Causes of Weakness in the Spiritual Life
General introduction
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the spiritual life is not a straight line always ascending, but it contains oscillations and strength and weakness. He describes how some people begin with the zeal of repentance and spiritual warmth then their life gradually weakens.
Internal causes of weakness
The first cause is losing the initial warmth of repentance: when the warmth of remorse, tears and contrition disappears, enthusiasm decreases. Sometimes the starting point of repentance is not stable — the effect of an event or a sermon fades and the true love weakens. Also sin or lust acts like a virus that corrupts the spiritual life.
Causes related to spiritual media/practices
Moving away from regular prayers (the agpeya, psalms, meditation, confession, communion) leads to spiritual coldness. Formal ritualism in worship and rapid recitation cause prayer to lose its depth and warmth; and spiritual reading if it becomes only an intellectual study loses its spirit.
Intellectual and social causes
The shift from spirituality to rationalism — being occupied with explanation and analysis more than the presence of the heart — weakens the spirit. Also a person’s concern for others’ opinions and their standing before people instead of striving for God’s approval changes the spiritual motive into worldly motives.
Bodily and operational causes
Focusing on purely bodily virtues (how many fasts, how many prostrations) without contrition and heart makes the virtues superficial. Many occupations that steal the time given to the Lord lead to the decline of the spiritual life. Also laziness and unwillingness to toil for God weaken commitment.
Practical advice
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III urges keeping the warmth of repentance and the continuity of spiritual practices, delving into the meanings of the psalms and prayers, resisting routine and haste, and redirecting the aim to God not to people. He also warns about the importance of giving oneself sufficient time for contrition and discipline when needed.
Repentanc
Spiritual Practices
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