The Interior Journey
Welcome to our mini-series on the Interior Journey! We're so grateful and encouraged that you're here, pursuing these themes; that means so much to us. The fact that you are here, exploring these matters means that already you are among the "blessed...who hunger and thirst for righteousness" (Mt 5:6). Jesus clearly promised that those who seek will find , so you can trust and be confident that by His grace "you will be satisfied" (Mt 5:6).
We believe the content below can be helpful to you in your search for more of God because they are at the very heart of our life in the Lord. All the other resources that we've developed on our website, such as the Inspirations, the Dreams section and the videos included in our other Media pages are in some way related to this interior journey.
We all intuitively know that our conversion to Jesus is a life-changing experience. It sets us on an entirely new life path to an eternal destination that will far exceed anything we could ever ask or imagine. It also launches us into a journey, a spiritual adventure filled with purpose and meaning. Ultimately, this interior journey is the only means through which we can fulfill our heart's deepest longing for happiness and completion.
Thankfully courageous men and women of faith have gone before us and shared their experience with us. The videos below contain the wisdom and insight they gained in advancing on that journey. Although they can be viewed randomly, they have deliberately been placed in the following order which is why we recommend that they be viewed in this sequence.
God's Plan:
From "before the foundations of the world" (Eph 1:4), God has had a plan of "sheer goodness" (CCC 1) for all of creation. That plan means that each and every one of us have a unique purpose and destiny to fulfill. Understanding the original nature of that plan, what went wrong with it, and how God set things right again through Jesus, is a great help in understanding the nature, challenges and difficulties we encounter as well as the many blessings inherent in actively pursuing the interior journey. Thus we begin this series with a look at God's plan.
God Has a Plan (1) God has always had a plan and certainly all of creation is ordered to that plan. But there is something very special at the heart of this plan for each and every one of us.
God's Plan Fulfilled in Jesus (4) God's plan rests firmly on Jesus, who is the fulfillment of all our desires!
Destined for Glory: We were created for glory! Eternal glory! And God wishes us to share that message so that we may impact the destiny of others.
God's Plan is Full of Hope (2) God's plan, fulfilled through Jesus Christ, grants each one of us two very incredible gifts.
God's Plan: An Invitation (5) God never imposes Himself on us; this is why we must invite Him in. Pray this prayer with us, if you wish to give your "yes" to His beautiful invitation.
Jesus Our Superhero: Everyone enjoys superhero movies. There is something about them that stirs the heart because they ultimately point towards the "really Real".
God's Plan: Personal Relationship (3) God has a burning desire for a personal relationship with each one of us. But for this to happen, an important step must be taken...
God's Deepest Desire: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit wish for us to actually share in their divine nature and to live the life that they live. This is truly our heavenly destiny.
Grace Builds on Nature: A simple but clear explanation of an extremely important spiritual maxim!
The Journey Begins (Entering the First Mansions):
Once we have come to terms with who Jesus is, we are now ready to embark upon the road that will ultimately bring us back home to heaven. Over the 2,000 years of Christianity, God has revealed to certain generous souls an especially profound understanding of the journey that everyone needs to undertake if they wish to attain their goal of living eternally with God. Through these guides, most of whom are Doctors of the Church, He has given us "maps" with "sign posts" that help us recognize how far forward we have traveled on that road towards our goal. These maps identify many of the characteristics of each stage that we've attained as well as some of the obstacles that need to be overcome if we wish to keep travelling forward. Recognizing when we have arrived at particular stages of maturity is not only tremendously encouraging but also helps us know how to best cooperate with God's grace and with the Holy Spirit as He moves us further into deeper realms of life in God.
Linda and I have received a tremendous amount of help and encouragement through all the teaching that we have been exposed to along the way and these videos are our attempt at relaying that information - albeit in a concise and simplified manner - in such a way that it may be of help in your own journey towards eternal life with God in heaven.
2 Ancient Maps for the Journey. In this introductory video, we make the link between holiness and 2 ancient maps given by God to holy men and women throughout the ages.
The Seven Mansions: Thanks to St. Teresa of Avila, we have a 2nd map of the interior life, which is known as "The Seven Mansions". We make the link between the "Seven Mansions" and the "Three Ways".
The First Mansions: We describe the characteristics of a person who has made it into the Castle and into the first rooms and tell of the joy God feels for such souls.
Two Maps, One Destiny. God granted us two maps to help us on our journey; one called "The Three Ways" and the other is called "The 7 Mansions".
Entering the Castle: A person's spiritual journey towards holiness begins when entering the Interior Castle. One cannot move forward without this very first step across the threshold.
Two Dangers in the 1st Mansions: Moving beyond the front door of the Interior Castle is key to growing in the Lord. Here we identify to dangers that can prevent us from moving forward.
The Three Ways: This is the most ancient map which contains - the purgative way of beginners; the illuminative way of proficients; the unitive way of the perfect.
The Purgative Way: It corresponds to St. Teresa of Avila's first 3 mansions (rooms) inside the castle and its chief characteristic is that of purification or cleansing.
The Door into the 2nd Mansions: Crossing the threshold into the second mansions indicates significant progress in the spiritual life which should encourage us.
Recommended Spiritual Reading:
As we grow in our relationship with the Lord, reading good books is a must. St Teresa of Avila recounts that at one point in her own journey towards the transforming union, she needed to read from a good book in order to enter into personal prayer. The nourishment we receive from spiritual reading actually helps to increase our faith at every stage of our growth in God but most especially at the beginning, when we are novices in the spiritual life. This food forms and informs our intellects where, as the saints have taught us, the theological virtue of faith is infused and firmly rooted. So if we wish to increase our faith, we need to establish firm intellectual foundations regarding the dogmas and morals of our faith. Reading good books contributes to that considerably. As we feed on this wisdom we will find ourselves growing and maturing and will enjoy the experience of being much more rooted and grounded in the Lord.
In the videos below, you will find some of the books that Marcel and I have found very helpful to our own spiritual growth, books that have often opened another door or another vista into that next step needed to enter into "the more" of God. Many of these books we have two copies of, one for each of us! We are so very grateful for all the men and women of God who have left us the rich legacy of their own spiritual journey into the depths of God.
I Believe in Love: This superb book by a renowned spiritual director, Fr. Jean C.J. d'Elbée, is the transcription of a personal retreat based on the teachings of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church: If you could be allowed only one other book besides the Bible, what book would you choose? Here's our choice!
The Three Conversions: Our conversion to Christ is fundamental to our salvation, but it is far from adequate to complete the Father's plan of holiness in our lives.
