Ready or not, the seasonal “fall back” time change is coming.
This season, with its shorter days and longer nights, provides a hidden holiness you may not expect: rest. Rest really can be holy. This is something the saints understood well. Rest is not idleness; it is participation in God’s rhythm of creation.
From the beginning, rest has been sacred. “On the seventh day, God finished His work which He had done, and He rested” (Genesis 2:2). If the Creator Himself rested, then rest must be part of how we reflect His image.
But what does that look like in a world that never stops moving?
Rest didn’t mean inaction for the saints. Rather, it meant renewal. St. John Paul II, who spent his life in motion, carved out quiet afternoons for hiking and prayer. For him, physical rest was an invitation into contemplation, a deeply important aspect of the spiritual life. He once said, “Take time to look around you, to listen to the wind, to feel the earth. In those moments, you’ll find God.”
Even the busiest saints knew the need to step away. St. Teresa of Calcutta instructed her sisters to spend an hour in Eucharistic adoration every day, no matter how many poor people needed them. “If we pray,” she said, “we will have time for everything.”
And St. Francis de Sales, whose words still echo today, advised, “Half an hour’s meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy. Then a full hour is needed.”
Their example reminds us that rest should not be seen as a reward after holiness but as an essential part of holiness.
Rest may look different for each of us. But as the days become darker and shorter, spend some time considering what deeper rest God may be inviting you into. For some, it may mean making the most of the shorter day, not through increased productivity, but through a walk while the sun is still up, appreciating the beauty of the day, or through an evening Rosary prayed while the sun is setting.
For others, it may be an invitation to slow down and take on less. Prayerfully consider saying “no” to a few more afternoon and evening activities, making an intentional effort to get home as the evening darkness comes in, settling down into prayer or family time earlier than usual.
Together, as the Get Fed community, let us embrace this slower season. Because holiness is not found in endless striving; it is found in knowing when to be still and remember that He is God (Psalm 46:10).
Before the time changes and the busyness of the holiday season, order Prayers of Rest, a beautiful collection of prayers to help you slow down and experience peace in the present.
Order your copy today from The Catholic Company!
