Do I Need to Know Where I am In my Spiritual Growth? | Spiritual Reflections

hey friends this is Dan Burke from spiritual direction calm and in a forum discussion this morning on the interior life somebody asked a question if you know how it was it important to know what phase of spiritual growth that you're in maybe what night that you're in in terms of the teachings of Saint John of the Cross and somebody remarked you know that the Saints don't think like this and that you you would find in their writings that you should just get on with it and not be occupied with self and in some sense there's some truth to that there is a kind of narcissism that can come from excessive focus on self but st. Teresa of Avila speaks of a different kind of self-knowledge that is rooted in what a person in experiences as they begin to enter into the interior castle and they begin to do two things that she notes as the demarcations of that entry into the interior life the first is they begin to practice mental prayer of course this is all she assumes sacramental health of the life of the person in terms of regular confession and and participation Eucharist all of that but she says the the two signs are that there's a beginning to take seriously the practice of mental prayer and the second is one that they have they are reflective about who they are who God is in their life I call this a god word self-knowledge it's not a preoccupation with self but it's a it's a question that one asks when you begin to become aware of who you are in light of who God is what he's done for you and then what he's called you to and so this Godward self knowledged st. Teresa teaches begins to produce in the soul a kind of humility that we properly identify who we are who God is and how we ought to live and in relationship to that that truth the second thing that she notes in terms of this idea of understanding where you are in the spiritual life as she makes several arguments at several points in the interior castle's that you've got to know you gotta have a sense of where you are because God works in the soul differently at different phases so just like a parent governs or manages or leads or guides or influences or supports the growth of their child differently when they're a toddler versus when they're a 20 year old so - God deals with us differently at different phases based on our needs so to dismiss an appropriate use of self-knowledge is to really misrepresent the teachings of the Saints particularly the spiritual doctors of the church who placed a great value in understanding where we are in the interior life what God is doing in our lives at this point and then how we might properly respond to him to receive the graces and the growth that he desires of us this is Dan Burke with spiritual direction com make sure you head out to spiritual direction com if you don't subscribe you ought to and if you do subscribe please tell your friends about us and this if these videos are a blessing to you share them with others god bless hey friends if you liked this video please help us to be a blessing to others subscribe to our Channel spiritual direction com share this video help us get the word out god bless you

Channel: SpiritualDirection.com

Views: 2,535

Rating: 4.9238095 out of 5

Keywords: Spiritual Growth, Purgative, Illuminative, unitive, spiritually, spirituality, understanding, Dan Burke, Catholic, Spiritual Direction, Avila, Faith, Apologetics, Meditation, Spiritual Direction Training, EWTN, Divine Mercy, Spiritual Guidance, Readings, Books, Advisor, Warfare, Church, Radio, New, Rosary, Answers, Saints, God, Catholic Worship, Catholic Teaching, Catholic Prayers, Podcast, Catholic Faith, Roman, Authentic, Contemplative

Id: L11EzndWu9g

Length: 4min 28sec (268 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 18 2019