979-8-88911-026-2

Finding Peace in the Storm
The Paradigm of Ascent as a Pathway Forward
St. Alphonsus never intended Uniformity with God’s Will to
be read by those who could not understand it because they
were not yet practicing foundational spiritual disciplines.
Yes, his work is meant for all to understand, but it cannot
be understood fully by those who simply read the book
as an intellectual exercise rather than using it as a guide
for the journey that he assumes the reader is already on!
To help you better understand the dynamics of that
journey, I provide below a brief summary of what I call
the Paradigm of Ascent TM . 11 This framework represents
the foundational practices of every saint of the past and
of every holy person alive today. These are practices that
St. Alphonsus assumed were in place in the life of every
reader who attempted to understand and follow his wisdom
regarding the embrace of God’s holy will. The truths
revealed in the paradigm are foundational in that if they
are not all present in some substantive way in your life,
a deeper understanding of the interior life will remain
beyond your grasp. This is a bad thing only if you fail to
take the next steps to remedy whatever deficiency you
uncover.
The first foundational truth is that you must have an
authentic yes in your heart to God to begin your journey
to union with Him. It is not enough merely to know
11
Note that this trademark is to ensure its proper use. It is a
very simple but powerful model that can easily be trivialized
by those who use it without sufficient formation behind each
of its components.
102