The Divine Will: 3 Stages of the Spiritual Life

Catholic Exchange outlines three stages of spiritual growth based on the writings of St. Faustina Kowalska and St. Alphonsus Liguori to explain how believers can unite their will with God's.

The first stage involves a person faithfully following the commandments of God and the precepts of the Church through external observance. The second stage occurs when a person responds to interior promptings from the Holy Spirit, using the grace of actual inspiration to understand what pleases God.

The third and final stage describes a soul that is completely abandoned to God's will. In this state, the person allows God to dispose of them freely, acting as a docile tool in His hands. St. Alphonsus Liguori noted that while perfection consists in loving God, full perfection is found when a person's will is united with the divine will.