Moving Away from God → Enslavement of the Soul → Spiritual Age -4
What happens in the soul?
Mortal sin begins to become frequent, but there is still some remorse. The person knows something is wrong and may want to change; however, what could have been an occasional fall before begins to repeat itself and gain dominance. The will begins to lose freedom from passions, habits or dependencies.
How do you live?
A double life frequently appears. Outwardly the appearance of a certain piety can be maintained while internally one lives in frequent mortal sin. Spiritual self-deception can arise and important areas of life and relationships begin to deteriorate.
The prayer
The prayer reflects the internal division. the soul may retain some religious practices, but the soul’s relationship with the Good Lord becomes less authentic. Prayer can become superficial or mechanical, and approaching God sincerely forces the soul to face what the soul still cannot abandon.
The great danger
The danger is self-deception. Since there is still remorse, the person looks for ways to live with the contradiction between what they know they should do and what they actually do.
Signs that may accompany this age
• Frequent mortal sin
• Still existence of remorse
• Weakening of the will
• Progressive loss of inner freedom
• Double life
• Outward appearance of a certain piety
• Self-deception and self-justification
• Superficial or mechanical prayer
• Loss of control in certain areas
• Deterioration of family and social relationships
A phrase to remember
“I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want.” — Romans 7:19
Where does it lead
If the soul continues to give in, the remorse begins to disappear and the bondage becomes consolidated.