XI Leisure= the ability to contemplate higher truths opposed to servile work. Leisure is also opposed to sloth, restlessness or acedia.
Acedia, a capital sin= the person does not want to be as God wants him to be, what he fundamentally is.
Kierkegaard= acedia= despair from weakness, despairing in refusal to be oneself.
Since the man does not give the consent of his will to his own being, sadness overwhelms him when confronted with the Divine goodness immanent in himself[1]
Hard work, in the sense of earning a living, is not the antidote to this. Rather, the virtue is man’s happy and cheerful affirmation of his own being, of being receptive to Love. Leisure is then only possible for those who are at one with themselves.
Leisure is a form of silence. Silence is a prerequisite of the apprehension of reality. Serenity is a feature of leisure. A deep confidence produces courage to let things take their course.
The point of leisure is not to be restorative even if that is a byproduct. This would be leisure for the sake of work, which is not freedom.
“Leisure is the preserve of freedom, of education and culture, and of that undiminished humanity which views the world as a whole”.[2]
Entertainment devil substitute for joy. Business. Leisure has to be equated with novelty. Next vacation bigger, bolder, brighter. Short change reality of our humanity which finds joy in repetition and ritual, familiarity. Love what one knows.
Element quiet introspection. No peace until peace with self.
No matter where you go, bring self. Happiness s=not super imposed without. Grace welled up within. Ratio mental turning brain, discursive engagement with world
Intellectus, quiet stillness, wonder, questioning, why.
Animals don’t ask why.
Man reorients himself in relation to God and neighbor and is thus closely tied to worship and Divine conversation. This was the goal of the liberated Hebrew from Pharoah’s toilsome grind.
This refreshment of sustenance and seeing things in right perspective, asking of why, is what Elijah was given. Why he needed to eat. Necessary strength. He was not the last prophet, there were 400 others ready to do the Lord’s bidding. 7,000 1 Kg 19:18
Jesus to knowing the humanity of his followers says come away by yourselves and rest a while.
In their being, yourselves, and rest with Me. Their resting in Jesus was a consolation to both themselves and to Jesus. They trusted Him by following to come away and experienced an affirmation of the world.
Self-knowledge, fundamental to Elijah and apostles.
Elijah a battle of demonic, principalities. Baal, demon demands child worship. The great miracle of calling fire down. Awesome power of Satan Elijah could have buckled under awareness. Disciples cast out of demons, need to rely on both weakness of themselves and greatness of Jesus.
We are creature risk losing ourselves in the awesomeness of the work we can.
[1] Ibid 45
[2] Ibid 53