Rekindling Wonder

Last Fall, the director of spiritual formation here at Saint John Paul II Seminary, Fr. Christopher Seith, published a book called Rekindling Wonder. In this book, Fr. Seith discusses how the modern world has fallen prey to a false experience of life through the screen of a smartphone. Through our devices, acedia has crept its way into the mind and heart of contemporary culture. Acedia is “spiritual or mental sloth” that is all but wholly ingrained into present-day culture. Unlike physical sloth, which often consists of a lack of activity, acedia consists of an abundance of activity. This activity, however, is merely a distraction to prevent the mind from engaging with the reality that is present before us; it is a form of mental and spiritual numbing. In order to “rekindle wonder,” we must first realize two things: One, that there is God-given beauty in this world for us to marvel over, and two, that our culture has ceased to appreciate and receive the wonder that exists.

The root of acedia is a lack of hope. Where we look to receive this hope, though, is not in our cellphones, but rather in the life of Christ. In John’s Gospel, Jesus prays for us, saying to the Father, “I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me…” (17:22-23). As the Father lives in Jesus, so Jesus lives in each one of us. When we are able to recognize that the same Christ who preached, suffered, died, rose again, and ascended to Heaven lives wholly within each person we meet, it sparks a new appreciation for the beauty of even the simplest interaction. Fr. Seith writes, “Acedia’s despairing apathy has no power over someone who finds meaning in every action of his life because he recognizes it as part of the romance between him and God.” If we are able to remain persistently conscious of the fact that every action is an interaction in the divine life of Christ, then acedia and all other workings of the devil cease to have such a hold on us.

At JPII Seminary, our formators are intentional in separating each of us from technology in constructive ways. This is why we are required to go on a “digital fast” during our second and third semesters of formation. During this time, we strip down our smartphones to essential functions (such as phone calls and maps) in order to increase our ability to be attentive to the voice of God in our lives. Fr. Seith points out that “as modern technology dominates the cultural landscape, we become less vulnerable to the dangers of the world, but also less a part of it.” In opening ourselves up to more of the vulnerabilities that life with less technology allows, we find ourselves more deeply immersed in the lives of others.

The joy we experience in this life does not come from ourselves, writes Fr. Seith, but rather, “it originates from another. We find ourselves in an adventure . . . All that matters on our end is our response.” What will our response be? Let us allow our response to be driven by the realization of God’s presence in each moment of our lives, and allow Him to work through us. There is no doubt that abundant joy and peace will follow.

Mr. O'Sullivan is a College II seminarian for the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.