Chapter 03
Spiritual Hoarding and Sacred Clutter
Of some imperfections which some of these souls are apt to have, with respect to the second capital sin, which is avarice, in the spiritual sense. Many of these beginners have also at times great spiritual avarice. They will be found to be discontented with the spirituality which God gives them; they are very disconsolate and querulous because they find not in spiritual things the consolation that they would desire. Many can never have enough of listening to counsels and learning spiritual precepts, and of possessing and reading many books which treat of this matter, and they spend their time…
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Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"They will be found to be discontented with the spirituality which God gives them; they are very disconsolate and querulous because they find not in spiritual things the consolation that they would desire."
Context: John is describing how spiritual beginners get frustrated when prayer or meditation doesn't make them feel good
This reveals how people often approach spirituality like a vending machine - put in the practice, expect good feelings to come out. When it doesn't work that way, they get cranky and demanding.
In Today's Words:
John says beginners grow querulous when God withholds the consolation they crave. They treat prayer like a vending machine that owes them feelings. When dryness arrives, resist swapping traditions before you sit with the emptiness one more week. Notice where peevishness, pride, or attachment flares when old comforts are withdrawn; that is the night beginning
"Many can never have enough of listening to counsels and learning spiritual precepts, and of possessing and reading many books which treat of this matter, and they spend their time on these things rather than on works of mortification and the perfecting of the inward poverty of spirit which should be theirs."
Context: John is pointing out how people become spiritual information addicts instead of doing the actual work
Accumulation replaces mortification. Reading about poverty of spirit substitutes for practicing it.
In Today's Words:
John watches beginners hoard counsels, books, and precepts instead of practicing inward poverty. Consumption mimics progress. Pause new purchases and apply one discipline you already own for thirty days. In trauma chaplaincy Juan learns to stay present in the stripping without rebuilding the old self from panic or performance.
"others you will see adorned with agnus deis and relics and tokens, like children with trinkets."
Context: Examples of curious religious objects collected for comfort
Sacred trinkets become toys when the heart clings to them. Outward display replaces inner detachment.
In Today's Words:
John compares some souls to children flashing holy tokens and relics. The objects are not evil; childish attachment is. Notice when your tools become trophies you rotate to feel secure. This is not abstract mysticism but the felt collision between divine purging and human frailty in real change.
"Here I condemn the attachment of the heart, and the possessiveness, which regards these things, for this is contrary to poverty of spirit."
Context: John clarifies that owning religious objects isn't the problem - being emotionally dependent on them is
John condemns possessiveness of the heart, not ownership itself. Poverty of spirit is freedom from gripping.
In Today's Words:
John does not forbid rosaries or images; he condemns the heart that possesses them. Spiritual poverty means holding tools lightly. Choose one devotional object you clutch and practice using it without needing it to calm you. Juan the hospital chaplain sees the same pattern when consolation ends and the soul must learn patience without feeling
Thematic Threads
Identity
In This Chapter
Spiritual seekers define themselves by what they own rather than who they're becoming
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might catch yourself buying identity markers instead of doing the work to become that person
Class
In This Chapter
Spiritual materialism mirrors economic materialism - more stuff equals higher status
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might judge your progress by what you can afford to buy rather than what you've actually changed
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
True growth requires letting go of the need to control and possess the process
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might resist the uncertainty of real change by collecting guarantees and safety nets
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
People perform spirituality through visible accumulation to meet others' expectations
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might buy things to signal your commitment to others instead of doing private work
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
This is not a test. Five prompts guide you through the chapter, from how it opens to how it closes, so you notice context and rhythm rather than facts to memorize. Sit with each question in your own words. When you see "One way to read it," treat it as a starting point, not the only answer.
- 1
What does John mean by spiritual avarice in this chapter?
analysis • surfaceOne way to read it
Greedy craving for spiritual consolation, books, counsels, and curious religious objects instead of inward poverty and mortification.
- 2
Why does John compare some beginners to children with trinkets?
analysis • mediumOne way to read it
They adorn themselves with agnus deis and tokens, attached to possession and display rather than detachment of heart.
- 3
When have you collected resources for growth without practicing them?
application • mediumOne way to read it
Name books, apps, or tools you acquired while postponing the harder inner work they describe.
- 4
How does discontent with God's spirituality feed the hoarding pattern?
application • deepOne way to read it
When consolation ends, beginners querulously chase new methods instead of accepting dryness and practicing poverty of spirit.
- 5
What one practice would you commit to before buying or downloading anything new?
reflection • deepOne way to read it
Choose a single discipline already on your shelf and hold it for ninety days without adding spiritual clutter.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Audit Your Accumulation Patterns
Choose one area of your life where you want to improve (health, relationships, finances, career, parenting). List everything you've accumulated in that area - books, apps, courses, equipment, advice. Then identify what you actually use consistently versus what just sits there. Finally, pick one thing you already own and commit to using it for the next 30 days before acquiring anything new.
Consider:
- •Notice the emotional pull to keep shopping for solutions rather than using what you have
- •Consider whether you're seeking the feeling of progress or actual results
- •Ask yourself what you're avoiding by staying in accumulation mode
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you bought something thinking it would change your life, but then never used it consistently. What were you really hoping that purchase would do for you?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 4: When Your Body Betrays Your Spirit
John continues examining how beginners stumble on their spiritual path, turning next to anger and how spiritual people can become surprisingly hostile when their religious feelings are threatened.
