When we surround ourselves with bad thoughts, it begets negative energy. It leads us towards the path of looking at the world from a standpoint that can lead to disparity and depression – acedia.
What is acedia?
Acedia is a word that defies easy definition while being a phenomenon all too familiar to us. The term refers to spiritual sloth — a state whose symptoms include moroseness, weariness, fatigue, melancholy, gloominess, feeling overworked, discouragement, dejection, instability, activism, boredom, disenchantment, depression, languor, torpor, mediocrity, laziness, loss of interest, lack of fervor, compromise, a repulsion to the things of God, a deprivation of the meaning of life, despair of attaining salvation, and, above all, an overall compelling absence of joy and hope.
From https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/religion-and-philosophy/spiritual-life/acedia-30-06-17.html
It’s that moment during our day when the Noon Day Demon” strikes us:
Psalms 91
Assurance of God’s Protection
91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High,
who abides in the shadow of the Almighty,
2 will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence;
4 he will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
I know from personal experience that it’s when I am not in the moment and I take my eyes off God – when I feel bored, listless, restless – that the noon day demon attacks and all of a sudden I feel a sense of hopelessness. I feel a sense of loss – futility sets in.
To combat the noon day demon is to know that little trials produce endurance, strength and hope in God. It is to live in the present bathe in the joy of God, and not get dragged down by life.
Father Goring in his short message inspires us to develop the habit of having good thoughts:
This is a good start on battling the noon day demon – that time of the day when we feel tired, listless, futile and a little sad for reasons we can’t phantom.
For more reading and insights into acedia:
https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/fellows/acedia-beating-back-the-noonday-devil/
https://saintsandscriptures.com/the-noonday-demon-acedia-part-i
https://saintsandscriptures.com/the-noonday-demon-acedia-part-ii
The Noonday Devil: Acedia, the Unnamed Evil of Our Times, by Abbot Jean-Charles Nault https://www.catholiccompany.com/the-noonday-devil-acedia-the-unnamed-evil-of-our-times-i121587/
https://www.amazon.com/Noonday-Devil-Acedia-Unnamed-Times-ebook/dp/B0182YPFH8
May each of us keep our eyes focused on God in our daily walk. The noon day demon is sneaky and ready to attack us when we are bored or listless, or on a spiritual low. With the joy of God in the centre of our lives – we will win the battle against acedia.
God Bless 🙏💖
Be Inspired! 