Three Ways of the Spiritual Life

THE THREE WAYS OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
by Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, OP
1938

If you are a Franciscan wishing to learn more about developing and maintaining an Interior Life,
this text is a very important one. This is a Spiritual Classic.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 : THE LIFE OF GRACE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FIRST
CONVERSION

The necessity of the interior life.
The principle of the interior life.
The beginning of eternal life.
The importance of true conversion.
The three periods of the spiritual life.

CHAPTER 2 : THE SECOND CONVERSION: ENTRANCE INTO THE ILLUMINATIVE
WAY

The second conversion of the Apostles.
What our second conversion ought to be. The defects which render
it necessary.
The motives which must inspire the second conversion, and the
fruits that derive therefrom.

CHAPTER 3 : THE THIRD CONVERSION OR TRANSFORMATION OF THE SOUL:
ENTRANCE INTO THE UNITIVE WAY

The Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles.
The effects of the descent of the Holy Ghost.
The purification of the spirit necessary for Christian perfection.
Create A Clean Heart In Me, O Lord.
The necessity of the purification of the spirit.
How does God purify the soul in this third conversion?

PRAYER TO THE HOLY GHOST

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY GHOST

CHAPTER 4 : THE PROBLEM OF THE THREE STAGES OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
IN ASCETICAL AND MYSTICAL THEOLOGY

Statement of the Problem.
Proposed Division of the Three Stages of The Spiritual Life.
The transition from one stage to another in the Spiritual Life.

CHAPTER 5 : CHARACTERISTICS OF THE THREE STAGES OF THE SPIRITUAL
LIFE

Beginners.
Proficients or progressives
The Perfect.

CHAPTER 6 : THE PEACE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD: A PRELUDE TO THE LIFE
OF HEAVEN

The divine awakening.
The Living Flame.
Pax in veritate.

NOTE ON THE CALL TO THE INFUSED CONTEMPLATION OF THE MYSTERIES OF
FAITH

ENDNOTES

We copied this work from the EWTN Archive with permission. The file in question is a hold-over from the pre-EWTN era when Catholic Resources Net allowed people to upload their favorite files. Given that this is the work of Dominican Father Garagou Lagrange, long deceased, we haven’t felt that it was necessary to remove it. Presumably, the Dominican Order holds the copyright, if still existing. TAN Books has republished the work, but generally, when they do so, they copyright the typeface and cover. The consensus was that we didn't think anyone would mind if we placed this work on our website for educational purposes. In addition, this work used to be a part of St. Michael's Depot Website, for many years, in Australia, a website no longer in existence.