I’ll do it tomorrow
When we think of the deadly sin of sloth, we probably think of laziness. And while it could manifest itself in that way (laziness is a sin, and is radically different than leisure), it particularly refers to laziness in the things of God. The sin of sloth is a lack of drive and perseverance when it comes to the spiritual life.
In the original list of deadly sins by the fourth century desert monk Evagrius Ponticus, he referred to the sin as acedia. He dubbed it the “demon of noontide,” in reference to Psalm 91. Writing for monks, he describes the experience in the middle of the day when they were tempted to restlessness, distraction in prayer, a longing for their former life, and even an aversion to their cell.
The sin is not restricted to monks in cells.
In fact, it might be one of the most prevalent sins of our day. How often are we tempted to avoid the hard things of our vocation? To give into distraction? To do anything else but sit in silent prayer?
Interestingly, unlike the other deadly sins, sloth or acedia is a sin of omission. It is found not necessarily in doing something, but in not doing something. And while it might look like sitting on the couch all day watching TV, it also might look like the exactly opposite: extreme busyness, activism, and preoccupation. It might manifest in my life when I fill my life with going here, going there, doing this, doing that…at the cost of neglecting my spiritual life or the crosses of my vocation.
Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman has a saying: Choose hard. I think that encapsulates the fight against sloth. When we’re tempted to choose comfort over the cross, pleasure over sacrifice, sin over virtue… choose hard. It doesn’t mean that we have to be working every minute – in fact, for many of us, silence and rest and prayer might be the “hard” we are called to choose at that moment!
Sloth might manifest in my life as procrastination. I know what I need to do at work or at home, but it’s so much easier to decide to do it tomorrow. Just like that monk who is tempted to take a nap at noon or even go home to his family, you are probably being tempted when faced with the hard stuff of your vocation–do it later, make someone else do it, or just phone it in.
And what about my prayer life? Even if I am not a monk in the desert, I am still called to a deep, personal relationship with God that requires daily prayer. We can be so committed to other things in life – advancing in our career, being the best parent we can be, reaching our goals–are we working with the same passion to be holy? Are we setting goals for our spiritual life? Are we passionate about our relationship with God? Or are we putting it off until tomorrow…or worse, the end of our lives?
Examine
- Do I seek God above all else, or have I put other priorities ahead of him? (e.g. friendships, ambition, comfort)
- Do I avoid the hard projects or responsibilities of life or procrastinate?
- Do I get so caught up in the things of this world that I don’t have time for prayer?
- Do I attended Mass each and every Sunday? Do I make a prayerful preparation before Mass and a good thanksgiving after Mass, as much as my vocation allows?
- Do I neglect to say my daily prayers?
- Do I entertain distractions in prayer, or fail to give God due concentration in prayer or in the Mass? (Note: Not giving God the effort he deserves in prayer is a sin, but it is not the same thing as involuntary weakness in mental distractions.)
- Do I receive Holy Communion while in a state of serious sin? Do I neglect to seek Confession before Holy Communion?
- Am I lazy and slow to help others? Do I only serve others when it is convenient, pleasurable, or when I am forced to do so? Have I been attentive to the needs of my neighbor, the needs of my family?
- Do I neglect to go to sleep on time and allow my curiosity or entertainment to determine my schedule?
- Do I make good use of my time in service to others, or do I waste time needlessly? Do I fail to plan good use of relaxation and recreation, knowing that I need to rest well on order to pray and serve others?
Eradicate
Prayer is hard. The Catechism actually refers to it as a battle. It requires perseverance!
- Set aside extra time to pray this week, even five extra minutes a day. Pay special attention to the urge to give up or give into distractions, and ask God for help in persevering. Make time for silence.
- Take note of when you’re tempted to procrastinate or avoid a hard task and ask God for help banishing that noonday devil.
- Give up one avenue of entertainment this week and use that time to make someone’s life easier, write someone a letter, or call a lonely friend.
And remember, you need help with this. You aren’t going to conquer this noonday demon by yourself. Even when you don’t feel like praying, throw up a plea to God that you need help.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
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