Did You Know

In the very best sense, it means to open up a place for God in the center of my life! It means to empty myself, for a period of time, of all of the fussy concerns and daily routines which can so fill my life, that there is no room for God – or others! Vacations can be times and opportunities to ‘vacate’ the routine - and experience life in a different way! When we take a vacation with God, it can be a treasured time when we are refreshed and renewed and reenergized. In the Gospel of Mark (6:31-32) we read “JESUS said [to the apostles], ‘Come apart with Me to a deserted place and rest awhile’. For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” Does this ‘coming and going, with hardly any time to eat’ sound familiar? Too often our lives can be overwhelmed with busyness, with little real leisure, and a deep fatigue. To US, our Lord says: “Come apart with Me” (or you will just come apart!) and rest awhile!” A true ‘vacation’ will never be a ‘vacation’ from God, or a ‘vacation’ from Mass, but an opening to God, to fill the emptiness of my life, and to be renewed in body, mind, and spirit! If you are planning on traveling this summer, make sure that it is a real ‘vacation’ – a deeper connecting with God – and others! But mostly make sure that you take time and give yourself the space ‘to empty’ – in order to be filled with God! It is the real meaning of ‘recreation’ – to let yourself be ‘re-created’ in the image and love of God! Take along good reading, books that will encourage reflection and renewal! Make prayer your basic response to what you are seeing, what you are experiencing, who you are with! Look for opportunities to worship – at Mass in the different places you visit -- and in your own quiet time, as you come apart with Him! If you are not traveling this summer, or have planned a ‘stay-cation’ (with time off from work but remaining at home), this too can be a ‘time apart with the Lord’, as you participate in daily Masses, spend some time in Adoration in the Divine Mercy Chapel, pray the Rosary as you hike, spend some time outdoors (away from the television) looking at the ‘great book of Creation’, write some postcards (from home) and send some loving thoughts/words with others! But however you will ‘vacation’ this summer – please make it a real ‘vacation’ – an openness to God that He may fill you, and that you may find real rest and refreshment in our Lord! (Please bring your bulletins from the places you worship this summer to the Office! We love to see how they do things in other places – and get ideas how we might do better!)