What is the path to know God intimately?

  • Thread starter Thread starter kikiki32
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
K

kikiki32

Guest
Hello. I have a strong desire of being intimate with God, to reach contemplation in some moment of my life. How can I get to that point? What’s the path to Him? How can I completely surrender to His will?
 
The shortest and best book I know of is The Three Ways of the Spiritual Life, also published as The Three Conversions of the Spiritual Life, by Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. This used to be found on-line, for reading or downloading free - my guess is that was stopped by copyright enforcement. Used copies are now sold for outrageous prices. Digital copies are available through Amazon, for Kindle readers, for not much money.

If you can find a copy, it is a treasure.

The Ordinary Path to Holiness is another possibility - available on Amazon and B&N - a normal priced paperback or Kindle. This also maps out the three stages of spirituality. The author is a Catholic lay man, R. Thomas Richard.
 
I would recommend two things. One is a book you may find helpful; Introduction to the Devout Life by Francis de Sales. Centuries old, this book reads like it was written yesterday. The other thing you will find very positive toward achieving your desire is to imitate the life of Jesus. Read the gospels and make note of how he responded to varying situations. There is no better way to become intimate with our Creator than to learn to think and act like the Christ.
 
Last edited:
Lucy_1 said:
What kind of prayer?
Click to expand...
Any & all.

I’d start with the Apostles Creed, The Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be … try to pray them daily.

Then get into Liturgy of the Hours. Then Lectio Divina.
 
Thank you. I didn’t expect so many answers in such a little time.

@fide I’ve found some of Garrigou-Lagrange’s books online in my language. There’s a short one that has the word “ways” in the title and a long one that speaks about three interior “ages” (?). I suppose you’re referring to the first one, right? Both of them seem to be pretty interesting books.Thank you!

@CelticWarlord I think I read years ago some excerpts of that book you mentioned. I’ll definitely search for it. I’ll see if I can put your second advice in practice. Thank you.

@theorangeandblue Thank you for those passages.

@po18guy Thank you for the book advice.

@(name removed by moderator) Adoration is something I should do more often. But I tend to feel slightly uncomfortable there, without knowing “what to do”. I’ll try to go more often when the temples open again. As for prayer, sometimes I can pray from the heart, really meaning whatever I tell God. But some other times, I’m just dry, cold, and even ‘uninterested’. I still lack consistency there. Thank you.
 
kikiki32 said:
Thank you. I didn’t expect so many answers in such a little time.

@fide I’ve found some of Garrigou-Lagrange’s books online in my language. There’s a short one that has the word “ways” in the title and a long one that speaks about three interior “ages” (?). I suppose you’re referring to the first one, right? Both of them seem to be pretty interesting books.Thank you!
Click to expand...
Yes, the small, short paperback title uses either “ways” or “conversions”; the large two-volume work uses “ages”. The short/small one is excellent in its own right - is very packed with information and with wisdom. The longer two-volume work has much, much more detail and breadth concerning the interior, spiritual life of grace in the soul. It is truly a masterpiece.

A book that would be better read after reading an introductory one (such as one that I suggested in my first post to you), would be this one: Christian Perfection And Contemplation: According To St. Thomas Aquinas And St. John Of The Cross
I see that this one also is now scarce - and expensive… However, I see another source seems to have it still in-stock HERE.

A “reprint” (I’m not sure what this means) is available on Amazon (Christian Perfection And Contemplation: According To St. Thomas Aquinas And St. John Of The Cross: Garrigou-Lagrange, R., Doyle, M. Timothea: 9781163140451: Amazon.com: Books).

This author’s works are hard to find now - which is a good sign for the Church. I’m sorry to say it, but: we have “on the market” much superficial and incomplete information on the spiritual life, even some of which is being bought and taught by Catholic parishes and dioceses… I’m glad that the truly good sources are still recognized by some folks.

The Ordinary Path to Holiness is still available on Amazon, and I think a good way to begin as well, however.
 
Dear kikiki32,

It is a beautiful grace from God to have, as you said, “a strong desire of being intimate with God…” May He Who began a good work in you, continue to guide you. Reading the first reply to you from fide, I was happy to see his recommendations; they are two books I’d recommend. Both are excellent!
  1. Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange - a Dominican priest who taught at the Angelicum in Rome for many years has written many books – all are well-worth reading! I’ve read the “Three Ways of the Spiritual Life” and often re-read it!
  2. R.Thomas Richard, PhD. has appeared on EWTN “Bookmark” and I’ve read several of his books as well. As a layman, he brings a much needed dimension to Catholic laity in understanding the development of the spiritual life in stages. His book, “The Ordinary Path to Holiness” gives ample quotes from Saints who have followed this path to holiness. Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR wrote the intoduction to this book and concludes with this beautiful tribute to the author:
“This is one of those books that is meant to be lived as well as read. But read it with your soul as well as your mind and with your heart as well as your eyes.”
Click to expand...
“The Ordinary Path to Holiness” is also a book I re-read and have recommended to others!
 
Last edited:
When you feel dryness and coldness that is a good time to pray anyway! We can grow spiritually that way. The Lord hears you!

The Carmelite Doctors of the Church explain that very well. We do not have to wait for good feelings to come along in order to pray.
 
There is no technique or method that can guarantee such an intimate experience of union. We must believe in Him and want to do His will in order to please and delight Him-and we must grow towards love (which is His main desire for us), and so keep earnestly seeking Him and walking humbly with Him and then, at His discretion and for His purposes, He may grant such an experience, even if we’re not directly seeking it.
 
I’ll be upfront. As controversial and even hated as it is here, perhaps 15 years ago, I had a charismatic Priest lay hands on me and pray while I forced myself to be docile to the Holy Spirit. I was “slain in the Spirit” (or “Rested” in the Spirit). While it seemed that nothing happened immediately, my faith suddenly and utterly deepened. I developed devotions to prayer before Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, to scripture, to our Mother, to contemplative prayer, to evangelizing - in short, to every thing related to the faith.

I experienced minor miracles in prayer, and the powerful, breath-taking, overwhelming presence of the Holy Spirit. There was no turning back. In one sense, it prepared me for that which was to come.
 
Last edited:
@fide (and @MariaChristi) Thank you. I love books, so I’ll write down all of your suggestions and start reading them slowly and prayerfully.

@Dorothy I know, but still, I tend to get discouraged when I don’t get any kind of feeling, consolation or I just feel far from God (like one does after sinning in an obvious way). Thank you.

@fhansen Thank you. I want to seek God and progress in my spiritual life. But I’m slightly lost. I just know I want God for (and owe Him) the rest of my life, even if I don’t always choose to do His will. Maybe I see contemplation as a goal because it implies some intimate union with God.

@po18guy I’ve never been to a charismatic prayer. It’s great that you received those gifts there. Why do you say it is hated here?
 
kikiki32 said:
@fhansen Thank you. I want to seek God and progress in my spiritual life. But I’m slightly lost. I just know I want God for (and owe Him) the rest of my life, even if I don’t always choose to do His will. Maybe I see contemplation as a goal because it implies some intimate union with God.
Click to expand...
I understand-and contemplation is certainly a valid and worthy pursuit-sanctioned by the Church. So pursue that path if you will; any way that we seek God is good. He loves that.
"Draw near to God and He’ll draw near to you." James 4:8
 
Last edited:
Manifestations of the Holy Spirit are often poorly understood or misunderstood. Thus, they can be rejected - just as Christ was. You would not believe the negativity that is directed against those living in the Spirit.

“They are drunk on new wine!” the crowd said.
 
Dear kikiiki,

Since you love books, I’ll add just one more and it is related to the two books I’ve already listed because it also contains this progression toward intimacy with God through stages in the spiritual life. It is a small volume written by St. Louis de Montfort, entitled “Treatise on True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin” This link is to the online version but it is also sold in paperback.

There are a few different translations but my favorite is the one by Fr. Faber. See HERE. St. Louis writing in the 1700’s is not an “easy” read for some, but each time I have read it, I’ve learned more and continue to learn from it. It is a book that deserves more than one reading.

By God’s Grace, may we all continue to seek with you to surrender completely to His Will with all our hearts. May we all learn as the saints did how to grow in holiness from Jesus Who told us from His Cross: “Behold your Mother”. Mary perfectly surrendered completely to His will in her beautiful words: "Be it done to me… (cf Luke 1: 38)
 
Last edited:
There are so many ways that Jesus draws us to Himself. The key is to keep searching for Him, in prayer and the sacraments. I find the spirituality of Spiritual Childhood, as practiced by such saints as Therese of Lisieux, a powerful means to know and love God intimately. It is all about complete trust and confidence that God is Our Father and loves us with an overwhelming love. I recommend the book, I Believe in Love.
 
@po18guy I have very little experience of the Holy Spirit. I just know of a friend who had a powerful experience and he doesn’t like to talk much about it. He has a similar attitude, which confirms what you said. These things make me feel some curiosity, to be honest. The Holy Spirit is the “great unknown”.

@MariaChristi Thank you. I’ll also search for this book. My mother language is Spanish, so I prefer to read it in that language, if possible. I think I would understand most of it in English, but for spirituality I prefer to use the language in which I naturally speak, think and understand. Mary was generous with God, and God prized her generosity. May we be generous with Him as well. But the more I try to advance in my faith, the more difficult it seems. I hope I will persevere.

@limoncello4021 I don’t really know much about Therese of Lisieux. I haven’t read any of her writings, nor really know what her spirituality is about; I just have a very broad and blurry concept. I’ll try to learn a bit more about her. Thank you
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top