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The Michigan Catholic
Published June 29, 2007

My Brothers and Sisters in the Lord:

The month of July is vacation time for many of us. July is a special time for relaxation, travel and other leisure activities. I would, therefore, like to devote my monthly column on evangelization to some reflections on the way that even our leisure time can be an opportunity for proclaiming the Gospel.

Sometimes it seems as if we were made for work and that rest and leisure are simply a pause from activity so that we can replenish our strength and go right back to accomplishing tasks. God made us not only to work but also to enjoy the fruits of our labor; as the Catechism reminds us, God made us "to know, love, and serve Him in this world and be happy with Him forever in Heaven." We were made in such a way that we rightly crave time to think and pray. We have the capacity for wonder and awe, and we will be frustrated unless we listen to those deepest urges and follow them. We need peace and quiet so we can pursue and develop our interior life, our spiritual side. When we are constantly preoccupied with work, inevitably, our spiritual life is diminished. The real challenge in today's "all-or-nothing world" is to find a healthy balance between work and leisure.

In the Book of Genesis, God Himself rested on the seventh day, thereby, setting an example for us. We know that nature itself has its seasons and cycles, its rhythm of light and darkness. Animals and vegetation need periods of being dormant. If creation submits to this rhythm, should we not also?

As the author of the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us (see Hebrews 4:9-11), as Christians, whenever we rest, we are actually entering into God's plan of love for us. Do we not speak about eternal life as an experience of "eternal rest"? Our ultimate destiny is to share the life of God, to rest in His great work. From that perspective, everything we do is possible only because God is working in us and through us, and whatever good we do, has beauty, goodness and integrity only because of Him. As St. Paul said in Colossians 3:17 and in I Corinthian 10:31, our working and our resting are really about glorifying God.

In our American culture, for the most part, we seem to have lost an appreciation of Sabbath rest. While many people necessarily must work, even on Sundays (for example, those in health care or service industries), many of us freely choose to spend much of our Sunday accomplishing tasks. People my age can probably recall when, for the most part, Sunday truly was a day of rest for everyone, a time to appreciate our families and to worship God.

Keeping the Sabbath rest would indeed be a powerful means of evangelizing — proclaiming the Good News that Jesus Christ is the Lord and that we are meant for eternal communion with Him. Through the humility of stepping back from our daily tasks, we realize the greatest work of all time was God's act of saving us through the Death-Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let us, therefore, give consideration to ways we might more explicitly pursue leisure and Sabbath rest as an offering of praise and thanksgiving to God, who gives us breath and bread.

Discovering and experiencing the Lord in travel

During the summer, perhaps more than other times of the year, many of us have the opportunity to take extended vacations, often with our families. Sometimes, vacations mean going to a familiar spot such as a cabin or a camp, enjoying water activities and outdoor sports. For many others, vacation means travel to far-away places, experiencing new cultures, languages and foods. Whether our journeys be near or far, the very act of travel can be a wonderful means for experiencing the Lord's presence. As we "let go" of control and face all the uncertainties of travel, we recognize our dependence on God and others. Interesting things inevitably happen when we leave our familiar, safe environment and risk new experiences.

When we approach travel with an open heart, it can be a time for being evangelized and it can also be an opportunity for evangelizing others. For example, as we travel, perhaps we have time on the plane or train to read and to think, to pray and reflect; in that quiet, we can hear God's Word and consider how we are living our vocation. Seeing new things and hearing new languages often challenge us to take another look at many things in our own religious experience that we take for granted. As we travel, we often meet new people who can inspire or challenge us by their comments or questions. We can give witness to our Christian faith by the way we welcome others into our homes or accept their gracious hospitality.

If we are traveling in countries that are traditionally Christian in their heritage, quite often we can be spiritually touched and enriched by their traditions, religious monuments, and art. In places that are not predominantly Christian, we come to a new appreciation of how blessed we are here in Western countries to live amidst a culture full of Christian symbols with opportunity for freedom of religious practice. In word and deed, the experience of travel can indeed be a setting for encountering and sharing the Lord's presence.

Evangelization through sports

Whether we participate in sports activities or simply watch them, sports are an important part of our American culture and they, too, can be a means for hearing and proclaiming the Gospel. Many sports involve teamwork and as we set aside our own egos for the sake of the success of the whole team, we are living the Gospel and following Jesus' own example of selfless love.

Playing fair and following the rules of the particular sport is also a great way to show our faith-in-action: As people watch us, they will marvel at our honesty and integrity, and notice we are different. It is natural — even healthy — to be competitive as long as our emotions are kept in balance. As we respect and affirm the dignity of our opponents, we are "preaching" without words.

Sports and physical exertion are good not only for our bodies, but also for our spirits. Through daily exercise, we come to a renewed appreciation of the gift of health and our minds become more alert and attentive, open to the Word of God. Sometimes sports settings allow us an opportunity for a relaxed conversation with another person, reflecting on the things that matter most in life and, naturally, our faith would be a vital part of any significant conversation.

The Holy Eucharist: Where it all comes together

As I have written many times in this past year, the Holy Eucharist is the premier moment for hearing and proclaiming the Good News that Christ has died, Christ has risen, and Christ will come again. In the Holy Eucharist, we bring to the Lord our working and our resting, our joys and our sorrows, our apparent successes and our disappointments and losses. We present them to the Lord, we offer them up to Him. He accepts them, consecrates and makes them holy. And then, He returns them to us, joined to the Body and Blood of His Son. Our work and our leisure can, thereby, be holy, give glory to God, and build up the Church. The challenge is for us to be more reflective and conscious in the way we embrace leisure as a means of holiness. May the Lord help us to truly enjoy the rich potential of all our summer activities!

Sincerely yours in the Lord,

†Adam Cardinal Maida
Archbishop of Detroit

God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you have freed us from sin and death through the victory of Christ, your Son. Through the power of His Holy Spirit, you allow us to share already now in the foretaste of eternal rest and peace. May our summer leisure be an offering pleasing to you, building up the Church and proclaiming the Good News of your Son, Jesus Christ, to all the world. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.