Then do it faithfully and let God attend to the outcome.įinally, the theological virtue of hope dissipates the lassitude of Sloth. Ask God to show you what your personal contribution should be to the work of the Church. They are listed in the Catechism (#2447). The spiritual and corporal works of mercy lift us out of ourselves and into the work of God's Kingdom. Those who attempt to live without them often sink into the despair of doubting whether there is a God, whether He loves them, whether He can forgive them, or whether life has any ultimate meaning. It is precisely these life-giving Sacraments that sloth most tempts us to abandon. The Cardinal virtue of Fortitude, "the virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good" (Catechism #1808) is absolutely essential to your spiritual survival, especially when in the deadly grip of sloth.Ībove all, do not skip Mass or forsake the Sacrament of Confession. If you find this too burdensome, know that this is the deadly vice of sloth. Set aside time for prayerful study of Scripture. Jerome said that ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of God. If you find it distasteful, know that this is the deadly vice of sloth. Resolve to spend time in prayer, at least a half an hour every day. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. Either we grow in faith, hope and love, or we collapse into sloth and, perhaps, ultimate loss. This can be a tipping point in our spiritual lives. We avoid God, just when we need Him most. Sometimes this aversion strikes at a very advanced stage of the spiritual life, but for most of us, it shows itself early on, after the euphoria of conversion or the sweetness of prayer wears off. The darkest side of sloth, however, is its distaste for worship and prayer. We knew one another, knocked on doors when a neighbor had not been seen for a few days, brought chicken soup when one was sick, and had Christmas parties in the lobby. In the midst of New York City's millions, for example, a humanly sized community lived in my apartment building. Begin with your family, your parish, your neighborhood, your child's school. It is possible to carve out a more human scale of life. How can we overcome this most deadly vice? Mass society engenders a sense of powerlessness, but size need not leave us apathetic. The loss of one's spiritual moorings manifests itself in flight from God and apathy in the service of one's neighbor. The slothful person is lukewarm towards, perhaps even repelled by, divine goodness and spiritual practices (Catechism #1866, 2094, 2733). The Catechism describes sloth as a culpable lack of physical or spiritual effort that can actually refuse the joy that comes from God.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |