A Sunday Thought to Start the Week Off Right
In the past, we've offered some "Catholic" suggestions for summer vacation by considering two related but distinct definitions of "recreation." The first, and primary, definition of recreation: "activity done for enjoyment when one is not working." The second, but equally important: "create again, renew."
Summer finds many of us taking some form of extended vacation. Taking both definitions of recreation into account, we Catholics can use our time away from our "ordinary" lives for rest, enjoyment, refreshment, even renewal. Doing so provides some respite from the usual demands of the day.
But we don't necessarily need to wait for summer vacation for a break. As we've noted many times, Sunday - the Lord's Day, traditionally a day of rest - also presents us with an opportunity for respite. We might even see Sunday as a "mini-vacation. Our recreation (activity done for enjoyment) can re-charge our physical, mental, and emotional batteries. And, beginning with our attendance at Mass, Sunday's can help us "re-create" (create again, renew) our spiritual lives.
This idea of Sunday as a mini-vacation particularly appeals to me. I don't know about you, but the demands and distractions that fill the other six days of the week tend to put a bit of a distance between me and God. Sure, I get up early during the week to give myself some time to pray, read, spend a few minutes in quiet contemplation, even as I make the coffee and prepare for the day's work. But I find that once the duties of my state of life (married, family) and my work responsibilities kick in God starts to fade into the background.
Of course, that's normal; even, you might say, as it should be. While most of us can walk and chew gum at the same time, it nevertheless takes our full time and attention to meet our daily obligations. And so sometimes it may seem or feel like we've put God on a shelf somewhere, like a project you start, then set aside with the intention of getting back to it at some point. And even if we make an effort to get to daily Mass, those hours at work, our commute, those few hours when we arrive home, typically bring us pressing priorities that preclude spending a lot of "quality" time with God.
The again, if you think about it, God knows all this. He knew it from the beginning. That's why the Bible tells us He "rested" on the seventh day. He was setting an example for us all, right from the beginning of Creation. That example was explicitly expressed in the Ten Commandments - "Keep holy the Lord's Day." He rested, so we now rest. And that rest helps us "re-create" our connection with God that, of necessity, becomes tenuous at best during our busy lives.
Sunday as mini-vacation does make a lot of sense, doesn't it? All I can say now is "Thank You Lord" for Sunday.
I hope your Sunday refreshes your mind, body, and soul and helps you re-create your connection with God.
Happy Sunday!
Summer finds many of us taking some form of extended vacation. Taking both definitions of recreation into account, we Catholics can use our time away from our "ordinary" lives for rest, enjoyment, refreshment, even renewal. Doing so provides some respite from the usual demands of the day.
But we don't necessarily need to wait for summer vacation for a break. As we've noted many times, Sunday - the Lord's Day, traditionally a day of rest - also presents us with an opportunity for respite. We might even see Sunday as a "mini-vacation. Our recreation (activity done for enjoyment) can re-charge our physical, mental, and emotional batteries. And, beginning with our attendance at Mass, Sunday's can help us "re-create" (create again, renew) our spiritual lives.
This idea of Sunday as a mini-vacation particularly appeals to me. I don't know about you, but the demands and distractions that fill the other six days of the week tend to put a bit of a distance between me and God. Sure, I get up early during the week to give myself some time to pray, read, spend a few minutes in quiet contemplation, even as I make the coffee and prepare for the day's work. But I find that once the duties of my state of life (married, family) and my work responsibilities kick in God starts to fade into the background.
Of course, that's normal; even, you might say, as it should be. While most of us can walk and chew gum at the same time, it nevertheless takes our full time and attention to meet our daily obligations. And so sometimes it may seem or feel like we've put God on a shelf somewhere, like a project you start, then set aside with the intention of getting back to it at some point. And even if we make an effort to get to daily Mass, those hours at work, our commute, those few hours when we arrive home, typically bring us pressing priorities that preclude spending a lot of "quality" time with God.
The again, if you think about it, God knows all this. He knew it from the beginning. That's why the Bible tells us He "rested" on the seventh day. He was setting an example for us all, right from the beginning of Creation. That example was explicitly expressed in the Ten Commandments - "Keep holy the Lord's Day." He rested, so we now rest. And that rest helps us "re-create" our connection with God that, of necessity, becomes tenuous at best during our busy lives.
Sunday as mini-vacation does make a lot of sense, doesn't it? All I can say now is "Thank You Lord" for Sunday.
I hope your Sunday refreshes your mind, body, and soul and helps you re-create your connection with God.
Happy Sunday!
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