Dear Parishioners and Friends,
Believe it or not, we are already in the middle of the
summer vacation season.
One of the reasons the Lord provided us with the 4th
commandment to “keep holy the Sabbath day” was to remind us of the need to
relax and enjoy some time of leisure. The Catechism
of the Catholic Church says that the institution of Sunday helps all “to be
allowed sufficient rest and leisure” (2194). Taking some “down time” and
enjoying a break from the usual daily and weekly grind can help refresh us and
give us an opportunity to praise God with joyful and fun activity. Vacation
time can help foster relationships with family members and friends.
But we should never take a vacation from our vocation as a
Christian, especially on Sunday. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI once said, “Leisure
time is certainly something good and necessary, especially amid the mad rush of
the modern world. Yet if leisure time lacks an inner focus, an overall sense of
direction, then ultimately it becomes wasted time that neither strengthens nor
builds us up. Leisure time requires a focus, the encounter with Him who is our
origin and goal.” (September 10, 2007).
I pray that this summer time might give us all some moments
to relax and enjoy. These moments should not distract us from the Lord. Rather,
they can bring us ever closer to Him. Remember to always participate in Sunday
Mass when on vacation and thus assure that our leisure time is also an
encounter with Him who is our origin and goal.
In Christ,
Msgr. Baker
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