1. Our soul needs Sunday

“Give the soul its Sunday, give Sunday its soul.”
Pope Benedict quoting Cardinal Faulhaber, Homily, 9th Sept 2007

2. A week-end without God is empty

“It is good that today, in many cultures, Sunday is a free day, and is often combined with Saturday so as to constitute a “week-end” of free time. Yet this free time is empty if God is not present.”
Pope Benedict, Homily, World Youth Day 2005

3. Both the start of creation and the start of redemption took place on Sunday

“On Easter morning, first the women and then the disciples had the grace of seeing the Lord. From that moment on, they knew that the first day of the week, Sunday, would be his day, the day of Christ the Lord. The day when creation began became the day when creation was renewed. Creation and redemption belong together. That is why Sunday is so important.”
Pope Benedict, Homily, World Youth Day 2005

4. Leisure time without an inner focus becomes wasted time

Sunday has been transformed in our Western societies into the week-end, into leisure time. Leisure time is something good and necessary, especially amid the mad rush of the modern world; each of us knows this. Yet if leisure time lacks an inner focus, an overall sense of direction, then ultimately it becomes wasted time that neither strengthens nor builds us up. Leisure time requires a focus , the encounter with him who is our origin and goal.
Pope Benedict, Homily, 9th Sept 2007

5. Finding time for mass might feel inconvenient but it is worth the effort

“Dear friends! Sometimes, our initial impression is that having to include time for Mass on a Sunday is rather inconvenient. But if you make the effort, you will realize that this is what gives a proper focus to your free time.”
Pope Benedict, Homily, World Youth Day 2005

6. Help others discover Sunday

“Do not be deterred from taking part in Sunday Mass, and help others to discover it too. This is because the Eucharist releases the joy that we need so much, and we must learn to grasp it ever more deeply, we must learn to love it.”
Pope Benedict, Homily, World Youth Day 2005

Sunday spiritual quotes

Read more:
– Top Pope Francis’ Heart And Mind Rest Quotes
– The Traveller With A Purpose

The post Top Pope Benedict 16th’s Sunday Spiritual Quotes appeared first on Universe of Faith.

Christina’s holiday and helping – “I asked the tour guide if we could help”

Christina was on holiday in Morocco when an idea came to her mind. “I asked the guide if we could help some people out. He told us that when we visit the Atlas mountains we could help some children by buying them some school supplies as they are very poor and they are also very far away from the nearest store. So before we set out for our tour in the Atlas mountains we bought some copybooks and stationery that we later gave to groups of children that were playing along the streets. I loved the idea and I thought that next time I should plan this better. So our next holiday was going to be in Tanzania and Madagascar. After I researched the places and noted the places that we would like to visit and the activities that we like to do we did a provisional itinerary. I left two days extra so that we can help the community out.”

Christina travels with her husband…mmm…what did he say?

At first, Christina’s husband was apprehensive. “He didn’t like the idea that much. He didn’t want to be hassled during the holiday and thought it was a big deal. However, he agreed to give it a try. I then told my idea to the tour company in Madagascar. They were very grateful that we were going to take some time to help out. So I asked how can we go about it. Should we buy school supplies for the children and food for the adults? The majority of children do not go to school, stationery is useless; it’s better to buy rice, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes they told me. Then I asked how much do these items approximately cost so that I would know how many items I could buy with my budget. To give you an idea with 17 Euro we bought a 50kg sack of rice. Then I also told the idea to the tour guide in Tanzania who also loved the idea and was really happy to help. In fact, he knew about a Maasai school that really needed some help. So he then offered to drive us to a supermarket where we bought school supplies and teaching aids for the teachers as well.”

“We should not identify almsgiving simply with a hastily given monetary offering.  Stop and look in the face, look in the eyes, of the person who is asking for my help.
– Pope Francis

Is travelling with a purpose better than having a whole holiday for yourself?

Christina says that the purpose part has so far been the best part of her travel: “Those few days will remain with you and would be the best memory that you will take with you back home. It made my holiday better. I still see all the attractions that I want to see but I try to find the time to make the connection with the people in that country. For example in Madagascar when we were on the famous Baobab avenue there were a lot of tourists who came to visit the famous Baobab trees but the guide said it was only us who apart from seeing these majestic trees, distributed rice to people who were passing by. I will never forget the face of an old woman who started crying when we stopped to give the rice. Also, when he tried it, my husband loved it and he is willing to do it again. He too was so happy to see the smile on the people and children’s faces that it made it our small contribution, all worth it.”

Doubts and concerns when travelling with a purpose

Some people had concerns or questions:
– Is this turning people into beggars… “We never help out those people who beg but people who really need it. That is why we ask the tour guides or company to direct us where the help is needed most. We also do not hand out money but rather things that can be used or needed by the people. This is just making a small difference in someone’s life.”

– Maybe you will get negative feedback… “I assure you you won’t. We were always greeted with huge smiles, hugs and gratefulness. Although we couldn’t speak the same language a smile is a universal language and we could communicate by eye contact and smiles. Don’t be afraid you would not be alone (we always had the help of our helpful guides).”

– What difference will I really make? I do not have loads of money to give? … “I really love Mother Teresa’s words ‘If you can’t feed a hundred people then feed just one’ and for that person, you would surely make a difference. They may not be rich overnight with the little that you give but what is little for you is a lot for them. Maybe for that person, he can feed his family for that day. Maybe for another person, you will provide a blanket that will keep them warm for the winter. Another saying that I love is by Kathy Calvin ‘Giving is not about making a donation. It is about making a difference’.”

Christina decides to share her experience to encourage people who love to travel to give this a try. Here are some helpful tips…

Christina’s suggestions for those who want to travel with a purpose:

– Decide your next destination…where do I want to visit next?
– Plan your holiday and a provisional itinerary…check all the top attractions and activities that are available in that country that you would like to see and try out.
– Tell the tour company about your idea and what would they suggest you do to help out.
– Ask what the people in that country need…maybe in one country it is school supplies (e.g. Tanzania) and in another, it is clothes or rice
– Ask how much the items cost so that you could budget.
– Check how much time you need/want to dedicate to helping out (it may be distributing things to people along the way….which wouldn’t take much of your time or else dedicate a whole day to visit a school or maybe dedicate more days if you have time).
– Tell family and friends about your idea…they might, out of their goodwill, donate money for your cause as they did with us.
– Go and enjoy your holiday!
– Leave a comment or send us an email to tell us how it went!

Other interesting facts about Christina… she is also a photographer, some shared on her Instagram and website, she is afraid of aeroplanes! If you want to get in touch with Christina contact us or visit her FB page.

Christina’s next destination… Peru’…

Published: September 2018

A word of thanks to Dennis Gatt (Christina’s husband) for the video footage and to Uyen Vu for compiling and video editing.

Read more:

– Top Pope Francis’ Heart And Mind Rest Quotes
– Vacation or Staycation? – The Importance Of Rest And Leisure In Our Life

The post Meet Christina – The Traveller With a Purpose appeared first on Universe of Faith.

1. Rest is imperative for both our mind and body, and also our spiritual health

“Rest is so necessary for the health of our minds and bodies, and often so difficult to achieve due to the many demands placed on us. But rest is also essential for our spiritual health, so that we can hear God’s voice and understand what he asks of us.”
Pope Francis, Meeting with families, Manila, 2015

2. Our hearts rest when we find happiness 

“Dear young friends, this search for happiness is shared by people of all times and all ages. God has placed in the heart of every man and woman an irrepressible desire for happiness, for fulfillment. Have you not noticed that your hearts are restless, always searching for a treasure which can satisfy their thirst for the infinite?
Pope Francis, World Youth Day, 2015

Read more:
– Top Pope Francis’ Quotes About Global And Local Solidarity
– Unrealistic Expectations Of Others And Of Self

The post Top Pope Francis’ Heart and Mind Rest Quotes appeared first on Universe of Faith.

The origins of the word “leisure”

It is interesting to note that the term ‘workaholic’ was only coined in 1948. A year later, Josef Pieper penned his Leisure, the Basis of Culture, in which he called for an urgent reclaiming of human dignity in the face of increasingly compulsive activity. Pieper traces the notion of ‘leisure’ to its roots and illustrates that the Greek word for ‘leisure’ became the Latin scola, which in turn gave us the word ‘school‘ , our institutions of learning were once intended as centres of ‘leisure’ and contemplative activity. Sadly, they are far from being so nowadays; even they have become places to prepare us to produce more and more efficiently.

Pieper writes: “The original meaning of the concept of ‘leisure’ has practically been forgotten in today’s leisure-less culture of ‘total work’: in order to win our way to a real understanding of leisure, we must confront the contradiction that rises from our overemphasis on the world of work.”

Pope Francis’ way of resting and leisure

Pope Francis recently told of his way of resting , a method that has been dubbed ‘staycation’. Basically, for the past forty odd years, he has taken rest without ever going on vacation. He does change his routine by waking up a little later than normal, praying, listening to music and reading classics. He also enjoys spending time with the poor. He confesses that experiencing such a slower rhythm for some time, which included a longer time dedicated to personal contact with the poor, energised him so that he felt fresh and reinvigorated.

The importance of planning a restful holiday

Perhaps we can learn from him the true meaning of leisure. For, unfortunately, even our holidays are often paradigms of stress. If we were to look closely at the way we approach them, we would see that we tend to reproduce, in our holiday plans, the kind of compulsive patterns we endure in our work: there is so much we simply have to do and see! We pack our vacation-time so that it becomes an endless series of experiences and sights to be used in later ‘interesting conversations’.

Being “at leisure”

Maybe the root problem is that we have become unable to be at leisure due to a perpetual restlessness which afflicts us continuously. Perhaps, behind our frenetic pace, a certain anxiety has seized us and is driving us forth. The old term acedia , loosely translated as ‘listless despondency’ , expressed this sad tendency. The opposing state is what we all deeply desire and it is what we mean by ‘leisure’.

Leisure definition

Hence, leisure is a basic attitude (or what Pieper calls ‘a condition of the soul’). In this sense, leisure is a certain inner absence of anxiety and preoccupation, it is peace, an ability to let go, a capacity to be quiet, a form of yearning stillness, a disposition of contemplative beholding, a recognition of the mysterious character of the world, and an ability to trust. It is the condition which makes possible any creative impulse; it is the necessary disposition for love. Leisure is the attitude of gratitude; the experience of a joyful soul. It is not a mere break from work. It is the ability to be in contact with the personal and life-giving presences and facets of reality that can renew us and from which we can live, even in the midst of the busy world of work.

How can we have the attitude of leisure in our lives?

Well, the key question is whether we could nurture some kind of rhythm in our daily, weekly and monthly lives whereby we could cultivate such a contemplative disposition. We need to help ourselves look at reality , whether it is nature or whether it is the story of our lives , with grateful eyes. We need to ask ourselves whether we could dedicate some time to do so alone, and also to do so with some significant others? Even if we were to dedicate ten minutes a day, that would make a difference. The same goes for a weekly, a monthly; and a yearly rhythm. We need to find some substantial time , maybe a couple of hours weekly; maybe one morning or afternoon monthly; and maybe one week yearly , to dedicate to such ‘leisure’, after all this is what Sundays and feast-days were partly about!

The difference between leisure and idleness

This is different from idleness, which is a kind of sadness and which is often the very fruit of activism. Idleness involves a lack of energy to be gratefully and trustingly responsible. Leisure means learning again and again to listen, to be grateful, to give and to receive, to enjoy, and to experience peace. Through such a rhythm of leisure , which importantly includes prayer and contact with the poor , we can cultivate this condition of our soul.

Leisure enables us to become more and more human. We truly desire this state of soul!

Published: July 2017

Read more:
– Dr Sandra Dalton-Smith On Sacred Rest
– Unrealistic Expectations Of Others And Of Self

The post Vacation or Staycation? The Importance of Rest & Leisure in Our Life appeared first on Universe of Faith.

Rest Quote – Jean Vanier

“True inner freedom cannot be found unless the body is given time to rest. We all have to learn to let go of certain activities, to avoid hyperactivity and busyness. We need to learn how to stop, how to be, and to look gently at others and at the world and to receive a certain inner peace.”
Jean Vanier

Read more:
– Vacation or staycation? – The Role Of Rest And Leisure In Our Life
– Poem About Life And Time

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