By now we're in the middle of summer. Summer is an opportunity that could be used well or squandered away. For many, it brings a chance for some welcome vacation time and travel. Taking a break for a little change of pace can help us to avoid burnout, and it can also enrich the quality of our life. In this article I would like to explore a few ideas for summer that are rooted in our Catholic faith.
Family With a little planning, summer can become an occasion for investing some quality time with family members. Bonds of love and understanding are built up through the shared memories of reunions and family get-togethers.
These moments are extremely valuable for all ages. The younger members gain a deeper sense of belonging, and the elderly get to pass on family history and traditions. The family is the basic building block of society. It is the domestic church, where good character is formed and the faith is passed on from one generation to the next. Summer is a great chance to renew important family bonds.
Creation When we spend time outdoors, it is an opportunity to glorify God the Creator in the natural world that he created. Whether we spend a quiet evening in the backyard, or take a trip to a national park, we can see a reflection of divine glory in the beauty of creation. God blesses us with glorious works of art when we take the time to notice the colors of the sunset, listen to the song of the birds, and observe the power of a summer thunderstorm rolling across the landscape.
Summer Sports Sports not only provide fun and relaxation, but they also help us to be good stewards by taking care of our bodies. Through summer sports we build community spirit and make new friends. We grow through teamwork and a healthy spirit of competition.
Pope John Paul II often spoke about the way our participation in sports can help us to grow in virtue. He recommended that sports should be “accompanied by moderation and training in self-discipline. It very often also requires a good team spirit, a respectful attitude, appreciation of the qualities of others, honest sportsmanship, and humility in recognizing one’s own limitations.”
Summer Reading A slower pace of life in the summer can sometimes allow the opportunity to spend more time reading. I recommend going beyond the newspapers, magazines, and social media, picking a good, solid book that helps us to integrate our faith and our life. Of course, the Bible is essential. A great summer project would be to read straight through one of the Gospels or one of St. Paul’s letters.
For those who would like to read a Catholic spiritual classic, I recommend any of the following: St. Augustine’s
Confessions, Thomas
a Kempis’
The Imitation of Christ, St. Francis de Sales’
Introduction to the Devout Life, Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection’s
The Practice of the Presence of God, St. Therese of Lisieux’s
The Story of a Soul, and Jean-Pierre de Caussade’s
Abandonment to Divine Providence. Some more contemporary authors that I recommend would be Pope Francis, C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Matthew Kelly, Bishop Robert Barron, Jennifer Fulwiler, Thomas Merton, and Ignacio Larrañaga.
Travel Summer travel gives us a chance to expand our mind and improve our understanding of different places and cultures. When we visit a new place, it is much more enriching if we will take the time to learn about the conditions of life there, the challenges of the local economy, the history of the place, the artistic and historical heritage, or even some of the local language.
Driving long distances with family and friends puts us in a situation to get to know one another better by sharing our thoughts, feelings, and dreams. Summer vacations provide opportune moments to listen more carefully to what is going on in the life of the other and to share from the heart.
Our travels also allow us to serve as ambassadors of the faith, no matter where we go. By the way we treat the strangers we meet, we can bring them the love of Christ. Through the way we carry ourselves, the way we practice the virtues, and the words we choose, we can witness to our faith along the journey. If we do this, we will make a positive impact on the people we encounter.
Prayer The summer is not intended to be a vacation from God. A fundamental part of being Catholic is participating actively in Sunday Mass throughout the year. It is not difficult to find Mass when we travel, especially if we take advantage of an online tool such as masstimes.org, which also offers an automated church lookup service by calling 1-858-207-6277.
In one of his Wednesday general audiences in 2004, Pope John Paul II spoke of the importance of summertime prayer: "Actually, it is only in silence that human beings can hear in their inmost being the voice of God which truly sets them free. Holidays can help people rediscover and cultivate this indispensable inner dimension of human life."
The Law of the Sabbath Exodus 34:21 says, “Six days shall you work, and on the seventh day you shall rest.” God gives us the law of the Sabbath so that we will make time for sufficient rest, worship, and quality time in relationships. The spirituality of the Sabbath reminds us that God is in control, and work is not everything. It helps us to build rest and reflective time into our lives. This same spirituality informs our practice of taking vacations.
Jesus himself took time to get away and rest with his friends. At a time when he noticed that his Apostles were particularly busy, he said to them in Mark 6:31, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest awhile.” We would all do well to listen to his advice.