Hi, I'm Johnny Cassian

Our 4th century friend, John Cassian, continues:

1. Acedia (a wearied or anxious heart):

This is an interesting "vice," as it so easily afflicts many of us. Cassian spends a lot of time talking about the importance of work, especially manual labor. It appears that the monks figured out that anxiety and weariness come from idleness and sloth. Cassian appeals to 2 Thessalonians 3:11 to make the connection.

"And so, after such harsh gospel rigor, [the Apostle Paul] finally explains why he said all this: 'For we hear that some of you are walking in disquietude, not working but acting as busybodies.'"

Cassian continues by quoting 2 Thessalonians 3:12: "We charge those who are such and beseech them in the Lord Jesus to work in silence and to eat their own bread."

His chapter on Acedia is especially good.

2. Vainglory:

Vainglory is tricky. I'm not completely clear yet on how vainglory and pride differ for Cassian, except that vainglory may be more about being flattered and pride more about thinking one has made spiritual advancements apart from God's grace. Vainglory, according to Cassian, often comes to us following spiritual successes:

"If a person fasts openly, he is struck with vain boastfulness; if he conceals it out of disdain for boastfulness, he is struck with the same vice of pride. Lest he be sullied by the contamination of vainglory, he avoids saying too many prayers under the gaze of the brothers; and, although he does this secretly and no one is aware of his deed, he does not escape the stings of vanity."

3. Pride:

Pride is the big dog of all sins. For Cassian it's at the heart of Satan's fall (though I've never been convinced that much that is said of Satan is scriptural, so much of it coming from tradition that developed after scripture). My favorite paragraph on the effects of pride is below:

"First of all, a person's talking will be loud and his silence bitter; his joy will be marked by noisy and excessive laughter, his seriousness by irrational sadness, his replies by rancor, his speech by glibness, and his words will burst out helter-skelter from a heedless heart. He will be devoid of patience, without love, quick to inflict abuse, slow to accept it, reluctant to obey except when his desire and will anticipate the matter, implacable in receiving exhortations, weak in restraining his own will, very unyielding when submitting to others, constantly fighting on behalf of his own opinions but never acquiescing or giving in to those of others. And so, having become unreceptive to salutary advice, he relies on his own judgment in every respect rather than on that of the elders."

Good stuff. I'm not sure which book I'll read next.