When is laziness a mortal sin

Where is the zeal? Where is the hunger for completion in God? This is sloth. It is not merely depression or boredom; it is sloth. It is a sorrow toward the spiritual gifts of God. It is a deep drive of the flesh and it has to go. But only God and openness to His grace can ultimately save us and bring us more alive from this death-directed drive. Relativism — Many today indulge a notion that there is no such thing as absolute or unchanging truth to which we are summoned and must ultimately conform.

This is relativism. But more often than not, relativism is simply sloth masquerading as tolerance. The fact is, if there is such a thing as truth and there is , then I should joyfully seek it and base my life on its demands and promises. Many indulge in relativism because it is an easy way out. If there is no truth then I am not obliged to seek it nor base my life upon it. Frankly, many are averse to and sorrowful toward the truth because they find its demands irksome.

Their sorrow is directed toward a very precious spiritual gift of God: the gift of truth. To be sure, there is a place for tolerance. But the true virtue of tolerance is usually misunderstood today and is often equated with approval. For all of our modern claims to be tolerant and open-minded, the more usual fact is that we are just plain lazy and slothful when it comes to seeking the truth. We collectively speaking do not love the truth but shun it, sorrowfully regarding its possible claims on us.

Jesus said rightly, This is the judgement: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God Jn Coming to recognize sloth for what it is, calling it by name, and learning its moves, are the first steps on the road to healing. Sloth is, of course, one of those drives that is so deep that ultimately we must fall to our knees and beg deliverance from the Lord, who alone can heal us.

Hence it may happen that certain sins may become more insistent, through certain bodily transmutations occurring at certain fixed times. Now all bodily effects, of themselves, dispose one to sorrow; and thus it is that those who fast are harassed by sloth towards mid-day, when they begin to feel the want of food, and to be parched by the sun's heat.

Reply to Objection 3. It is a sign of humility if a man does not think too much of himself, through observing his own faults; but if a man contemns the good things he has received from God , this, far from being a proof of humility , shows him to be ungrateful: and from such like contempt results sloth, because we sorrow for things that we reckon evil and worthless. Accordingly we ought to think much of the goods of others, in such a way as not to disparage those we have received ourselves, because if we did they would give us sorrow.

Reply to Objection 4. Sin is ever to be shunned, but the assaults of sin should be overcome, sometimes by flight, sometimes by resistance; by flight when a continued thought increases the incentive to sin , as in lust ; for which reason it is written 1 Corinthians : "Fly fornication"; by resistance, when perseverance in the thought diminishes the incentive to sin , which incentive arises from some trivial consideration. This is the case with sloth, because the more we think about spiritual goods, the more pleasing they become to us, and forthwith sloth dies away.

Article 2. Whether sloth is a special vice? It would seem that sloth is not a special vice. For that which is common to all vices does not constitute a special kind of vice. But every vice makes a man sorrowful about the opposite spiritual good : for the lustful man is sorrowful about the good of continence , and the glutton about the good of abstinence. Since then sloth is sorrow for spiritual good , as stated above Article 1 , it seems that sloth is not a special sin.

Further, sloth, through being a kind of sorrow, is opposed to joy. Now joy is not accounted one special virtue. Therefore sloth should not be reckoned a special vice. Further, since spiritual good is a general kind of object, which virtue seeks, and vice shuns, it does not constitute a special virtue or vice , unless it be determined by some addition. Now nothing, seemingly, except toil, can determine it to sloth, if this be a special vice ; because the reason why a man shuns spiritual goods, is that they are toilsome, wherefore sloth is a kind of weariness: while dislike of toil, and love of bodily repose seem to be due to the same cause , viz.

Hence sloth would be nothing but laziness, which seems untrue , for idleness is opposed to carefulness, whereas sloth is opposed to joy. Therefore sloth is not a special vice. On the contrary, Gregory Moral. Therefore it is a special vice. I answer that, Since sloth is sorrow for spiritual good , if we take spiritual good in a general way, sloth will not be a special vice , because, as stated above I-II , every vice shuns the spiritual good of its opposite virtue.

Again it cannot be said that sloth is a special vice , in so far as it shuns spiritual good , as toilsome, or troublesome to the body, or as a hindrance to the body's pleasure, for this again would not sever sloth from carnal vices , whereby a man seeks bodily comfort and pleasure. Wherefore we must say that a certain order exists among spiritual goods, since all the spiritual goods that are in the acts of each virtue are directed to one spiritual good , which is the Divine good , about which there is a special virtue , viz.

Hence it is proper to each virtue to rejoice in its own spiritual good , which consists in its own act, while it belongs specially to charity to have that spiritual joy whereby one rejoices in the Divine good. On like manner the sorrow whereby one is displeased at the spiritual good which is in each act of virtue , belongs, not to any special vice , but to every vice , but sorrow in the Divine good about which charity rejoices, belongs to a special vice , which is called sloth.

This suffices for the Replies to the Objections. Sloth does not seem to be a mortal sin in a spiritual sense either. For aversion of the mind from a spiritual good may be merely a consequence of human nature which cannot possibly live up to all the Divine Counsels at all times.

Perhaps sloth is merely the intellectual or spiritual inability to will the good at all times. Further, no mortal sin is to be found in a perfect man. But sloth is to be found in a perfect man: for John Cassian says De Instit. Therefore sloth is not always a mortal sin. Sloth can be found in the most perfect of the Desert Fathers.

Perhaps it is a vexatious enemy that harasses and threatens a man against his reason and his will. On the Contrary: It is written 2 Cor. But such is sloth; for it is not sorrow according to God , which is contrasted with sorrow of the world. Therefore it is a mortal sin. Sloth is sorrow that fails to hope in the Divine good. Sloth thus is of the world and consumed with its finite limitations and created imperfections. Sloth avoids the Divine Good because the good of the world has molded and defined the expectations and hopes of the sinner away from any transcendent perfection.

I answer that, mortal sin is so called because it destroys the spiritual life which is the effect of charity, whereby God dwells in us. Wherefore any sin which by its very nature is contrary to charity is a mortal sin by reason of its genus. And such is sloth, because the proper effect of charity is joy in God, as stated above while sloth is sorrow about spiritual good in as much as it is a Divine good.

Therefore sloth is a mortal sin in respect of its genus. Sloth destroys the spiritual life because it stands opposed to the Divine Virtue of Charity.

Have we begun to not care and not give our best effort in whatever life circumstance that comes our way? When we become careless, we become like the man in Proverbs Think through your life. How have you become careless in your relationship with God?

Your relationship with your wife and children? Your job? Am I unwilling to act? Have I begun to procrastinate? Procrastination is a real temptation for all of us. Tasks are often so overwhelming that we keep putting things off until it becomes practically impossible to finish what we need to on time.

Student, are you procrastinating on your homework and projects? Parent, are you putting off that conversation you need to have with you child? When we are unwilling to act, we commit the sin of sloth. Do I do everything with a half-hearted effort?