The Three Ages of the Interior Life: Prelude of Eternal Life (Illustrated)

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Is the infused contemplation of the mysteries of faith and the union with God which results therefrom an intrinsically extraordinary grace, or is it, on the contrary, in the normal way of sanctity?

Fr. G.-L. argues it is in the normal way of sanctity.

From Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.'s The Three Ages of the Spiritual Life, part I, article IV, "The Seven Gifts of the Holy Ghost" (fn. 39), the relationship between the gifts of the Holy Ghost and the beatitudes, based on St. Thomas Aquinas's doctrine:

1. Gift of Wisdom → Peacemakers (IIa IIae, q.45, a.6): "it gives peace and allows the soul possessing it to give it to others, at times even to the most troubled"
2. Gift of Understanding → Clean of Heart (q.8, a.7): "those who possess this cleanness of heart begin here on earth, in a certain way, to see God in all that happens to us"
3. Gift of Knowledge → Mourners (q.9, a.4): "shows us the gravity of sin" (which is the turning to creatures instead of God)
4. Gift of Counsel → The Merciful (q.52, a.4): "inclines the soul to mercy"
5. Gift of Piety → The Meek (q.121, a.2): "makes us see in men not rivals, but children of God and our brothers"
6. Gift of Fortitude → Those Hungering & Thirsting for Justice (q.139, a.2): they "never become discouraged"
7. Gift of Fear → The Poor in Spirit (q.19, a.12): "they possess the holy fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom"

The relationship of the gifts to the virtues:

See also Benedict Ashley, O.P.'s "The Gifts of the Holy Spirit."

He calls "the rosary … a living thing, a school of contemplation" in pt. 3 ch. 6 "The Knowledge of God in Proficients" of his Three Ages of the Interior Life:

The proficient obtained a deeper self-knowledge while passing through the period of prolonged aridity which marks the second conversion. With this knowledge of his poverty, of his spiritual indigence, there grows within him by contrast a quasi-experimental knowledge of God, not only in the mirror of the sensible things of nature, of the parables, of exterior worship, but in the spiritual mirror of the mysteries of salvation with which he familiarizes himself. These mysteries, which are those of the incarnation of the Word, of the redemption, of eternal life, the rosary daily places before our eyes by recalling to us the Savior’s childhood, His sorrowful passion, His resurrection and ascension. If the proficient is faithful, he goes beyond the sensible aspect of these mysteries, he attains all that is spiritual in them, the infinite value of the merits of Christ; then the rosary is no longer the mechanical recitation of the Hail Mary, but a living thing, a school of contemplation. The joyful mysteries bring us the good news of the annunciation and the nativity of our Savior, which constitute true, enduring, and deep joys far above the pleasures of the world and the satisfactions of pride. Likewise, in the midst of our sufferings, which are often without reason, at times overwhelming, almost always badly borne, the sorrowful mysteries repeat to us that our sins should be the object of our grief. They make us desire to know them better, to experience a sincere sorrow for them, and thus we begin to comprehend the profound meaning and the infinite value of Christ’s passion and its effects in our lives. Finally, in the midst of the instability and uncertainties of this life, the glorious mysteries recall to us the immutability and the perfect happiness of eternal life, which is the goal of our journey.

See also his meditations on the mysteries of the rosary in Love of God and the Cross of Jesus (vol. 2), pp. 435-448.

Why did the Jansenists practice such harsh penances?

Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P., Three Ages of the Interior Life, pt. 2 "Purification of the Soul in Beginners", ch. 19 "Practical Naturalism: Of Action and of Inaction" (ref:35.21):

In the seventeenth century the Jansenists fell into a pessimism which is an alteration of the Christian doctrine of penance. Like the first Protestants, they exaggerated the results of original sin to the point of saying that man no longer has free will, the liberty of indifference, but only spontaneity, and that all the acts of infidels are sins.759 They taught that “all his life long, a man must do penance for original sin.” 760 As a result, they retained souls during a whole lifetime in the purgative way, and kept them away from Holy Communion, saying that we are not worthy of such a union with our Lord. According to their doctrine, only those should be admitted to Holy Communion who have a pure, unalloyed love of God.761 They forgot that this very pure love of God is precisely the effect of Communion, when it is accompanied by a generous struggle against all that is inordinate in us. Jansenism never attained to deliverance and peace.762

759. Cf. Denzinger, nos. 1094 [Cum occasione , May 31, 1658, condemned: "3. In order to merit or demerit in the state of fallen nature, freedom from necessity is not required in man, but freedom from external compulsion is sufficient."], 1291 [Condemned in a Decr. of the Holy Office, Dec. 7, 1690: "1. In the state of fallen nature, for mortal [ Viva: formale] sin and for demerit that liberty is sufficient by which the mortal sin or demerit was voluntary and free in its cause, namely, in original sin and in the will of Adam sinning."], 1298 ["8. Of necessity, an infidel sins in every act."].
760. Ibid., no. 1309: “Homo debet agere tota vita poenitentiam pro peccato originali.” ["Man ought to do penance during his whole life for original sin."]
761. Ibid., no. 1313: “Arcendi sunt a sacra communione, quibus nondum illest amor Dei purissimus et omnis mixtionis expers.” ["23. Similarly, they must be prevented from Holy Communion, who have not yet a pure love of God, without any admixture."]
762. It has been said of Pascal that throughout his life he thought of sanctity without ever attaining it, because he remained in his own presence instead of in the presence of God.

It seems the Jansenists placed all the blame on Adam, thinking his sin was the only truly voluntary sin?

ref:148.391-4, re: spiritual friendships:

St. John of the Cross, The Dark Night of the Soul , Bk. I, chap. 4: “Some, too, form spiritual friendships with others, the source of which is luxury and not spirituality. We may know it to be so by observing whether the remembrance of that affection increases our recollection and love of God, or brings remorse of conscience.”

St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to a Devout Life , Part III, chap. 21, says on the subject of frivolous friendships, that radical measures must be taken to triumph over them: “Cut them, break them, tear them; do not amuse yourself in unraveling these criminal friendships; you must tear and rend them asunder; do not untie the knots, but break or cut them.” In order the better to succeed, a person must divert himself by becoming absorbed in the duties of his state.

In regard to friendships in which there is a mingling of the natural and the supernatural, St. Francis. de Sales says again (ibid. , chap: 20):. “They begin with virtuous love, but if they do not use the utmost discretion, fond love will begin to mingle itself in it, then sensual love, and afterwards carnal love: yea, there is even danger in spiritual love, if we are not extremely on our guard; though in this it is more difficult to be imposed upon, because its purity and whiteness make the spots and stains which Satan seeks to mingle with it more apparent, and therefore, when he takes this in hand, he does it more subtly, and endeavors to introduce impurities by almost insensible degrees.

If in a friendship of this kind, the supernatural element dominates, the friendship may be kept through purifying it by the custody and mortification of the senses and the heart, if, on the contrary, the sensible element predominates, every particular relation over and above necessary meetings must be renounced for a considerable time. This is the teaching of all the masters.

Explains the entire Catholic tradition on the spiritual life. Covers virtually all aspects of our Faith. The masterpiece of possibly the 20th century's greatest theologian. Covers scores of topics, including contemplative prayer, one's predominant fault, the healing of pride, spiritual direction, etc. Clear, complete, orthodox, inspiring! A masterpiece in every sense of the word.