Lord, today I ask for your help in overcoming spiritual sloth, which is both an affliction and a sin. Deliver me from indifference and from giving in to temptation. Help me strive for the virtue of divine victory and remain in a close relationship with you.
Eternal Father, help me be victorious for Christ in my daily life through docility to the Holy Spirit. Help me remember His Passion so that I do not lose my gratitude or have my love grow cold. Do not let me develop an aversion to prayer, numbness toward loved ones when they need me, or a lack of spiritual joy in my life. Do not let me be lazy or suffer from the sin of acedia – the noonday devil. Do not let me busy myself with distractions that keep me from union with your Spirit as they will never give me the joy that comes from an inner love of the spiritual.
Please, Lord, let me have the virtue of divine victory in my life. I want to have the fire of the Holy Spirit every day. Let me remember your higher purpose for my life and be intimately connected to you. Jesus, please help me have heroic virtue. When I am complacent, stir my heart to action for your glory. Please help me build a relationship with you that will give me heroic faith and a magnanimous heart that gives. Let me have the virtue of divine victory.
Eternal Father, Please take away my distractions in prayer. Let me trust you with my life and pray with love in my heart. Help me be victorious for Christ in my thoughts, words, and actions. Help me confess my sin of spiritual sloth and all the bad habits created by this affliction. I want to be victorious for Christ all my remaining days and live a joyful, spirit-filled, and meaningful life. AMEN
Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the sluggard goes hungry. Those who keep commands keep their lives, but those who despise these ways will die.
Overcoming Spiritual Sloth to be Victorious for Christ
Spiritual Sloth comes from a Lack of Faith
by St. Hildegard von Bingen
Slothfulness does not shine with the fear of God, nor does it burn with the fire of the uneasiness of honor, for it has covered over its knowledge with faults while it is alive. Knowledge is the breath of life in the soul that has been rewarded with grace. But sloth does not want to seek grace by doing good works. It has covered over its knowledge while it is alive when with great unhappiness it neglects the faith that it ought to have as its support and in which there is the hope of eternal life.
Liber Vitae Meritorum, The First Part, Section 96, Paragraph 113
One can sin against God's love in various ways:
First, indifference neglects or refuses to reflect on divine charity; it fails to consider its prevenient goodness and denies its power.
Second, ingratitude fails or refuses to acknowledge divine charity and to return him love for love.
Third, lukewarmness is hesitation or negligence in responding to divine love; it can imply refusal to give oneself over to the prompting of charity.
Fourth, acedia or spiritual sloth goes so far as to refuse the joy that comes from God and to be repelled by divine goodness.
Finally, hatred of God comes from pride. It is contrary to love of God, whose goodness it denies, and whom it presumes to curse as the one who forbids sins and inflicts punishments.
Week 5 of the Virtue Meditations Series
Overcoming Spiritual Sloth to be Victorious for Christ
Reflection:
St. Hildegard of Bingen calls the virtue of being victorious for Christ “divine victory.” This virtue is the only remedy for overcoming spiritual sloth, the noonday devil described in Scripture as “the pestilence that roams in darkness, or the plague that ravages at noon” (Psalm 91:6).
What do I do when I feel weak? Do I complain? Do I build resentment over injustices I see? Do I quit praying fervently when it feels like my prayers are not being answered? Do I distance myself from God and let my heart grow cold, no longer caring about the things that matter and essentially giving up?
If my answer to any of these questions is yes, then I suffer from acedia and need to ask for the virtue of divine victory as the medicine for overcoming spiritual sloth.
What is Spiritual Sloth?
Spiritual sloth is a toxic, self-serving mindset that tries to justify weaknesses in the mind and body. When we are afflicted with the sin of sloth we become depressed about our current situation and lose our resolve to fight our spiritual battles.
The vice of sloth will numb the conscience. Bingen warns that slothfulness impedes the Holy Spirit’s gift of knowledge. When we have sloth we may not believe we have a sin or need repentance. In this way we release ourselves from feeling the guilt of giving up on God and ourselves. Our justification for our sloth covers over our knowledge, and we can no longer understand the meaning and purpose God has for our lives and possess the virtue of divine victory in order to live up to this meaning.
We tell ourselves, “Oh well, I knew this would happen, there is nothing I can do about it. I prayed and nothing happened, so I don’t care anymore. I don’t believe God hears me or that he cares that I am suffering so much.” This sin results in tremendous sadness and can ultimately turn into contempt for God. The roots of sloth lie in the sin of pride and a preoccupation with one’s ego.
The Remedy for Overcoming Spiritual Sloth
What can I do to have a pure heart, mind, and a total trust in God and his divine providence?
I must recognize my limited finite point of view on what’s negatively affecting me right now. I have to keep my gaze on Christ crucified. This is where I draw my strength when evil thoughts tempt me to quit the battle God has asked me to fight for his glory. I have to shift my focus from my point of view and assent to God’s. Divine victory tells me to believe that God is with me and that He sees the path I am walking and he is guiding my steps toward the victory he has already won. I must walk with faith and confidence in God’s providence. God never loses. If I remain in God I will receive the victory through God. I know that all things will work together for good if I am called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
If I am docile to the Holy Spirit and I have surrendered to the will of God in my life, then God has already won the victory. Many heroes in Scripture exhibited the virtue of divine victory. Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, wrongly accused, and thrown into prison (Genesis 37-50). Yet he kept his faith in God and showed diligence despite his suffering. He persevered in faith, the remedy for overcoming spiritual sloth, and in the end, he saw the justice of God prevail through divine victory.
We see the same virtue of divine victory in the story of Esther and Mordecai. They stood up against the evil plot of Haman in the book of Esther, trusting in divine victory despite their impossible situation.
Esther fully demonstrated the virtue of divine victory as she was willing to lay down her life for God’s will. She fulfilled God’s purpose for her life, even though she could have been killed. Esther trusted in God and knew his victory was certain. She risked her own life. God used her to stop Haman’s evil plot and prevent the genocide of her people. As a poor orphan girl, Esther never could have imagined she would grow up to be queen and save the Jews in Persia.
When we assent to God’s will and overcome the weakness of both mind and body, he can use us to accomplish his will. Our strength comes from God alone, who has already won the victory, so we must believe in him and not lean on our own understanding. There is no room for ego or fear of danger when striving to be victorious for Christ. If we have the faith to believe this then we have nothing to fear.
How Do I Know God’s Will?
You may doubt God’s will in a particular situation. Ask yourself: “Is my decision in agreement with official Church teaching and if it is, will it impede my responsibilities in life that I have been given by God through natural law?”
I must let all my actions proclaim the Lord’s victory in every battle I face, so that even in adversity I maintain joy, and this joy will cause me to overcome weakness in my mind and weariness in my body. Divine victory requires me to act with obedient love to the Holy Spirit’s divine actions in my present situation, always in accord with Church teaching and my duties and station in life.
Regardless of the evil I see, and the temptation to give up, I must persevere in the hope that the victory has already been won. Come Holy Spirit, let all my actions be oriented toward divine victory. I ask to be united with the will of God in my life through the virtue of divine victory in my thoughts, words, and actions. I proclaim the victory that Christ has won and ask for the peace of mind.
Going Further:
Take time this week to prayerfully meditate on either the life story of Joseph in the book of Genesis chapters 37-50, or the book of Esther. Look at their tremendous faith in God and reflect on their resolve to obey his will despite all external obstacles in their way. Then take time to dialogue with the Lord about your life story, the obstacles you have faced and are currently facing. What is the Lord speaking to your heart through the story you read? How have you been seeing your life through limited finite reasoning, and how might God’s perspective see your life differently? Ask for humility.
Let us Pray:
Now that we understand the virtue of divine victory, let’s begin with a prayer of petition for it.
Virtue of Divine Victory
Prayer of Petition
Eternal Father, I am the work of your creation, made in your image and likeness but too weak to conquer the devil by my own power. I ask you for the grace to grow in virtue, surrendering all my thoughts, words, and deeds to you. Please help me resist the devil and all his tricks. Jesus says that whoever believes in him will do the works that he does and that whatever we ask in Jesus’ name he will do so that You may be glorified. Heavenly Father, you sent us your Son to show us what it means to have perfect virtue in life. Jesus is fully human and fully divine and has perfect virtue. Father, have mercy on me and please give me the grace I need to grow in the virtue of divine victory so that I might grow in holiness and imitate Christ in my thoughts, words, and deeds. AMEN.
Now let’s contemplate the Lord by listening to him speak to us in the Gospels. The following is a famous parable where Jesus warns that we do not know the day or the hour when we will be called to account for how we lived our lives. Slowly meditate on the following passage, reflecting what we have learned about the virtue of divine victory. Take your time. Pause over a word or phrase that speaks to your heart. Reread the passage again, and then ask Jesus to show you how you can imitate him in practicing the virtue of divine victory and overcome spiritual sloth. Choose a word or phrase from this passage to write in your journal, and add your thoughts. Go back and prayerfully re-read it throughout the week.
Virtue of Divine Victory
The Parable of the Talents
from the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25
It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.
After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five.
He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’
His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’
[Then] the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’
His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’
His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
Let us Pray:
Jesus, you have entrusted me with your possessions. You’ve given me talents and asked me to care for them. Please help me be victorious. I want to use the talents for your glory, multiplying what you have given me for your kingdom. Please, Lord, keep me close to your heart. Do not let me have an ego, or a distracted, worldly mind that doesn’t care about being in a relationship with you. Help me overcome my wounded pride and assent to your will for my life so that I may practice the virtue of divine victory.
Jesus, keep me in your name. Protect me and help me in overcoming sloth. Do not let me be lost. Do not let me be like the wicked, lazy servant. Please protect me from the temptation to be slothful. Give me a pure heart, mind, and eyes that look to heaven daily. Help me have divine victory like the good servant who was given five talents in this passage. I want to hear you say ‘come share in your master’s joy.”
I do not want to be indifferent, lazy, melancholic. I want to see all my sufferings as steps in my life toward divine victory. Consecrate me in charity. Lead me into the world to use the talents you gave me to serve all the souls you have placed in my path. Let me possess the virtue of divine victory so that the talents you have given me will multiply your blessings in the lives of those I serve.
Jesus, you are a gift to me. Thank you for being present to me. Give me the grace to have divine victory and to overcome sloth in my life. AMEN.
Virtue of Divine Victory
A Prayer for an Increase in Virtue for Others
Lord Jesus Christ, you say that when two or more are gathered in your name, you are with us. Jesus, in your name I lift up every person who has joined this prayer challenge or will join it in the future. I ask you to give us all the grace we need to grow in virtue and holiness so that we may love and serve you in our lives and through the people we love and care for. Help us in our thoughts, our words, and our actions. Guide us all by your Holy Spirit and give us the strength to overcome every temptation from the evil one. We ask all this in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, AMEN.
Together, we can strive to overcome all forms of sloth. I am praying for you, please pray for me as well. Let’s make good resolutions that will increase our faith in God and our desire to do good works for His kingdom. Remember, when your heart desires a relationship with God you have won half the battle against the sin of sloth. Make an effort every day to do things for God out of love, regardless of how you feel. Good productive habits will overcome laziness.
Good habits take time to establish, so be patient with yourself. Stay in the present moment with Jesus, especially when you struggle to pray or fulfill your daily obligations. If you confess the vice of sloth, God will give you the grace to overcome your habitual sins of laziness and replace your spiritual apathy with joy. Jesus is merciful, so be merciful to yourself. Being victorious for Christ is a process. You are winning the race, one small victory at a time. The more you practice divine victory, the more your heart is conformed to Christ.
How do I Practice Virtue?
You’ve learned about the 5th Virtue, and you’ve prayed for God to give you grace. Now what? Let’s take a look at the Catechism for some guidance on how we can make Week 5 a successful effort.
Where does prayer come from? Whether prayer is expressed in words or gestures, it is the whole man who prays. But in naming the source of prayer, Scripture speaks sometimes of the soul or the spirit, but most often of the heart (more than a thousand times).
According to Scripture, it is the heart that prays. If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain. The heart is the dwelling-place where I am, where I live; according to the Semitic or Biblical expression, the heart is the place "to which I withdraw." The heart is our hidden center, beyond the grasp of our reason and of others; only the Spirit of God can fathom the human heart and know it fully. The heart is the place of decision, deeper than our psychic drives. It is the place of truth, where we choose life or death. It is the place of encounter, because as image of God we live in relation: it is the place of covenant.
Making Resolutions
Take a moment to reflect on the virtue of divine victory. What are the ways you can freely practice this virtue this week? Ask the Lord to give you opportunities, and when you feel the Holy Spirit prompting you, take action. Write down your resolutions for this coming week in your prayer journal. Remind yourself to complete these resolutions daily for this entire week, and as the Spirit prompts you, feel free to write about your experiences with this virtue throughout the week.
In My Thoughts:
Jesus, this week I promise to take time daily to conform my thoughts by… (make your intention).
In My Words:
Jesus, this week I promise to take time daily to conform my words by… (make your intention).
In My Actions:
Jesus, this week I promise to take time daily to conform my actions by… (make your intention). di
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Week 6 Mental Prayer Meditation
Controlling My Anger and Hurt with Patience and Love
“Controlling my Anger and Hurt with Patience and Love” Join us for our sixth meditation on the 35 virtues of St. Hildegard of Bingen.
One Response
This is so deep a teaching and helpful for my spiritual journey. Father, thank you for the grace to be a part of this challenge.