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. These maps will help you to: - Set your course properly. - Bring along the proper provisions for the journey. - Avoid pitfalls along the way. - Overcome challenges. - Take the most direct way to your ultimate destination and - Determine your progress. But there are 2 basic and indispensable elements needed to set us on this road to holiness...

Maps are indispensable in the temporal order of things, but they are also very useful in the spiritual life. God granted us two maps to help us on our journey; one called "The Three Ways", which dates back to the early centuries of Christianity and the other is called "The 7 Mansions of the Interior Castle", which was given to St. Teresa of Avila. These two maps have different ways of breaking down the journey to God, but they do dovetail quite nicely together and they both bring us to that wonderful union with God.

The most ancient map of the interior life is known as "The Three Ways". Join Marcel as he briefly explains the 3 stages of growth towards holiness, which are: - the purgative way of beginners, - the illuminative way of proficients, - the unitive way of the perfect.

Thanks to St. Teresa of Avila, we have a 2nd map of the interior life, which is known as "The Seven Mansions", where a soul journeys through "mansions" or "rooms" towards the centre of an interior castle. In this video, we make the link between the map of the "Seven Mansions" and the map of the "Three Ways" (described in a previous video).

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. How does one enter in? This is what Jesus said, "In all truth I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born through water and the Spirit." (John 3:5)

The first phase of our spiritual journey after we enter into the interior castle is traditionally known as 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.

In this video, we begin to describe the characteristics of a person who has made it into the Castle and into the first rooms, and we try to communicate something of the joy God feels for all souls who have given their lives over to Him.

You'll greatly benefit from knowing about these two dangers in the First Mansions!

Crossing the threshold into the second mansions indicates significant progress in the spiritual life.