• Home
  • About
    • Monastic Life
    • Gallery
    • History
      • Holy Cross Abbey
      • Cistercian Order
      • Property and Battlefield
    • FAQs
    • Videos
  • Take Part
    • Pray with us
    • Visit
      • Service Times
      • Directions
    • Vocation
    • Lay Members
  • Vocation
  • Retreat House
    • Testimonials
  • Cemetery
    • Overview
    • Stones
    • Rules Overview
    • Pricing
  • Store
    • Gift Shop / Porter’s Cottage
    • Bakery Products
    • Webstore
  • Updates
    • News
    • Liturgy
    • Abbot’s Lectio Post
  • Contact

Holy Cross Abbey

901 Cool Spring Lane Berryville, Virginia 22611

Support Us
  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Friday of the Easter Octave

April 17, 2020 by Fr Joseph 1 Comment

Idleness may be the enemy of the soul, but so is busyness when it is purposely pursued—often as a way of dealing with anxiety and restlessness. Peter seems to have done precisely this when, being at something of a loose end in those confusing hours and days following the crucifixion, he announced that he was going fishing. His fellow disciples, grateful for this distraction from their own inner turmoil, anxiety, and sadness, immediately replied, we also will come with you. Considering the psychological purpose of sought-out busyness, it is perhaps not surprising that their busyness yielded nothing by way of a catch of fish. As monastics committed to a life that intentionally incorporates manual labor and can sometimes be very busy, we need to remain vigilant and not create extra busyness as an escape from the necessary inner battles, without which we fail to grow. As we know, in our Cistercian tradition the antidote to unnecessary busyness is not idleness, but that holy leisure that opens onto prayer, lectio, and contemplation. Through this Eucharist may we given the grace to cherish holy leisure and guard against a concocted busyness that, like idleness, is the enemy of the soul.

Share

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Abbot's Lectio Post

Comments

  1. Peggy Anderson says

    April 17, 2020 at 11:45 am

    Thanks, Fr. Joseph for this needed reminder. It’s so easy, even in this time of shelter-in-place, to feel an urgency to get certain projects completed. The real question for me to reflect on is the origin/stimulus for the supposed urgency. What am I placing on the sidelines to “finish the project?” Holy leisure, perhaps.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Documentary Trailer

Watch the full-length documentary on the videos page.

More Video

Support Us with a Donation

Contact Us

Newsletter Signup

Holy Cross Abbey

901 Cool Spring Lane
Berryville, Virginia 22611-2700
Phone: (540) 955-4383

  • Facebook
  • YouTube

Quicklinks

  • Cemetery
  • Retreats
  • Directions
  • Links
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Get Involved

  • Pray with us
  • Visit
  • Vocation
  • Support Us

Copyright © Holy Cross Abbey - All Rights Reserved
Website Development and Management by MarketSpark
Maintenance Log -  Webmail -  Admin