Taking a Vacation…with God!: Weekly Message for 07-16-2019

Dear Digital Pilgrims in Christ,

I love summertime.  A time of year that brings a smile to my face enjoying the sun’s warmth and the happiness of being outdoors.  As the 7th month, summer feels like a Sabbath for the year and a mid-year reset. There is a certain sense of being freed up from our daily routines to spend “carefree timelessness” with family and friends for rest and refreshment.   At this half-way point (for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere at least), it is an excellent moment to ask ourselves what part our summer break has also included spending more time with God?

Even if we may have exceeded the age limit for carefree summers, particularly anyone who needs to work full-time during this warmer season, we can still take a break to spend a moment with God.  Like taking a vacation with God!

For me that looks like an extended 8-day silent retreat, spending time in the garden while praying my rosary (and pulling a few weeds!!!) but also incorporating into my daily summer routine some extra time for spiritual reading. 

What would it mean for you to take a vacation with God this summer?  

Maybe you could plan to meet up with God somewhere in a place you have always wanted to visit.  For example, visiting a particular Church across town named after your favorite saint, taking a walk through a botanical garden or nature reserve, making a pilgrimage to a local shrine or monastery (make sure to bring a Retreat Guide with you!), or any other inspiring location you know God would love to spend time with you

If you already have a vacation planned, make sure God is coming along too!  Find out the mass times for the Church closest to you while away and spontaneously stop by for a visit to the Eucharist.  I am sure there will be plenty of opportunities to ask Him for patience and gratitude during an extended road trip or a long wait at the airport.  He is sure to show up!  

Or you might opt for a staycation with the Lord, where you can retreat with Him in a familiar place.  Taking advantage of creating a space for silent reflection closer to home, for example, in your backyard, a local library, or a park are possible places for rediscovering and reconnecting with God closer to home.

There are endless possibilities for how you can take a vacation with God.   Planning and anticipating a trip can often bring more happiness than actually taking the journey itself.  So I invite you to make a plan and take a vacation with God some time during this latter part of summer, for an afternoon, a weekend, or a more extended break if you are fortunate to have the time.

Soon enough, summer will be over.  If you are looking for any inspiration and encouragement, you may find a Retreat Guide, an RCEssay, or a book at RCSpirituality.org to be a perfect way to vacation with God.

A special thanks to our digital missionaries, those of you who support us here at RCSpirituality with your prayers and your donations.  That support enables all of us here to continue serving Christ and his Kingdom. 

Thank you and may God continue to bless you during these summer months!

In Christ, 

Lucy Honner
lucy@rcspirituality.org

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