John Horvat II on a Catholic Understanding of Leisure and Its Role in Our Lives

"Modern American society promises to make life so much easier. No longer do most people have to labor long and hard to make ends meet. Americans should have plenty of time to enjoy their leisure.

"But many don;t take this time. They have a problem with leisure. According to a report commissioned by Project: Time Off, the average American takes less than 17 days of vacation per year. Some 54 percent don't even take these days off. They are working 662 million more days than they are required. Nearly a third of these days (206 million) cannot be cashed out and are therefore forfeited, which means people are working for free.

"The situation becomes worse when considering that two-thirds of those who do go on vacation take work with them. Others keep up with or are expected to know what is happening at work by checking online. Bosses often feel free to call vacationing employees to resolve problems. People are cyber-tethered to their jobs.

"The resulting paradox is that with all the labor-saving devices employed everywhere, people should be working less, not more. However, modernity has delivered one of the hardest work schedules known in history. People are on call 24/7. Catholic philosopher Josef Pieper once wrote that 'the world of work is becoming our entire world' that threatens to 'engulf us completely.'

"As a result, people experience high levels of stress and anxiety. It suggests that people do not understand or know how to enjoy leisure."

In a recent commentary, John Horvat II reflected on a Catholic understanding of leisure and its relationship to the world of work and pleasur.

To access Mr. Horvat's complete essay, please visit:

Crisis Magazine: Why Can't Americans Enjoy Life? (June 2017)