CONFESSIONS OF A WORKAHOLIC
“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” – Mark 6:31
I once thought that rest was synonymous with doing nothing — and that was bad. That’s because my Lolo Ino, my maternal grandfather, taught me that “an idle mind is the devil’s playground.” He explained that when you don’t have anything to think about, you are likely to do something bad. And so doing nothing was a no-no for him. Every time he was around, I kept busy — reading, doing my homework, dusting our narra sofa even if it was already squeaky, gleaming, shimmering clean.
That was good discipline — until I turned out to be a workaholic. Because when I had nothing to do I could hear Lolo Ino drumming the devil line into my ear.
Then I heard a talk of lay preacher Bo Sanchez about having a rest. He said resting from work does not mean doing nothing. It means doing something else — going on a trip, having fun with our loved ones, or, as Jesus said in today’s reading, going to a quiet place and, yes, getting some rest.
So I have resolved to have a regular rest time. Promise, I am working on it. Cynthia Santiago (cusantiago@gmail.com)
REFLECTION:
Remember the cliché: Work while you work. Play while you play. That’s the way to be happy and gay.
Lord, be with me at my work time and play time.
St. Joseph of Leonissa, pray for us.
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