A Simple Way of Life
ONE
The deadly sin of our age is acedia.
Acedia, or sloth, is the enslavement that results from seeking our identity and worth in accomplishments from work which results in our being over-busy, overwhelmed and exhausted leading 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 it 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.
TWO
St. Teresa of Avila counsels us to overcome sloth 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.
THREE
Teresa of Avila writes about the importance of having friends with whom you can have spiritual conversations in The Book of Her Life, Chapter 7:20-22.
She writes; “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 believe that those who discuss the joys and trials they undergo will benefit themselves and those who hear them, and they will come away instructed; and even without understanding how, they will have instructed their friends…
Since this spiritual friendship is so extremely important for souls not yet fortified in virtue…I don’t know how to urge it enough…
And it is a kind of humility not to trust in oneself but to believe that through those with whom one converses God will help and increase charity while it is being shared. And there are a thousand graces I would not dare speak of if I did not have powerful experience of the benefit that comes from this sharing.”
FOUR
Teresa continues; “There is so much sluggishness in matters having to do with serving God that it is necessary for those who serve Him to become shields for one another that they might advance…And if they don't seek this companionship, they will find themselves in much difficulty….”
The sluggishness Teresa is speaking of is the vicious cycle or work, then being so overwhelmed or tired we veg out and distract ourselves with T.V, Netflix, FaceBook, YouTube, news, sports, Candy Crush and porn.
This is not making us happy. Either we cut it out or there is no hope for us because, as I said, sloth kills hope.
FIVE
Once we cut out what is killing us spiritually, replace it with something so much better, a beautiful way of life. What does it look like?
Personally commit to daily meditation.
Then find a small group of family and friends who desire a deeper friendship with God and make it a priority to spend time with them.
Well, what do we do? It’s simple and beautiful.
Gather in the kitchen for snacks and drinks.
Then move to another room for a meal. (Regular movement takes all the pressure off things becoming awkward.)
After the meal, invite them to another room to pray the Rosary.
Invite everyone to express their prayer intentions. Then listen to the Rosary podcast and pray along, or print out the transcript of the five point meditation and read and pray, or read something from the Bible or a Saint and pray the Rosary.
Immediately following ask these questions:
From the meditation, what was not surprising to you? What surprised you? What is one thing that you would have the hardest time explaining to others?
Talk about these things.
Then have dessert and drinks.