Catholic Spiritual Advancement by M. C. Ingraham - HTML preview

{1}  God uses the medium of nothing, forming it into creation.  God creates by giving form to nothing, (the only thing that was not himself at the time of creation).  His own selected attributes are used to make this formation, either directly or indirectly.  When God incarnates directly, Jesus Christ results, when God incarnates selected attributes, giving substance to nothing, humanity and all creation results. 

{2}  The book, “Mystical Evolution”, by Fr. John Arintero is a study of the process of divinization in this life and is still in print. 

{3} Spiritual advancement may be made for others to some degree.  In Colossians 1:24 the apostle Paul says, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.”   Here, Paul is a member of the ‘ongoing Christ’, which is the body of Christ on earth, with the same, continuing mission of Jesus Christ.  This mission was and is remediation of sin, allowing the former sinner to be incorporated into Christ, who is now all who constitute the body of Christ.

This is possible because, “…we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”, Rm (12:5).  It is for profound reason that Jesus Christ tells us, “bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”, Lk 6:28.

Jesus Christ remains the head of the body, but the body is the ongoing Christ on earth.  Jesus, and all those in Heaven have no contact with sin; remediation of sin is a task of the ongoing Christ on earth. 

{4}  Spirit forms the unseen framework of creation.  Spirit is intangible but as real as matter; and it has real effect.  Spirit is immaterial being.  Being is anything that exists: a rock, an idea, energy, emotion, logic, a person.   Patience, respect, hate, reverence, morality, memory, free will, are all spirit, and all have real effect in our world.  Spirit is the underlying framework of all creation, and corruption of the willed moral virtues degrades the operation of all creation.  Spirit forms matter, spirit forms spirit, spirit forms events.  Consider that anything that can be described in terms of logic, will, virtue, act, emotion, mathematics or physical law has these same immaterial spirits or qualities as its foundation.  Anything you can think of is first of all spirit, to which a material nature may be added. 

{5}  The Catechism of the Catholic Church states explicitly that we become Christ in at least two paragraphs: (1) CCC 1213, “Through baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ.”; (2) CCC 795, “…Let us rejoice then and give thanks that we have become not only Christians, but Christ himself…he and we together are the whole man.”  The idea and term “Whole Christ”, occurs at least six times: CCC 795, 796, 797, 1136, 1187, 1188.  Christ is now all who constitute the body of Christ: Jesus, Eucharist, humans, angels.  CCC 398, “…man was destined to be fully divinized by God in glory…”.  Even without sin, we were destined to rejoin Christ.  Redemption of sin was not the original reason for Christ (since sin was never intended), communion was the reason. Sin was an unintended obstacle that Jesus Christ overcame, before he could make his originally intended communion with humanity. 

2Pet 1:4, “…he has bestowed on us the precious and very great promises, so that through them you may come to share in the divine nature...”.   

Mt 25:34, “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’”.   During his mission, Jesus Christ referred to himself as being the kingdom of God. 

Related verses for divinization: 2Pet 1:4, 1Jn 3:2, Lk 6:40, 16:26; CCC 260, 398, 460, 795, 1988.   Related verses for the faithful as the literal body of Christ: CCC 790, 795, 789; 963; 1Cor 12:27, Rm 12:5, 1Cor 1:2, 1Cor 6:15. 

{6} Psalm 139:16 has our creation being for the sake of what we will do, (spiritual advancement); “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

“Ephesians 1:4, “Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him, in love.”   This is another bible verse that reveals our purpose as spiritual advancement.   St. John of the Cross writes, “we were created to set our hearts on God.”     From this we see that God did not create Adam and Eve so that they might live out their lives in human sinlessness, but that they should attain divine perfection and inclusion.

{7}  Adam and Eve were made sinless, even so any of their good acts may have been conducted even more perfectly.  Jesus was not only sinless but perfect, yet his flawless acts were made even better by his many acts of forgiveness rather than justice.  A static perfection was not given or expected from Adam and Eve, God expected spiritual growth. 

      What they certainly lacked was a means for divine union, Jesus Christ was sent for just this purpose.  He left behind the sacraments of sanctification and a priesthood to administer them.  Upon his second coming he was to have found humanity eager and prepared for divine inclusion.  Those already having made divine communion would have been our guides, these are the saints who have attained to the spiritual marriage or divine union, and it was intended to be made in this life.  

{8}  It is a Catholic teaching that our spiritual advancement ends upon our death (particular judgment), or upon the general judgment, whichever we experience first.  The general judgment marks the end of creation, and the beginning of eternity.  Our world and our lives will not cease, but Jesus Christ will attempt divine communion with all of creation, so that “God may be all in all”, (1Cor 15:28).  This general judgment (evaluation and action) is Christ’s second coming, which is detailed in the Book of Revelation chapter 21.  This general judgment or communion will result in a “new Heaven” and a “new earth” (Rev 21).  Heaven and earth will exist in a “new order” of divine union with Christ, and they will be populated by divinized angels and humans. 

{9}  Even today, every person is made by God in human virtue, free of sin.  As we enter into the realm of creation each person must take on a burden of original sin. 

{10}  Pope Benedict XVI repeatedly made statements that Heaven is the person of Christ.  From his Mass homily at Monte Cassino, May 24, 2009, “…this word Heaven does not indicate a place above the stars but something far more daring and sublime: it indicates Christ himself…”  

From his book “Dogma and Preaching”, under the article of “The Meaning  of Christ’s Ascension”, “…we go to heaven to the extent that we go to Jesus Christ and enter into him. Heaven is a person: Jesus himself is what we call heaven."  Jesus himself taught, “I am the resurrection and the life.  The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” (Jn 11:25). 

Observe here also that the first level of participation in Christ is simply to believe in him.  We will see that salvation and spiritual advancement are a participation in Christ. 

{11} Our divinization has been spoken of by the Church, apostles and saints for 2000 years.  The divinization of the human individual is Catholic doctrine appearing in the catechism and scripture: (CCC 259, 398, 460, 1988; 2Pet 1:4, 1Jn 3:2, Lk 6:40, 16:26); St. John of the Cross also spoke of this idea.  The book “Mystical Evolution” by Fr. John Arintero, is an extensive study of spiritual advancement from humanity to divinity and is still in print.

{12}  We may end up doing the same action, (eating, sleeping, working) in much the same way, but our reasons and the intended end of our actions are now the very person of Christ, and this will fine tune our legitimate actions into selfless actions.  Our goal is complete participation in Christ, who is now the entire body of Christ, but we cannot become Christ if we remain self, even legitimate self. 

{13}  The last two stages, the illuminative and the unitive stages were part of the original plan.  We were to first perfect our human virtues, then, with the coming  of Jesus Christ, perfect our theological virtues allowing our full divine inclusion into Christ.  The Purgative stage deals largely with avoiding sin, but sin was never part of the plan. 

{14}  After his death, Job would have lived in the place of Limbo, awaiting the coming of Jesus Christ, at which time he would have been able to enter into a high level of divine participation in Christ.   Prior to Christ, divine union was not available.  The prophet Elijah may have been a prophetic incarnation of the Holy Spirit and at the end of his mission (not his death), he rejoined the Holy Spirit. 

{15}  At its core, sanctifying grace is the divinity of God.  Sacraments are not a decree of God, but a sharing in God, which is offered by God.  Each sacrament offers a specific sharing in the very person of Christ.  The sacrament of marriage is not less than the sacrament of holy orders, but it is different, and both are not just decrees, but an actual sharing in Christ. 

       We observe that a police officer (for instance), is empowered by decree to enforce the laws of the legislature, the written law is the entity from which he draws his authority.  A Christian is empowered by the very person of Christ, not just the decree of Christ.  In baptism we become the person of Christ, who is now all who participate in Christ as the body of Christ.  We share in the human nature of Christ, then finally in the divine nature of Christ. 

       From this we see that a priest is “in the person of Christ”, not just authorized by Christ.  We see that spouses too are “in the person of Christ”, and not merely authorized to marry.  Every sacrament has its origin in the actual person of Christ, and not only in the decree of the Church. 

{16}  In a nutshell, Protestant/Evangelical theology has Jesus Christ saving us from impending Hell (by atonement of our sins), and taken to Heaven where we live alongside Jesus.  Catholic theology has us making union with the person of Jesus Christ, and living as members of him (as the body of Christ), in Heaven and the resurrection, both of which are Jesus Christ himself.  Pope Benedict XVI made repeated statements that Heaven is the actual person of Jesus, (Jn 11:25). 

{17}  Why does Christ create us as free human persons, only to desire reunion with us later?  What is the point?  The reason for our lives is our unique virtues that we bring to our reunion with Christ (who is now the entire body of Christ).  These virtues are hard won in the arena of creation, and even more so in our current fallen world, hence a better quality of love.  Christ himself gains these virtues by enlarging his person, as the entire body of Christ. 

{18} Our participation is in all three members of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is the giver of sanctifying grace and all graces, and is himself a grace.  The Son of God is our creator and our intended end, through his human incarnation Jesus Christ.  From John 14:23, “…if anyone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father   will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him.”  Our participation is in the entire Trinity of God.

      In this book ‘Christ’ is used, knowing that the entire Trinity is involved.  The term ‘God’ is used, referring to all three persons of the Trinity.  Explanations of God, Trinity, Son of God, Christ, Jesus Christ, divine and human person may be found in appendix ‘Christology’. 

{19} We usually do not walk about divine in this life because we have not prepared our soul for the full (divine) indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  Divinization in this life occurs after we attain perfection of virtue and faith, and many of the saints have done it in this life.  Supernatural miracles and knowledge are an indicator; these arise from a participation in the divine nature of Jesus Christ. 

In baptism, Jesus Christ (and the entire body of Christ) takes on our sin, and by moral effort, remediates our sin into his own virtue, resulting in union with Christ.  Baptism was devised by Christ as a response to sin, but sin was never part of the original plan.  The original plan was communion with Jesus Christ in a sinless world, and the Eucharist (left to us by Christ) would have been the means of our divine communion into Christ. 

Salvation from sin was not part of the original plan, hence baptism was not part of the plan, but a later necessary addition.  Eucharist was the originally intended means for our divinization within a sinless world. 

{20}  From this we see that the state of Purgatory is our existence as the body of Christ, which is short of full divine union.  If Adam and Eve had never encountered sin, they still may have encountered internal selfishness, which was short of sin.  Even legitimate self interest must be subdued before we may fully participate in Christ. 

{21} Participation is a recurring principle in theology, and in practical spiritual advancement.  The human soul, and spirit in general have both individual and communal natures.   Saint and doctor of the church Thomas Aquinas, taught that have participation to some degree with whatever we will or think.  In example, if we think of a tree, we share in the idea of a tree.  God does not allow a person to fully become a tree, but he does allow a person to become a member of Christ.  To make this membership, every willed element of our person must participate in Christ.  One’s will, intellect and the many virtues must all make this union. 

{22}  In baptism, Jesus Christ (and now the entire body of Christ), takes on our sin, and by moral effort, remediates our sin into his own virtue…union with God.  We shall see that the originally intended sacrament for sanctification (salvation) was Eucharist.   Baptism was devised by Christ as a response to sin, but sin was never part of the original plan, only our communion with God, and this was the task of the Eucharistic sacrament. 

{23}  To obey our conscience (which is fallible) is not a second rate action, it was our only available action until God revealed himself in religion (to Abraham and Moses), then made further revelation of himself as Jesus Christ.  With the coming of Jesus Christ we may make participation beyond human and religious virtue and share in the very person of God, in Jesus Christ.   Jesus Christ is the human nature of God, who is also fully divine.

        Christ is the substance of our moral conscience.  Our moral conscience does not draw its substance from a decree of God, but from the person of God; when we obey our conscience we move and act within Christ, within his moral dimensions.  With the coming of Jesus Christ, we are offered full participation in the complete divinity and person of Christ. 

{24} Due to the effects of sin, our damaged will does not have the perfection necessary to make immediate inclusion into the full divine nature of Christ.  We usually start our participation in Christ in his human nature, then after Purgatory (in this life or the next) we make full participation in the divine nature of Christ. 

{25}  Sin is not created by God, but God does assign to each person a burden of the sin of humanity.  Evil must have its effect within creation.  If God were to take on evil, he would immediately restore it into virtue, and this is just what Jesus Christ did, he makes our sin into his own virtue.   Why doesn’t God do this with all sin?  Because human persons retain willful ownership of it.  

{26}  Philosophically, selfishness is termed existentialism, which is atheism, which has our existence having no meaning other than ourselves.  Such existentialism acknowledges virtues existing parallel to humanity, and the various schools of existentialism deal with this accordingly.   St. Pio is quoted as saying “Christianity is a battle against self.”    Not a pointless battle, but one that ends in union with God, (specifically Christ), but we cannot become Christ if we remain self. 

       Selfishness usually involves emotions, and it is usually willed, but not always.  Selfishness is illegitimate tendency away from God, and toward one’s own person.  Original sin brings on selfishness in every person, (away from God, and toward self); but no person wills such selfishness.  One symptom of selfishness (remoteness from God) is lack of faith, but there may not even be any “selfish” emotions attached to faithlessness.  Compare selfishness to the divine participation which the saints made; they had supernatural knowledge and abilities.  They moved away from the limitations of self, to a sharing in the divinity of God, (2Pet 1:4). 

{27}  The words self and selfishness will be used extensively in this book, and they are simply cause and effect.  Selfishness is tendency towards our created person, self is the compounded effect.  Every person has his origin in the very substance and person of God.   God did not take pre-existing spirit or matter (there was none) and form it into human persons, (or angels for that matter).  In order to create, God first had to create something to create from. 

        God “donates” or “detaches” selected virtues on his own person to create a free creation apart from himself.  In the case of a human, God thinks of all the necessary virtues, (thereby bringing them into being), then gives them freedom apart from himself…this is creation.  

       This free creation has a core “self” apart from God.   We are not intended to cultivate this self, or departure from God, but to freely and lovingly reunite with God.   In our reunion with God, we bring our hard earned virtues in this world.  God who cannot advance in virtue has found a way to do just that. 

{28}  The perhaps usual path to divine union, is an incomplete union with Jesus Christ in this life.  We become real members of Christ, but not to the point of divine union.  We participate in the human nature of Christ, but not yet in his divine nature.  This requires an afterlife Purgatory.  Recall that sin and death were never intended and we were to have made divine union in this life, when Jesus Christ made his first coming.  Those who had attained perfection at his first coming, would have made the jump to divine union via the Eucharist.  This could only have occurred in our original sinless world.   Now we attain forgiveness of sin and are offered divine inclusion in baptism, but everyone has a non optional burden of original sin that first must be purged and remediated into virtue, then divine union may occur.

{29}  Persons (angelic or human) attempt to replace fulfillment with stimulation, but stimulation ends in one’s self, rather than in God.  Because of original sin, our intended seeking of fulfillment, is now directed toward the closest substitute which is stimulation: alcohol, status, food, limited or false righteousness, etc.  True fulfillment (as a member of God), is offered to everyone, but it demands that a person enlarge beyond self. 

By God given nature, every person seeks that which he identifies as the highest good, or at least an immediate good.  Since (by effect of original sin), God no longer shines forth as a highest good, we seek some sort of immediate satisfaction.  This immediate satisfaction is less than God, and is a stimulation in place of our highest fulfillment.   Dependence upon God is not a fault (expect every type of emotion in this life), but dependence upon stimulation is addiction. 

Buddhism concentrates upon such denial of self and its inherent selfish action.  Christianity attains, then advances this selflessness into a participation in God.  Buddhism does not demand a lack of God, Christianity demands an acknowledgement of God.  The first step in selflessness is an acknowledgement in something bigger than this life and our own person. 

Recovery from such addiction (large scale or low scale), which is common to most or all of the population, and is likely to be gradual, as was the addiction.  Romance movies, pornography (imagine an erotic novel being approved by Christ…impossible, because it draws one’s person away from God). 

{30}  Pornography is a prime example of selfishness replacing fulfillment.  The perfection for sex is that a man and a woman (the only human configuration able to reproduce), engage in reproduction.  The particular pleasures of sex are part of the whole; if these particular pleasures are isolated, and made the goal, then the whole act is lacking in its fullness and perfection.  

{31}  A moral virtue is one that we have willful control over such as patience. Ontological virtues are those that have no moral significance, such as reaction time, hair color or muscularity.  Even if we will to increase muscularity or reaction time, they remain ontological virtues because in themselves they lack moral quality.  Muscle power in itself has no moral meaning, it may be used for good or bad purposes.  The ontological virtues may be used or misused by the moral virtues.

{32}  Supernatural existence is our existence as Christ, who is now the entire body of Christ.  We start as a member of the human nature of Jesus Christ (which explains why we do not walk about divine), then once we perfect our will, free of self interest and self, we fully participate in the divine nature of Christ, (2Pet 1:4).  The Catechism of the Catholic Church states explicitly that we become Christ in at least two paragraphs: (1) CCC 1213, “Through baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ.”; (2) CCC 795, “…Let us rejoice then and give thanks that we have become not only Christians, but Christ himself…he and we together are the whole man.”  The idea and term “Whole Christ”, occurs at least six times: CCC 795, 796, 797, 1136, 1187, 1188.  Christ is now all who constitute the body of Christ: Jesus, Eucharist, humans, angels.  For an explanation of God, Trinity, Christ and Jesus Christ, see appendix, ‘Christology’.  

{33}  Virtually no one is completely selfish, and such evaluation is ultimately made by God.  The problem with selfishness is that a person bound to self cannot make participation in God.  Atheism and anti-theism are forms of selfishness, that reject God, who is the very goal of life.  Ultimately God will make communion with all goodness (general judgment), evil and those owning it will be left behind.  This will be the final formation of Hell. 

{34}   God can only create that which is sinless.  God does not create sin, but he does distribute the effects of sin according to his good judgment.  Sin can only be effected within creation; if God existed within the realm of creation (which he does as Jesus Christ), he would remediate sin into his own virtue, which is exactly what Jesus Christ offers to all who are willing to give up their sin. 

{35} God sustains in existence all of creation, including body, soul, virtues, and anything else we can think of, and more.  Catholic theology has Christ everywhere…in Heaven, Hell, Purgatory, not just aware of everything, but in everything…in an apple, an atom, an angle…inside our head, our will, our ideas.  This principle is called divine omnipresence, and the Christ who creates is part of every creation.  The free, online 1912 Catholic Encyclopedia gives a good explanation under the heading “God, attributes of”:

“…God is really present everywhere in creation, not merely in virtue of operation, but in virtue of essence.  In other words, God Himself, or the Divine nature, is in immediate contact with, or immanent in, every creature — conserving it in being and enabling it to act.”

This idea was written of by Doctor of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas, (Summa Theologica, first part, question 8, article 1); he went so far as to say God has a non-moral presence even in demons, (they were created as angels with the attribute of being, and as devils they retain this non-moral attribute of being), if not they would cease to exist. 

{36} Sin is the cause of every disorder.  All sin (willed moral disorder) is assignable to some person or persons.  Every fatality is directly or indirectly traceable to sin.  1Cor 5:5 speaks of a man’s sin being assigned to his own body, thus sparing his soul.  This technique (used by God, who does not create sin, but does assign it) is also very commonly used on a mass scale.  Fatal disease, war and catastrophe has its origins in sin, not God, yet it is commonly assigned to the innocent (via the principle of spiritual commonality), or to its sponsor (principle of spiritual individuality), or amongst many sinners.  Sin has both communal and individual attributes.  The book of revelation lists the many varieties of disorder caused by sin, and their assignment on a world wide scale. 

{37}   It is a Catholic und