How much time can we spend on leisure?

[prolifewife]

I am a stay at home wife due to physical and mental illness. I am unable to hold down work for very long because of it. So I spend most of my time at home. I have trouble getting out of the house/volunteering much also because of it. We are infertile so there aren’t any children and likely won’t be any anytime soon, if ever.

I try to get the chores around the house done. I don’t keep an immaculate house, but try to do the basics. In between chores and also during the long hours of waiting for my husband to come home (he works very long hours quite a bit of the time) I try to keep my mind occupied on non-religious leisure activities (reading, tv, video cames, internet, crafts, puzzles, etc.) I try to say little short prayers on and off throughout the day. I wonder at times if I’m doing enough for God, but at the same time have some pretty heavy crosses that I’m carrying and most of the time I just try to distract my mind away from them best I can. This includes not praying very much. When I pray I think of my crosses or I become scrupulous and usually wind up crying. I just can’t do that very often as it takes a huge emotional toll on me after a while.

So, am I wrong in spending the good majority of my days in leisure time?

 

[camerong]

I really don’t you’re wrong for spending much of your day doing leisure activities. It sounds like that isn’t your choice, but you are more or less forced into that situation by your health. Are your conditions likely to improve? If so, count this time as a blessing to relax, like I do when I’m laid up on the couch with the flu. If your conditions are not likely to improve, I still think you’re justified, but you might try to find more productive ways to occupy at least some of your time, even if it means giving people advice at Catholic.com–lest you find yourself going crazy! Psychology tell us that, to be most happy, our daily lives should include both meaning (productivity) and leisure (enjoyment).

Good luck.

 

[Newbie2]

You might see if there’s something that you can get involved in from home…doing some sort of Pro-life work on the computer or doing some home-based work for your parish.

 

[puzzleannie]

You might see if there’s something that you can get involved in from home…doing some sort of Pro-life work on the computer or doing some home-based work for your parish.

or making phone calls and sending e-mails to update interested parishioners and pro-life group members on the political and other issues and news they need to do the more active pro-life work, that is essential.

time spent at home do to illness is not necessarily “leisure” it is just time we cannot spend as we would like due to our limitations. Those types of recreational activities you like that exercise the brain, and small muscles, are excellent. If the way you pray now is causing you pain rather than peace you may want to change your prayer focus and pray for others, offering with a deliberate act of will your sufferings on their behalf. Especially pray for the unborn and their mothers, and for a change in minds and hearts of those who support infanticide and feticide, prayer sincere and backed by suffering and fasting is the key to winning this battle.

 

[WetCatechumen]

Well, my girlfriend’s grandparents thought that they were infertile, and they apparently “tried very hard” to get pregnant.

There’s always that. It’s apparently very stress-relieving. Although trying to get pregnant requires that he be home too.

Don’t give up. They ended up having four children. My cousin was told he was infertile. His girlfriend thought she was infertile. So they didn’t contracept. That’s where my second cousin came from (they’re married now).

You don’t know what God has in store for you. I must say though, I’m sorry that your life is so difficult. It must make you feel very inadequate to not be able to bear your husband’s children. You can pray and hope for a miracle, but in the case that one does not happen, it doesn’t make you any less worthwhile.

As for the time spent not being productive - there’s only so much you can do. You’re ill, you don’t have children, and it means you’ve going to have to occupy your time somehow. Follow your interests.

Sometimes, especially when you’re going through difficult times, it’s hard to pray. Try spending more time praying. Force yourself to, even if you don’t feel like it.

However, on the whole, I don’t know what else you can do, as I’m not faced with your situation. I will, however, say a prayer for you.

 

[ready]

It recommend that you read good spiritual books (by St. Alphonsus and St. Francis de Sales; books on St. Therese’s spirituality; the Catechism of the Catholic Church; Holy Scriptures; etc… If you prayed the Holy Rosary every day would that make you cry, too? I suggest you pray the Rosary every day, but still devote a certain amount of time to mental prayer every day - even though you cry when you do. Offer up your tears and pain - you’ll gain great merit for yourself and for others. Become a “Prayer Warrior” for CAF, too, and help out others with your good prayers for them. You’ll experience great reward in helping others this way, like I do. Attend weekday Mass and spend an hour every day in front of the Blessed Sacrament. At first you might have a problem with being out of the house due to your illness, but God will reward you. Hearing the Word preached and receiving the Eucharist will be very good for your soul, and thus good ultimately for your mental health.