A Day Off

Good morning.

When I was at university, in a philosophy course, one of the lecturers — Fr James McEvoy — said something that has stayed with me ever since. He spoke about the importance of taking a day off. If you do not take one day off, he warned, you will eventually end up taking them all off. Living seven days a week without pause overwhelms the body and the spirit; sooner or later, health pays the price.

I am glad to say I took that wisdom seriously. To this day I keep a weekly Sabbath on a Monday. It is a day when I step away from parish responsibilities to be with family, to breathe, and to remember that my worth is not measured by output.

The Jewish word Shabbat literally means rest or cessation. I was reminded of this again recently by a writer reflecting on Sabbath who suggested four simple practices for the day:

Stop — stop working, resist the pull of productivity, and let the world keep turning without you.
Rest — allow body, mind, and spirit to recover what the week has drained.
Delight — enjoy what gives life: family, food, conversation, music, laughter.
Contemplate — attend to God’s presence, cultivate gratitude, and notice the deeper meaning within ordinary days.

Sabbath reminds us that not every day is for doing; some are for resting and renewing.

God of creation and rest,
teach us to stop without guilt,
to rest without fear,
to delight without haste,
and to contemplate your loving presence.
Renew us in body, mind, and spirit,
so that we may return to our work with joy and humility.

Amen.