13. Zeal in what is good; 14. The opposite of zeal: sloth

1. Zeal in what is good consists in working out one's salvation with all earnestness and fervor.

Unless zeal springs from the love of God it is valueless. It must also be discreet, or it will do more harm than good. He whose zeal is without discretion is like a man who is gathering up the cockle in a field, roots up the wheat together with it (Matt. xiii. 29). Blind zeal is only pernicious. If Alexander the Great performed such great achievements for the sake of earthly renown, what ought not we to do, who aspire to eternal glory! We ought each day so to serve God as if it were the first day of our consecration to His service. We should be like the merchant, who never thinks he has made enough money, but is continually on the watch for fresh gains; or like the traveller who does not look back upon the way he has traversed but only onward to the goal before him. He who is zealous in what is good avails himself as far as he can of the means of grace the Church affords for his sanctification; he is assiduous at prayer, he frequently approaches the sacraments, he listens attentively to the Word of God, and reads spiritual books. He neglects no opportunity of doing good works; he never refuses an alms to the poor man, he conscientiously observes the fasts of the Church, he devotes his free time to prayer. Moreover he who is zealous in what is good cheerfully makes sacrifices for God; he is glad when he is ridiculed or persecuted for his faith; he rejoices in the sufferings that come to him from God; he will give up anything rather than commit sin; he is even ready to lay down his life for Christ, if need be. He who is zealous in what is good exerts himself also for the salvation of others. He strives to deter his subordinates, his friends, his relatives, from sin; he admonishes them and prays for them; he prays besides for the conversion of heretics and sinners; how much the saints did in this way! Zeal is like fire which spreads to all around, both far and near.

2. Without zeal in what is good we cannot be saved, for the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence.

Our Lord says: "Not every one that saith to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. vii. 21), and in another place He says: "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away" (Matt. xi. 12). Of those who run in a race only he who perseveres will receive the prize (1 Cor. ix. 24). Let us not imagine that it is an easy matter to be saved. Eternal felicity is spoken of as a kingdom, the city of God, the house of God, paradise, a crown. All these things can only be acquired by a fierce battle, or for a large sum. Only those who have had a long training can obtain a high salary. Yet the kingdom of heaven is bought cheaply; the price paid for it comes infinitely short of its value. Without zeal and energy nothing good can be accomplished. God allows obstacles to be placed in the way of every good work, to test our will. No good work can be performed without some sacrifice; no virtue can be gained without a struggle. "The greater violence thou offerest to thyself, the greater progress thou wilt make" (Imitation, Book 1, ch. 25). We cannot expect our prayers to be heard, unless we persevere in spite of all hindrances. Remember the example of St. Monica, and the blind man by the wayside (Luke xviii. 35).

14. THE OPPOSITE OF ZEAL: SLOTH.

1. Sloth consists in shunning everything that conduces either to our temporal or eternal well-being, provided it be toilsome.

Sloth displays itself either by indolence, dislike of work, and the non-fulfilment even of the duties of one's calling; or by tepidity in and indifference to what is good and conducive to one's spiritual welfare. The slothful man displays distaste for all good works. We find life and movement and activity in all nature; the celestial hosts laud and magnify the Most High continually; the heavenly bodies revolve unceasingly in space; trees and herbs grow to their appointed size; the tiny ant lays up a store in summer, the busy bees make honey and do not suffer drones to live; and shall man alone be an idler, an exception to all creatures whom instinct teaches to abhor idleness? "Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways" (Prov. vi. 6). The indolent postpone all work to a future day, and only pursue sensual pleasures. To-morrow, to-morrow, not to-day, is their cry. The lukewarm Christian wills and does not will; he would fain have the wages God gives, but he will not work for Him; as soon as it is a question of putting force upon himself he shrinks back. Yet the slothful think they do more than others, for while the fervent look at those who do better than themselves, to learn humility, they on the contrary look at the good, not in others but in themselves. Hence the slothful never attain perfection. Great sinners have been known to become great saints, but the lukewarm never.

2. Idleness leads to all kinds of vice; it brings misery in this life and eternal damnation in the life to come.

Idleness hath taught much evil (Ecclus. xxxiii. 29); it is in fact the source of every evil habit. Man is like the earth: if a field be not sown with good seed, a crop of weeds spring up and grow apace; so if man has no useful occupation, his natural activity turns to all manner of mischief. Iron rusts when it is not used; water when stagnant becomes foul; and man, corrupted by idleness, becomes the abode of evil passions, and falls into manifold temptations. The busy man is assailed by one demon, the unemployed by a hundred. Idleness ruins the young, for it destroys all that is good in them. The man who does nothing all day long is like the trunk of a tree, without foliage and without fruit. Idleness brings misery in this life. Holy Scripture says of the slothful: "Want shall come upon thee and poverty" (Prov. vi. 11). St. John Chrysostom declares idleness to be the parent of poverty and the root of despair. It also brings a man to eternal damnation. Idleness is in itself a sin. A servant may not steal, or drink, or be insolent; but if he has the fault of being lazy, his master will dismiss him from his service. God acts in the same manner. "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire" (Matt. vii. 19). The servant who refuses to trade with the talents his lord has confided to him, shall be cast into the exterior darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. xxv. 30). The idler cannot indeed hope that heaven will be his portion, for Our Lord says: "Call the laborers and give them their hire." God does not love those who love their own ease. He expressly states that those who are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, He will vomit out of His mouth (Apoc. iii. 16), that is to say, He is disgusted with them. Our God is a consuming fire, and He delights in the adoration of the seraphim, who are inflamed with burning love. An open unbeliever is less abhorrent to Him than a tepid Christian.

3. Those who are inclined to indolence should think frequently of the reward, both temporal and eternal, of industry, and thus they will overcome their distaste for work.

"Look not, O Christian," says St. Augustine, "on the labor that it costs thee; look rather to the rest and the joys which God promises thee; see how infinitely they outweigh all thy toil." "In doing good let us not fail; for in due time we shall reap, not failing" (Gal. vi. 9).