WORKING PEOPLE usually look forward to a day off in which they would be away from the regular working schedule and be able to find time to rest and to have a respite from the more difficult and demanding tasks of daily life.
I heard a story about a conversation of a priest and an old lady parishioner at a bus terminal. The priest was working in a remote parish and after a month of hectic schedule, he decided to have a day off. While waiting for the bus to leave for the city, a parishioner who frequented daily masses saw him at the bus terminal and asked him politely where he was going. The priest simply said that he was going for a day off. The lady parishioner said: "Father, why do you want a day off? The devil does not have a day off." The priest retorted: "That is precisely the reason why I want a day off. I don't want to become a devil."
Some parishioners expect that priests are superheroes or angels who do not get tired and weighed down by routine and other demands of their ministry. Somebody shared that a young priest's temptation is to prove his worth by doing a lot of work and by engaging in many activities connected to his priestly ministry. However, the constant challenge is not to multiply activities but to set one's priority and to do it well as an expression of God's will.
In one of the occasions that I had the opportunity to talk to the Archbishop, his gentle reminder that my priority is not to organize activities and do many tasks but above all to find prayer as a way of life significantly struck me. I kept thinking about the status of my union with Jesus during the day. I realized that prayer has no day off. In fact, a priest's life is a constant search for Jesus in every situation, in every occasion and encounter with people. My work as a priest should not be an excuse for not finding a precious time during the course of the day, for a profound moment of prayer with Jesus in silence away from the busyness that may become a way of being that is deplete of meaning and fruitfulness. The prayer for serenity is an important reminder that I only have to accomplish what I can do, to learn to accept what I cannot do and leave the rest to God.
People today find life as a sort of a rat race. One has to work harder every day in order to survive in a competitive world and to have more money. But there is always the danger to forget the basic disposition of life, which is to live life meaningfully and fully.
I must admit that I never really thought of a day off in my weekly or monthly schedule. It has been a very busy month for me and I could end up even busier in the coming days. But I go back to the gentle reminder of the Archbishop that I can never equate my worth as a person and as a priest with what I do. In fact, I can do nothing. The real measure of success is not in the accomplishment of life's to-do-list but in how I have grown in my relationship with God in the present tasks of my life and ministry. After everything that has been said and done, only God remains. I should strive not to be attached to the works of God but to learn to love the God of work.
Days off are necessary. But time spent with God even during busy days is not only necessary but also crucial for total well-being.