Divine Mercy - Our Popular Post

Since we started the parish blog, the most popular post (with over 3,000 hits) is this one from 2011 about Divine Mercy Sunday.

The Cure for Acedia

It's 3 o'clock in the morning, and I'm sitting aimlessly at a computer.

I've spent hours here, avoiding the inevitable. I've checked emails, listened to music on YouTube and pinned all sorts of pretty and interesting things on Pinterest. While I was avoiding writing for this blog, I should have checked out a Web site named iwastesomuchtime.com. Because that's what I do. I waste so much time.

I've known for a long time that I suffer from the sin of sloth. Recently I learned another name for the distinctly spiritual aspect of my ailment: acedia.

I'm still trying to learn about acedia. From what I have read, the symptoms can be described as listlessness, inertia, boredom and inattentiveness toward duties or prayer. One of my favorite definitions listed the words "langour" and "torpor." A dictionary definition of torpor used as an example the feeling one might have after eating Thanksgiving dinner. Yep, that's how I feel sometimes, like I'm in a food-induced coma. Even thinking about acedia makes me want to take a nap.

Acedia's effect on the the soul can be likened to what depression or A.D.H.D. are to mental health. Like depression, there is a sadness and weariness to it. Like an attention deficit disorder, acedia steals one's ability to focus on obligations to God and others.

But acedia is not exactly an illness or a feeling. It's a sin.

Acedia has been referred to as the "noonday devil" of Psalm 91. I can relate to this demon's attacks as well as to to the line from St. Matthew's Gospel: "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." 

In my weakness, I turn from God and His goodness toward far lesser pursuits. Instead of giving Him my all, I develop little addictions to things like computer games or become obsessive in reading news stories and political opinions.

In my heart I know: I have better things to do! My spiritual laziness is an obstacle between me and God; it keeps me from doing His will. St. John's Gospel tells us that apart from God we cannot bear fruit and share fully in His joy. I don't want to be separated from God.

The cure for acedia, according to at least one spiritual adviser, is work. At first blush I was surprised by that answer. Rededicating oneself to work and prayer requires constancy, perseverance, and yes, a routine. And it seems counter-intuitive that repetition would help a bored, inattentive soul. 

But God's ways don't always make sense to us. Further thought reminded me that we have two ways to keep from sinning: fight or flight. Work could help in both ways. The mortal enemy of laziness would have to be work, and if I stay busy at work and prayer, I might not be as tempted to find solace at a computer screen or other escape hatch.

Prayer and laboring for God are both vehicles for His grace. And only through His grace can I draw closer to Him and away from sin.

Inspired by this Year of Faith we will be posting columns like this from Susan Szalewski about exploring and/or deepening our faith. Watch for it on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

Sorry About That

We ran into a few technical difficulties with some automatic posts. But we should be back up and going shortly. Most of the posts that should have come up the last few days will post sometime in the future.

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