The broader meaning of sabbatical refers to a period of time during which someone does not work at his or her regular job and is able to rest, travel, do research, etc.
A change from a regular routine.
In the ancient Greek Sabbatical is related to the Sabbath, to rest.
We trace the origins of both sabbatical and Sabbath to the Greek word sabbaton. Sabbaton itself traces to the Hebrew word shabbāth, meaning “rest.”
A sabbatical (from Hebrew: shabbat (שבת) (i.e., Sabbath), in Latin: sabbaticus, in Greek: sabbatikos (σαββατικός)) is a rest or break from work
Observing a Weekly Personal Day of Rest
To understand its meaning at a time when we feel our wheels spinning: A Time Out! A Moment For Regrouping! A Rechecking of Ones Compass! A Sabbath Moment: To Rest, To Play, To Reassess Ones Priorities, To Reflect Where You’ve Come From; Where You Think You Need To Go! What To Hold Onto, What To Let Go!
From the second year of association, on, communitarians observe two personal sabbaticals. The first is a weekly ‘day of rest’ observed as a fast from social engagement as well as resting from all forms of mental and physical ‘toil’. The second is observed as a longer retreat at the beginning or end of each season.
Observance of Seasonal Sabbaticals
The second type of personal sabbatical is observed as a longer period of social fasting. At beginning of each season throughout the year, communitarians retreat to be alone in nature. Seasonal sabbaticals are usually span 3 days to a week. Rarely longer, as most communitarians have responsibilities.
A time to test resilience. A time to ‘Know Thyself’ before returning to union with renewed clarity and vigour to contribute to the development and continuation of liberated love in action.
Seasonal Sabbaticals are the perfect time for reflection as well as regrouping.
