Spiritual Gluttony

“For when the spirit and the sense are pleased,
every part of a man is moved by that pleasure to delight according to its
proportion and nature. For then the spirit, which is the higher part, is
moved to pleasure and delight in God; and the sensual nature, which is the
lower part, is moved to pleasure and delight of the senses, because
it cannot possess and lay hold upon aught else, and it therefore lays hold upon
that which comes nearest to itself, which is the impure and sensual.”

Contrary to recent belief, gluttony does not refer
only to excessive want of material things but also to the extreme want
of even the most spiritual things when such things are sought for as
ends in themselves for the mere delight of it, as a drug that is used again and
again in order to give pleasure to the one seeking it.

“WITH respect to … spiritual gluttony, there is
much to be said,…For 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, which is that which God regards and
accepts throughout the spiritual journey.”

“Therefore, besides the imperfections into which the
seeking for sweetness of this kind makes them fall, 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. For some of these persons, attracted by the pleasure which
they find therein, kill themselves with penances, and others weaken
themselves with fasts, by performing more than their frailty can bear,
without the order or advice of any, but rather endeavouring to avoid those whom
they should obey in these matters; some, indeed, dare to do these things even
though the contrary has been commanded them.”

It is such that even the “religious” may fall into the
trap of spiritual gluttony, a state where the pleasure of spiritual experience
replaces the purity and simplicity of one’s love for God.

It is such also that many people in today’s generation,
people practicing and seeking “spirituality” outside of religion may fall into,
unaware that the escape from material things does not automatically render that
one accepts the many evils that spiritual things may lead to if not placed in
their proper order.

If one cannot be trusted of earthly things, how then also
to be trusted of the things of heaven? 
If one is already tempted by the luster of gold, how could one possibly
escape the temptations of the spirit world which are far more glorious and
overwhelming to the human soul?

“Such persons expend all their effort 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. But
God, very justly, wisely and lovingly, denies it to them, for otherwise this
spiritual gluttony and inordinate appetite would breed innumerable evils. It
is, therefore, very fitting that they should enter into the dark night,
whereof we shall speak, that they may be purged from this childishness.”

(Quotations taken from the DARK NIGHT, St. John of the
Cross)

This article was written by Jocelyn Soriano at http://itakeoffthemask.com
You are free to republish this article as long as the original author is cited and a link back to the site www.itakeoffthemask.com is provided.