1.7.2 – Acedia, Deadly Sin of Sloth

Acedia – apathy, weariness

– WordHippo

In an interesting plot twist only God could have predicted, the final virtue in our tour counters “the most difficult sin to define.” For a number of reasons, that makes the timing excellent, so let’s begin.

Word Games: a Linguistic Run-Around

It makes sense that it would be particularly difficult to encapture a sin with such a peculiar base term. First, the term was absorbed into English, but it took a path slightly indirect in that it doesn’t hearken specifically to the sin it was originally written to describe.

Acedia – spiritual or mental sloth; apathy

– Oxford dictionary

It appears to be precisely the sin we’re discussing. However, taking a look further, we notice that while there are ties connecting the two, it’s not a synonym.

Acedia – a state of listlessness or torpor… Some see it as the precursor to sloth

– Wikipedia, Acedia

As a precursor to sloth, it cannot also be sloth itself.

… Except for that, in the case of word stealing, we can redefine the term in the new language to mean something other than what it originally meant: the original redefinition of a term was no doubt a linguistic churn of phrase.

What is Acedia?

Acedia – without care… affectlessness, a lack of any feeling about self or other, a mind-state that gives rise to boredom, rancor, apathy, and a passive inert or sluggish mentation… finds expression in laziness, idleness, and indolence

– Wikipedia, Sloth

Been there; done that. Talk about any cozy snow day, and this passage speaks to me. And if you haven’t experienced waking up to a fresh foot of powder with the final round of flakes floating down to earth outside as you move to a better vantage point to cuddle up with a soft blanket and a cup of cocoa in a comfy chair, I recommend a New England trip some winter as it’s quite amazing. It’s like visiting a ski lodge with the hustle and bustle of winter athletes replaced by a thorough tranquility.

I enjoy a good winter storm, but I digress.

The article lists tells – actions betraying the lack of care. Do any of these sound familiar?

• I just want to go to bed!
• I want to work on that other topic now…
• But the deadline isn’t until next week.
• We’ve earned a break, don’t you think?
• But there’s only a self-deadline, not a real one!

I have literally told myself all of these within the last week (easily – probably more recently than that).

These notions aren’t themselves indicative of laziness. If you’ve been working hard all day and you legitimately need rest, then you should go to bed. If, however, you’re in the midst of a project, it’s not even lunch, and you’re hoping to avoid the issue, then it may be an indication of apathy and intentional avoidance.

Why is Sloth Sinful?

One can sin against God’s love in various ways: … acedia or spiritual sloth goes so far as to refuse the joy that comes from God and to be repelled by divine goodness.

– Catechism of the Catholic Church

Acedia causes us to reject God’s love by refusing His joy and His goodness, gifts He grants to us. As such, sloth is a sin against the first commandment because it’s a rejection of His love. Sloth is a deadly sin because it’s the decision to follow the desires of the flesh instead of fighting for the spirit; this inevitably leads us to run away from God as we seek earthly pleasures in His stead.

Earthly pleasures like what? Perhaps carnal enjoyments, but the most nefarious is nothing so dazzling. Instead, it’s simply the decision to not act in line with or speak in defence of the Good News.

I simultaneously feel like I dodged a bullet and that I need to be more mindful. I stand up for my faith when I think to, and certainly when it’s convenient and I know how, but what about when it’s inconvenient or I don’t know what information to offer or which verse to quote? Am I allowing myself to rely on God to help me through those situations… or am I hoping my ignorance isn’t noticed by way of my silence?

I don’t know. I know I’ve kept silent before because although I was certain of a specific theological concept I did not want to run the risk of ostracizing myself or someone else at the table. But that is acedia. For certain, we are not to badger someone about any tenet of the Faith, purported believer or not, but we must not allow contortions on Holy Mother Church. In the last few years, has the Church not suffered enough?

The recent decades of suffering of the Church is no doubt caused by acedia. We the lay people must stand up for what is good and right and true lest the corruption and wickedness that has seeped in continue. Not protecting the Church, against threats foreign (outside the Catholic Faith) and domestic (inside the Faith), is acedia. We are called upon to act, and our inaction is sinful.

I feel like I just went a little Church Militant up here… If it protects the Faith, I quite hope so.

Summary

Acedia roughly translates to sloth. However, sloth or laziness is not pointed to the particular area of interest. This sin specifically relates to our spiritual health and activity. We are called to act on behalf of God to our neighbors to help others find Christ. If we are not testifying to our faith, particularly in our actions, we are succumbing to the desire of the flesh instead of the will of the spirit; such a decision for current comfort over eternal salvation is acedia.

Thoughts? Ideas? Concerns? Let me know in the comments!

Further Investigations

• Father Mike Schmitz: Acedia: The Noonday Devil
  “I’m doing everything except the one thing I’m supposed to be doing.” Procrastination. Are we doing what we’re supposed to be doing?
• The National Catholic Register asserts that the true concern regarding acedia is that we neglect the “go” of the Bible; that’s 1,514 times we are called to be witnesses to the Good News of Christ, and we ignore it. The signs of acedia listed are loss of joy, lukewarmness of comfort, and indifference toward the salvation of others. Here’s the article for more detail.