This weekend, between two wild weeks of work, I was lucky enough to sneak off to enjoy a lake weekend with wonderful friends. It was 2.5 days of splashing around, boat rides, wake surfing, delectable food, and good conversation.
As often happens whenever I get ten seconds to slow down and rest, and while I was partaking in my favorite activity (reading a book on the shore of a body of water), I had the thought, “I wish I could just stay here forever.”
But almost immediately I was reminded of the Transfiguration, when Peter, James, and John are so overwhelmed by the glory of Jesus on Mt. Tabor they rush to build tents to stay there forever. And while Jesus understands their excitement, He knows there’s more to do. He leads them down the mountain, back into the ministry and the call they have on their lives to do great things for Him.
Jesus was the model of rest — He often went away for days to spend time with the Father. He knew, better than anyone, how important it is to recover, to be quiet, to pray and to listen. But He also recognized that leisure is for the purpose of propelling us forward. His time of quiet gave Him the energy and grace He needed to return to the people who needed Him and relied on Him to do the Father’s Will.
Moments of rest and relaxation are a gift, and they’re so much more meaningful precisely because they are (unfortunately) rare. If I sat by the lake every day for a year, I might get tired of it (hard for me to fathom at the moment, as I sit on a plane back to my client for a busy week).
But God knows we need restoration — that’s why He invites us into the practice of Sabbath, time for us to pause every week to find that restoration, that quiet, that time to be focused completely on God and allow Him to love us.
The fall is exciting and often feels like the “second start” of the year. I’m an absolute sucker for back to school sales, and as an adult I partake in my own “back to school” shopping (because yes, I believe not having this shiny new notebook was the only thing standing between me and my most efficient, happy, and accomplished self!)
It’s a great time to pick up new habits, too — and the one I continue to try and hone is that of Sabbath. I try to take an hour on Saturday mornings to sit in front of the Eucharist and spend time with Jesus. My Sunday afternoons have become sacred, time for me to pause at home, read a book, call a friend, go to the pool, or write. In the midst of travels and work it can be hard to be consistent, and I’m trying to remain flexible but firm about setting time aside for Him every weekend.
Let me know what habits of Sabbath have or are working best for you right now!
In Christ,
Jane
What I’m loving lately
A good prayer for your morning
At mass this weekend, the priest offered one of his favorite prayers to start the day: “Lord, how can I please You today? How can I tick Satan off?” I thought that was hilarious and also a pretty powerful prayer.
We watched this weekend and I am sorry to say I have fallen — it’s a bop, top to bottom. I had the album in my ears on my whole cross-country flight. I found there to be some overtly Christian themes, and you all are very lucky because this newsletter was almost a scene by scene breakdown of the film with ties to Catholic theology. (But lmk if you’re looking for that and I will happily oblige next week!)
The mostly true story of Tanner and Louise
This was a cute as heck book about an older woman on the run with a younger sidekick (Thelma and Louise vibes too). A great plane / vacation / beach read!
Pray with St. Paul
I was reading Ephesians 3 this week, and found myself changing the personal pronouns so that I was praying the verses for myself:
“I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that I may be strengthened in my inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith, as I am being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that I may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that I may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within me is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
HAPPY PUMPKIN CREAM COLD BREW DAY!
My favorite drink of the year from Starbucks has returned today!! I am probably sipping on one as you read this :) I cannot recommend more highly!
A great song about rest
Prayer intentions
For a few special intentions
Def need the KPop Demon Hunters analysis!