Stewardship and sloth are two words not likely to come up in daily conversation around the kitchen table or office water cooler. Furthermore, they are rarely used together even in religious circles. Taken separately, stewardship wins out (although not by much), while sloth stays safely hidden away in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and related books that chronicle virtuous and sinful behavior.
Sloth, Acedia, and Depression
If the seven deadly sins were listed in order according to the general understanding, sloth would be last on the list. Sharing the same spelling as that of an animal, sloth has a cursory definition of laziness. It is, of course, much more than that. The term “acedia” is used as a synonym for sloth, and is explained in the Catechism as follows:
Another temptation, to which presumption opens the gate, is acedia. The spiritual writers understand by this a form of depression due to lax ascetical practice, decreasing vigilance, carelessness of heart. “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” [Matthew 26:41] The greater the height, the harder the fall. Painful as discouragement is, it is the reverse of presumption. The humble are not surprised by their distress; it leads them to trust more, to hold fast in constancy. (CCC 2733)
Depression, in a clinical sense, has come to the fore in the modern world. Too many stressors to effectively manage can lead to discouragement and despair. On a physiological level, there are cognitive therapies and medications. On a spiritual level, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving provide a path to vigilance and trust in God’s providence. Good stewardship of the abundant gifts we are given in baptism can be accomplished through these disciplines.
Grace and Stewardship
The outworking of our baptismal promises, accompanied by diligence and persistence, proceed through the grace that God freely gives to those who ask. In the following parable, grace is represented in terms of “talents”:
“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.’” (Matthew 25:24-30)
A certain sympathy might be given to the man who received just one talent. He became gripped by fear, which became an obstacle to his reasoning. His punishment is harsh but underscores the real difference that trust, or lack thereof, can make in our lives. The meaning of the parable, stated positively, is that even the poorest among us can apply our talents in a way that shows trust in God’s divine providence and abundant glory.
Stewardship, the management of our time, talent, and treasure, cannot be effected in our lives apart from God’s grace. Our gifts are meant to be shared with others and multiplied according to God’s riches. If we “bury” our talents, we thwart the growth that could otherwise take place for the sake of the Kingdom.
Conclusion
Sloth, along with the other capital sins, can bring the stewardship of God’s gifts to a grinding halt. The seven virtues that are their counterparts, however, can bring the peace and joy that comes through cooperating with God’s grace. Spiritual sloth, left unchecked, can indeed be deadly. The following quote from the Catechism explains:
One can sin against God’s love in various ways: … acedia or spiritual sloth goes so far as to refuse the joy that comes from God and to be repelled by divine goodness. (CCC 2094)
Let us pray for the grace to overcome the sin of sloth, and willingly accept God’s gifts as we thrive in divine goodness on our journey toward Heaven.
