Sunday: The Climax of Living

“Jesus was never in a hurry.” – Matthew Kelly in “Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy”

Taking up a good book to read can be tremendously nourishing for the soul. I will freely admit that, in recent months, I have not taken as much time as in previous eras of my life to take part in the simple, powerful, and restful activity of reading.

Thankfully, during my vacation to Wyoming in mid-August, I resolved and followed through on returning to this important human and spiritual habit. A book that had been highly recommended to me in recent months was “Slowing Down to the Speed of Joy” by the popular Catholic author Matthew Kelly. Now, I have read several Matthew Kelly books and have found them to be helpful, but not always challenging or inspiring.

This book was different.

Perhaps it was not the words that Kelly wrote or the style of his writing that mattered as much as the topic did. Slowing down. Kelly’s book joins several other texts on the topic of modern man’s frenetic pace of life including, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World” by John Mark Comer and “The Noonday Devil: Acedia, the Unnamed Evil of Our Times” by Dom Jean-Charles Nault, O.S.B.

In his text, Kelly makes consistent reference to another book on the topic which is not as recent (1948) but already is deemed by many as a spiritual classic. “Leisure: The Basis of Culture” by the Catholic German philosopher Josef Pieper. Pieper’s definition of leisure hits the mark.

“Leisure is an attitude of mind and a condition of the soul that fosters a capacity to receive the reality of the world.”

I was surprised and discouraged by something I heard commonly in these past summer months. “This summer has been so busy.” Wait, what? Are not the summer months a time to relax and slow down? There is a phrase “summer vacation” which seems to be fading from our modern discourse.

Kelly proposes – as many Catholic leaders have – that we again renew our commitment to our weekly day of rest and worship by observing the Sabbath. How do we overcome the impediments of busyness and speed? By learning to embrace Sunday, what Kelly calls “the climax of living.”

As many in our parish return to the rhythm of the school year, let us all – this priest included – be reminded that our hearts are made not for busyness, speed, and mindless labor but rather our hearts are made to rest in God.

Gracias a Dios.