When I was studying theology in school, I remember thinking
it was one of the hardest subjects I had.
It runs so deep, and appears so abstract, that it pretty much ties up
your thoughts in knots as you try to wrap your mind around its concepts.
But, many years before I studied theology formally, I was
introduced to the great spiritual master St. John of the Cross. Recently I have come across a YouTube audio
reading of his book Dark Night of the Soul which I highly recommend.
I have typically found listening to such challenging
material, well, challenging, but I am finding that it is quite inspiring and
have been trying to include it in my prayer time.
While St. John of the Cross is not for the faint of heart, that does not mean he should not be attempted. And if you find him difficult at the start
(which you most assuredly will), I would recommend—as I do for any spiritual
reading—that you just keep trying, whatever the material you are attempting.
The problem is, it takes works, and it makes us feel kind of
dumb. It’s just that we are unfamiliar
with this type of writing and language, that’s all. You wouldn’t expect to play the piano with
ease the first time you attempted it, would you? Reading the masters and other Church
documents is worth your effort, even if you have to spend extra time on them. I once found reading the Documents of Vatican II very tough, but now after years of practice, I can truly appreciate
their value.
Although I faced St. John’s writings many years ago, I think
that today it is finally beginning to make sense to me. I know they haven’t changed, so maybe I have.
I recently listened to a recitation of Chapter 6 of his
First Book (that is how it is indexed) on spiritual gluttony. Grabbing my hard copy of it, I thought I
might identify a few of his points because it is a spiritual danger most people
encounter as they begin growing in their spiritual life.
·
Spiritual gluttony is a sin that tempts
beginners to make seeking personal pleasure from their devotions their goal. Receiving pleasant consolations in prayer becomes
their focus. When they are asked to give up a particular practice, they resist,
because they have become attached to it. This is very dangerous to our spiritual
health because our own agenda surpasses God’s desire for us. We can see it in extreme practices that move beyond what is healthy—such as fasting, which
can lead to simply making one weak if done excessively.
·
St. John states that “bodily penance” becomes
more important than submission to God for someone who is sinning by spiritual
gluttony. Rather than using “reason and
discretion,” which are more acceptable to God, we end up “working” our own will
and “grow in vice rather than in virtue.”
·
Our “spiritual
gluttony” leads us to become more focused on our human “senses,” whereas we
overlook the “invisible part of the grace that it bestows,” which is much
greater.
·
We find ourselves “wearying and fatiguing” from
our great effort to continue to experience “sensible pleasure and devotion,” and
we get discouraged, feeling like we have “accomplished nothing.”
I think the part of the chapter that is most insightful is
where St. John points out that when we give in to spiritual gluttony and seek
our own spiritual delights, it is a great imperfection. Why?
Because we give up “journeying upon the hard road of the Cross; for the
soul that is given to sweetness naturally has its face set against all
self-denial, which is devoid of sweetness.”
If you find that St. John of the Cross isn’t your cup of
tea, I would challenge you to explore other great works. You can certainly find
lots of good material online for everyone from beginners to academics.
Here is a site to get you started.
I encourage you to leave a
comment. I would love to hear from you!
God bless,
Janet Cassidy
Janetcassidy.com
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