Sometimes we need a break from the world around us. Regardless of the industry you work in, it is imperative to take a breath and relax. Otherwise, the world starts to always feel like it’s demanding more from you with every ticking second. We can see how Jesus actually finds time even in the busiest times of his ministry and his Passion. He would take time to go into a private, secluded place to pray, relax, and prepare. Luke 5:16 specifically mentions how he “withdrew to deserted places to pray”. This was after reports were spreading about him and his ability to cure diseases, and before the description of the paralytic man being lowered on the stretcher.
Quick side note: How awesome are those friends? They cared not what the crowds were doing; they could only care about getting their friend to see Jesus. That is the dream friend, someone who cares more about your relationship with Jesus than about the obstacles that stand in the way.
I digress. While many people were still working and publishing articles during Holy Week, you may have noticed I was pretty quiet. Almost silent, even. I didn’t comment on much here on Substack. I secluded myself with my family on a trip to Nashville and Florida. I busied myself with family rather than work, and with the constant feeling of needing to keep up.
This was the first time I actually shut down my computer and didn’t open it to even read an email. I have taken vacations before, but I always worked or at least kept tabs on what was happening at the office. As someone who works in Information Technology for a pretty decent-sized company, opening a computer every day and keeping my phone on is a must. It felt foreign to turn on my “Out of Office” message, not respond to Teams messages, or even comment on Substack posts. Yet, I managed to make it for a whole week, focusing on my family and our needs during a well-earned vacation. As our road trip started, it felt like an entire weight was released off my shoulders to cross over the Michigan-Ohio border. I could feel the guilt of missing things fade with each mile marker.
There were some things I still felt guilty about during the vacation. It was Holy Week, and we weren’t observing the way we normally do by going to church practically the whole week. Instead, we spent Saturday in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competition for my son. Which I am happy to report, he crushed it and came back with a Gold belt and a Silver medal.
The following Sunday was Palm Sunday. We started driving toward Florida early, with a tight deadline to make it to my wife’s grandparents’. I can’t and won’t pretend the guilt isn’t there. Palm Sunday carries a Sunday obligation, and spending the entire Sunday in the truck, meant Mass wasn’t going to happen. I wish the timeline would have allowed for a visit to one of the beautiful churches calling Nashville home. For the rest of the week, to include Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, we enjoyed the sun in Florida and were happy to fall asleep reading a book on the back porch and listening to the birds. Though it was super relaxing and beautiful, something was missing. Holy Week isn’t just a backdrop for a good vacation. It is sacred. Next time we plan a trip, the liturgical calendar gets planned into it—before the miles.
One great thing about traveling the country is not only what you get to see, it’s who you get to see. A visitor from my Army days stopped by our cabin. It was a welcome visit, almost a decade overdue. We discovered a deeper connection between us, beyond our military roots. We found out we share a common regret. We always wonder how much deeper our experience while stationed in Italy may have been if we had prioritized our Catholic faith over the temporal pleasures. Our conversation strengthened my reasoning for taking the vacation. Picking presence over productivity.
The return home began with a sharp reminder of how much I have changed. That young soldier who once drove straight through the night now plans rest stops for his family. The constant projection of movement is becoming intentional pacing. The exact reason I needed the vacation, to help slow me down in my professional life, needs to happen in my personal life. I am embracing the changing seasons rather than just pushing through. As we neared Augusta, Georgia, where my military career began, I felt the familiar weight of responsibility return with each mile marker.
Therefore guard against profitless grumbling,
and from calumny* withhold your tongues;
For a stealthy utterance will not go unpunished,
and a lying mouth destroys the soul.
— Wisdom 1:11
This relaxing Holy Week has taught me something Jesus modeled in Luke 5:16: withdrawal isn’t abandonment. It is a preparation for what is to come. The weight I was feeling with each mile marker wasn’t just my work and responsibilities piling up. It was the tension between rest and the relentless demands of the world. As I started my daily Lectio Divina through the Deuterocanonical books this week, I recognized that my complaints for what Wisdom 1:11 calls out as “useless murmuring.” I am not returning with the same overstimulated energy I had before. Instead, it is a deeper understanding of my vocation as an IT professional, a writer, a parent, and a husband. Faithful Quill hasn’t moved in my absence, and the community is still here. Reminding me that God continues to work, even when we step away.
I am excited about what we have in store for Faithful Quill’s future. Before I left, we launched the community chat. Where I plan to engage with paid subscribers over the articles, prayers, and life’s happenings. The vacation didn’t destroy my mission. It only helped bring light to it. I am looking forward to sharing this project with you and all others who are finding or renewing their faith. If you haven’t taken a break from the world, and you feel called to do so, please take this as your calling. Get out of the office, go to your favorite place, and shut it all down. Come home refreshed and with a vigorous determination to work, praise God, and slow down your rhythm.
If you have found value in this reflection on faith and rest, consider becoming a paid subscriber to Faithful Quill. You will have access to the community chat, where we can discuss these articles more deeply, share prayer requests, and support one another on our spiritual journeys. Your subscription also allows me to continue creating content that helps us integrate faith into our daily lives.