In my last post, Bilbo Baggins helped us to examine the importance of stepping out of our comfort zones and illustrated that growth in virtues is paramount to the spiritual life. Comfort zones weren’t the only challenge Bilbo faced.  He and his dwarf companions had to contend with dragon sickness.

In Tolkien’s world, dragons were real and represented the presence of demonic evil. A dragon’s heart is possessed by an unhealthy attachment to something that produces a sense of entitlement and selfish attaining. A dragon always takes from others in order to build up its own treasures, amassing more than it could ever possibly use.  This hoarding, causes a blindness to the obvious and short circuits rational thinking. It darkens the heart causing a narrow-perverted vision that seeks to acquire and to possess. When confronted or its treasure threatened, the sickness flares up in rage. The ultimate consequence of this sickness is that the things possessed possess the possessor.

Thorin Oakenshield is the perfect example. Thorin becomes so utterly possessed by his obsession with the treasure that his heart becomes poisoned and he forgets his friendship with Bilbo and his responsibility for the safety of his companions and the common good. On the other hand, Bilbo’s focus on providing service to his companions and attempting to make peace among warring factions, helps inoculate him from the sickness taking hold of him.

In taking a deeper look at dragon sickness we find it rooted in pride, lust, and unhealthy attachment or addiction to persons, places, or things.  It manifests itself in a desire to be in control, to always be right, to justify our behaviors, and to manipulate people and things around us in order to keep the upper hand.

Certain symptoms of dragon sickness can be found in our post-modern world. Our advertising industry plays on our weakness. We’ve been convinced that things will make us happy, but no matter how much we acquire, we never seem to have enough. We want the best and highest paying job that builds up a nest egg for the future so that we will always have and never have to go without, which opposes trust in God and concern for the common good of others.

Road rage, compulsive behavior, obesity, addictions, a lack of work ethic, sexual promiscuity, are ultimately about a possessiveness that seeks accumulating more of the comforts of life for our pleasure and convenience. These develop an attitude that the only things that concern us are those that touch our pocketbook and that could curtail our seeking pleasure.

Dragon sickness has potential deadly consequences and each of us is prone to its ill effects. How do we fight dragon sickness? Growth in virtues helps us to overcome monsters and demons. Like Bilbo, our choices have consequences. Bilbo shows us several ways we can fight against the subtle wickedness we encounter every day in our temptations to indulge.  We can cultivate self-denial and mortification by saying no to instant gratification and seeking what feels good.  We can cultivate diligence by not putting off until tomorrow what can be done today.  We can cultivate generosity by curtailing our greed and vanity by stepping outside our comfort zone, and giving ourself more selflessly to others in service.

There is no triumph of the will without supernatural assistance of grace.  The Holy Spirit is the master of the interior life. So, an important thing we need in fighting dragon sickness is a good inoculation of grace which includes a relationship with the Holy Spirit, a life of prayer, daily reading of Scripture, frequent use of the sacraments, and docility to the teachings of Mother Church.

Finally, we fight against the sickness through developing a humble and simple heart that grows in gratitude.  Being open and grateful for creation and God’s provisions protects us from the sickness.

Dragon sickness isn’t simply dealing with bad habits but about dealing with the sin and unhealthy attachments to the sin that cause the bad habits.  A sobering truth is that those who do not believe in dragons become dragons. Bilbo confirms that we must either fight the dragons we encounter in life or we become a dragon our self.

For Reflection:
A dragon’s heart is possessed by an unhealthy attachment to something that produces a sense of entitlement and selfish attaining. As I examine my heart this Lent, what unhealthy attachments do I find? Do I have a deep desire to be in control, to always be right, to justify my behaviors, and to manipulate people and things around me in order to keep the upper hand? What are the virtues and spiritual disciplines I need to cultivate to inoculate against dragon sickness? What is one thing I am going to start working on today? Write it down and do it.

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, You are the Great Healer. I call upon You to help me see my dragon sickness and inoculate me with Your grace to root out and overcome the strong lure of my unhealthy treasures. Help me to be honest with my internal reflections of why I acquire the things I do and how I use them. Help me to seek the common good of others and not the hoarding of things of this world for my own selfish pleasures.
(blogged March 15, 2025)
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