We are all given special talents and gifts from God. One of my special gifts is the ability to rest. I can sit down and fall asleep faster than anyone. At night, my head barely touches the pillow, and I am at rest. I see this as a sign of God’s love. Being able to rest allows us to receive God and receiving Him gives us true rest. As St. Augustine wrote, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
We all need time to rest in our lives. Even God rested on the seventh day of creation. 
That is why Sunday should be a day of rest. A day set apart from other days. A day to rest in the love of God. A day to be free from the anxieties of this world. To go away and rest and be refreshed for the coming week. When the disciples were in their boat and a great storm arose and the waves beat into the boat, Jesus was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, resting in the knowledge of the safety of God.
It's not always easy to be dependent on the rest that comes from God. We are constantly bombarded with messages and thoughts from the world that keep us away from the rest that we need. When we are able to block out all the noise of the world, we are able to see God’s presence in all of creation. Resting in the leisure of God’s creation allows us to receive the gift He is giving us at this time, in this moment.
Trusting in God allows us to rest in the dependence and the gratitude of the goodness of God. Our existence is a pure gift of love. If we believe this, we can let God hold us in our fears and allow our anxieties to fall away. We can rest in the storms of the world, allowing our hearts to rest in God.
So take the time to rest this Sunday. Your body and your soul are calling you to be at rest. Just try not to snore!
Deacon Dan D'Amelio