Acedia and Day 8 of the great cleanup

OUR sixth combat is with what the Greeks call acedia, which we may term weariness or distress of heart. This is akin to gloominess, ... It also makes the man lazy and sluggish about all manner of work which has to be done within the enclosure of his dormitory. It does not suffer him to stay in his cell, or to take any pains about reading, and he often groans because he can do no good while he stays there, and complains and sighs because he can bear no spiritual fruit so long as he is joined to that society; and he complains that he is cut off from spiritual gain, and is of no use in the place, ... John Cassian Institutes

I have written a little about acedia earlier back in September last year. (here) But as I struggle with trying to keep myself cleaning up so then the reflections on slovenliness continue to follow on. Our physical, emotional and spiritual lives are intrinsically linked.

John Cassian (circa AD 360-435) is probably the most quoted figure on the subject (actually are far as I can see the only figure I've read to date!) It is his recording of the Desert Fathers' sayings and his influence on St Benedict and subsequent monastic traditions that makes him so important. In his Institutes, Book 10, he give an important illustration from his own life concerning acedia.

WHEN I was beginning my stay in the desert, and had said to Abbot Moses, the chief of all the saints, that I had been terribly troubled yesterday by an attack of acedia, and that I could only be freed from it by running at once to Abbot Paul, he said, “You have not freed yourself from it, but rather have given yourself up to it as its slave and subject. For the enemy will henceforth attack you more strongly as a deserter and runaway, since it has seen that you fled at once when overcome in the conflict: unless on a second occasion when you join battle with it you make up your mind not to dispel its attacks and heats for the moment by deserting your cell, or by the inactivity of sleep, but rather learn to triumph over it by endurance and conflict.” Whence it is proved by experience that a fit of acedia should not be evaded by running away from it, but overcome by resisting it.

In Cassian's writing he indicates some key obstacles for the monks in the spiritual life; gluttony, impurity, covetousness, anger, dejection, acedia, vainglory, and pride. I suspect I have begun to gain insight into why people get stuck in the spiritual lives and it's all to be found here. So its back to work will all my might to clear the kitchen.

Jesus replied, No-one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62