Gregory the Great: Three States

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And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6:13

“There are in truth three states of the converted: the beginning, the middle, and the perfection. In the beginning they experience the charms of sweetness; in the middle the contests of temptation; and in the end the fullness of perfection.”

Gregory the Great (540-604) in Catholic Viewer’s Guidebook, edited by Mike Aquilina and Veronica Burchard (Sophia Institute Press, 2015) 65. Gregory is the fourth of the four Doctors of the Western Church.

Growth in generosity only happens when we resist the “contests of temptations” on the path to perfection or maturity. How are you tempted? For some, it’s fear. For others, it’s security. And for some, it’s materialism.

What state are you in? The only way to beat temptation is with fasting, prayer, confession, and living in light of what is true! When you do, you will be blessed by the Father. The path to maturity takes time and the opposition is real.