A Note from Father Rich
Friends,
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With gratitude and peace,
Fr. Rich Vitale
MessageFromTheMargins.com
Somewhere along the way, we started believing holiness was measured by how busy we are. We glorify the grind, baptize exhaustion as virtue, and call it productivity. But the God of creation rested—not because He was tired, but to show us what freedom looks like. In a world that demands constant performance, Sabbath is an act of rebellion.
Sabbath says, “I am not my output.” It’s a declaration that the world will keep turning even if I stop for a while. It reminds us that our worth isn’t tied to our inbox or our income, but to our being—our simple existence as beloved children of God. When we rest, we participate in the divine rhythm of creation: work, wonder, rest, repeat.
To practice Sabbath today is to resist the idols of speed and scarcity. It’s to tell the truth that God is enough, that we are enough, and that we don’t need to earn our place at the table. The world may call it lazy; Scripture calls it holy.
So this weekend, step away. Take a walk. Light a candle. Share a meal. Let the stillness remind you that you belong to something greater than the grind. Sabbath isn’t an escape from the world—it’s how we remember who we are within it.