from Ch15 of "The Three Ages of the Interior Life" - Fr R. Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.
| Beginners (purgative way) Ascetical life |
Proficients (illuminative way) Threshold of the mystical life |
The Perfect (unitive way) Mystical life |
Degrees of Charity |
| Initial virtues, first degree of charity, temperance, chastity, patience, first degrees of humility. | Solid virtues, second degree of charity, obedience, more profound humility; spirit of the counsels. | Eminent and heroic virtues, third degree of charity, perfect humility, great spirit of faith, abandonment, almost unalterable patience. | Virtues |
| Gifts of the Holy Ghost rather latent,
inspirations at rare intervals, slight aptitude as yet to profit by them.
The soul is especially conscious of its activity. |
The gifts of the Holy Ghost begin to manifest themselves, especially the three inferior gifts of fear, knowledge, and piety. The soul, more docile now, profits more from inspirations and interior illuminations. | The higher gifts manifest themselves more notably and frequently. The soul is, as it were, dominated by the Holy Ghost. Great passivity in His regard, which does not exclude the activity of the virtues. | Gifts |
| Active purification of the senses and of the spirit, or exterior and interior mortification. | Passive purification of the senses, under the influence especially of the gifts of fear and knowledge. Concomitant trials. Entrance into the illuminative way. | Purification of the spirit under the influence especially of the gift of understanding. Concomitant trials in which are manifested the gifts of fortitude and of counsel. Entrance into the perfect unitive way. | Purifications |
| Acquired prayer: vocal prayer, discursive prayer, affective prayer, which becomes more and more simple, called the prayer of active recollection. | Initial infused prayer, isolated acts of infused contemplation in the course of the acquired prayer of recollection; then, prayers of supernatural recollection and of arid or consoled quiet. The gift of piety. | Infused prayers of simple union, of
complete union ( sometimes ecstatic), of transforming union, under the more and more marked influence of the gift of wisdom. Concomitant favors. |
Prayers |
| First and second mansions | Third and fourth mansions | Fifth, sixth, and seventh mansions | Mansions of St Teresa |