The theme for Advent is to “prepare.” This makes sense liturgically and also carries through with the needs of the holiday season.
We place purple wooden letters on our family altar that remind me of the goal, but like unfinished Christmas shopping, the goal seems unattainable. I find myself at a loss frequently in this season with a deep desire to enter into the peace and wonder; to fully rest in the hope that this season offers but with the reality of the daily demands coupled with the additional preparations leaving me feeling overwhelmed and drained.
This season, I feel called to organize my time in a way that gives me moments, if not a whole day, to rest in the peace of the Advent season.
Preparing for rest
Rest is something many of us struggle with. How many times has one of my children said, “Hey, Mom, I really want … ” and in my head I think, “Yeah and I want a vacation in Hawaii!” That’s why rest often feels so unattainable. But is it really?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (No. 2184) teaches that, “Just as God rested on the seventh day from all the work he had done, human life has a rhythm of work and rest. The institution of the Lord’s Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives.”
Who among us does not look forward to the weekend? We have phrases such as TGIF! But do we really take a break from the busyness of our week?
My Saturdays continue similarly to my weekdays with sports practices, taking kids to work, lessons for the kids and chores around the house. I might have a slower cup of tea with my husband, but then we compare schedules and off it goes. Mass on Sundays often becomes another commitment, like a dance lesson or a grocery trip, rather than an act of worship. How hard that is to realize!
I remember a season of life where I was involved with a Walking with Purpose women’s group. We all became very committed to learning how to rest on Sundays. We encouraged one another to prepare the Sunday dinner on Saturday, to make Saturday a day of “recon” if you will within the house and be purposeful with our time on Sundays. We gave each other suggestions for what to do with those hours on Sunday because the first day it felt so foreign to us and our family was used to the pace of continuously going. Eventually, we planned one fun family outing a month whether it be to go to the art museum or to walk in the park. We planned a family movie night watching old school movies and gathering together. When Monday came around, it felt as if our time had been well spent.
The Catechism (No. 2187) continues that, “Sanctifying Sundays and holy days requires a common effort. Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord’s Day.”
Planning for rest
Somehow, life happened and we fell out of these practices, but the concept of budgeting time has not gone away. My husband likes to plan our budget until every dollar is planned. It is going to get spent somehow, so let’s tell it where to go. Perhaps our time is like that too. Just as we make budgets for household expenses, I am wondering if we should be making a household time budget and seeing where most of our time is spent. How can we be more intentional so that our Sundays can be anticipated as a day to step off the treadmill of daily life?
Being intentional with our rest
I have a list a mile long of walks, books, movies, snuggles, friends visited and phone calls to relatives that could be made if I allot time for them. Even though that list looks like a lot of “doing,” what gives us joy can give us rest.
Father Mike Schmitz, in his Catechism in a Year podcast, reminds us that we can become slaves to the doing. So we need to break the cycle. I think being intentional will help.
We are a work in progress and every effort requires one step forward. I turn to the saints. St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross is known for saying, “God is there in these moments of rest and can give us, in a single instant, exactly what we need. Then you will be able to rest in him, really rest, and start the next day as a new life.”
Rest is a need. Rest does not have to be a vacation. Rest is a choice and must be planned and intentional, whether it’s long or short. Let’s commit to using the rest of this Advent to prepare a place for the Lord, through rest, in our hearts and in our families.