Resurrection and Recreation
"On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing; he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken." Genesis 2:2
Oblate Fathers Mike Newman and Joe Newman at the Detroit Blessed Solanus Casey Center.
The liturgical momentum from Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday is both exhilarating and exhausting. After the Easter Masses and delicious dinner prepared by my mother, I was ready for some rest.
One phrase taken from the Introduction to the Devout Life that is commonly uttered by Oblates is our need to “unstring the bow.” Regarding recreation, Francis de Sales gives us a wonderful image of needing to unstring the taught bow or the bow will lose its ability to function. This advice is found in Part 3, Chapter 31: “It is sometimes necessary for us to relax both mind and body by some kind of recreation.”
As I sit comfortably in the lobby of my favorite hotel in Detroit, I am thankful for the spiritual insight from Francis that our call to holiness can be exercised in our recreation. Since my brother, Michael, is sitting next to me, I think he too is thankful. Yes, after celebrating the Resurrection, we scheduled some intentional holy recreation. Our need for recreation invites the Holy Spirit to continue our re-creation. The re-creation and transformation of our hearts and lives. And for me, there’s no better place than downtown Detroit, a symbol of resurrection and re-creation.
Celebrate the Resurrection, unstring the bow, schedule holy recreation, and invite the Holy Spirit to continue our re-creation.
May God be praised!
Fr. Joe Newman, OSFS
Provincial
Toledo-Detroit Province
Fr. Mike Newman, OSFS
Other Excerpts from St. Francis de Sales’ Introduction to the Devout Life on Recreation:
Fr. Joe Newman, OSFS
”It is actually a defect to be so strict, austere and unsociable that one permits neither oneself nor others any recreation time." (In III 31)
"To take the air, to go for a stroll, to enjoy a friendly chat, to play music, or sing or hunt...are such honest diversions that the only thing needed to utilize them well is simple prudence, which gives to all things their rank, time, place and measure." (In III 31)
"Games in which winning results from bodily or mental dexterity or activity... provide good relaxation and are perfectly justified." (In III 31)
"If you spend too much time on games, they are no longer recreations but occupations." (In III 31)
"The story goes that a hunter happened upon St. John the Evangelist holding and caressing a partridge. The hunter expressed astonishment that one with so eminent a mind would waste time on so insignificant a thing. St. John answered him by posing a question: "Why is your bow not always taut?" "For fear," replied the hunter, "that is remaining taut like that, it would have no force at all when I needed to use it." "So, then do not be surprised," said the Apostle, "if I rest my mind from time to time. It will be more dedicated to reflection as a result." (In III 31)
