Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art

  • Home
  • My Books
  • Essays
  • Contact

Sundays, Poustinia, and Rest

By Anita Mathias

Several, several years ago, Roy and I went on a retreat in a “poustinia,” a concept popularized by Catherine Doherty. We were given a cabin in the snowy woods in Minnesota, and meals were brought to us in a basket. The center was called “Pacem in Terris.” Peace on Earth. Indeed!

One of the things I remember is that we were told that until one went away to rest, one did not realize how tired one was. That when one goes away on retreat, whether to pray or to write, the first thing one does is sleep–a lot.

I find that with Sundays. Though I do not feel particularly tired during the week, because I find my work–writing!–very stimulating, there comes a time each day,between 11 and midnight, when my brain feels as if it has turned to mush.

But on Sundays, the accumulated tiredness of the week shows up, probably because adrenalin is low since I don’t intend to write. I nap and nap and nap, and read and nap.

What a gift they are, imagine, one day out of 7 set apart for rest!!

Filed Under: In which I pursue happiness and the bluebird of joy, In which I resolve to live my life slowly Tagged With: Sabbaths and rest

Sign Up and Get a Free eBook!

Sign up to be emailed my blog posts (one a week) and get the ebook of "Holy Ground," my account of working with Mother Teresa.

Join 655 Other Readers

Follow me on Twitter

Follow @anitamathias1

Anita Mathias: About Me

Anita Mathias

Read my blog on Facebook

Premier Digital Awards 2015 - Finalist - Blogger of the year
Runner Up Christian Media Awards 2014 - Tweeter of the year

Recent Posts

  • Writing and Prayer
  • For our griefs, failures, tears, Christ’s desire is “Let nothing, nothing be wasted”
  •  Finding Golden Hours in Dark Days (and Some Thoughts on Forgiveness)
  •  On Keys (of the Kingdom), and Knowing Where to Cast one’s Net
  • On Quitting Things…and Breaking Free
  • How to Enjoy a Big, Spacious, Open-hearted Life
  • Listening to your Body, Listening to your Life
  • On why God Permits our Weaknesses and Frailities to linger, and on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit–and its limits!
  • In Praise of Desert and Wilderness Experiences
  • It’s all God’s money: Thoughts on “the Cattle on a Thousand Hills”

Categories

My Books

    Amazon.com         Amazon.co.uk







Archive by month

Instagram

Load More...Follow on Instagram

Google Ad

© 2019 Dreaming Beneath the Spires · All Rights Reserved.