September 12, 2005> 12:38 PM
of imperfections with respect to spiritual gluttony
A bit more from St. John couldn't hurt for sure. These things are hard to hear sometimes. They are so true that it stings. Let it sting then, like medicine on a wound. Like salt, it is antiseptic.
I want to sort of predefine a couple of things so this makes sense - just in case. When he talks of "spiritual sweetness" he means tangible feelings we have in our emotions and bodies of the Holy Spirit acting in us. They are sometimes called "consolations" by those in the monastic tradition. In other traditions it might be called "being blessed" or simply "feeling the power of God." Also, when he uses the term "communicate" he is referring to going to communion, or the Eucharist.
...many of these, lured by the sweetness and pleasure which they find in such exercises, strive more after spiritual sweetness than after spiritual purity and discretion... the gluttony which they now have makes them continually go to extremes, so that they pass beyond the limits of moderation within which the virtues are acquired and wherein they have their being.
...all extremes are vicious...
These persons, in communicating, strive with every nerve to obtain some kind of sensible sweetness and pleasure, instead of humbly doing reverence and giving praise within themselves to God. And in such wise to they devote themselves to this that, when they have received no pleasure or sweetness in the senses, they think that they have accomplished nothing at all.
These persons have the same defect as regards the practice of prayer, for they think that all the business of prayer consists in experiencing sensible pleasure and devotion and they strive to obtain this by great effort, wearying and fatiguing their faculties and their heads; and when they have not found this pleasure they become greatly discouraged, thinking that they have accomplished nothing.
They are, in fact, as we have said, like children, who are not influenced by reason, and who act, not from rational motives, but from inclination. Such persons expend all their in seeking spiritual pleasure and consolation; they never tire, therefore, of reading books; and they begin, now one meditation, now another, in their pursuit of this pleasure which they desire to experience in the things of God... It is, therefore, very fitting that they should enter into the dark night... that they may be purged from this childishness.
Spiritual gluttony, as he calls it, is indeed still rampant in the Church. You're not really allowed to call anyone on it, though. That would be to quell the zeal of your sibling. Of course you should devour every new spiritual book you can get hold of. Surely we should try every kind of spiritual exercise that will help us advance. The defense is heard, "there's nothing wrong with wanting to experience God in fullness, to feel Him in your bones." The trouble is, no one ever answers this objection. We always give in so as not to sound as if we're saying that some desire for God is bad. Well, some ways of desiring God are bad. Some are unhealthy and will end up not leading you to God but to your idea of God and therefore, to yourself as god.
Don't reroute my words as saying that any "feeling of God" is bad. I did not say that. I said, along with John, that an inordinate desire for these things as primary is bad. I said that a desire for this kind of experience of God above others, or above no tangible feeling (which means nothing) is bad. There is such a thing as too much desire to spiritual stuff. This, generally speaking, is not a real desire for union with God as He desires it with us. It is a desire for the feeling of union, for the thought of ourselves as being good and holy. The desires of a child that need to be checked by loving adults. Instead, we have permissive parenting, as we do in the society of the world today, and we have yet to see what is being unleashed by this. God have mercy and bring us back.
September 12, 2005
> 12:38 PM
038
