"The more you know and the better you understand, the more severely will you be judged, unless your life is also the more holy. Do not be proud, therefore, because of your learning or skill. Rather, fear because of the talent given you."

Thomas á Kempis

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"Obedience is a short cut to perfection."

St Philip Neri

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"Whom do you seek, friend, if you seek not God? Seek him, find him, cleave to him; bind your will to his with bands of steel and you will live always at peace in this life and in the next."

St Alphonsus de Liguori

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St John of the Cross (1542-1591)  -   Carmelite and Doctor of the Church

 

Ascent of Mount Carmel

by St John of the Cross, OCD

CONTENTS (cont)

Book The Third
1. Outline
 
2. Which treats of the natural apprehensions of the memory and describes how the soul must be voided of them in order to be able to attain to union with God according to this faculty.
 
3. Wherein are described three kinds of evil which come to the soul when it enters not into darkness with respect to knowledge and reflections in the memory. Herein is described the first.
 
4. Which treats of the second kind of evil that may come to the soul from the devil by way of the natural apprehensions of the memory.
 
5. Of the third evil which comes to the soul by way of the distinct natural knowledge of the memory.
 
6. Of the benefits which come to the soul from forgetfulness and emptiness of all thoughts and knowledge which it may have in a natural way with respect to the memory.
 
7. Which treats of the second kind of apprehension of the memory -- namely, imaginary apprehensions -- and of supernatural knowledge.
 
8. Of the evils which may be caused in the soul by the knowledge of supernatural things, if it reflect upon them. Says how many these evils are.
 
9. Of the second kind of evil, which is the peril of falling into self-esteem and vain presumption.
 
10. Of the third evil that may come to the soul from the devil, through the imaginary apprehensions of the memory.
 
11. Of the fourth evil that comes to the soul from the distinct supernatural apprehensions of the memory, which is the hindrance that it interposes to union.
 
12. Of the fifth evil that may come to the soul in supernatural imaginary forms and apprehensions, which is a low and unseemingly judgment of God.
 
13. Of the benefits which the soul receives through banishing from itself the apprehensions of the imagination. This chapter answers a certain objection and describes a difference which exists between apprehensions that are imaginary, natural and supernatural.
 
14. Which treats of spiritual knowledge in so far as it may concern the memory.
 
15. Which sets down the general method whereby the spiritual person must govern himself with respect to this sense.
 
16. Which begins to treat of the dark night of the will. Makes a division between the affections of the will.
 
17. Which begins to treat of the first affection of the will. Describes the nature of joy and makes a distinction between the things in which the will can rejoice.
 
18. Which treats of joy with respect to temporal blessings. Describes how joy in them must be directed to God.
 
19. Of the evils that may befall the soul when it sets its rejoicing upon temporal blessings.
 
20. Of the benefits that come to the soul from its withdrawal of joy from temporal things.
 
21. Which describes how it is vanity to set the rejoicing of the will upon the good things of nature, and how the soul must direct itself, by means of them, to God.
 
22. Of the evils which come to the soul when it sets the rejoicing of its will upon the good things of nature.
 
23. Of the benefits which the soul receives from not setting its rejoicing upon the good things of nature.
 
24. Which treats of the third kind of good thing whereon the will may set the affection of rejoicing, which kind pertains to sense. Indicates what these good things are and of how many kinds, and how the will has to be directed to God and purged of this rejoicing.
 
25. Which treats of the evils that afflict the soul when it desires to set the rejoicing of its will upon the good things of sense.
 
26. Of the benefits that come to the soul from self-denial in rejoicing as to things of sense, which benefits are spiritual and temporal.
 
27. Which begins to treat of the fourth kind of good -- namely, the moral. Describes wherein this consists, and in what manner joy of the will therein is lawful.
 
28. Of seven evils into which a man may fall if he set the rejoicing of his will upon moral good.
 
29. Of the benefits which come to the soul through the withdrawal of its rejoicing from moral good.
 
30. Which begins to treat of the fifth kind of good thing wherein the will may rejoice, which is the super natural. Describes the nature of these supernatural good things, and how they are distinguished from the spiritual, and how joy in them is to be directed to God.
 
31. Of the evils which come to the soul when it sets the rejoicing of the will upon this kind of good.
 
32. Of two benefits which are derived from the renunciation of rejoicing in the matter of the supernatural graces.
 
33. Which begins to treat of the sixth kind of good wherein the soul may rejoice, Describes its nature and makes the first division under this head.
 
34. Of those good things of the spirit which can be distinctly apprehended by the understanding and the memory. Describes how the will is to behave in the matter of rejoicing in them.
 
35. Of the delectable spiritual good things which can be distinctly apprehended by the will. Describes the kinds of these.
 
36. Which continues to treat of images, and describes the ignorance which certain persons have with respect to them.
 
37. Of how the rejoicing of the will must be directed, by way of the images, to God, so that the soul may not go astray because of them or be hindered by them.
 
38. Continues to describe motive good. Speaks of oratories and places dedicated to prayer.
 
39. Of the way in which oratories and churches should be used, in order to direct the spirit to God.
 
40. Which continues to direct the spirit to interior recollection with reference to what has been said.
 
41. Of certain evils into which those persons fall who give themselves to pleasure in sensible objects and who frequent places of devotion in the way that has been described.
 
42. Of three different kinds of places of devotion and of how the will should conduct itself with regard to them.
 
43. Which treats of other motives for prayer that many persons use -- namely, a great variety of ceremonies.
 
44. Of the manner wherein the rejoicing and strength of the will must be directed to God through these devotions.
 
45. Which treats of the second kind of distinct good, wherein the will may rejoice vainly.