Chapter XX. Of the Way to overcome Sloth

THAT you may not fall into the miserable bondage of sloth, which not only hinders all spiritual progress, but also delivers you into the hands of your enemies, you must avoid all curiosity and earthly attachment, and every occupation which does not belong to your state of life.

You must then exert yourself to obey every good inspiration from above, and every command of those who are over you; doing every thing at the time and in the manner which they approve of.

Never delay, even for an instant; for that first indulgence will bring another in its train, and then a third, and then others after it; and finally the senses will yield more easily than at the beginning, being already allured and captivated by the pleasure which they have tasted. The consequence of this is, that, when it is too late we begin to act, or neglect altogether a duty which is then too irksome.

Thus gradually the habit of sloth is formed, which in time so grows upon us, and brings us into such a state, that at the very instant, when we are bound hand and foot with the chains of sloth, we vainly purpose to be more diligent and more active at another time, being obliged with blushes to own to ourselves our present excessive indolence.

This sloth runs through every thing we do, and not only infects the will, by making it hate work, but also blinds the understanding, so that it cannot detect how vain and unfounded are its purposes of doing diligently and promptly, at some future day, that which should be done at once, but which is either voluntarily left undone, or deferred to some other time.

And it is not enough to do at once what you have to do: we must, in order to do it as perfectly as possible, do it at the very time which the nature and quality of the work demand, and with all the diligence which befits it.

For that is not diligence, but a very subtle form of sloth, which leads us to do our work before its time, and to despatch it hastily, not caring whether it be done well or not, so that we may then quietly give ourselves up to the enjoyment of a sluggish rest, upon which our thoughts were bent, when we were hurrying through our task.

This great evil proceeds from the want of duly considering the value of a good work, when done at the right time, and with a determination to overcome the toil and difficulty which the sin of sloth puts in the way of newly-enlisted soldiers.

You must often, therefore, call to mind, that one ejaculation to God, one single bending of the knee to His honour, is worth more than all the treasures of the world; and that, whenever we do violence to ourselves and to our bad inclinations, the Angels bring to our souls a crown of glorious victory from the Heavenly Kingdom. And consider also, on the other hand, that from the slothful, God by little and little withdraws the graces which He had bestowed upon them; whilst to the diligent He gives more abundant graces, and permits them at last to enter into His joy.

As to the toil and hardship, if you feel at first unable boldly to face it, hide them from you, that they may not seem so formidable as sloth would represent them.

The work you have before you, perhaps, is to gain some virtue by many repeated acts of it, and with many days' toil; and the enemies you have to encounter seem numerous and powerful. Begin, then, these acts, as if you had but few to make, and but a short time to endure the conflict. Fight against one enemy at a time, as if there were no more to be resisted; and fight with full confidence that, with the help of God, you will be stronger than all who are against you. By this means sloth will gradually lose ground, and give place by degrees to the entrance of the opposite virtue.

The same plan holds good in prayer. If one hour is allotted for prayer, and to sloth the length of the time appears difficult, enter upon it with the intention of spending ten minutes; then, when that time has passed, take ten minutes more; and so you will pass easily through the remainder, until the whole hour is spent. But if, after ten or twenty minutes, you feel a violent distaste and difficulty in going on, leave off for a time, lest you become weary; but return again after a little while to the exercise you had quitted.

You should adopt the same course in regard to manual labour, when it is your duty to undertake works which seem to sloth interminable and tedious, and which, therefore, you cannot view without vexation of mind; begin, nevertheless, courageously and calmly with one, as if it were the only one you had to do; and when, having confined your attention to that, you have finished it, then go on with the next; and in this way, you will get through the whole of them with far less exertion than your slothfulness could have conceived to be possible.

But if you do not follow this plan, and face with courage the toil and hardship which lie in your way, the vice of sloth will so gain the mastery over you, that you will be always harassed and vexed, not only by the present toil and struggle, which ever accompany the first practice of virtue, but also by the sight of that which is afar off. You will live in dread of being tried and assailed by enemies, or of seeing some one impose a fresh burden on your shoulders; so that, even in times of peace, you will be full of apprehension.

Further, remember, beloved, that this vice of sloth, with its secret poison, will not only gradually kill the early and tender roots which would ultimately have produced habits of virtue, but also habits of virtue which are already formed. It will, like the worm in the wood, insensibly eat away and destroy the very marrow of the spiritual life. It is by this means the Devil spreads his nets and traps in the way of all of us, but especially of those who seek to become spiritual.

Watch, therefore, with prayer, and labour with diligence, and delay not to weave the web of your wedding-garment, for you should be found clothed in it when the Bridegroom comes.

Remember every day, that He Who gives you the morning does not promise the evening, and when He gives you the evening, does not promise the next morning.

Spend, then, every moment of the passing hour in a way which is pleasing to God, as if it were your last, and so much the more carefully, seeing that for every moment you must give the strictest account.

Finally, I advise you to consider that day as lost, in which (though you may have transacted much business in it) you have neither gained a victory over some sinful inclination, or form of self-will, nor thanked the Lord for all His benefits, and above all for His Sorrowful Passion endured for you, and for His Fatherly and sweet chastisements, when He has made you worthy to receive from Him the inestimable treasure of some trial.