Disposition of the soul and special graces

[4carmel]

Maybe this should be directed towards my spiritual director but I thought I would bang the question around a bit and gain some insight.
Q: When a soul is properly disposed in level of spiritual maturity and after having gone through various purgative stages and have a deep prayer life then-- if that soul asks for a particular grace with faith are the requests (if they be in accords Divine Will) more likely to be granted. Furthermore, if this is a grace that most others would not ask for would- under those conditions- the soul obtain the specail grace.Why would God grant confirmations to a prayer and then make the soul wait and wait or does the waiting either deny the confirmations or is it just part of the purgative process? Sorry out of prudence I must be pretty vague on this one.
Thanks!

 

[Joysong]

Hello Carmelite,

I feel inept to answer your deep searching questions, for I know the intense studies of an OCDS into the writings of Carmel’s saints. So I refer you to St. Therese who had a true vocation to Carmel, but had to wait endlessly and go through a lot of hurdles before obtaining permission to enter. Once in Carmel, she had to wait again for profession, but all during these waits, she grew in patience and resignation to God’s Holy Will and His timing. Anxiety is sometimes born of excessive desire, even though it be spiritual, and I think God would prefer that we be a little more detached.

May God bless your searching and teach you His ways,
Carole

 

[awalt]

Any time it appears our prayers are not answered, it is because what we ask is not in God’s will - either in timing or direction. God ALWAYS listens to our prayers and responds, that does not mean he grants specifically what we ask for (just like parents ;listen to their kids’ needs but don’t always give them what they ask for, as it could be harmful).

I am not a theological expert on “grace”, but the way you described it seemed a little different to me - I thought you might enjoy reading this article on the two types of Grace, I found it very good…

 

[4carmel]

I think the first person who answered had it down. Both did but in this application the first person hit it. It is a matter of waiting. I think the soul grows further towards Divine Union in some of the waiting process. God is faithful always. I have told others but I feel that the hardest part of praying for a virtue such as paitence is one must become paitent to obtain it. In application to special graces and favors I think the soul has to become docile and wait. Maybe impatiance is a by product of a remote control society. Stillness, silence and abandonment and lots of prayer. Then we can hear the God who speaks in the still quiet voice. I have to just trust and wait. God Provides. Thanks to both of you for your insight- I am open to more.

 

[4carmel]

Everything is a grace. Everything is the direct effect of our Father’s love - difficulties, contradictions, humiliations, all the soul’s miseries, her burdens, her needs - everything. Because through them she learns humility, realizes her weakness. Everything is a grace because everything is God’s gift. Whatever be the character of life or its unexpected events, to the heart that loves, all is well.

– St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, OCD -Doctor of the Church