I just downloaded this book and I suspect it’s the answer for an undefinable unease I’ve been experiencing for some time now. (I know I’m not depressed or dispairing and personally I have to tease out the physical and psychological effects of chronic post stroke fatigue from the spiritual acedia described so well in this book.)
Book introduction: Very early on, the monastic tradition became interested in a strange and complex phenomenon: acedia. Spiritual sloth, sadness, and a disgust with the things of God, a loss of the meaning of life, despair of attaining salvation: acedia drives the monk to leave his cell and to flee intimacy with God, so as to seek here and there some compensation for the austere way of life to which he felt called by God. The psychological and spiritual subtlety of those who first studied this phenomenon - the Desert Fathers and Evagrius of Pontus in particular - cannot fail to challenge our contemporaries who, although they are no longer familiar with the term acedia, no doubt still experience the terrible symptoms of it. For acedia, the monastic sin par excellence, is certainly not to be considered as something from another era. On the contrary, might it not be the gloomy evil of our age? Weariness, melancholy, feeling over-worked, discouragement, instability, activism, boredom, or depression: these various manifestations of the "noonday devil" are enough to convince us of the relevance of an evil that causes a man to lose his relish for life and paralyzes his interior dynamism. Left to his own devices, man ultimately despairs of ever being able to find a meaning for his existence and runs the risk of sinking into a mediocrity that is just the symptom of his rejection of his own greatness as an adopted son of God. …The author had the insight that acedia, against which his monastic formation had warned him, was not just the concern of monks but threatened people in all states of life, and that it directly affected the relationship between men and God. Indeed, far from being mere distraction in prayer or a lazy nonchalance, acedia appeared to him, over the course of the study, to be a terrible evil that directly concerned the ultimate end of human life, that is, participation in the very life of the Trinity. The simple, direct style of the work makes the reader feel involved and challenged to consider anew what is essential in his existence. In the first chapter, starting from delectable texts by the first monks of the desert, we are led to discover the multiple facets of an obscure malady that the monastic tradition rightly considered one of the most pernicious that can afflict us. Whereas the various manifestations of acedia make us shudder because of their contemporary relevance, the remed ies proposed by the Fathers are striking in their simplicity. In reading these pages, we definitely feel very close to those an-chorites of the desert! A second chapter dwells at length on the teaching of Saint Thomas Aquinas, whose perspicacity is not at all diminished when he speaks about acedia. The great theologian of the thirteenth century, heir of the long patristic and monastic tradition, proves to be prophetic when he assigns to acedia a strategic position in our understanding of Christian action. As a sin against the joy that springs from charity, affecting the frontier between the flesh and the spirit, acedia can be considered the major obstacle to enthusiastic Christian witness. Saint Thomas does not hesi-tate, however, to propose an astonishing method of over-coming it... In the last two chapters, the author examines the current relevance of acedia, first of all in Christian life in general, then in the different states of life. This hitherto unpublished presentation of his research leads us right to the heart of the spiritual and sometimes confused quest of our times. It reminds us of the importance of the spiritual combat in our life and shows us how acedia can threaten the growth and flourishing of the human person. Confidence, however, has the last word, for, as Evagrius already wrote in the late fourth century, when someone has resisted acedia, "a state of peace and ineffable joy ensues in the soul after this struggle."
I had a book of that title by Bernard Bassett. It wasn’t a new book however. Thanks for posting this. I’m pretty sure it’s relevant both to our society and also to me. Must send DB a friend request; there’s so much rubbish on Facebook that I look for the rare gems
"Acedia is a direct sin against the Virtue of Charity." As someone who has been very confused over many decades regarding the huge difference between being charitable and being "nice", maybe this will offer enough clarity to finally sweep away the remnants of all that's "nice" while saving all the love! Thanks for the recommendation!
I saw that book mentioned on Desmond Birch's page. I've made note to get it. It may explain why my daughter is a "nothing" meaning no faith at all and doesn't put forth an effort in a relationship with me.
It seems to me that reading too much recent "prophecy"' while full of exhortation to repent, is also full of impending disaster such that "the living will envy the dead". Add to that youtube commentators that suggest world control by "the elites" and a Church in total disarray ["Remnant Underground"] combined with news reports that MUST have footage of destruction and mothers crying, acedia is forced upon us. The young say "What the heck - enjoy while we still can as the future has no hope". The answer avoid all these sources of despair. Pray, trust that God loves each of us as His 'one and only' and in the protection of our heavenly Mother. Speak up when opportunity comes but be at peace,
Years ago I read Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, OP‘s Three Ages of the Interior life. I got to a section where he discussed “retarded soils” and I realized with horror that I was one, at the time. I’m thinking now he was referring to acedia, and I suspect I’ve fallen back into it. https://taylormarshall.com/2012/03/retarded-souls-and-venial-sins-analysis.html Retarded Souls and Venial Sins – An Analysis by Fr Garrigou-Lagrange by Dr Taylor Marshall Wednesday, March 14, 2012 Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, OP In Chapter 37 of Part II in The Three Ages of the Interior Life, Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange refers to what he calls retarded souls. We should remember that in Latin retardare means “to delay, hold up.” These souls are on the way to perfection but are held up by something. What is that something that holds back souls seeking God? Father Garrigou-Lagrange on retarded souls: Some souls, because of their negligence or spiritual sloth, do not pass from the age of beginners to that of proficients. These are retarded souls; in the spiritual life they are like abnormal children, who do not happily pass through the crisis of adolescence and who, though they do not remain children, never reach the full development of maturity. Thus these retarded souls belong neither among beginners nor among proficients. Unfortunately they are numerous.What is one of the chief impediments? One of them is being tolerant of venial sin as if it were permissible and okay to permit knowingly even one small weed to grow in the garden of the Lord. Father Garrigou-Lagrange explains: The soul falls into tepidity, which, with habitual negligence, is affection for venial sin or the disposition of the will to commit certain venial sins deliberately when the occasion presents itself. There is finally, as it were, the firm resolution to remain in this state. In addition to the lack of the spirit of sacrifice, other causes may produce this tepidity of retarded souls: namely, levity of spirit, the thoughtlessness with which one tells, for example, officious lies (i.e., lies of expediency) whenever the occasion offers; spiritual sloth, which leads finally to the abandonment of the spiritual war against our defects, against our predominant fault, which quite frequently tries to pass for a virtue, and gives rise in us to other more or less inordinate passions. A person thus arrives at carelessness and indifference in regard to perfection and no longer truly tends toward it. The fact that he has perhaps promised to tend toward it by the way of the counsels is forgotten, as is also the loftiness of the supreme precept: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind.”I cite these passages primarily as warnings to myself. Lent would be the ideal time to make war against habitual venial sins. Blessed John Paul II said that we must “return to a proper sense of sin.” All sin, be it venial or mortal sin is an offense against God Who loves us more than we can understand. Envy, grumbling, complaining, fits of agitation, procrastination, undue flattery, the desire to be at the center of attention – these are those little venial sins that we so easily dismiss as unimportant. In The Soul of the Apostolate, Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard (1858– 1935) provided the uncomfortable picture of a Christian soul as “swarming like an anthill with venial sins.” I believe this depiction of unchecked venial sin comes originally from Saint John Vianney (I’d love to know for sure if anyone out there knows). Venial sins in themselves won’t damn us, but they surely pave the way. But worst of all, venial sins displease God and that alone is reason to battle against them. If our hearts are to be all aflame for love of Christ, venial sin is certainly the fire retardant.
This, from what I understand, would also apply to victims of abuse. It's been said that when abuse (of whatever kind) occurs, the person abused does not mature in any way beyond the age the abuse took place, unless they receive the proper help they need to move past what happened.....to move past a victim mentality so they can once again begin to grow. So without proper help, be it mental, spiritual etc, a 40 year old may be at the maturity level of a 10 year old. Without help, the abused person moves on to being either an abuser, or a perpetual victim wallowing in the past, worrying about the future or even worse, pretending everything is just wonderful when it isn't ie: deceiving oneself (all sinful behaviour).......no matter which ditch one falls into, it's not easy to climb out and move on. Imho, it's possible for entire families to fall into such ditches.....And so many bystanders either wittingly or unwittingly appear more than happy to push someone back in as they make their way out.......sometimes the "victim mentality" is perpetuated by the "never again" mentality or the "forgive & forget" mentality. "Never again" is unlikely given human sinfulness & imperfection & while one may forgive, one does not ever forget such things. But in time, healing may be found through detachment, purification of memories and coming to know the Love of Christ. To me, the above highlighted part of what Father says shows just how messed up things are for many of us, and even for the Church in this world as the concept of sin of any kind is being slowly eradicated, the Light of Faith being dimmed.....I realize now that I am also a retarded soul......but I won't give up the hope that one can move past this........and pray that I may be more charitable towards others who may, unbeknownst to me, be fighting the same battle..
I suppose we can see grace in our lives as being like a river, which should flow ever free and fresh. But naturally enough at times the flow of the Holy Spirit can become damned up or stuck. The Church offers many aids to us to help us Spring on forward acgreat example of which we recently passed through which was Lent. We have Advent too and the major feasts. Also missions and retreats. Attempts to give us all a good shaking up to force a restart. Very often such change is forced by inner crisis, forcing us to do things differently. In the 1930's in Italy there was a great scandal when one of the monks in a Carthusian monastery shot dead his Prior in an argument over of all things, chickens. This resulted in the then Pope directing that the Carthusians get out for a walk together once a week. So we see this cycle, folks falling into a rut, a crisis and then a solution.
There is a nice story about this in the life of St Teresa of Avila . A nun came to the saint complaining about being in a dark place and Teresa sat her down and cooked her a big steak and poured her a glass of wine. She was something of an expert in breaking ruts and doldrums encouraging dancing, singing community socialising and days apart. Safety valves to blow of steam. I think then going into these crisis may often not be bad but good things, so we can get our noses rubbed into the things that need doing.
There is one very strange thing in the Spiritual Life and that is that we are very often the very last one to know what is going on with ourselves. The entire planet, it seems, know our faults and failings and things we need to know. Whilst we ourselves remain blissfully ignorant.
I am in the middle of reading this book. I think Acedia is my chief problem. It is very difficult to overcome, perhaps more so than any other root sin.
The Church has so much wisdom, true pearls to be meditated upon. But a lot of her teachings like the above from Fr Garrigou came from a time when the Church taught certain things to all which is no longer the case today. So those of us who are retarded today - and I am one too Brian ;-( - are we perhaps less guilty because our Mother, has not instructed us properly? I did not know about the three stages of interior life, who will teach me this stuff? My priests are talking about green initiatives...
“Those to whom much is given, much will be expected.” This scares me today. I had as a spiritual director for many years a Passionist priest, Fr. Silvan, who had Fr. Garrigou LaGrange as a professor when he studied in Rome. Fr. Silvan gave me LaGrange’s Three Ages and highly recommended it 35 years ago. It took me years to work through part of it, and I never did finish it. I should be so much farther along in the spiritual life today than I am. I realize now acedia has been keeping me in one stagnant spot for so long. Fr. LaGrange had a student two years prior to Fr. Silvan named Karol Wojtyła. Once while attending a conference at FUS we heard a talk by Fr. Benedict Groeschel. He mentioned sending men to a dear friend, a humble holy priest in Pennsylvania, for 40 day retreats. After his talk my wife and I asked him if he was referring to Fr. Silvan, as I’d known him since I was 16. “Of course,” he replied. (The family of my best friend in high school owned a hunting property across the road from Fr. Silvan. We would go hiking there, then go visit Father. I had no idea who or what he was at the time, other than a kind joyful and wise priest out in rural Bedford County PA.) It’s such a small world.
I have already wondered if God himself can withdraw the grace that sustains someone's faith if that person continually rejects the signs of his presence and adopts a rationalist way of thinking about everything, far from spiritual exercises and trials.
Fr. Ripperger discusses this in one of his talks and yes, God can stop supplying the graces that would draw a soul to a life of grace if they consistently reject Him. Hopefully that doesn’t apply to us fools that are trying but are a bit … retarded.
St Alphonsus Ligouri said that God can reach a point with souls, were they are continually forgiven and yet, as St Peter says go back like dogs to eat their own vomit, where God, so to speak, reaches the end of his tether and does close down on it all. A scary thought. We can only spit in His face so many times. But..I think..the Saint is talking about mortal sins here.
