Acedia is not just anarchy of mind, but anarchy of life. For when a person is no longer centered in his own life, his life becomes dissipated in the lives of others. Curiosity, gossip, eavesdropping, a voyeuristic bent of mind, always having one’s ears attuned for the latest scandal or Byzantine intrigue—these are symptoms of vicarious living. Meddling in everyone else’s business is a symptom of not having one’s mind on one’s own business.
Marc Foley, O.C.D.
The love that keeps us sane: living the little way of St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Chapter Three: The sanity of silence
Foley, M 2000, The love that keeps us sane: living the little way of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Paulist Press, Mahwah, New Jersey.
The tradition I started off in emphasised being “a person for others”. As, as I have been advised, neurodiverse people can take such things very literally, I have burned myself out in overcommunication, thinking myself doing a good thing, in fact often being a nuisance. (I was not like this before I joined FB…) Acedia features frequently at Confession. In the last 2 days I have had a reversion, and at last put Christ first, and understood what he says here, to be ‘centred in my own life’. It was pointed out to me, by a priest, that the 5 wedding attendants, who had oil left, did NOT give their last energy away. This of yours is therefore totally timely. Into the 3rd week, finally I am in Advent! Laus Deo.