The following is an article I recently read by Father Richard Veras. It moved me to rethink with intention some of the things I’ve planned for this summer. What will I be doing with my precious leisure time. Will it be nourishing and life-giving … or merely a distraction?
“Years ago, an engaged couple I was preparing for marriage asked for an extra appointment with me, which is not a common occurrence. When they came, they spoke to me of the many details of wedding preparation that were consuming them. The bride in particular, was noticing that her anxious planning, was obscuring her joy at entering into the vocation of marriage, of being united in Christ.
They asked me to recommend a retreat they could go on, so they could step away for a few days from wedding preparation and peacefully re-focus themselves on the marriage preparations. There hope was to return to the details of the day with greater peace and a more reasonable perspective.
Marriage is for life; a wedding day passes. Life and love in Christ is enriched over time, while wedding photos and videos, beautiful as they may be, are stuck in time. (How many of us are really excited when someone breaks out a wedding video? Wouldn’t you prefer to talk to the living couple in front of you in the moment?)
As you take time for recreation this summer, let this couple be a witness to you as you plan your precious leisure time. May the time you spend together with those whom you love, be nourishing and life-giving, and not a mere distraction.”
May our vacation time be not just fodder for photos, but an enrichment that can make us live life more fully, with one another, and in Christ.
