In the book – The Noonday Devil, the Unnamed Evil of our Times, the author Jean-Charles Nault he writes:
“Acedia in English comes from the Latin acedia, which in turn comes from the Greek akèdia. This word means “lack of care”. I refer the reader to the works by the Franciscan Bernard Forthomme, who wrote a thick volume on acedia. In a brilliant article, he explained how acedia, before the Christian era, and even before Empedocles (490—435 B.C.) or Cicero (106—43 B.C.), denoted the act of not burying one’s dead. This lack of concern for the deceased was an essential characteristic of dehumanization. Indeed, only men bury their dead; animals do not. Not to bury one’s dead is therefore an evil especially contrary to the human condition.
With Evagrius of Pontus (a third generation Desert Father) a new meaning appears: it is no longer about a lack of care with regard to the deceased; it is about a lack of care given to one’s own spiritual life, a lack of concern for one’s salvation. Evagrius gives no definition of acedia, except on one occasion: he says that it is an atonia or “relaxation of the soul”, in other words, a lack of spiritual energy.”
Then I read last week in the book Divine Intimacy, (P #317) “If we don’t have zeal for our own soul, how can we have zeal for other’s souls.” If we have little love of God, we will also have little love for souls and vice versa; if our zeal for souls is weak this means our love for God is also weak.”
It’s kind of like the transitive law I learned in high school geometry class: “If a = b and b = c then a = c.”. If we don’t have a zeal for our own souls then we don’t really know and love God. If we don’t care for our own salvation we certainly won’t care about anyone else’s. Yet, zeal or love for other’s salvation is the second greatest commandment according to Jesus. (Matt 22:37-40). It’s second to loving God. See the connection?
The author then goes on writing “One who has penetrated the mystery of God’s love for men, cannot remain indifferent to their fate.” He means “one who has penetrated the mystery of God’s love” is working on their interior life.
St John Chrysostom writes: “No Christian can be unconcerned about his brother, but is obliged, according to his ability, to work for the good of his neighbor’s soul, and by this reason of his Baptism, which constitutes him a member of the Mystical Body, making him one with the other members, so that the good of others is his good, the suffering of others his suffering. “
St John Chrysostom concludes on this subject: “The cause of all evils lies in the fact that we consider alien the things that concern our own body (The Mystical Body of Christ). No one is fulfilling his own duty if he ignores his neighbor’s salvation. If you dare contend that you have nothing in common with you fellow member; if you think you have nothing in common with your brother, then neither have you Christ for your Head.”
You may may think your concern, or lack of it, for your sanctity, or lack of rigor to advance your spiritual life is a personal decision and affects only you, but it truly affects the sanctity of the world.
