Sunday - 2nd Week of Advent.

Matthew 11:11 “Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 

The greater spiritual privilege of being united with Christ after His coming, compared to John's role before.

3 Basic Steps to enter in to the the Kingdom of heaven. 

Grace is the foundational, underlying force or provision (the "crude" or raw material) from which all tangible blessings (the "products" or outcomes) flow.

 

1.Align with Actual Grace stage : Interacting with Actual Grace to receive blessings.

2.Align with Sanctifying grace stage : Interacting with Sanctifying Grace, to receive Grace.

3.Bearing fruit stage : Freedom in Christ, Union. Grace reflects in actions.

 

1.Align with Actual Grace stage :

Hear a Catholic has to go through 2 Purgative Stages (St. Teresa of Avila).

 

a. Active purgation : The intentional, voluntary spiritual effort to cleanse oneself of sins, bad habits, and attachments to worldly things to draw closer to God, practices of active Catholic life. Passionately involved with church activities and religious symbols. 

Once you learn how to effectively align with Actual Grace, Passive purgation will  get activated. 

This stage a person get a motherly relation with Mother Mary, by using more rosary. Rosary is the only way to conquer mother Mary's heart. 

Passive purgation Starts from wedding feast at Cana, Mary's active involvement in the life.

John 2:1-11

1.Wedding in Cana, the mother of Jesus was there 

2. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. 

Due to the high flow of  blessing, our life will be like a wedding feast, where Mother Mary, Jesus and disciples will be live and active in our life. i.e. active Catholic life.

3. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 

Here, Mother Mary intervene for  Passive purgation.

4. Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”

Passive purgation is the job of Jesus, for purification of soul, heart and senses. To do the intense and painful Passive purgation process, the person should under the protection of Mother Mary.

5. His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”

7. Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” . 

The Starting Command of  Passive purgation. One it start, others going to do the job. No turning back.

(Your Spouse, Parents, Kids, Friends, Relatives, your surroundings and each situation in the life, is going to fill the jars to turn vices into virtues) 

11. Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs to reveal his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. "No Passive purgation, no manifestation of glory."

b. Passive Purgation: The Reign of  Sanctifying grace. When personal efforts reach their limit in eradicating deeply embedded imperfections, God intervenes and initiates a deeper purification process that the soul cannot accomplish on its own. This is often a painful and bewildering experience, described by Saint John of the Cross as the  "Dark Night of the Senses". 

This stage you will trained to walk in the way of the Cross.(Christusway). 

This stage will end at Calvary, where Jesus will entrust Mary as your mother. “Behold your John 19:26  When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.”  27: Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. 

What happens if you resist or avoid passive purgation:

If  passive purgation (a deep, God-initiated spiritual purification) doesn't happen, the soul remains attached to worldly things and imperfections, hindering true union with God, potentially leading to a much harsher purification in
Purgatory after death, while delaying spiritual growth and deeper love in this life, requiring continued active effort to embrace God's will through trials. It means missing profound spiritual growth, deeper intimacy with God, and the deeper humility and compassion that come from facing inner darkness, risking a shallow spirituality. 

Spiritual Stagnation: You remain stuck in the "purgative way," unable to move into deeper stages like illumination or union because deeply rooted attachments (pride, self-will, worldly comforts) aren't removed, say.
Reliance on Consolation: You might become attached to feelings of spiritual comfort during prayer, missing the deeper call to rely purely on God's presence, notes.
Continued Trials: God may bring more intense, externally imposed trials (humiliations, difficulties) to force the purification that passive nights would otherwise provide, as seen in.
After death Purgatory: Unpurified attachments must be dealt with after death, often in a more severe Purgatory, whereas present-day purification brings greater glory in Heaven

3 Basic Stages to to receive Him, ushering in God's kingdom.