Spiritual Laziness

In the Wisdom of the Church Fathers Column, we hear about the sin 'acedia' (spiritual laziness). Desert monks consistently sought to preserve the zeal of the early days of monastic life, and each day began anew as if they were beginners. Progressing forward is never easy, but we must keep moving. Because God is infinite.

Desert monks always tried to preserve the zeal of the early days of monastic life. So, they would start each day anew as beginners. “Who is the faithful and wise monk who maintains the fire of zeal? It is the person who, until death, never ceases to add fire to the fire, zeal to zeal, eagerness to eagerness, and desire to desire every day.” It is essential to keep and continuously nurture the initial zeal. As time passes, we lose that initial zeal, and our hearts can become cold and extinguished like firewood. Therefore, we must ignite our hearts with fresh zeal every time.

On this journey toward God, zeal is the energy that keeps us from growing weary and drives us forward. Like Moses, who endlessly moved toward the promised land, the desert fathers emphasized maintaining new zeal in the heart daily and spiritual progress. Do not settle for the familiar present and continue the spiritual journey without pause. This concept of progress is a key idea, particularly highlighted in Gregory of Nyssa's 'Life of Moses'. It indicates that we must continually advance in our spiritual life. The relentless movement of the soul toward the immutable God—that is Gregory's concept of progress. Since the soul is not identical with God, the soul’s participation in goodness results in endless progress. This is because only God is infinite. Humans, created in the image of God, are finite beings striving toward God. This implies beings in motion, beings of desire. Moses, who lived a life moving toward the promised land, is a model of this.

It signifies existence. Moses, who lived a life moving toward the promised land, is a prime example. St. John Climacus also states that virtue and love have no limits or endpoints, whether in this world or the next. Progress is a sign of life not only in this world but also in heaven. The essence of perfection, paradoxically, lies in the fact that we never become absolutely perfect and continuously move from glory to glory.

The more he becomes aware of his spiritual growth, the more he feels a hunger and thirst to receive more grace and to grow within that grace. The richer he becomes spiritually, the poorer he considers himself, for his spiritual longing for the heavenly Bridegroom has become insatiable.” Therefore, saying ‘It is enough. I need nothing more’ is very dangerous. “The Lord is infinite and hard to reach, and a Christian must never dare to say that he has reached the Lord but must seek Him day and night and remain humble.” There is no graduation in monastic life.’ This means that monastic life is not a temporary process but a continuous journey throughout one’s life.

According to Saint Benedict, a monastery is “a school for serving the Lord. Graduation from this school likely comes, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, when one leaves the school, and ultimately when one completes this earthly journey. The same applies to spiritual life. The spiritual journey toward God can have no end. We must continue to move forward. Stopping is regression; it is death. We are still on earth. The perfection that saints attained on this earth is only after the resurrection, “when the resurrected body is clothed in a new divine garment and in heaven.