DOCSLIB.ORG

Acedia the Greatest Joy Is to Possess God the Supreme Good. the Vice That Prevents Us from Reaching Our High Calling of Union with God Is Sloth, Or Acedia A

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Acedia the Greatest Joy Is to Possess God the Supreme Good. the Vice That Prevents Us from Reaching Our High Calling of Union with God Is Sloth, Or Acedia A Acedia The greatest joy is to possess God the Supreme Good. The Vice that prevents us from reaching our high calling of union with God is Sloth, or Acedia A. Sloth is a sorrow or boredom with the spiritual life. It’s being bored with the things of God which results in a spiritual apathy or complacency B. This is when you don’t like spiritual things C. Acedia is an aversion to spiritual things like prayer, Mass, talking about God and ultimate things like heaven – basically of everything that matters most. D. It is a revulsion to the invitation from God to become godlike, to become a saint. There are two causes and symptoms of sloth: A. Busyness B. Distraction otherwise known as idleness Both are a kind of restlessness. When you are restless it means you are not a peace with the state of your life which is supposed to be an image of God destined for glory, to become a saint. And if you are not on that track you are going to be restless. The way you cope with being restless is you try to take your mind off it either by busyness or distraction or entertainment (Netflix binging or the constant need for new experiences through travel) Sloth results in the effort escape the invitation to become god-like through busyness, workaholism, entertainment, news, sports, drunkenness, drug use, pornography, or sex From the writings of Joseph Pieper Acedia is a sadness or sorrow that lacks courage for the great things that are proper to the nature of the Christian. It is a kind of anxious vertigo that befalls the human individual when he becomes aware of the height to which God has raised him. One who is trapped in acedia has neither the courage nor the will to be as great as he really is. He would prefer to be less great in order thus to avoid the obligation of greatness. Sloth is spiritual laziness that is expressed through busyness and entertainment. Our constant activity can be a distraction or escape from the primary work or purpose of life – to become a saint. After all, there’s nothing more difficult than becoming holy. Two antidotes to sloth A. Rest or stillness to refocus your perspective on the purpose of life – union with God and to become a saint. Rest, Silence and Stillness to think about and remember the ultimate things: the purpose of life, union with God, that this life will end in death, this life is only a passage-way to our true homeland, Heaven. To recall the great love of Christ and God the Father for us and to think about His life presented in the Gospel. B. The second antidote is that we must detach – take a break from filling our pleasure of the senses of sight, sound, taste, scent and touch. We are not spiritually hungry because we are stuffed to the gills with filling the desires of the body. We need to fast from feeding the desires of the body to grow in our spiritual hunger. Father Walter Ciszek’s book, He Leadeth Me. Father Ciszek was an American Jesuit priest who spent 23 years in Siberian Gulags because he was accused by the Communist regime of being a Vatican spy. Father Ciszek shared the inspirational Faith of some of his fellow prisoners who were willing to make incredible sacrifices and to risk harsh punishments for the opportunity to receive Our Lord in the Eucharist. At that time, communicants were required to fast from midnight until receiving Communion. Father Ciszek wrote: “I have seen … prisoners deprive their bodies of needed sleep in order to get up before the rising bell for a secret Mass…. We would be severely punished if we were discovered saying Mass, and there were always informers.” “All this made it difficult to have many prisoners in attendance so we would consecrate extra bread and distribute Communion to the other prisoners when we could. Sometimes that meant we would only see them when we returned to the barracks at night before dinner. Yet these men would actually fast all day long and do exhausting physical labor without a bite to eat since dinner the evening before, just to be able to receive the Holy Eucharist that was how much the sacrament meant to them.” Sloth is a lack of desire for God. We desire lots of things: a game of golf, a pedicure, an exciting vacation…But why do we not always desire God? Think of what those prisoners were willing to do or sacrifice or risk to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. What are you willing to do? Jesus please give me a greater desire for you – a desire above all else. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • About Emotions There Are 8 Primary Emotions. You Are Born with These
    About Emotions There are 8 primary emotions. You are born with these emotions wired into your brain. That wiring causes your body to react in certain ways and for you to have certain urges when the emotion arises. Here is a list of primary emotions: Eight Primary Emotions Anger: fury, outrage, wrath, irritability, hostility, resentment and violence. Sadness: grief, sorrow, gloom, melancholy, despair, loneliness, and depression. Fear: anxiety, apprehension, nervousness, dread, fright, and panic. Joy: enjoyment, happiness, relief, bliss, delight, pride, thrill, and ecstasy. Interest: acceptance, friendliness, trust, kindness, affection, love, and devotion. Surprise: shock, astonishment, amazement, astound, and wonder. Disgust: contempt, disdain, scorn, aversion, distaste, and revulsion. Shame: guilt, embarrassment, chagrin, remorse, regret, and contrition. All other emotions are made up by combining these basic 8 emotions. Sometimes we have secondary emotions, an emotional reaction to an emotion. We learn these. Some examples of these are: o Feeling shame when you get angry. o Feeling angry when you have a shame response (e.g., hurt feelings). o Feeling fear when you get angry (maybe you’ve been punished for anger). There are many more. These are NOT wired into our bodies and brains, but are learned from our families, our culture, and others. When you have a secondary emotion, the key is to figure out what the primary emotion, the feeling at the root of your reaction is, so that you can take an action that is most helpful. .
    [Show full text]
  • Finding the Golden Mean: the Overuse, Underuse, and Optimal Use of Character Strengths
    Counselling Psychology Quarterly ISSN: 0951-5070 (Print) 1469-3674 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ccpq20 Finding the golden mean: the overuse, underuse, and optimal use of character strengths Ryan M. Niemiec To cite this article: Ryan M. Niemiec (2019): Finding the golden mean: the overuse, underuse, and optimal use of character strengths, Counselling Psychology Quarterly, DOI: 10.1080/09515070.2019.1617674 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2019.1617674 Published online: 20 May 2019. Submit your article to this journal View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ccpq20 COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY QUARTERLY https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2019.1617674 ARTICLE Finding the golden mean: the overuse, underuse, and optimal use of character strengths Ryan M. Niemiec VIA Institute on Character, Cincinnati, OH, USA ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY The science of well-being has catalyzed a tremendous amount of Received 28 February 2019 research with no area more robust in application and impact than Accepted 8 May 2019 the science of character strengths. As the empirical links between KEYWORDS character strengths and positive outcomes rapidly grow, the research Character strengths; around strength imbalances and the use of strengths with problems strengths overuse; strengths and conflicts is nascent. The use of character strengths in understand- underuse; optimal use; ing and handling life suffering as well as emerging from it, is particularly second wave positive aligned within second wave positive psychology. Areas of particular psychology; golden mean promise include strengths overuse and strengths underuse, alongside its companion of strengths optimaluse.Thelatterisviewedasthe golden mean of character strengths which refers to the expression of the right combination of strengths, to the right degree, and in the right situation.
    [Show full text]
  • 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]
  • Righteous Indignation I
    John 2:13-22 13The Jewish Passover was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers sitting at tables. 15He made a whip of cords and drove everyone out of the temple courts, along with the sheep and oxen. He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those selling doves he said, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a place of business!” 17His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18So the Jews responded, “What sign are you going to show us to prove you can do these things?” 19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.” 20The Jews said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple! And you are going to raise it in three days?” 21But Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body. 22When Jesus was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and what Jesus had said. Righteous Indignation I. You sigh as you enter church. It’s that time of year again—the time leading up to Passover. Jewish faithful from all over the world are coming to make their pilgrimage to the temple to make their sacrifices and pay their temple-tax. It probably all seems very practical and pragmatic to the Jewish out-of-town-ers. They’ll stop in the equivalent of the narthex area for all the necessary items for their sacrifices.
    [Show full text]
  • Righteous Vs. Misguided Anger Know the Difference
    1.13.2018 Righteous Vs. Misguided Anger Know The Difference We live in a culture that simultaneously promotes Angry Responses while at the same time rewards Keeping Cool at all costs. Twitter, YouTube and nightly news reports are filled with Angry Videos that have millions of views. We see on a daily basis some politician with crocodile tears foisting some new victimhood narrative. At the same time, real injustice with life and death consequences is being dealt with lukewarm conviction. More so, real Discipline is being ignored altogether because a Righteous Anger has been muffled, stifled, suppressed, repressed, throttled and otherwise choked out of existence. Anger is a completely normal and usually healthy human emotion. It is a natural adaptive response to hazards, dangers, threats and perils to one’s personal safety and security. Anger inspires powerful, often aggressive, feelings and behaviors, which allow us to fight and defend ourselves when we are attacked. A certain amount of anger is necessary for our survival and for the survival of the loved ones placed in our care. Civil Society however, has mitigated the need for one to walk around in a constant state of assertive belligerence. However, we still have feelings of anger and frustration because of very real and inescapable problems in our lives. Everyone needs to learn the difference between Righteous and Misguided Anger. While anger is not in itself wrong, it is accurately grouped into the concept of Wrath, one of the 7 Deadly Sins. If left unchecked, anger can lead to Wrath. The difference is in intensity, force and passion.
    [Show full text]
  • Grief Support Resources
    grief support resources 24/7 crisis hotline The Light Beyond: thelightbeyond.com The Harris Center: 713-970-7000 A forum, short movie, blog, e-cards and library to support those in grief. web sites: Bo’s Place: bosplace.org UNITE: unitegriefsupport.org A bereavement center offering grief support services to Offers a number of services to grieving parents and children, ages 3 to 18, and their families who have caregivers including the following: grief support experienced the death of a child or an adult in their groups, literature, educational programs, training workshops, immediate family, as well as programs for grieving group development assistance and referral assistance. adults. Bo’s Place is founded on the belief that grieving children sharing their experiences with each other infant specific: greatly helps in their grief journey. Bo’s Place is located March of Dimes: marchofdimes.com in Houston, TX and has employees that speak Spanish. The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature MISS Foundation: missfoundation.org birth and infant mortality. The organization carries out its A volunteer-based organization committed to providing mission through research, community services, education crisis support and long-term aid to families after the and advocacy to save babies’ lives. March of Dimes death of a child from any cause. MISS also participates researchers, volunteers, educators, outreach workers and in legislative and advocacy issues, community advocates work together to give all babies a fighting engagement and volunteerism and culturally chance against the threats to their health: prematurity, competent, multidisciplinary, education opportunities.
    [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]
  • Positive Psychology
    7 WAYS TO APPLY POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY Learn practical, proven strategies to live a happier, more engaged and more meaningful life. We all want to live happier, more engaging and more meaningful lives. The science of positive psychology contributes new Introduction insights and proven strategies to increase wellbeing in individuals, workplaces and communities. After years classifying and repairing the worst of human experience, positive psychology emerged to help us flourish and learn from the best. This rich and varied field now spans many areas, building on philosophies and practices from Aristotle to Maslow. This eBook introduces you to some of the most practical and research-backed ways to apply positive psychology to increase happiness, wellbeing and effectiveness—in your life, at work, at home and with the people you care for, help and lead. You will learn: • How to maximise the power of positivity to create sustainable pathways to happiness and success. • Seven positive psychology practices - “[Positive Psychology is] the from optimism to mindfullness. scientific study of positive • Tips to apply these practices at work, at human functioning and home and when helping people. flourishing on multiple levels.” We look forward to inspiring you and others to live a Martin Seligman &Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi happier, more engaged and fulfilling life! The Langley Group team © 2015 Langley Group. All rights reserved 2 Positive psychology 7 POSITIVE PRACTICES Positive emotion 1 Generating positive emotions helps broaden and build our resources and moves us toward greater wellbeing. Spearheaded by Martin Seligman and Mindset Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in 1998, positive 2 psychology focuses on exploring and Adopting a positive attitude and Growth Mindset enhances learning and opens our expanding what makes life worthwhile, mind to new ways to raise happiness levels.
    [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]
  • Joyful Bodies, Joyful Minds: Gender Euphoria Among Transgender
    JOYFUL BODIES, JOYFUL MINDS: GENDER EUPHORIA AMONG TRANSGENDER ADULTS LIVING IN CANADA by © Sam Tacit a thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Gender Studies, Department of Gender Studies Memorial University of Newfoundland June 2020 St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador Abstract Gender euphoria is a relatively recent term to describe positive experiences of transgender identity. There is very limited literature on this term and its implications, despite the impact it can have on positively affecting one’s self-esteem and pride. In this thesis I seek to understand how transgender adults living in Canada define and experience gender euphoria. 26 participants responded to an online survey that included a series of questions regarding their experiences with gender euphoria, and their definitions for the term. Their responses suggest that gender euphoria encompasses many emotional, psychological, and interpersonal factors. The participants described gender euphoria as a complex and emotion-driven experience, often brought about by both internal changes to one’s self-perception and the external validation of others. Keywords: Gender Dysphoria, Gender Euphoria, Transgender, Gender Identity, Phenomenology ii Summary Gender euphoria is a term that has gained traction among transgender communities in recent years to describe happiness and joy in one’s gender identity (ex. feeling like a man, a woman, both, neither, something else, etc.) and gender expression (ex. the clothing, cosmetics, and body language one uses to express their gender identity). However, there is still less research on gender euphoria compared to negative experiences associated with transgender individuals and our communities.
    [Show full text]