“Without work, it is impossible to have fun.” – St. Thomas Aquinas
Most Catholic students can probably describe the meaning of “the Universal Call to Holiness.” A simple Google search yields thousands of results on the topic in less than a second. Every parish across the country seems to offer suggestions on how to grow in holiness.
A lesser-known call is what I call “the Universal Call to Rest.” This phrase is not as easily found. In fact, a Google search of this phrase yields results with completely divergent meaning, such as “A Universal Call to Work” or “Restaurants and Dining at Universal Orlando.” So where does this call to rest come from?
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your souls.” (MT 11:28-29)
This is the Universal Call to Rest. This is what Christ calls us to: himself. Every person is weary and burdened in some way, and in this, Christ wants to draw near to us and take our burdens upon himself. In a seemingly contradictory follow-up, Christ offers his yoke to us. In this, he offers us the opportunity to enter into his work. But why would Christ want us to enter into his work if he doesn’t want us to be burdened?
Work, as intended by God, has an ordered rhythm. In Genesis, God sets the example by working before taking a day of rest. This order—work preceding rest—reflects a natural balance, where rest follows the completion of meaningful work. When we work with this purpose, rest becomes a time of true renewal rather than an escape from responsibilities.
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However, in settings like college life, this order often gets reversed. Many students sleep only to be ready for more work the next day, making rest feel like a mere preparation for further labor. This “resting to work” creates a burden, where procrastination and superficial breaks offer a pseudo-rest that is ultimately unfulfilling. True rest, the rest we are called to in Christ, doesn’t carry the weight of unfinished work—it brings peace. Distorting this balance leaves us more burdened, detracting from both our work and our rest.
So how ought we to work? Again, we look to God. He is dedicated to his work and sees his work to fulfillment before he rests. God didn’t stop creating the world to watch YouTube for three hours. Instead, he completed his work and made it good, in the fullest sense of the word. This should be the Catholic approach to work. We ought to work in such a way that our end product is also good and speaks of God. There is a reason the best art, poetry, architecture, everything, is Catholic. We are sharing in God’s creative genius when we apply ourselves. In this way, we are leading others, and ourselves, closer to Christ.
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Additionally, we should approach work with a “why.” Why am I working? It is easy to think “I am only working for a grade, a diploma, or an end product.” We should think “I am working to know God better.” When we study, we are forming our intellect, our way of knowing. It ultimately seeks truth. God, the fullness of truth, is who we unknowingly seek as we study. Entering into study with this mindset – one that sees work as an opportunity to come to know the Father – will encourage us to work when we should and resist temptations to procrastinate.
The call to rest can be perplexing. “Am I working to rest or resting to work? Am I burdened by working, or am I working freely, allowing Christ to carry my burdens?” Regardless of where your life is, the Universal Call to Rest is there. Are you willing to answer it?
Additional Resources
Now that you’ve explored the balance of work and rest, take the next step—learn how to make daily prayer a powerful part of your life with St. Mother Teresa’s timeless advice on finding peace amidst busyness.
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