DOCSLIB.ORG

Seven Killer Thoughts Acedia and Love (Charity) May 24, 2020 We Do

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Seven Killer Thoughts Acedia and Love (Charity) May 24, 2020 We Do Seven Killer Thoughts Acedia and Love (Charity) May 24, 2020 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 6:12 How Acedia is Deadly! Evagrius Ponticus: Acedia, which is also called the noonday demon, is the most burdensome of all the demons. It besets the monk at about the fourth hour (10 am) of the morning, encircling his soul until about the eighth hour (2 pm). [1] First it makes the sun seem to slow down or stop moving, so that the day appears to be fifty hours long. [2] Then it makes the monk keep looking out of his window and forces him to go bounding out of his cell to examine the sun to see how much longer it is to 3 o’clock, and to look round in all directions in case any of the brethren is there. [3] Then it makes him hate the place and his way of life and his manual work. It makes him think that there is no charity left among the brethren; no one is going to come and visit him. [4] If anyone has upset the monk recently, the demon throws this in too to increase his hatred. [5] It makes him desire other places where he can easily find all that he needs and practice an easier, more convenient craft. After all, pleasing the Lord is not dependent on geography, the demon adds; God is to be worshipped everywhere. [6] It joins to this the remembrance of the monk’s family and his previous way of life, and suggests to him that he still has a long time to live, raising up before his eyes a vision of how burdensome the ascetic life is. So, it employs, as they say, every [possible] means to move the monk to abandon his cell and give up the race. No other demon follows on immediately after this one but after its struggle the soul is taken over by a peaceful condition and by unspeakable joy. A waterless cloud is chased away by a wind, a mind without perseverance by the spirit of acedia... A person afflicted with acedia proposes visiting the sick, but is fulfilling his own purpose. A monk given to acedia is quick to undertake a service, but considers his own satisfaction to be a precept. A light breeze bends a feeble plant; a fantasy about a trip away drags off the person overcome with acedia. The force of the wind does not shake a well-rooted tree; acedia does not bend the soul that is firmly established. Proverbs 10:4 Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 12:27 The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt. Proverbs 26:15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth. Distracted in my Own Head Distracted because it’s all about me! Distracted by how others treat me! Distracted because I wish I were someplace else! Distracted by the “Good Old Days!” John Cassian- Acedia, described metaphorically as a fever, takes possession of the afflicted one’s mind causing disgust for one’s location, contempt for one’s community of faith, and robs one of the motivation or ability to complete the work, reading, or prayers entrusted to them. How Charity (Love) Brings Life Charity- willful love for God and all others Love- Desiring and willing the highest good for the one loved Hebrews 6:9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation.​ ​10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.​ ​12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Because it is about love—accepting God’s love for us and the cost of loving him back—acedia earns its place among the seven capital vices, or deadly sins. We are made for love. To resist it is to deny who we are. In their reluctance to die to the old self, those with acedia choose slow spiritual suffocation to the birth pains of new life. They cannot fully accept the only thing that would ultimately bring them joy. They refuse the thing they most desire, and they turn away from the only thing that can bring them life. RKD Aquinas- In effect, acedia is a sin against charity in two ways, which meet in reality. On the one hand, acedia is a sin against the joy that springs from charity; it is sadness against what ought to gladden us most: participation in the very life of God. On the other hand, acedia is a sin against charity when it crushes or paralyzes activity, because then it affects the deepest motive force of activity, namely, charity, the participation of the Holy Spirit. Puts My Attention on God Puts My Attention on Serving Others Puts My Attention on Giving My Best Right Now Puts My Attention on Hope for the Future Follow Through Readings May 25-31, 2020 Life has always been full of distractions and is now more than ever. Here are some passages that help us keep focused on what is most important and eternal. PASSAGE PRAYER MONDAY Psalm 1 Missionaries of the Week: Doug and Diane Shindler- CRU TUESDAY Joshua 1:8 Ministry of the Week: Men’s Ministry- Pastor Matthew WEDNESDAYProverbs 1 Those more Vulnerable to Covid-19 THURSDAY Matthew 6:19-34 Our High School and College Graduates FRIDAY John 15 Friends and Family Traveling SATURDAY Romans 7:14-25 That we can gather again- SOON SUNDAY Ephesians 4:17-31 Worshipping Together in our Homes .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • X Sunday After Pentecost
    X Sunday after Pentecost - Acedia1 In the name of the Father… Man is characterized by a three-fold love of self, neighbor and God.2 The three-fold wound of Original Sin distorts those loves,3 the resultant capital vices disposing us to commit sin, disordered acts not consistent with our true happiness which lies in cultivating - perfecting - well-ordered loves. The well-ordered love of self is distorted by the concupiscence of the flesh - by the capital vices of gluttony and lust which promise false happiness in pleasure. The perennial remedy against these carnal vices is corporal mortification, e.g., fasting. The well-ordered love of neighbor is distorted by the concupiscence of the eyes - by the capital vice of avarice which promises false happiness in possessions. The perennial remedy against this vice is liberality with worldly goods, particularly almsgiving. Arising from the wound of the pride of life is the capital vice of acedia - or sloth. Commonly understood as mere laziness or inertia, the early desert fathers rather articulated acedia as a disgust and sorrow for the monastic life and its attendant asceticism, prompting a desire to flee and return to a former life. Thus, acedia was seen as a peculiarly religious vice, a threat to a religious vocation - to a commitment of one's life to God. When monasticism reached the west, eremitical life became communal and the necessary asceticism assumed a social dimension. Consequently, acedia now manifested by distancing oneself from communal duties, e.g., common prayer or manual labor. The root, however, was still discontent with the religious identity, and therefore a relationship with God.
    [Show full text]
  • Acedia and the Evagrian Antidotes to Pastoral Burnout
    Southern Methodist University SMU Scholar Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses Perkins Thesis and Dissertations Spring 5-14-2021 Acedia and the Evagrian Antidotes to Pastoral Burnout Thomas Daniel Irving [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.smu.edu/theology_ministry_etds Part of the Christianity Commons, Practical Theology Commons, and the Religious Education Commons Recommended Citation Irving, Thomas Daniel, "Acedia and the Evagrian Antidotes to Pastoral Burnout" (2021). Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses. 5. https://scholar.smu.edu/theology_ministry_etds/5 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Perkins Thesis and Dissertations at SMU Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses by an authorized administrator of SMU Scholar. For more information, please visit http://digitalrepository.smu.edu. ACEDIA AND THE EVAGRIAN ANTIDOTES TO PASTORAL BURNOUT Approved by: _______________________________________ Prof. James Kang Hoon Lee Associate Professor of the History of Early Christianity Altshuler Distinguised Teaching Professor Director, Doctor of Ministry Program Advisor ___________________________________ Prof. Alyce McKenzie Le Van Professor of Preaching and Worship Altshuler Distinguished Teaching Professor Director, Center for Preaching Excellence Reader ! ACEDIA AND THE EVAGRIAN ANTIDOTES TO PASTORAL BURNOUT A Dissertation Presented to the Graduate Faculty of Perkins School of Theology Southern Methodist University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry by Rev. Daniel Irving B.A., Religious Studies, Southern Methodist University M.Div., Duke Divinity School April 1, 2021 ! Copyright (2021) Rev. Daniel Irving All Rights Reserved ! Irving, Daniel B.A., Southern Methodist University, Dallas, 2004; M.Div., Duke Divinity School, Durham, 2008.
    [Show full text]
  • 7-Sins-Fall-17-Reviewed.Pdf
    Fall 2017 Syllabus Honors Seminar VI 1178-IDH 3034- RVE #87808, Fully Online General Information | Important Information | Course Detail | Course Calendar General Information Professor Information Photo by Jean-Michele Instructor: Prof. Mary Lou Pfeiffer, LL.M., MA Phone:305-348-4100, The Honors College (MMC- DM 233) Fax: 305-348-2118 Office: OE 165 Office Hours: By appointment Email: Please use course email or if necessary [email protected] Course Description, Course Purpose Upper division Honors “Aesthetics, Values and Authority” fully online The Seven Deadly Sins [“Seven” is referenced hereafter using the Arabic number 7] is a fully online, 2 semester- 3 credits/semester- Honors course that investigates a 3-letter word, "sin," and its evolution into the list of the 7 deadly [capital/mortal] sins: anger, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, pride and sloth, that are central to moral philosophy and human behavior. They have been examined through art, music and literature for more than fifteen hundred years, and recently through multimedia and texts. The course provides the student with a background to recognize, define and analyze the 7 sins, their historical roots and corresponding virtues as they emerged from Eastern and Western societies throughout written history. Oxford University Press/New York Public Library produced books for each sin from the following authors: Dyson, Epstein, Wasserman, Prose, Tickle, Thurman and Blackburn. These and another text, Sin: the Early History of an Idea by Paula Fredriksen, explore the complexity of sin and how it affects humanity. In addition to the texts, students are required to view films/DVD’s throughout the course posted online accompanied by works of art, music, and electronic reading material.
    [Show full text]
  • The Passion Sadness According to St. Thomas
    Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Master's Theses Theses and Dissertations 1956 The Passion Sadness According to St. Thomas Benjamin Joseph Urmston Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses Part of the Philosophy Commons Recommended Citation Urmston, Benjamin Joseph, "The Passion Sadness According to St. Thomas" (1956). Master's Theses. 1313. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/1313 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 1956 Benjamin Joseph Urmston THE PASSION SADNESS ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS by- Benjamin J. Urmaton, S.J. A Theais Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Loyola University- in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arta February' 1956 LIFE Benjamin Joseph Urmston, S.J., was born in Cinoinnati, Ohio, September 20, 192$. He was graduated from Mt. Healthy High School, Mt. Healthy, Ohio, June, 194). In July, 1943, he entered xavter University. Cinoinnati, Ohio. After two and a half years in the armr, he entered the Sooiety ot Jesus in September, 1946, and enrolled again in Xavier 'University. He transterred to West Baden College. of Loro1a Univeraity in Septe.ber, 19$0. He was graduated in June, 19$1, with the degree ot Bachelor ot Arts. The author began his graduate studtes at Loyola Uni­ versity in July, 19$1.
    [Show full text]
  • Diligence Through Identity 1
    DILIGENCE THROUGH IDENTITY 1 Diligence Through Identity: Paul’s leadership approach in Ephesians 4 Daniel P. Rogers, DSL Liberty University School of Business Edited by Lisa Simmons Author Note Daniel P. Rogers is an officer in the United States Coast Guard and an adjunct professor at Liberty University’s School of Business. He can be reached via email at [email protected] or via phone at 202.821.2444. DILIGENCE THROUGH IDENTITY 2 Abstract This article seeks to understand the relationship between the classic Christian virtue of diligence and organizational leadership. It begins with some of the history of Christian thought as it relates to character, diligence, and leadership from a philosophical perspective. Next it analyzes Ephesians 4 using an inner texture analysis. The structure of the passage is considered first, then the verbs are analyzed. Past tense verbs obviously refer to actions already past. Future verbs tell us the end result. Present linking verbs denote a “by definition” relationship, and present action verbs give a clue to where diligence in necessary. The analysis is then used to provide practical application for Christians in general and Christian leadership in particular. Four themes emerge from this close look at verb usage. The first theme gleaned from the passage is that all are free to use their gifts for the benefit of others. The second theme found within the passage is that there is no need to try to build esteem upon a comparison between leaders and followers; instead, all are free to draw their identity from Christ. The third theme given within the passage is that Christian leaders can believe that others truly can change because we remember the character that once defined us.
    [Show full text]
  • Acedia, Tristitia and Sloth: Early Christian Forerunners to Chronic Ennui
    Acedia, Tristitia and Sloth: Early Christian Forerunners to Chronic Ennui Ian Irvine This article focuses on the relevance of early Christian writings on acedia and tristitia to the primary modern and postmodern mala- dies of the subject, i.e., chronic ennui, alienation, estrangement, dis- enchantment, angst, neurosis, etc. The focus will be on the ‘chronic ennui cycle’ which has been extensively discussed by Steiner (1971), Bouchez (1973), Kuhn (1976), Healy (1984), Klapp (1986) and Spacks (1995).1 It can be described as a cycle of boredom and addiction which robs individuals of meaning and a sense of the élan vitale. This cycle has undergone various mutations of form over the centuries. Many of the writers mentioned above have plotted its course of development from classical times to the present. Such dis- cussions begin with the descriptions of taedium vitae, luxuria and the horror loci supplied by Roman philosophers and writers such as Lucretius, Petronius and Seneca. They also encompass analyses of the spiritual illnesses of acedia and tristitia written by the Desert Fa- thers and of the various emotional and medical conditions de- scribed by Medieval and Early Modern poets and medical profes- 1 George Steiner, In Bluebeard’s Castle (1971); Madeleine Bouchez, L’Ennui (1973); Reinhard Kuhn, The Demon of Noontide: Ennui in Western Literature (1976); Sean Desmond Healy, Boredom, Self and Culture (1984); Orrin Klapp, Overload and Boredom (1986); and Patricia Spacks, Boredom (1995). Acedia, Tristitia and Sloth HUMANITAS • 89 sionals, e.g., saturnine melancholy, spleen, fits of the mothers, and ‘The English Malady.’ Due largely to the immense sociocultural changes that struck Chronic ennui Europe in the nineteenth century the problem of chronic ennui an obsession (sometimes termed ‘the spleen,’ hypp, languer, nerves and disen- of romantic chantment) inevitably became a major theme (if not obsession) for and realist writers.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Depression Through the Ages
    ISSN: 2455-5460 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.17352/ada MEDICAL GROUP Received: 23 December, 2019 Review Article Accepted: 05 May, 2020 Published: 06 May, 2020 *Corresponding author: Michel Bourin, Neurobiology History of depression through of anxiety and mood disorders, University of Nantes, 98, rue Joseph Blanchart 44100 Nantes, France, E-mail: the ages Keywords: Depression; DSM; Freud; Greco-roman antiquity; Kraepelin Michel Bourin* https://www.peertechz.com Neurobiology of anxiety and mood disorders, University of Nantes, 98, rue Joseph Blanchart 44100 Nantes, France Abstract Depressive thoughts appeared from the origins of Humanity. They are found in philosophical writings and in literature since Antiquity. They have been approached in a religious or medical way since always, with conceptions which sometimes mixed physiological and mystical explanations. With the advent of psychiatry as a medical discipline, depressive disorder was included in the classifi cations of mental disorders. In the fi rst half of the 20th century, depression was only a detectable syndrome in most mental illnesses, psychoses and neuroses, and received no special attention in our societies. Its determinism is designed in a multifactorial way, integrating psychological, social and biological factors. Introduction - yellow bile coming from the liver (bilious character, that is to say anxious) Depression is often presented as a fashionable disease. It is considered to be the disease of the 21st century. Yet it was - the black or atrabile bile coming from the spleen already described by Hippocrates in antiquity and it was at (melancholic character) the beginning of the 1800s that this term of depression, of the These moods correspond to the four elements themselves Latin "depressio" meaning depression, will make sense with characterized by their own qualities: the birth of psychiatry.
    [Show full text]
  • Empathy and Moral Laziness
    Animal Studies Journal Volume 5 Number 2 Article 3 2016 Empathy and Moral Laziness Kathie Jenni University of Redlands, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/asj Part of the Art and Design Commons, Australian Studies Commons, Creative Writing Commons, Digital Humanities Commons, Education Commons, Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Film and Media Studies Commons, Fine Arts Commons, Philosophy Commons, Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons, and the Theatre and Performance Studies Commons Recommended Citation Jenni, Kathie, Empathy and Moral Laziness, Animal Studies Journal, 5(2), 2016, 21-51. Available at:https://ro.uow.edu.au/asj/vol5/iss2/3 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] Empathy and Moral Laziness Abstract In The Empathy Exams Leslie Jamison offers an unusual perspective: ‘Empathy isn’t just something that happens to us – a meteor shower of synapses firing across the brain – it’s also a choice we make: to pay attention, to extend ourselves. It’s made of exertion, that dowdier cousin of impulse’ (23). This essay is dedicated to elaborating that crucial observation. A vast amount of recent research concerns empathy – in evolutionary biology, neurobiology, moral psychology, and ethics. I want to extend these investigations by exploring the degree to which individuals can control our empathy: for whom and what we feel it, to what degree, in what circumstances, and with what practical results. My inquiry is aimed toward showing that humans can find ways to empathize with non-human animals – a capacity that is manifest in our relations with animal companions, but more rarely exercised when we consider animal victims of human exploitation.
    [Show full text]
  • Acedia in the Rhythm of Daily Life the Primary Remedy for Acedia Is Being Faithful in the Demands of Daily Life That God’S Love Calls Us to Face
    Remedies to Acedia in the Rhythm of Daily Life The primary remedy for acedia is being faithful in the demands of daily life that God’s love calls us to face. When we perform them with the humility of prayer, even quotidian works can enkindle the fi re of God’s love in us and thereby strengthen us against the temptations of this vice. Christian Reflection A Series in Faith and Ethics Prayer Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:23-24 Meditation† The beginning of the attack of acedia comes as an invitation to divert Focus Article: one’s attention from the prayer, work, or charity at hand and to Remedies to Acedia in the pay attention to something else, which might be entirely innocent Rhythm of Daily Life or even useful in itself. … [Soon] you fi nd yourself distracted and (Acedia, pp. 36-44) spiritually dissipated. And if you’re anything like me, it’s diffi cult to get a day back on track once this happens. This is why acedia has Suggested Article: to be discerned quickly through a practice of vigilant guard of the heart, so that it may be cut off at its seemingly innocent beginning. Sloth: Who Cares? (Acedia, pp. 73-76) Brother Charles, OFM Cap. Refl ection The early stream of Christian spiritual guidance—from Evagrius (c. 345-399) and his pupil John Cassian (c. 360-435) down to Benedict of Nursia (c. 480-543)—recommends stabilitas, or “sticking to your post,” as the best remedy for acedia. “Being faithful in our regular times of prayer, study, office tasks, cleaning the house, changing diapers, and other works that we may be called to do each day can seem dry and discouraging,” Amy Freeman admits.
    [Show full text]
  • The Seven Capital Sins and Their Opposite Corresponding Capital Virtues and Extremes
    The Seven Capital Sins and their Opposite Corresponding Capital Virtues and Extremes (N.B.: “The vices are often linked with the Seven Capital Sins.”) (Glossary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church) St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: “Our dear Savior was never in extremes.” (Liturgy of the Hours, Vol. I, p. 1690) Capital Sins Capital Virtues Opposite Extreme (Living too lax) (Living proper and balanced) (Living too rigid) Pride Humility Self-Loathing Greed (Avarice) Generosity Wastefulness Lust Chastity Prudishness Anger Meekness or Patience Servility (First Cousin of Pride) (First Cousin of Self-Loathing) Gluttony Temperance Deficiency Envy Kindness or Brotherly Love Pusillanimity (Cowardice/Timidity) (Second Cousin of Pride) (Second Cousin of Self-Loathing) Sloth or Acedia Diligence Workaholism Example: In regard to the virtue of “Diligence”… St. Gregory Nazianzen, Bishop, states: “The grace of a good deed is doubled when it is done with promptness and speed.” (Liturgy of the Hours, Vol. II, p. 266) Isaiah 30:21 : “This is the way; walk in it, when you would rather turn to the right or to the left.” Joshua 1:7 : “Above all, be firm and steadfast…. Do not swerve from the Law either to the right or to the left, that you may succeed wherever you go.” St. John Damascene, Priest and Doctor: “Lead me to pastures, Lord, and graze there with me. Do not let my heart lean either to the right or to the left, but let your good Spirit guide me along the straight path.” (Liturgy of the Hours, Vol. IV, p. 1214) St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop: “Remove all obstacles and stumbling blocks so that you will be able to go straight along the road to Eternal Life.” (Liturgy of the Hours, Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • “Acedia and Me” by Kathleen Norris 2008, Riverhead Books / Penguin Books
    “Acedia & Hope” Date 29 April 2018 Excerpts from “Acedia and Me” by Kathleen Norris 2008, Riverhead Books / Penguin Books An Introduction to “Acedia” Acedia may be an unfamiliar word, but that does not mean it has no relevance for contemporary readers. The standard dictionary definitions of acedia as “apathy”, “boredom”, or “torpor” do not begin to cover it. At its Greek root, the word acedia means the absence of care. The person afflicted by acedia refuses to care or is incapable of doing so. When life becomes too challenging and engagement with others too demanding, acedia offers a kind of spiritual morphine: you know the pain is there, yet can’t rouse yourself to give a damn. It sets in motion the endless cycle of self-defeating thoughts and disconnects us from faith. It is that capacity of the human spirit to look out upon the world and everything God made and say, “I don’t care”. Left unchecked, it can unravel the great commandment: as I cease to practice my love of God, I am also less likely to observe a proper love of my neighbour or myself. When I first read the definitions of acedia given by the desert monks of the 4th century, I felt a weight lift from my soul, for I had just discovered an accurate description of something that had plagued me for years but that I had never been able to name. It started when I was a teenager. My time was filled with the tedium of a repetitious life, moving from classes to flute practices and homework, day after day.
    [Show full text]
  • Fr. Dominic David Maichrowicz, OP PASTOR's CORNER
    PASTOR’S CORNER By your perseverance you will secure your lives. Why are so many people curious about the end of the world? Why do they give so much time and energy to thinking about and trying to predict the end? Why does Jesus try to dissuade us from such things? Because it distracts us from living the life we are called to live. We know the good. We know that the greatest of all the natural gifts that God has given us is the gift of our families; spouses and children. We know that the highest form of love, the true love of friendship where two people mutually desire each other’s true good, is one of the greatest blessings we receive. Furthermore, we know that our ultimate happiness lies in our eternal relationship with God – that nothing compares to union with him; indeed there is no greater miracle in the world, no more sublime or triumphant event that will occur today than the celebration of the Most Holy Eucharist that takes place on our Altar, as every angel and Saint in Heaven, every soul in purgatory, and every member of the Catholic Church gathers around the altar to partake of this Heavenly banquet that is our Lord Jesus Christ. We know the good. And yet these tremendous goods – the love of our spouse, the life of prayer – can begin to feel mundane, common, everyday, and even burdensome. Instead of bringing that joy they should, they begin to feel like a heavy load. And so instead we often throw ourselves willingly into all kinds of lesser goods and curiosities hoping for a distraction so we don’t have to feel that burden anymore.
    [Show full text]