Purification and Grace: The Interior Journey of the Christian Contemplative
Introduction
Every genuine journey into the contemplative life begins with a painful but holy realization: we are not as whole, clean, or sanctified as we once believed. Yet this recognition is not the end—it is the beginning of a deeper intimacy with God. It is the opening of the soul to what the mystics and saints have called purification, and it is inseparable from the healing and sanctifying work of grace.
To pursue God is to enter into a lifelong process of transformation—a sacred unraveling of the false self and a gradual becoming of the true self made in the image and likeness of Christ. This is no quick endeavor; it is the work of a lifetime, and yet it is not our work alone. God’s grace sustains and perfects every step we take.
What Is Purification?
Purification is not about achieving moral perfection but about growing in spiritual clarity, humility, and surrender. It involves the cleansing of body, mind, and soul, freeing us from attachments, illusions, and ego-driven behaviors. In biblical and spiritual language, it means to become “clean” before God—cleansed not only of sin but of all that hinders divine union.¹
The contemplative path requires a kind of spiritual detoxification. We must pass through trials of introspection, self-examination, and even inner darkness. In this process, old wounds and hidden motivations often rise to the surface—not to condemn us, but to be healed.
No saint reached holiness without this. Even the holiest figures of the Church endured long, painful seasons of purification.
“Let nothing disturb you… God alone is enough.”
— Saint Teresa of Ávila²
Lessons from the Saints: Teresa and Thérèse
Two of the greatest teachers on purification are Saint Teresa of Ávila and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. In The Interior Castle, Teresa maps the soul’s progression through seven “mansions,” or interior states, toward full union with God. The early stages are dominated by self-knowledge, humility, and purification. Teresa describes the need to surrender attachments and pride as the soul advances.³
Thérèse of Lisieux, in The Story of a Soul, speaks openly of her struggles with pride, scruples, and suffering. Her “Little Way” is not a shortcut around purification, but a simple path through it—with total trust in God’s mercy. She embraced her weakness as the place where God’s grace could shine brightest.⁴
Both saints encountered the dark night of the soul, a concept articulated by Saint John of the Cross, where the soul feels spiritually abandoned, even by God. This darkness is not a punishment but a purification—an interior stripping that allows for deeper faith and love.⁵
The Trap of Perfectionism: Grace as the Starting Point
It is vital to remember: you do not need to be fully purified before beginning the contemplative journey. If you wait until you feel “pure enough” to pray, meditate, or seek God, you may never begin. The contemplative life is not reserved for the holy—it is the means by which the Holy Spirit makes us holy.
“The life of a contemplative is consumed with introspection and reflection,”
but it is also saturated with grace.
We must resist the temptation to earn our worthiness before God. The Gospel is clear:
“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
We are invited to come as we are, trusting that grace will meet us in our brokenness and transform us.
False Self vs. True Self: A Pauline Perspective
Much of the purification process involves the deconstruction of what St. Paul calls the “old self” and the emergence of the “new self”.
This language appears in Ephesians: “Put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, and… clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness”
(Ephesians 4:22–24, NRSV).⁶
The false self—a term later developed by Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, and Thomas Keating—is the mask we wear: our ego, our roles, our compulsions. It is driven by the need to be liked, to be safe, or to be in control.
The true self, by contrast, is who we are in Christ—our identity as beloved sons and daughters of God. Purification is the stripping away of everything that is not that.
Where Do We Start?
A few foundational resources will serve any contemplative beginner:
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Saint Teresa of Ávila’s Interior Castle offers a roadmap of the soul’s inner journey.⁷
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Thérèse of Lisieux’s Story of a Soul reveals how humility and trust purify the heart.⁸
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Thomas Keating’s works, especially Open Mind, Open Heart, explore the process of divine therapy, where Centering Prayer becomes a channel for purification.⁹
These authors teach us that spiritual growth is not linear, and that failure, dryness, and confusion are not signs of failure—they are part of the way.
The Role of Grace in Purification
If purification is the process, grace is the power. Grace is the unearned, freely given presence of God in our lives. It is what makes purification possible—not our efforts, not our virtue.
“By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
If you confess your sins, God is faithful to forgive (1 John 1:9). If you long for transformation, God will answer. Our role is to show up in prayer, surrender our will, and trust that God is already at work in the secret places of our soul.
Conclusion: Trust and Begin Again
Wherever you are on the journey—broken, burdened, distracted, or discouraged—remember this:
• You do not have to be perfect to start.
• You are not expected to finish by your own strength.
• You are deeply loved, and grace is already at work in you.
So pray. Reflect. Confess. Begin again. Clothe yourself in the new self, and trust that God, who has begun a good work in you, will carry it to completion (Philippians 1:6).
Footnotes
1. Catechism of the Catholic Church, §2013.
2. Teresa of Ávila, The Interior Castle, trans. E. Allison Peers (Dover, 2009), First Mansion.
3. Ibid., Fourth Mansion.
4. Thérèse of Lisieux, The Story of a Soul, trans. John Clarke (ICS Publications, 1996), Ch. IX.
5. John of the Cross, Dark Night of the Soul, trans. E. Allison Peers (Image Books, 1959).
6. Ephesians 4:22–24, NRSV.
7. Teresa of Ávila, The Interior Castle, cited above.
8. Thérèse of Lisieux, The Story of a Soul, cited above.
9. Thomas Keating, Open Mind, Open Heart (Continuum, 2006), Ch. 6.
What is Contemplation?
Etymology Insights into Contemplation
Christian Contemplation Introduction
The Differences between Meditation and Contemplation
Practicing Contemplation
The Practice of Christian Contemplation
Ongoing Steps to Learning Contemplation
The Catholic Rosary Contemplation
Christian Contemplation Resources
Insights from Saints who Practiced Contemplation
Thomas Merton’s Life and Practices
Thomas Keating on Contemplation
Challenges to Contemplation
Discernment for the Contemplative
Purification for the Contemplative