Sermon Synopsis
An Obscure Malady
Very early on in the monastic tradition and during the era
of the Desert Fathers, a complex phenomenon known as
acedia was named and addressed. It is a vice with
historical roots and baggage — from Evagrius of Pontus
and his eight evil thoughts to John Cassian and his
principle faults to one of the first great popes — Gregory
the First and his seven principal vices. It is better known to
us today as “sloth” which makes the list of the seven
deadly sins.
Acedia is a multi-faceted word that really is a merging of
two other enemies of the soul — despondency and
sadness. Thomas Aquinas referred to this spiritual malady
as “an oppressive sorrow.” Cassian likened it to an image
found in Proverbs — a moth that eats away at a garment or a worm that destroys wood.
What we have come to know as sloth is a spiritual illness
with two different kinds of symptoms: 1) a kind of laziness,
inertia, or passivity that resists conformity to Christ and
keeps us from becoming the best version of ourselves. 2)
feverish activity that tries to cover up the disgust at our own
life and interior world. Sloth can manifest itself as a frenzied
restlessness that runs from event to event in frustration at
the actual place, work, job, or calling God has given to us in
the moment. Acedia is a steep descent into the self that
resents the limits of reality, dailyness, and self, and will often
choose autonomy over relationships and community.
The Desert Fathers discovered and observed this ailment of
the soul that involves an inner resistance and coldness
toward one’s spiritual calling and identity. The soul attacked by
“the noonday demon” finds the daily drudgery and discipline of discipleship a burden too heavy to bear.
Whether stationary or restless, the distraught heart diagnosed with acedia has lost the satisfaction of joy within
and seeks for sources of solace without. Acedia/Sloth is the enemy of joy. Having a distaste for all that is
present and available to us combined with a yearning for what is not present and available, acedia becomes a
dead end for the life of the soul. For Reflection:
• What things in your life could sometimes be said to war against your living a life of joy? What things
in the world or in your personal life can cause you to feel despondency or sadness? Why?
• What time of the day, the week, or even your life can be a cause of dissatisfaction or restlessness?
What are some things that might help you recognize and overcome those feelings during those
times?
• What would you say is the opposite of acedia? What might that look like in your daily life?