For those who don’t know the path of holy mystical contemplation, here are the eight stages of the spiritual journey of Saint Angela of Foligno. For me, this saint is a precursor to St. Teresa of Jesus. They say inspiration should find you working. In this case, it’s similar. All stages are born from prayer (not prayer with words, but prayer of the heart). Although it may seem impossible to you, we can all follow this path because our perfection comes from God, and God can do anything. The "old man": The first stage, characterized by pride, vanity, and worldly passions that distance a person from God. The "old man" who dies: The second stage focuses on the confession of sins, accompanied by shame and bitterness. The person experiences the pain of being aware of their sin. The Passion of Christ: At this stage, the person focuses on the life, passion, and death of Christ, which leads to deep contemplation and meditation. This is a fundamental step toward a deeper spiritual life. The soul that loves: The third stage is characterized by a feeling of love for the soul and the mysteries of God, distinct from normal discursive knowledge. The person experiences God’s grace. The abandonment of the ego: In the fourth stage, the person strips away their ego and everything they possess, until they reach the experience of total abandonment to God’s will. Material possessions are renounced. Union with the Trinity: The later stages, which include the vision of faith and union with the Trinity, mark the culmination of the process. The person no longer needs verbal explanations to understand God, but experiences Him directly in their life. The vision of faith: At this stage, the mystery of faith is understood thru direct experience of God. Union with the Trinity: The final stage is total union with God in the Trinity, where the divine presence is experienced in a complete and profound way.
