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The Noonday Devil
The Noonday Devil: Acedia
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Noonday Devil Introduction
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Oh how wonderful! I will be able to view the video this evening. Thank you for sharing.
You are welcome Melissa! If anyone has any interesting links about acedia, (articles or videos), please feel free to post them in this thread.
Mod
I'm too slothful to find any links. :-P
That's meant to be a joke. ;) Thanks for that link. I will try to squeeze it in tonight.
Manny, I'm laughing!
I don’t have a copy of the book with the cover, only the kindle edition, but the cover shown on goodreads intrigues me. The painting represented is familiar: Degas’ “The Absinthe Drinker”. I suppose it’s a good representation of sloth as a deadly sin.
Mod
That's an excellent realization Galicius. Absinthe was supposed to be a devil's drink, and I can see how it would make one slothful in the acedia sense. A couple of years ago I posted on my blog an analysis of a Hemingway short story "Hills Like White Elephants" about a man and a woman who sit at a train station drinking absinthe and discussing getting an abortion. I did not know there was a Degas painting on a man and a woman drinking absinthe. Hemingway used to like to write stories from paintings. I bet he had that painting in mind when he wrote that story. I wonder if Hemingway had acedia in mind in that story. They are rather unmotivated. If anyone wants to read my analysis of that story, it's here:
http://ashesfromburntroses.blogspot.c...
Manny wrote: "Galicius wrote: "I don’t have a copy of the book with the cover, only the kindle edition, but the cover shown on goodreads intrigues me. The painting represented is familiar: Degas’ “The Absinthe D..."Good writing Manny. Your blog is always excellent. If you looked at the painting you noticed there are two drinkers and the missing table leg. The liquor must do more than destroy brain cells.
Mod
Here is a post that talks about Degas' painting...yes, there is a reason it's on the cover!http://labsinthedegas.blogspot.com/
Susie wrote: "Here is a post that talks about Degas' painting...yes, there is a reason it's on the cover!http://labsinthedegas.blogspot.com/"
Interesting article! Thank you!
A reference to the noonday devil appears in Psalm 91, v. 6...That verse is surrounded at the beginning and end by the assurance that God will be our refuge during challenging and tempting times, including the noonday devil...
I love when reading a new book, it can lead to all sorts of surprises and discoveries...this Psalm being one of them...really speaks to me...
Psalm 91
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”
Mod
http://labsinthedegas.blogspot.com/"
That was a great article. So glad you found it and linked us. I'm going to have to write up a post on my blog on that painting and will have to quote and link to that article. The article raises some interesting questions as to what Degas intended, of which I will have to come to some conclusion.
As to Psalm 91, that's one of my favorites. Did the book allude to the Psalm. I can't remember now. The book reads very fast. I'm already on page 75.
Manny, since the reference to Psalm 91 is in Chapter 1, I'm going to respond in that thread....
Susan Margaret wrote: "Susie wrote: "Here is a post that talks about Degas' painting...yes, there is a reason it's on the cover!http://labsinthedegas.blogspot.com/"
Interesting article! Thank you!"
Great article. Thank you for sharing.
Susie wrote: "A reference to the noonday devil appears in Psalm 91, v. 6...That verse is surrounded at the beginning and end by the assurance that God will be our refuge during challenging and tempting times, ..."
My copy hasn't arrived yet, but I enjoyed spending time refreshing my memory of Psalm 91 Susie. Thanks! :)
http://youtu.be/iXYdH13g45Y
The lecture is given by a catholic priest, Rev. Michael W. Rothan and is titled "The Advent of Acedia". The lecture is 1 hour and 10 minutes long and it is well worth watching. Father Michael quotes from the book "The Noonday Devil" and his lecture is educational, entertaining, and at times amusing. If you can spare an hour, I highly recommend watching this video.