Vicar's Message for August

Dear Friends

An AI (artificial intelligence) question on the derivation of the word holiday gives us this response, “The word ‘holiday’ originates from the Old English term "hāligdæg", which literally translates to ‘holy day’. It initially referred to specific religious festivals or holy days in the Christian calendar. Over time, the meaning of "holiday" expanded to encompass any day of celebration, rest, or time away from work or routine.”

Many of us take holidays in August in order to break away from our usual routines which frequently carry a lot of pressure with them as we busy ourselves trying to do more and more with seemingly less and less available time.

Some of us go away and others stay at home on ‘staycation’. However we spend our break it is important that we try to make sure that we come out of them relaxed and refreshed ready to face the return to our usual daily lives. One very wise man once said to me that we work from rest and not rest from work. That sounds a bit odd at first but it is true for without being rested and our batteries recharged we can work at, and achieve, very little.

For me, the fact that the word holiday has Christian origins really resonates. In all the busyness, the Church has always called us to take a step back to think about the important things of life, to pause and to reflect.

This August let us thank God for those people visiting our beautiful land of Cornwall so that they may holiday. Remember all of those who work in the tourism industry and pray that they may get the breaks that they need. For ourselves let us make sure that we may always try to take time out to think about those things that are important to us and to recharge our human batteries as we work towards all things that are good.

With grace, peace and every blessing

Fr Paul

Revd Canon K Paul Arthur

Priest in Charge of Par, Charlestown, Treverbyn and St Blaise