By Lorraine Riedl
Office for Ministries and Social Concerns
Summer is a great time to take a step back, relax and get away from all the hustle of everyday life. But just because we are taking time off, we don’t leave faith behind. Here are some ways to nurture your faith this summer:
- Unplug. Take some time to disconnect your electronic devices and reconnect with loved ones. An idea from my college students: When you go out for pizza, everyone puts their phones in the center of the table in a stack. The first person who reaches for their phone pays!
- Find a good book. There are so many good Catholic books available today! Check out the Christian fiction at the library or download spiritual classics from the web. This is an easy and enjoyable way to build your faith.
- Make faith part of the journey; make it a pilgrimage. Seek out a site to visit to help strengthen and encourage faith. It can be one of the diocesan pilgrimage churches for this Year of Mercy, or a retreat center, a shrine or a local treasure. Search the web for “Catholic places to visit near (your destination).” How about seeking out the Wegner Grotto near Cataract, just north of Sparta? Inspired by Father Wernerus and his grotto in Dickeyville, this grotto opened in 1929.
- Take some extra time for prayer and refreshment. How many times have I come home from vacation more tired than before I left? Vacation is for recreation, re-creation. It is a time to rebuild. Spend a few moments in prayer and quiet. My mom had us pray the rosary in the car, or read Scripture out loud. Even Jesus went away for a little while to pray.
- Don’t forget to attend Mass! Check online for churches and Mass times at your destination and enjoy the many beautiful churches. We have so many beautiful churches in our own diocese! Remember: Mass is universal!
Whether you are on a long, distant vacation or a “stay-cation,” we are always on this journey of faith together.