Ordinary Path To Holiness, The

Spiritual Life, Fall 2004

The Ordinary Path To Holiness. By R. Thomas Richard, PhD. Staten Island, N.Y.: Alba House, 2003. Pp. 252. Paper. $14.95.

How do we work out our salvation? What are we to expect and anticipate on this journey through life? When our earthly sojourn has ended, what will we have to account for before God? If we know the goal of our life, is there a map to guide us around the obstacles and pitfalls we may encounter? Centuries of following Jesus "who is the Way, the Truth and the Life" have provided the Church with a number of tried-andtrue routes to our ultimate goal. This work provides an overview of traditional Catholic spirituality, which has been tested and proven in the crucible of the lives of the saints. Our spiritual life develops and grows in a way not unlike our physical, emotional, and intellectual lives. Certain stages are common to all. Our spiritual life develops in three stages: the beginning or purgative stage, the proficient or illuminative stage, and the perfect or unitive stage. Understanding this traditional Catholic spirituality will give the reader powerful insights into his or her personal pilgrimage.