Divine Appeal Reflection - 21
Today, consider in Divine Appeal 21: "Look, the good people live a lethargic life among so many bushes which they have not the strength to overcome. With an exaggerated freedom and without scruples the devil instigates them."
“Look”—the Divine Appeal opens with a command that arrests the soul, echoing the divine interruptions of Scripture where God breaks human numbness to restore truth: “See, I set before you today life and good, death and evil” (cf. Deut 30:15). Our Adorable Jesus does not speak to the openly rebellious, but to “the good people”—those sincerely trying to live upright lives. This phrase is unsettling because it reveals that lethargy is not born of malice but of neglect. Christ Himself warned that even willing spirits can grow weak when vigilance fades (cf. Mt 26:41). “Live a lethargic life” does not imply scandal, but interior sleep—a quiet dulling of desire where prayer becomes routine and love loses urgency. The Church names this interior erosion when it teaches that acedia deadens charity and weakens perseverance (cf. CCC 2094). “Among so many bushes” evokes a biblical image of entanglement—distractions, compromises, and unfinished attachments that choke spiritual movement, much like the weights and sins that cling so closely (cf. Heb 12:1). Saints repeatedly observe that souls are rarely defeated by dramatic sins, but by unpruned growth. Parents, clergy, professionals, and consecrated souls may continue outward fidelity while inwardly losing alertness. Jesus reveals this condition not to shame, but to awaken love before it withers unnoticed.
“Which they have not the strength to overcome” exposes the interior illusion of helplessness. Scripture tells us that God’s power is made manifest in human weakness (cf. 2 Cor 12:9). Laziness, however, tries to persuade the soul that change is impossible, that holiness is merely a dream, and that effort is futile. The Catechism makes clear that God’s help always precedes human action and continually sustains it (cf. CCC 2001); yet when prayer diminishes, God’s help is no longer consciously received. Among the saints, John of the Cross teaches that when enthusiasm fades, God is often calling for deeper faith rather than withdrawal. The “bushes” then multiply: fear of sacrifice, attachment to comfort, rationalized delay. In daily life, this appears as resignation—“this is just how things are.” The Bible depicts the apostles' frailty in Gethsemane: their affection was real but their watchfulness could not last without the help of prayer (cf. Lk 22:45–46). Our Adorable Jesus shows that very power is not defeated by human weakness and that being connected to the real source of light is the only way to win over the dark side of human vulnerability. He never justifies nor lessens the weight of these challenges. When souls cease to ask, they also cease to hope. Yet divine life is not meant merely to be endured. The saints insist that perseverance grows not from intensity, but from humble dependence renewed daily.
“With an exaggerated freedom” unveils a distorted understanding of liberty. The Bible reveals that genuine liberty is not about doing anything we wish, but rather about selecting what is life-giving and what binds us to God, instead of existing without any guidance or limits (cf Gal 5:1, 13). Exaggerated freedom magnifies autonomy while silencing responsibility. Without truth, conscience becomes dull, self-control weakens and passions take over. Prior to his conversion, Saint Augustine acknowledged that he mistook restlessness for freedom. It was only after that he realised that the absence of restraint results in slavery rather than freedom. This perverted idea of freedom manifests itself in daily life as a flexible morality that is mistaken for maturity, persistent postponing of prayer, and obedience given only when it is convenient. In the time of the Judges, when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes,” Scripture shows the harm this causes (cf. Judg 21:25). Such unchecked freedom first breaks the heart before it can break the wider community. Our Adorable Jesus presents an opposite paradox: His yoke is light because it brings order to love (cf. Mt 11:29-30). The saints say that authentic surrender affects more peace even though it limits options; when freedom is based on truth, anxiety releases its hold and the spirit experiences joy again in submission.
“Without scruples” means a loss of moral awareness, not freedom from unhealthy worry. The Church teaches that conscience is the sacred place where the human person encounters God’s voice (cf. CCC 1776). To live without scruples is to gradually silence that voice. Saints like Teresa of Ávila warn that small, tolerated infidelities harden the heart more effectively than great falls. In daily experience, this appears as casual dishonesty, unexamined impatience, impurity excused as harmless, or prayer omitted without sorrow. Scripture illustrates this descent in David’s story: his fall was preceded by comfort, delay, and unchecked desire (cf. 2 Sam 11:1–5). Our Adorable Jesus grieves not human struggle, but the loss of contrition. Where scruples disappear, repentance soon fades. Yet mercy remains relentless. The saints insist that even a single honest act of remorse reawakens conscience. God does not demand instant perfection, but living responsiveness. When the heart trembles again before love’s demands, sluggishness leads to remorse. Simple practices—like daily examination of conscience—become sharp tools that clear the bushes and restore interior clarity.
“The devil instigates them” reveals the hidden battlefield. According to sacred scripture, the enemy frequently aims to dull the soul's vigilance rather than assault it directly, luring it into spiritual slumber so that it might be gradually undermined and conquered without battle (cf. 1 Pet 5:8). He subtly draws people into inactivity through distraction, delay, and by making mediocrity appear normal. Saint Ignatius of Loyola teaches that when souls drift away from God, the devil frequently grants them a false sense of peace in order to prevent their return. In practical life, this appears as endless postponement of confession, diluted prayer replaced by noise, and good intentions never embodied. Yet instigation is not domination. The Church teaches that Satan’s power is limited and permitted only under divine providence (cf. CCC 395). Our Adorable Jesus has already conquered. Awareness breaks deception. When a parent prays again, when a worker chooses integrity, when a consecrated soul returns to silence, when a young person fasts from distraction—the bushes thin. The saints affirm that fidelity in small acts wounds the enemy deeply. Christ still walks among His people, calling each vocation by name. Lethargy is not destiny. Grace remains awake, awaiting consent.
Prayer
Our Adorable Jesus, awaken us from holy fatigue. Where our love has grown sleepy, breathe Your Spirit anew. Cut through the bushes of distraction, restore our conscience, and teach us true freedom. In our homes, work, suffering, and service, keep us vigilant, humble, and alive in You. Amen
Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist, intercede for us.
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