Dear Parishioners:
Just when you think all is going well, remember Murphy’s Law! In last week's heatwave, the pump for our Church air conditioning broke down. It's an easy fix, but the new pump took a week to get here because of supply chain issues. It's now installed and the AC is once again on in Church.
Despite the lack of AC, I wish a blessed summer to all! Summer seems to go by so quickly. But thankfully, people are traveling again and taking vacations. I received a few church bulletins from the Jersey Shore, Virginia, and South Carolina. So if you are traveling, grab a church bulletin when you attend Mass. I enjoy seeing where people go in their travels and what other parishes are doing.
When I think about summer, I think of the word recreation as in God re-creating us. We all need time to pray, reflect, rest and spend time with family and friends. We also need to take time off from social media and television news. And turning off our cell phones isn't a bad idea either.
In other words, everyone needs a break from their routine. Whether it's a complete vacation away from home or just an afternoon off, we need to recreate and rest. This summer, it is easier to do so as we enjoy the end of pandemic restrictions on travel and get-togethers. The things we took for granted, like going to the beach, visiting friends and relatives, having a picnic with family and friends, and traveling out of state or country, we can now do once again. Thank God for that!
So seize the chance to break up the routine, go to the beach, take a walk in the park, catch an outdoor concert, sit on the patio or in the backyard under a tree, rest, reflect and read a good book. Recreate with God! Pope Francis says: "It's important that in the time of rest and detachment from daily concerns, we re-energize the forces of body and spirit, deepening our spiritual path."
It's summertime, so try to re-energize body and spirit! Rest with God in the sun or the shade. And enjoy the blessings of God's creation. September is sure to be here before you know it, so enjoy this season of summer! But wherever you go and whatever you do on Sundays, don't skip Mass!
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI says: "When we have a break from our activities, especially in the summer, we often take up a book we want to read. Each one of us needs time and space for recollection, meditation, and calmness. Thanks be to God that this is so! This need tells us that we are not made for work alone."
Indeed, he is correct, we are not made for work alone! I am hoping to get through my summer reading list. It includes Archbishop. Chaput's new book, "Things Worth Dying For: Thoughts on a Life Worth Living." It received excellent reviews and should be a good read for any Catholic. It provides serious reflection on how we choose to live our lives as Catholic Disciples.
Also on the list is a spiritual classic recommended by a priest friend. It is entitled, The Family That Overtook Christ, and is written by Fr. Mary Raymond. It is the story of the family of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. St. Bernard, my patron saint, was a Cistercian monk and the founder and abbot of the Abbey of Clairvaux. He was one of the most influential theologians and churchmen of his time. Each of his family members also has a remarkable spiritual story.
The author, Father Mary Raymond, was born Joseph Flanagan in 1903. He would become a Jesuit priest and teach at Holy Cross College in the 1920s. In 1936. he would join the Order of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappists). And at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemane in Kentucky, he received the religious name, Mary Raymond. As a Trappist Monk, he authored over twenty books dealing with monastic and spiritual life.
And finally, for a light and easy beach read, I was given a copy of former Speaker of the U.S. House John Boehner's new book, "On the House." He recounts his many years serving in the U.S. Congress with some amusing stories about the characters and charlatans in the world of politics. I've heard it goes well with a good cigar on the beach! So what's on your reading list this summer?
Be well. Stay safe. Do good. God Bless. Enjoy the summer! Go Sox!