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Consecration Aids: 25: Recreation Time
Fr. Christopher Lee, SMM
Recreation Time
I’M IN A wondering mood today. Among other things, I’m wondering if all the slaves of Jesus and Mary have really understood the full meaning of these words of their consecration, namely, ”I give thee my body with all its senses”.
I’m wondering, and I have reason to wonder, first of all, because of my own experience in this respect – it took me so long to understand its full import! – and, secondly, because of the experience of others.
For some mysterious reason – even after making my total consecration to Jesus through Mary – I happen to be one of those rare specimens of humanity that looks forward to and thoroughly enjoys a vacation. If by any chance, dear reader, you happen to be of that ilk, and a slave of Mary besides, you also may have wondered how to conciliate these two terms: vacation and slavery.
Holy Slavery and Recreation Time
Who ever heard of a slave getting a vacation And what could a vacation mean to one who is a slave? After all, the word vacation means freedom, it means relaxation; slavery, if I’m not mistaken, means restraint and subjection.
Of course, every slave of Mary knows that his slavery to Christ through Mary is the greatest of all freedoms since it frees us from the degrading slavery of Satan and sin and binds us to the loving will of God. Consequently, holy slavery implies freedom in its most glorious sense: that is, the freedom of the children of God!
Like any other child of God, therefore, the slave of Mary is entitled to recreation or a vacation from time to time under the benevolent eye of his Mother Mary. Moreover, I hold that the most elective form of relaxation is that which is taken in her presence! Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that vacation time for a slave of Mary is like a furlough for a service man. It isn’t a time when you can break away from discipline and shed your uniform to don the more relaxing ”civvies” again. Nor is it a time when you can forget that you are still a soldier of Christ and of Mary. If you don’t quite see what I’m driving at, let me explain.
The Most Elective Form of Relaxation: Taken In Her Presence
Here’s a slave of Mary who, on the day of his consecration, has freely and lovingly given over to Mary his body with all its senses. In other words, he has told Our Blessed Mother: this body no longer belongs to me but to you and, therefore, must be subjected in all things and at all times to your holy will.
Author: Fr. Christopher Lee, SMM
This is the Twenty-fifth in a series of articles covering Consecration Aids.
The result? He knows that Mary will allow him and even encourage him to take lawful recreations from time to time, so that he may better carry on his work.
The result? He knows that Mary will allow him and even encourage him to take lawful recreations from time to time, so that he may better carry on his work. And the slave’s first thought will be to look at Our Blessed Mother and take her for his model in recreation time.
Surely Our Lady took time off every once in a while, particularly after the day’s work, to enjoy the wonders of God’s creation and the company of her divine Son. Who can imagine the hours of quiet and relaxation Our Lord spent with his Mother and St. Joseph in their simple home at Nazareth!
But the golden rule the slave of Mary will follow will be to ask himself: ”What would Mary do if she were in my place today?” or, “What does she want me to do now’?”
Mary Helps Point Out His Will
The answer – Mary’s answer of course – will always be: ”Do whatever He will tell you.” More, she will point out that will of God to us, particularly in our recreation time. She will teach us that vacation time is not a time when discipline is relaxed or the barriers of Christian morality let down, but rather a time of peaceful rest and amusement within the pale of her maternal guidance.
From my rather casual observation, I’m afraid many slaves of Mary have never really understood this part of their consecration. And consequently, sad to say, they are sad slaves of Mary. I refer here to the question of modesty for women, particularly during the summer months. Without being a prude or a ”scrupe” I think it fair to say that Our Blessed Mother would not approve of many of the dresses and sun-suits worn by some of her supposedly good slaves of love.
I know they will say that they are only following the general style. That there’s nothing openly scandalous in these fashions. But I wonder if Our Blessed Mother would smile her approval on these ”latest styles”? It is a wonder if she herself would wear such clothes if she were to comb our beaches, walk our city streets or enter our homes today? It is a wonder if she would follow these ”latest styles?” . . . I wonder . . . I wonder. . . .
Clean and Pure Relaxation
Slaves of Our Lady, let us not try to deceive ourselves, much less Our Blessed Mother. Let’s remember that we have given her our body with all its senses and that we are now her slaves of love. We shall soon discover that she does give her faithful servants moments of relaxation in life, but always does she want us to keep them honest, clean and pure.
That’s the kind of recreation or vacation Our Lady expects her slaves of love to take. If you but remember that your body with all its senses is now Mary’s property and possession you’ll soon discover that your moments of relaxation can be turned into precious eons of eternal life. The reason? Because then you’ll always be doing ”whatever He will tell you !” And you know that His words are eternal life !
