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This image appeared in 1496 in Le grant kalendrier des Bergiers, published by Nicolas le Rouge in Troyes,France. It depicts the medieval imagery of the punishment of the slothful in hell, reminding us of the

seriousness of sloth as a deadly sin.

THE SIN OF SLOTHSuch, then, are the wicked,

always carefree, increasing their wealth."

(Psalm 73:12)

WHAT THE COUCH POTATO AND THE WORKAHOLIC HAVE IN COMMON

When many of us think of sloth, we probably conjure up images of an uglySouth American animal that eats shoots and actually hangs around. Ormaybe we think of unshaven Joe Sixpack lying on the sofa all weekend, notlifting a finger except to open another cold one.

The latter is a fairly apt image of the vice of sloth.

Acedia or spiritual sloth refers to "a form of depression due to lax asceticalpractice, decreasing vigilance, carelessness of heart." (CCC 2733); It is

a certain form of "laziness" towards doing what is justfully expected in thesight of God. Acedia is a result of "decreasing vigilance" or "carelessness" orsimply a lack of prayer, fasting, and other forms of spiritual practices.

In his Pocket Catholic Dictionary, the late Jesuit Fr. John Hardon definedsloth as "sluggishness of soul or boredom because of theexertion necessary for the performance of a good work. Thegood work may be a corporal task, such as walking; or a mental exercise,such as writing; or a spiritual duty, such as prayer."

One might have the impression that sloth is not a typical sin. The virtues ofdiligence and industriousness are deeply ingrained in our work ethic. We learn

early on that the way to get ahead is by working hard. The early bird catchesthe worm. Early to bed,early to rise. In a competitive, dog-eat-dog business

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world, everyone is looking for an "edge," and that typically comes fromoutworking the competition.

And even apart from an employment context, when we want to communicatethat our lives have been normal and healthy, we report that weve been

"keeping busy."Yet sloth is a sin against God, and not against the time clock orproductivity. The fact is that its possible to work too much, in a way thatsnot in keeping with our dignity and ultimate good (This is also sloth). Theessence of sloth is a failure to fulfill ones basic duties. Surely one such duty isthe human vocation to work. Yet another such duty is the enjoyment ofleisure, to take time for worship. The couch potato may be a more popularimage of sloth, but the workaholic, whos on the job 24-7 and in the processneglects God and family, is the more typical manifestation of sloth in ourculture.

Questions for reflection

1. Have you ever found yourself wrapped up in extremebusyness? What was that like?

2. Read Psalm 73.In what ways is the psalmist tempted to beslothful? How does he deal with these temptations, and whatdoes he conclude?

3. How does sloth work to attack and break down our prayer life? How is

this destructive of a living relationship with the living God?

4. How can we battle & overcome the vice of sloth?