It has been said that God only asks us to devote one day a week to him, and on that day he asks us not to work, but to rest. On Sunday, then, you are simply a human being. The other six days, you are a human doing. For Vincentians, though, rest from our works of charity often seems unthinkable.

We seek to share generously of our time, our talents, our possessions and ourselves. [Rule, Part I, 2.5.1] By acting upon this virtue of selflessness, we seek to become truly selfless, emptied of self, so that we can be filled with God. Vincentians are people of action; of contemplation, also, but not at the expense of loving God with the strength of our arms and the sweat of our brows!” [CCD XI:32]

We follow the example of St. Louise de Marillac, whose commitment to serving the poor, the foundlings, the sick, the victims of war, and her own Daughters of Charity led her often to drag herself out of her own sickbed to go about her work. For all of his own lifelong whirlwind of work and activity for the poor of seventeenth century France, it was St. Vincent who often reminded her – implored her – to stop and to rest. “Increase your strength,” he advised. “You need it, or, in any case, the public does.” [CCD I:392]

We are called not to hoard our resources; everything given to us is meant to be used to relieve the needs of today. As a result, there may come days when we have no more money to give; both we and the neighbor understand this. In a similar way, we don’t hold back our love, our presence, or our efforts when they are needed – and we are able. But just as the money sometimes runs out, so, too, can our personal reserve of strength and stamina.

Aristotle said that that if you want to become a builder, you build something. If you want to become virtuous, you do virtuous things. [Nichomachean Ethics] We become by doing; what begins as an exterior practice, becomes interior. We no longer simply act generously, we become generous.

So, what do we become if we do too much, especially if we do so much that we can do no more without suffering burnout, or compassion fatigue, or physical exhaustion; if our very actions of virtue lead to our inability to continue them? We are people of contemplation and action, and we need to pause our actions in order to replenish and refresh ourselves with prayer and rest.

The Catechism teaches that the cardinal virtue of temperance moderates our desires for worldly goods. In a sense, learning to control our drive to always “do more” can be an exercise in temperance, allowing our love of God and neighbor to be undisturbed by a body or mind crying out for rest. Only each of us can know our personal limits, and not everything that makes us tired is too much, but there is a time for everything, even rest.

Contemplate

Do I pause to refresh myself with prayer and reflection, rather than focusing only on “the work”?

By Timothy Williams,
Senior Director of Formation & Leadership Development
Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA.