Acedic Community

Lately for my subway and bus reading I have been working through Sr. Mary Margaret Funk's Humility Matters for Practicing the Spiritual Life. Her books have been a real treasure for me over the years in my own spiritual practice, especially Thoughts Matter, and she is one of the contemporary writers on the Christian spiritual life whom I most hope to meet one day.

This midday, sneaking out for confession and tacos al pastor I arrived at this stinging passage on the recently popular topic of acedia:

...once this affliction has been detected, action must be taken before the whole community becomes infected. I've seen entire communities caught in these chronic acedic patterns. No one knows exactly what's wrong, but the virtuous or zealous newcomer is jeered, and any new leader that takes on the crowd is met with disdain... Zeal is loathed, deprecating talk saturates conversations, and expectations are low. Comfort-seeking replaces mission and self-seeking pleasures replace spiritual practice. (60-61)

Wow. When have I been patient zero in this scenario? Have I repented?

Click here for Sister's Amazon page, from which you should shop or add to your wish list, and which in the course of looking up I found also her blog!