Daily Meditation for October 20, 2023

“What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare.” (W.H. Davies). Summer is well and truly over, and we are full tilt into the challenges that our regular daily life brings. Although W.H. Davies wasn’t a Benedictine, he clearly had something of a Benedictine heart. When we think of how St. Benedict tells us to focus our lives, “Ora et labora” (work and prayer) are what often spring to mind, yet Benedict also reminds us that there is such a thing as holy leisure. As always, Benedict is a wise guide. A human being is not a machine, made solely to keep producing things. We are a complex mix of body, mind and spirit. Holy leisure is intended to give the body an opportunity to repair and renew, the mind time ponder and reflect, and the spirit a chance to be nourished by God’s grace. Happy and holy leisure!  

By Karen Rose, OSB