A Simple Way of Life

The deadly sin of our age is acedia or sloth. It is the enslavement that results from seeking our identity and worth in accomplishments which often results in being over-worked and overwhelmed causing us to escape through distraction. Day after day we repeat the cycle.

If we don’t cut it out, we will be spiritually dead because acedia kills hope. 

If we cut out the things that are killing us spiritually and replace them with a beautiful way of life we will gain back our humanity, become what we were meant to be and reach unbelievable happiness and peace.

St. Teresa of Avila counsels us to overcome acedia by living a simple way of life that consists of three things:

I. Daily meditation on the Word of God with or without the Rosary. The Word of God consists of Scripture, Tradition (the lives and writing of the Saints), and the Magisterium (the teaching of the Church).

II. Share life regularly with family and friends who also want to have a greater friendship and union with God. We call this spiritual friendship.

III. Have good conversation with these spiritual friends. Talk about the things you have been thinking about in meditation and the joys and struggles of living your faith.

She says, “A great evil it is for a soul to be alone in the midst of so many dangers. It seems to me that if I should have had someone to talk all this over with it would have helped me…

For this reason I would counsel those who practice prayer to seek…friendship and association with other persons having the same interest…I don’t know how to urge it enough…