passive or active experience? The mystical life is a passive experience in the sense that the soul must learn to be receptive of where God is leading it in his time. This does not mean that the soul is static but rather that the person freely consents to God s action in a spontaneous and voluntary manner. Therefore this is true human freedom and the source of merit. The ascetical life demands great initiative on the part of the soul. In the mystical life the initiative is always God s. 50. Is the practice of the virtues and meditation still necessary? Yes. Meditation is the lot of the soul until God gives it another source of action. Teresa of Avila states that some thought that one should forcibly suppress thoughts and desire from the soul in contemplation. This resembles the heresy of quietism in which one forcibly denies all desires and thoughts. She responds that God gave us the intellect and will to do their part, for example in still thinking about Christ and Mary. When and if in his time he wishes to give them an experience beyond word encounter this is his to do. 51. Why is there a dark night in mystical experience? Is this due to an absence of God?

7 7 The dark nights are not psychological problems or intense suffering on the part of the subject. Nor is the dark night of the soul an absence of God except in our perception. It is actually based on a superabundance of the presence of God but which the soul cannot totally appreciate. It is like the darkness caused by a bat or an owl being dazzled by sunlight. Their eye it too weak to appreciate it. It is therefore called by our inability to know and love as God knows and loves when God moves us directly to enter into a communion of life with the persons of the Trinity. 52. What are the different stages of the dark nights? Active Night of the Senses -- Relates to our actions in rooting out faults and growth in the virtues when we take seriously our union with God. We seek to eliminate mortal sin and strive to avoid venial sin also. God allows his presence to give us consolations and emotional sweetness when we are more detached. One eliminates these attachments not in the sense of becoming unfeeling because pleasure is evil, but because one can fix the will in earthly goods for their pleasures as though they could bring us ultimate fulfillment. Detachment is about the will, not about the passions. Passive Night of the Senses -- During this night, God purges attachment to consolation and sweetness of his presence and elevates us to love him for who he is. One no longer feels anything in prayer. The soul feels like it is in a desert. One learns to judge love not on feeling good but on the will of God and his truth alone. Active Night of the Spirit: Purification of our memory and imagination by restraining our need to have God conform to our ideas about Him and the good. Our ideas about God in our intellect is purified in this night. One has healing of memories and injuries which one has a temptation to brood over. One is guided only by faith. Passive Night of the Spirit: The final purification and most difficult cross is this one. A person realizes that all their ways of knowing and loving God are inadequate to union with him. He knows how unworthy he is of this friendship. This experience of God s greatness leads to a greater illumination while one s limitations provide him with greater sorrow and humility. Joy is the coupled with sorrow. Education in the faith and study of sacred truth is essential here. 53. Is the dark night really an absence of all intellectual knowledge and volitional life? No, it is rather an introduction of a higher way of knowing and loving. We go beyond our discursive prayer and receive a higher way of knowing from God. Our loving passes beyond simply the passions or human ways of loving and we are elevated to God s way of loving. 54. Is the mystical experience and extraordinary charism like speaking in tongues?

8 8 The mystical experience is very different from extraordinary charismatic graces as it is based on personal holiness and not just God using someone as means to bring holiness to others. All the charismatic graces are beyond personal merit and not initiated by the possessor but they do not in themselves make the person holy who has them. The mystical experience is the summit of the presence of sanctifying grace in the soul which makes the possessor holy. 55. Can there be different experiences of the subject who enjoys this mystical state? A person who enjoys this experience may at some times experience light and fulfillment and at other times experience darkness. A person s temperament and also their different depth of union with God may affect this. 56. Explain the Teresian method of prayer. The Teresian method consists in first placing oneself in the presence of God by considering something God has done for the person to show his goodness. Then one reflects on this truth which could come through reading or just consideration of one of the works of God. Third, one expresses thanks and humility to God responding to his goodness and fourth one has a colloquy with God in heart in which their affection and will are unity to him in a union of love in silence which is too deep for words. 57. How would the Benedictine method relate to this? The Benedictine method is lectio (reading); meditation (meditation); oratio (prayer); contemplation (contemplation). One reads meditatively about God; one then considers the goodness and love of God; one expresses this within in an act of thanksgiving; and then one rests in God. 58. Explain the difference in the temperaments and how they relate to the spiritual life. All four temperaments have strengths and weaknesses and in this sense one is not any better than another. They are based on the physical and emotional structure of the physical side of human nature which affects the development of the spiritual life. A temperament can be a strength is redeemed by the grace of Christ. It can be a weakness if a person uses it as an excuse to not broaden his character. Sanguine: Strengths outgoing, charisma, warm, friendly, responsive, talkative, enthusiastic, carefree, compassionate, generous Weaknesses: undisciplined, weak-willed, restless, disorganized, loud, egocentric, exaggerates, fearful

9 9 Melancholy: Strengths gifted, analytical, perfectionist, conscientious, loyal, aesthetic, idealistic, sensitive, self-sacrificing, self- disciplined Weaknesses moody, negative, critical, rigid, legalistic, self-centered, touchy, revengeful, persecution-prone, unsociable, theoretical and impractical Choleric: strengths determined, storong-willed, independent, productive, decisive, practical, visionary, optimistic, courageous, self-confident, leader Weaknesses cold-unsympathetic, insensitive, inconsiderate, hostile, angry, cruel, sarcastic, unforgiving, self-sufficient, domineering, opinionated, prejudiced, proud, crafty Plegmatic: Strengths -- calm and quiet, easygoing likable, diplomatic, efficient, organized, dependable, conservative, practical, relunctant leader, dry humor Weaknesses unmotivated, blasé, indolent, spectator, selfish, stubborn, selfprotective, indecisive, fearful 59. Explain the difference between mortal and venial sin and the influence of this distinction on the spiritual life. For a sin to be mortal three things are necessary: 1) an act must involve grave matter; 2) the subject must have full knowledge of its sinful character; 3) the subject must give free consent. If any of these conditions is lacking, then the sin may be objectively mortal but the person is not responsible for this depth of evil. Mortal sin destroys grace in the soul as it is contrary to the law of God in a grave matter. Venial sin does not destroy grace in the soul but only makes it burn less brightly as it is only outside the law of God and not contrary to it. 60. How does one enter the interior castle? One s entrance is not determined by methods of prayer though these may be helpful. It is also not a matter of situation for since the interior castle is where God dwells in the soul, situation is a matter of relative indifference. It is NOT an extraordinary experience. The entrance into the castle is simply gospel living which entails rooting out faults and seeking to grow in the virtues of one s state. 61. Describe the seven mansions of the interior castle.

10 10 Mansion One: Teresa says little about methods of prayer. She talks about contented worldliness. Her opinion is that lack of growth in prayer is not a matter of not having found the right method but of lack of conversion of heart through rooting out faults and growing in the virtues. Mansion Two: The person first experiences the difference between the human and divine points of view. They begin to understand that God s ways are different than ours, avoid mediocre persons, embrace the cross and do not lose heart if they fall. Mansion Three: This is where discursive meditation begins. The person understands what God has done for them and this will call forth love, humility and gratitude. This is the ascetical life or active purgation. Mansion Four: This is where infused prayer begins. A quiet gentle awareness of God which is not produced by human effort. The person loses the ability to pursue meditation as he did before. I emphasize that this is not produced by human effort but is a higher way of knowledge which Aquinas calls knowledge by connaturality. One should never attempt to force this as occurs in quietism. This is also called the prayer of quiet and the person learns to be receptive. Mansion Five: Teresa calls this the spiritual courtship in which the intellect is filled with God. Mansion Six: This is the spiritual betrothal in which the will is filled with God. Mansion Seven: This is the actual transforming union in which even the passions take on a supernatural dimension. A person is not motivated by at all by passions or by earthly desires. God and the soul become so completely one so that though they can still be separated in conscious experience involve truly knowing as God knows and loving as God loves. In the beginning all God gave the soul to understand of his divine life was strange and caused great amazement. Now the soul enjoys it more. It makes less noise. It is not longer like living in a foreign country. Nothing is left by the beatific vision. This entails a new way and loving where a person truly experiences things from a supernatural point of view.