July 12 – Stages of the Mystical Journey
The road to God is paved with humility; the first step is self-knowledge, the second is compassion, and the last is love. St. John Climacus
Gregg’s Reflection
When I first heard the mystics describe the three stages of the journey—purification, illumination, and union—it was as if someone handed me a map for a path I had already been walking. Purification is the stripping away of all that is not love: false images of God, unhealthy attachments, and the illusion that I can manage life on my own. That season came for me in a time of deep loss, when my own strength proved insufficient.
Illumination followed in glimpses—moments when grace broke through my defenses. In prayer, in nature, or in honest conversation with trusted friends, I began to see with softer eyes, as if my inner vision had been washed clean.
Union remains more mystery than attainment, but I’ve known fleeting moments of it—watching the sunrise over the Rockies, holding a grandchild, or in the stillness of prayer—when the sense of separation between God and me dissolved entirely. These stages are less a ladder to climb than a rhythm the Spirit draws us through again and again, deepening our participation in divine love.
Scripture
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5
He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature.
2 Peter 1:4
Ancient Quotes
The road to God is paved with humility; the first step is self-knowledge, the second is compassion, and the last is love.
St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Modern Quotes
The Christian mystical life consists of three stages: purification, illumination, and union. The quest for divine union begins with self-knowledge and humility… Finally comes union: the insight that God is not ‘elsewhere,’ that we are not separate from God, that we are ‘partakers of the Divine Nature’ (2 Peter 1:4), that we are one with Christ who is one with God.
Carl McColman, Christian Mystics, p. 197-198
Journaling Prompts
- Which stage of the mystical journey—purification, illumination, or union—best describes where you are now?
- What is God inviting you to release in this season?
- Recall a moment when you felt completely united with God. What surrounded that experience?
👉 Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 28 Reflection: Mysticism