by The Exodus Team | Nov 7, 2025 | Formation Series, Spiritual Desolation
The effects of acedia are devastating.All of the Christian life is fueled by a consuming desire for the beautiful.St. Nicholas Cabasilas writes that to encounter Christ is to be pierced with longing for his beauty, which then inspires us to imitate the beauty that we...
by The Exodus Team | Nov 7, 2025 | Formation Series, Spiritual Desolation
If we discern that we are suffering from acedia, we need to discern its cause.If we can name a source of the temptation, perhaps we will be able to make changes in our lives to help resist it. Did the difficulty begin when we were struggling with exhaustion?Sickness?A...
by The Exodus Team | Nov 7, 2025 | Formation Series, Spiritual Desolation
Sometimes spiritual desolation is brought on by our own failures, while at other times, it emerges as part of the normal ups and downs of the Christian life.Regardless of the cause, spiritual desolation is an invitation for us to mature in our spiritual lives. St....
by The Exodus Team | Nov 7, 2025 | Formation Series, Spiritual Desolation
St. John Climacus recommends two additional practices to combat acedia: psalmody and manual labor.Both of these are ways of performing reasonable exertion in pursuit of a spiritual good.Remember that acedia can be caused by ill-advised, excessive exertion in the...
by The Exodus Team | Nov 7, 2025 | Formation Series, Spiritual Desolation
Ultimately, spiritual desolation is an attack on our memory and our hope.It throws doubt on our memories of closeness with God, and it makes us doubt that his loving care is directed to bringing us to share eternal life with him.We need to remember the beauty of our...
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