And here it behooves us to note why it is that there are so few that attain to this lofty state. It must be known that this is not because God is pleased that there should be few raised to this high spiritual state—on the contrary, it would please Him if all were so raised—but rather because He finds few vessels in whom He can perform so high and lofty a work. For, when He proves them in small things and finds them weak and sees that they at once flee from labor, and desire not to submit to the least discomfort or mortification, or to work with solid patience, He finds that they are not strong enough to bear the favor which He was granting them when He began to purge them, and goes no further with their purification, neither does He lift them up from the dust of the earth, since for this they would need greater fortitude and constancy…..’If thou hast run with those who went on foot and hast labored, how canst thou contend with horses? And as thou hast had quietness in the land of peace, how wilt thou do in the pride of Jordan?’ (Jeremiah chapter 12) –St John of the Cross, ‘Living the Flame of Love’

The last thought from the Jeremiah quote implies the greatest danger to spiritual growth for many. The demand to stay simple, humble, malleable and prayerful, while advancing in effort and devotion to the spiritual life. Progress must center upon faith, hope, and charity. It must remain simple. It is enlightening to observe those concentrating upon the spiritual life and the fact so many fall victim to the temptation for power. The need to be right, a perceived authority, a voice of esteem within the Church, crushes good souls. Control, even amidst an authentic desire for humility, cannot be loosened. The need to dominate usurps the practicality of acquiescence. As knowledge, practice, years of serving the church accumulate, even moral behavior amassing, I am convinced, God is forced to forsake many do to their absolute insistence that they must wield control over others and within the church. The spiritual life is easy when things come easy, sweet consolations flowing, and one sees one’s self as wise. The opposite direction, trending toward littleness, is the proper path of self-knowledge. In the interior of our being, knowledge and wisdom dutifully attained can create an understanding lacking in spiritual growth. In our minds we become immense. In the interior of our being, morality, behaving according to all the laws and mandates of the church, subscribing slavishly and scrupulously to the finest details of the Church can create a disposition lacking in spiritual maturity. I heard it said once that the way of Christ is not for those convinced they are doing it right, rather it is for those intent upon doing it wrong. Beyond an intellectual rebellion, it is a commitment to follow God, rather than self-advancement—to follow God without defining and manipulating God. To go beyond the law and dogma, while abiding and obeying. ‘Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them.’

St John of the Cross Adoring