Francis de Sales
“Purging the soul is a lifetime effort. There is no reason to be upset by our imperfections, for perfection is nothing more than fighting against them. How can we resist them unless we see them? How can we overcome them unless we face them?”
Ancient view of our journey in sanctifying grace included three stages- purgative, illuminative, and unitive. They are not linear and progressive. Rather, purgative is something that has to continue all our lives as the Holy Spirit shows us those things in different areas of our lives that need to be eliminated, those temptations that need to be rejected. The illuminative work of the Spirit will be at work all of our born-again lives, too. And unitive experiencing of God can wax and wane according to the consistency with which one nurtures spiritual disciplines, obeys God’s will, and focuses on prayer and worship.