Evargrius Ponticus, a third-century hermit who lived isolated in the Egyptian desert, knew all about boredom, discouragement, and wanting to give up. He personified this chorus of negativity with a telling nickname, \u201cThe Noonday Demon.\u201d Unlike other tempters who lurk under cover of darkness, when Evargrius was weary and discouraged, this demon appeared in broad daylight with no guise. He whispered in Evargrius\u2019s ear, \u201cno need to pray today.\u201d Or, \u201cyour work matters not, relax and take all the afternoon off.\u201d And the cruelest utterance of all, \u201cYour spiritual labors are futile.\u201d Subtle and easy to dismiss at first, over time, these repeated murmurings taunted Evargrius, who eventually\u2014if he had listened\u2014would have lost heart. This is why Evargrius insisted that out of all temptations, the threats of the noonday demon \u201ccauses the most serious trouble of all!\u201d
\nThis negative spiritual condition also has a theological designation. \u201cAcedia\u201d comes from the Greek, signifying \u201cwithout care.\u201d It is a state of indifference, characterized by a numb spiritual emptiness. Acedia strikes when we are fed up with work, no longer enjoying or even distracted by play, and really sick of co-workers, friends, and family. For a broader picture, consider in centuries past, there was another deadly sin beyond the present list of seven. \u201cAcedia\u201d counted as the eighth. Over time acedia was rolled in together with sloth. This makes sense because generally we think of a sloth as being flat-out lazy. Yet the sin of sloth is less about sweeping the floor, avoiding work, or wasting time, and more about a psychological and spiritual state of indifference. The sin of sloth\u2014or acedia\u2014 is the sin of not caring and so the failure to act. It is the breakdown of one\u2019s capacity to love. To be clear, it is not that we harbor hate against others, acedia is even a worse and more dangerous condition: we don\u2019t even care about them\u2014or ourselves. We lose heart in passive despair. This is the triumph of the noonday demon.
\nTo overcome this condition, Evargrius counsels a prompt return to work and prayer, with increased vigor. Yet, with all respect to saintly Evargrius, this counsel has always struck me as rather heartless. You\u2019re sick and tired of everything and everyone\u2014and the spiritual solution is to engage all of these more intensely? As an ancient desert stoic, Evargrius pursued holiness with the ferocity that Olympic athletes train for gold medals.
\nFor me two other easy and effective measures counter the whisperings of the noonday demon. I start by jotting down a quick list of persons, events and graces the Lord showers upon me. This perks me right up; I do this every day\u2014sometimes several times a day. And then, I find some small ways to serve others: opening a door for someone or calling a lonely friend just to say \u201chello.\u201d Any morsel of charity will do. The point is not solely to help others but also to stop thinking about oneself. Self-preoccupation is always the benchmark of sin. These two positive and classic spiritual practices, though seemingly trivial, when performed with regularity\u2014daily\u2014eventually cut through the interior negative disposition and nurture the heart.
\nYet apart from these practices, there is another all-important truth. When Jesus\u2019s disciples asked, \u201cWho can be saved?\u201d He responded, \u201cWhat is impossible for human beings is possible for God\u201d (Lk 18:26). Although we must dedicate ourselves entirely to the efforts of our Christian spiritual life, we also never forget that only God can save us. St. Paul unfolds the movement of these extraordinary graces in his renowned Letter to the Romans, \u201cThe Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings\u201d (Rom 8:26). While acedia beckons despair, the Spirit bids us to get up and live! The Spirit comes to our aid and saves us!
\nSo the Spirit teaches us to channel the negative \u201cgiving-up\u201d inclinations into a positive surrender to graced movements. Begin by offering thanks for not being alone. The Spirit is with us. This stops the noonday demon dead in his tracks\u2014because the Spirit casts off this isolation, pessimism, and self-centeredness. The Spirit reinvigorates our midday sullenness. The Spirit inclines us to gratitude for life and a generosity towards others. The Spirit helps us to encounter newfound meaning and purpose in our lives, such as appreciating ourselves and loving others.
\nRight now, during this 2020 spring celebration of Pentecost, the Spirit infuses all these gifts in us, and just in time. During this pandemic season the telltale whispers of the noonday demon resound louder, more frequently, and with greater intensity\u2014so that we just might come to believe them. Instead recall that long ago and for many solitary years, Evargrius battled and flourished against this demon, into an abounding and vibrant sanctity.<\/p>\n
Rev. Rafael Lu\u00e9vano
\nReligious Studies Department
\nCatholic Chaplain
\nChapman University<\/p>\n
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