...That the word ‘vacation’ is from the Latin ‘vacare’ – to ‘open a space’ ‘make a place for’?

The true meaning of the word ‘vacation’ is related to ‘making a place in our lives for God to fill’! ‘Recreation’ means to allow ourselves to be ‘re-created’! Again, we look to God the Creator for that new creation!

The ‘sanctifying’ of time – the Seventh Day (‘sabbath’ – ‘sabbatical’) is the gift of our loving Creator for this ‘re-creation’ and for opening ourselves (‘vacate’) to experience more deeply the Presence of God.

Two Papal documents spoke about the ‘vital’ importance of observing the Lord’s Day.

In 1998 Pope St. John Paul II wrote the Letter “Dies Domini” (‘The Lord’s Day’) and, drawing from the 4th Commandment (“Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy”), he spoke about a healthy rhythm of work and prayer, rest and exercise, quiet and activity, which is vitally important in establishing a healthy balance in a person’s life, as well as the life of the family!

More recently in 2015 Pope Francis wrote the Letter “Laudatio Si” (‘Praised be’ – from St. Francis of Assisi’s ‘Canticle of Brother Sun’) and drew the connection between a healthy lifestyle lived in a healthy environment, which again looks to the Divine plan for balance in a person’s life. Pope Francis shares that creation and recreation are joined in a way so that God continues the work of His creation in and through each of us! (Both of these Papal letters are well-worth the time to read and study for the insights, drawn from Sacred Scripture, about ‘balance’ in all areas of a believer’s life and the basic human need for ‘balance’ or a healthy ‘life rhythm’ which can only be obtained and maintained in our relationship with our Creator God!

With increasing pressure in the workplace and the challenges of finding ‘free time’ this need for finding and maintaining a healthy balance is increasingly important! The Mass itself can be a vital way of maintaining that healthy ‘rhythm for life’!

Recent studies have shown the long-term health benefits – physical and emotional – for those who attend Mass each week and find their ‘balance’ in the environment of worship and ‘re-creation’!

It was the 18th century Methodist reformer, John Wesley, who wisely remarked that “any recreation from which you have to recover, was not re-creation!”

Enjoy the last few weeks of summer ‘vacation’ before school begins! Allow yourself to be re-created, re-newed, re-balanced, beginning with worship and renewal every Lord’s Day in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass!

For your current and eternal health, make a place in the midst of all of the business of life, for God to fill you and draw you more and more into the ‘new Creation’!

Just a reminder as to how important our “Building Our Church Fund” is in funding repairs, up-grades, and improvements to our two-campus Parish! Most recently we have had to make emergency repairs to the water system at our Good Shepherd

Mission and were able to do so, because of your generous support of our “Building Our Church Fund”!