Holy Leisure, Part II
“We live in a society in which it seems that every space, every moment must be ‘filled’ with initiatives, activity, sound; often there is not even time to listen and dialogue… Let us not be afraid to be silent outside and inside ourselves, so that we are able not only to perceive God’s voice, but also the voice of the person next to us, the voices of others.” –Pope Benedict XVI
In this photo, I’m spending some time enjoying a beautiful concert in a beautiful venue. For me, “holy leisure” is in that shared decision to step out of our lives and experience the music. –Beth Franzosa ’05, ’07MAT
Summer mornings, mountain biking before work, greeting the sun and the new day. –Pam Thomas ’98 MDiv
Every summer my whole life, my siblings and I visit our extended family in California. We do exactly the same activities every time because it’s tradition. Mostly they involve taking in the world, eating, and being together. That pilgrimage, as my dad calls it, is the most grounding thing I do all year, and one of the most joyful. –Andrea Cisneros ’10 M.Ed.
We enjoy traveling in our leisure. Here we are enjoying an elephant ride in Ayutthaya, Thailand, and appreciating another country’s culture and history. –Chris Sever ’76
On the shores of Lake Michigan at the Siena Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin. The sound of the waves soothes my soul. –Susan (Fischer) Murray ’85
Spotting dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico. –Kristin Schwarz ’98 MDiv
When I walk through the lily pad gardens in my Chicago neighborhood, I breathe in the beauty of my natural surroundings, and I turn my thoughts heavenward… God has created so many marvelous masterpieces. –Marisa Foyle ’10 M.Ed.