The Second Mansions
Once someone has arrived in the Second Mansions, one could say that they have reached a new point of departure. According to the great mystic and Doctor of the Church, Teresa of Avila, a significant number of people remain in the First Mansions, but for those who are determined to advance further in, entering the Second Mansions rests on one very simple decision: to commit to a time of daily personal prayer. Until we anchor ourselves in daily conversations with God, spiritual progress is slow and irregular. Once we make that commitment things really begin to change on many fronts. Some things get better, but to be frank, some things actually get much more difficult.
The aridities and the seemingly non-stop issues that arise discourage many people which explains, in part, why so many abandon their life of prayer and regress back into the First Mansions, or sadly, leave the interior castle altogether! Persevering in our journey through the Second Mansions is a crucial time in our walk with God. For those who intentionally choose to keep going forward, regardless of all the trials that crop up, the rewards are very well worth the effort, and in time, lead to horizons that are far beyond what we could ever have envisioned for our lives.
The teachings below are once again designed to build one upon another. Over time, we hope to cover all the important elements that you will need to know in order to successfully cooperate with the Holy Spirit - the artisan of God's works and the master of prayer" (CCC 741) - who navigates our souls through the Second Mansions to eventually enter into the Third Mansions, which can be characterized by a life that is "well regulated".
But there is a lot of ground to cover since the Fall has distorted every aspect of life. It really is a very active time when the Lord begins to dig deeper down into the soul to purge out all the dross and the toxic material that is getting in the way of that purity of heart, mind, soul, and intention that He desires. The more purgation we allow the Lord to accomplish in us here and now, the less time we will need to spend in purgatory! And that's a good thing, a very good thing!
General Principles:
The following 6 videos explain some of the basic dispositions of heart and mind a person needs to have in order to cooperate more fully with the Holy Spirit as He leads them forward into the interior castle of their soul. Evidently, knowing about these necessary dispositions - some of which may surprise you - contributes greatly to cultivating them within ourselves.
The Door into the 2nd Mansions: Crossing the threshold into the second mansions indicates significant progress in the spiritual life which should encourage us.
St. John of the Cross. Spiritual Canticle, stanza 1, paragraph 7.
Those Who Seek Will Find. A fundamental requirement for spiritual growth is the ongoing pursuit of God. Our spiritual loves are not static. We either grow and advance or we lose ground.
3 Fundamentals to Growth. We all want to progress and mature spiritually. Knowing about these three fundamentals can greatly aid us in achieving that goal!
Where is God to be Found? Those who seek will find. That's a promise from Jesus Himself. Where then should we seek the Lord? The saints and masters of the spiritual life are in agreement.
In Pursuit of Holiness: A Pitfall to Avoid. It is an excellent practice to read about the lives of the saints but constantly comparing ourselves to them can actually become a hindrance in our pursuit of holiness.
Fundamental characteristics of the Second Mansions:
In this section, we put before you various trials that a person faces as they begin to mature into the Second Mansions. These trials vary both in nature and in intensity as well. They may also have a somewhat unique appearance reflecting the uniqueness of each person. The important thing to remember is that trials are normative at this stage of spiritual development. In other words, there's nothing going wrong when things begin to get tough. Being able to recognize these trials can bring us considerable peace and encouragement to forge ahead successfully!
The Greatest Challenge. Being able to identify the greatest challenge to personal prayer is vital to overcoming this hurdle! (New)
More videos related to The Second Mansions will be added soon and regularly!
The Most Common Temptation.
The most common temptation against prayer can be reduced to these two sentences: "But I don't have time to pray. I have so much to do!"
