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Happening ... in the Local Church
I had an interesting discussion with the wives of the candidates in the permanent diaconate program on the idea of “leisure time.” On the one hand, they all regretted not having enough free time and on the other hand, they admitted they were involved in many good things that simply needed to be done. My question to them was, “What are you really giving up when you do not have leisure time?”
Too many people make the assumption that free time is made to get things done. We make a choice of a lifestyle or value system that allows little time for leisure. Or we may be “workaholics” whose jobs keep us shackled to the work place. Some people even possess a lack of positive self-esteem that allows self-identification only in terms of a specific job function. All these items point to an individual or society with an incapacity for leisure.
Leisure time is not simply idleness or time off. Free time is made for working on our relationship with the One who loves us above all things. He made us for himself and we belong to him. But how can we build our relationship with God if we have no time to pay attention to him?
To have free time means that we have time to be receptive, to rest, to contemplate, to be enriched, to wonder, to nurture relationships, and to be fully present to another. Leisure time can even be used to give us a preview to the eternal ecstasy of the beatific vision. Turning to Scripture we discover the value of leisure time to the writer of Psalm 27 — “One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may gaze on the loveliness of the Lord and contemplate his temple.”
Lent is upon us and, as usual, we may be formulating what we will be “giving up” this year or what practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving we will be taking on this Lenten season. But how would our Lent be different if we determined to make room for some leisure time each day?
We could use our leisure time to fall more deeply in love with God, by spending time with him in personal prayer and contemplation. Our Lent would be a unique time of discovery and renewal. Spending our leisure time with the Lord would answer that longing deep inside each one of us. “O God, you are my God, for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting” (Psalm 63:2).
I ended my discussion with the wives of the candidates in the permanent diaconate program with no clear ideas of how each of us would carve out more leisure time. However, each one was determined to find that free time this Lent that would enable us to get a glimpse of what eternity will be like.
This guest editorial was written by Anne Roat, director of the Local Church’s Pastoral Office for Adult Catechesis.