I guess graduations and parties are now over and many of us have made our
plans for this summer like going on vacation, visiting relatives and friends, or just
staying at home doing gardening. Whatever we do this summer, I’m sure we will find
it interesting and enjoyable.

However, after reading the recent issue of the Catholic Accent paper from the
Diocese of Greensburg, I find the article by Fr. Geoffrey Brooke very interesting because
it talks about how we can enjoy the summer without taking a vacation from our
vocation.

What he meant is that when summer comes, most of us plan to go on vacation
with our family and friends either by going to the beach or doing some traveling. And
that sounds like an exciting plan! But he pointed out that sometimes with our vacation
plans, we tend to neglect or forget to include our spiritual vocation to pray or attend
Sunday mass. That is why he said: “don’t take a vacation from your vocation”. He
added that attending mass in a different place, exposed to their culture or even language
can be a great opportunity to experience the catholicity, the universal nature of
the church, in a concrete way.

With that, I think he made a good point because normally when we are on vacation, we seldom or never think of something spiritual. Our mind is focused on how we can enjoy ourselves and have fun so that when we go back home, we are relaxed and energized. But I agree with Fr. Brooke’s point. When we include spiritual activity
in our vacation, at least by attending mass on Sunday, it becomes holistic. Just as our minds and bodies are relaxed and refreshed, so our souls are fed and nourished.

Finally, the last part of his article is worth remembering. He said that if we can just spend our morning with a couple of minutes asking God for two things: God, help me to be your presence today and help me to see you in others today. Then at night, we go back to God and examine our day with these questions: God, where did I see you today? God, how was I able to be your presence to others today? Or God, when did I fail to be your presence today?

With these thoughts, I believe we can make our vacation or summer break holistic and enjoyable without neglecting the essential one.