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Ascending the Celestial Hierarchy: The Golden Staircase to Seraphic Glory
Guided by the Nine Choirs of Angels, ascend the Golden Staircase to Seraphic Glory!
Have you ever wondered what it takes to reach the highest heights of heavenly glory? How does one become a saint, fully united to God, beholding His divine essence with the greatest clarity and love?
Ascending the Celestial The Golden Staircase to Seraphic Glory offers a profound journey into the mysteries of the Celestial Hierarchy and the spiritual ascent every soul is called to make. Rooted in the teachings of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, the vision of Saint Matilda of Hackeborn, and enriched by the insights of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Bonaventure and other Doctors of the Church, this book explores the connection between the Nine Choirs of Angels and the stages of our own conversion.
The Nine Choirs of Angels, from the simple Guardian Angels to the Seraphim, experience different degrees of participation in the Beatific Vision, as determined by God according to their natural gifts and mission. Human souls are invited to rise through ever-deepening stages of grace, moving from the Purgative to the Illuminative and Unitive Ways, until reaching the summit of holiness, where they share in the glory of the Seraphim—those who burn with the purest love for God.
The Path to Christ and the Mysteries of the RosaryAt the heart of this ascent is the life of Christ Himself, Who not only redeemed humanity but also showed us the way to holiness. By meditating on the twenty mysteries of the Rosary, we align our lives to Christ’s journey—from His Incarnation, through His public ministry, to His Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension. Each mystery serves as a point on our spiritual road map, guiding us through Christ's example to the eternal glory that awaits in Heaven.
By following the path modeled on the angelic choirs and the mysteries of Christ’s life, we discover the steps necessary for attaining the fullness of the Beatific Vision—a vision in which the greatest saints participate with the most intense love and clearest understanding of God’s divine essence.
What You'll Discover in This The Nine Choirs of Angels: Explore the ancient angelology of Pseudo-Dionysius and its spiritual implications, as well as how the choirs reveal different degrees of grace and participation in the Beatific Vision.Saint Matilda’s Vision of the Golden Staircase: Understand her mystical vision of nine steps as a guide for our own ascent to heavenly glory.The Mystical Tradition: Delve into the teachings of saints, such as Saint Bonaventure, Saint John of the Cross, and Saint Teresa of Ávila on the spiritual stages of conversion, aligned with the angelic hierarchy.The Power of the Rosary: Learn how to meditate deeply on the mysteries of the Rosary, using them as a practical guide for daily spiritual growth and deeper union with Christ.A Practical Path to Holiness: This accessible, practical roadmap to becoming a saint is for those beginning their spiritual journeys, those seeking to deepen their faith, and seasoned theologians.With the help of the angelic choirs, the model of Christ’s life, and the grace He merited for us, may you be led along the path to Seraphic Glory!
Have you ever wondered what it takes to reach the highest heights of heavenly glory? How does one become a saint, fully united to God, beholding His divine essence with the greatest clarity and love?
Ascending the Celestial The Golden Staircase to Seraphic Glory offers a profound journey into the mysteries of the Celestial Hierarchy and the spiritual ascent every soul is called to make. Rooted in the teachings of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, the vision of Saint Matilda of Hackeborn, and enriched by the insights of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Saint Bonaventure and other Doctors of the Church, this book explores the connection between the Nine Choirs of Angels and the stages of our own conversion.
The Nine Choirs of Angels, from the simple Guardian Angels to the Seraphim, experience different degrees of participation in the Beatific Vision, as determined by God according to their natural gifts and mission. Human souls are invited to rise through ever-deepening stages of grace, moving from the Purgative to the Illuminative and Unitive Ways, until reaching the summit of holiness, where they share in the glory of the Seraphim—those who burn with the purest love for God.
The Path to Christ and the Mysteries of the RosaryAt the heart of this ascent is the life of Christ Himself, Who not only redeemed humanity but also showed us the way to holiness. By meditating on the twenty mysteries of the Rosary, we align our lives to Christ’s journey—from His Incarnation, through His public ministry, to His Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension. Each mystery serves as a point on our spiritual road map, guiding us through Christ's example to the eternal glory that awaits in Heaven.
By following the path modeled on the angelic choirs and the mysteries of Christ’s life, we discover the steps necessary for attaining the fullness of the Beatific Vision—a vision in which the greatest saints participate with the most intense love and clearest understanding of God’s divine essence.
What You'll Discover in This The Nine Choirs of Angels: Explore the ancient angelology of Pseudo-Dionysius and its spiritual implications, as well as how the choirs reveal different degrees of grace and participation in the Beatific Vision.Saint Matilda’s Vision of the Golden Staircase: Understand her mystical vision of nine steps as a guide for our own ascent to heavenly glory.The Mystical Tradition: Delve into the teachings of saints, such as Saint Bonaventure, Saint John of the Cross, and Saint Teresa of Ávila on the spiritual stages of conversion, aligned with the angelic hierarchy.The Power of the Rosary: Learn how to meditate deeply on the mysteries of the Rosary, using them as a practical guide for daily spiritual growth and deeper union with Christ.A Practical Path to Holiness: This accessible, practical roadmap to becoming a saint is for those beginning their spiritual journeys, those seeking to deepen their faith, and seasoned theologians.With the help of the angelic choirs, the model of Christ’s life, and the grace He merited for us, may you be led along the path to Seraphic Glory!
- GenresCatholic
403 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 29, 2024
38 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 21, 2025
January 23, 2025: Presented this to my Angel Group at our meeting and they were very interested. They are going to look into it and perhaps when we finish the book we are currently doing, we will begin this.
January 21, 2025, Initial Review: This is one of those books you want to tell everyone about, or I do anyway. I will be recommending it to my Carmelite community because of the information about Sts. John of the Cross and Teresa, my Angel group because it integrates so much about the Nine Choirs of Angels and everyone else because it bases growth in holiness on a profound love and prayerful appreciation of the Holy Rosary. And although I do not have any close Franciscan friends, there is also a great deal of insight drawn from the great doctor, St. Bonaventure, which is just sublime. Being an unfamiliar saint, I drank up his holy wisdom and am inspired to seek out more by him.
Fr. John Paul Thomas integrates the offerings of these various venues, plus traditional Catholic teachings on the spiritual life, weaving them together beautifully. Instead of the Catholic world being divided into its disparate disciplines and monastic orders, here it is drawn together and enfolded, shown as each supporting, explaining and meshing with the other. Each of the Nine Choirs of the Holy Angels have a role to play in our spiritual progress and we learn how we can draw on their assistance, using a deepening understating of the various Mysteries of the Rosary to open our minds and hearts to what Christ, the Holy Spirit and Mary are trying to teach us. The Mysteries have to be prayed and prayed over and over again in time, in conjunction with the help of the Holy Angels and the Graces given for our growth in holiness. I did not read the meditations at the end of the book, as I want to PRAY them in the manner explained in the book.
My explanation is greatly oversimplified, as I need to reread the book as I had trouble wrapping my mind around some of what Father was talking about despite my Carmelite training and consecration to the Holy Angels. This was my first exposure to seeing them so integrated. However, when I grasped what the good father was getting at, I was in awe. I would very much like to study this book in a group setting. Hopefully I will be able to talk my Angel Group or our Definitive Secular Carmelites into taking this on for an in-depth study.
Most highly recommended!
January 21, 2025, Initial Review: This is one of those books you want to tell everyone about, or I do anyway. I will be recommending it to my Carmelite community because of the information about Sts. John of the Cross and Teresa, my Angel group because it integrates so much about the Nine Choirs of Angels and everyone else because it bases growth in holiness on a profound love and prayerful appreciation of the Holy Rosary. And although I do not have any close Franciscan friends, there is also a great deal of insight drawn from the great doctor, St. Bonaventure, which is just sublime. Being an unfamiliar saint, I drank up his holy wisdom and am inspired to seek out more by him.
Fr. John Paul Thomas integrates the offerings of these various venues, plus traditional Catholic teachings on the spiritual life, weaving them together beautifully. Instead of the Catholic world being divided into its disparate disciplines and monastic orders, here it is drawn together and enfolded, shown as each supporting, explaining and meshing with the other. Each of the Nine Choirs of the Holy Angels have a role to play in our spiritual progress and we learn how we can draw on their assistance, using a deepening understating of the various Mysteries of the Rosary to open our minds and hearts to what Christ, the Holy Spirit and Mary are trying to teach us. The Mysteries have to be prayed and prayed over and over again in time, in conjunction with the help of the Holy Angels and the Graces given for our growth in holiness. I did not read the meditations at the end of the book, as I want to PRAY them in the manner explained in the book.
My explanation is greatly oversimplified, as I need to reread the book as I had trouble wrapping my mind around some of what Father was talking about despite my Carmelite training and consecration to the Holy Angels. This was my first exposure to seeing them so integrated. However, when I grasped what the good father was getting at, I was in awe. I would very much like to study this book in a group setting. Hopefully I will be able to talk my Angel Group or our Definitive Secular Carmelites into taking this on for an in-depth study.
Most highly recommended!
Displaying 1 of 1 review