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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 Hierarchy: 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 Heaven: Christ and the Mysteries of the Rosary

At 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 Book:

• 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 everyone: 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!

For a more detailed description, read the Preface.

Table of Contents

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Book Details & Copyright

Copyright © 2024 by My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved.  For more on copyright permissions, see mycatholic.life/copyright-permission

Scripture texts in Part One of this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C., and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture texts from Part Two of this work are taken from the Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1965, 1966 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Quotation taken from Hildegard of Bingen: Scivias, translated by Columba Hart and Jane Bishop. The Abbey of Regina Laudis: Benedictine Congregation Regina Laudis of the Strict Observance, Inc. Paulist Press, 1990.

The Journey of the Mind Into God, by Saint Bonaventure, Opera Omnia S. (Translator), Publisher: Christian Classic Ethereal Library, Grand Rapids, MI. Public Domain version of the text found at: ccel.org

Select Revelations of Saint Mechthild, and Virgin, Taken from the Five Books of Her Spiritual Grace. Published by Thomas Richardson and Sons, 26, Paternoster Row; and Derby, 1875. Public Domain via archive.org

On Consideration by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, translated by George Lewis. The original work was published in 1908 by Oxford Clarendon Press and is part of the collection at the Robarts Library, University of Toronto. Available via archive.org

The Interior Journey Toward God: Reflections from Saint Teresa of Ávila, mycatholic.life/books.

The Mystical Journey to Divine Union: Spiritual Wisdom from Saint John of the Cross, mycatholic.life/books.

Cover image: Francesco Botticini, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. The image was edited from the original to expand the gap between the Celestial Hierarchy and Earth to make room for the title.

Grammatical note: When quoting Scripture in this book, the capitalization and structure will follow the New American Bible or the RSV-CE. For the rest of the text, words that refer to God or point to the sacred are capitalized. The first letter of words referring to “satan,” such as the “evil one” or “the devil,” is lowercase as a symbolic reminder that Jesus has defeated him and that you can conquer his activity and temptations in your own life.

Imprimatur:
Most Reverend Camillus Raymond Umoh
Catholic Bishop of Ikot Ekpene Diocese
29 September, 2024
Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels

Nihil Obstat:
Rev. Fr. Dr. Idara Otu, MSP
Vice Rector
National Missionary Seminary of Saint Paul, Abuja, Nigeria

By

John Paul Thomas

“John Paul Thomas” is the pen name this priest has chosen in honor of the Apostles Saints John and Thomas and the great evangelist Saint Paul. This name also evokes the memory of the great Pope Saint John Paul II.

John is the beloved Apostle who sought out a deeply personal and intimate relationship with his Savior. Hopefully, the writings in this book point us all to a deeply personal and intimate relationship with our God. May John be a model of this intimacy and love.

Thomas is also a beloved Apostle and close friend of Jesus but is well known for his lack of faith in Jesus’ Resurrection. Though he ultimately entered into a profound faith, crying out “my Lord and my God,” he is given to us as a model of our own weakness of faith. Thomas should inspire us to always return to faith when we realize we have doubted.

As a Pharisee, Paul severely persecuted the early Christian Church. However, after going through a powerful conversion, he went on to become the great evangelist to the Gentiles, founding many new communities of believers and writing many letters contained in Sacred Scripture. His letters are deeply personal and reveal a shepherd’s heart. Paul is a model for all as we seek to embrace our calling to spread the Gospel. 

Dedication

To our Blessed Mother, the Queen of Heaven and Earth. After her bodily Assumption into Heaven, the Mother of God was crowned as Queen of the Celestial Hierarchy and as the Queen of our earthly lives. When her Son returns in all His glory to judge the living and the dead and to establish the New Heaven and new Earth, she will be Queen of this new world for all eternity. May our Mother and Queen pray for us and mediate to us all the grace God wishes to bestow upon us, her children.