Vacation Plans?

06-05-2016Weekly ReflectionFr. Brian Jazdzewski

We have come to the point in our annual calendar when school is (or almost) finished for the summer. During these days we enjoy idle time spent with family and friends. I do hope you take some time to establish time away from the busyness of life and take a vacation.

With that being said, my family of origin typically vacationed in northern Wisconsin. Since I was raised in a one and a half income household; my father being a factory worker, and mom working part-time; our vacations were always on budget. Perhaps in God's providence, I was placed into that household so that I could be somewhat of a getaway planner for people on a budget. More particularly, providing suggestions for families with children on a budget. My point is we are at a point in history when household income is really close to household expenses. Surviving is getting more expensive with each passing day. Please, use the resources around you to take a money conscious vacation rather than staying around the home and wishing you would have.

Related to vacations is more and more data regarding the increased stress in American lives. That increased stress manifests itself in countless ways. Among the indicators of stress are some serious health concerns for some people. Then, when experts suggest antidotes to stressful lives, among their prescriptions is meditation; almost without fail. Meditation, for us in the Western tradition, includes being aware of our Catholic practices. Those easy meditation options for us include prayerful reading of scripture or praying a devotional like the Rosary or Divine Mercy Chaplet. These prayers not only reduce stress, they also promise eternal benefits.

In the context of an article regarding vacation, I think it's worthwhile to consider a vacation we can have daily through the time we sincerely spend praying. My suggestion is not to think about praying and believe that is prayer. I mean we ought to be setting time in our daily routine to ponder God's presence in our lives, communicate with God, and allow some quiet time for God to speak to us. Maybe the Rosary, a 15-20 minute prayer is too much. Perhaps considering 10 minutes each day is a commitment which frightens you. I'd like to suggest beginning with 5 minutes; or adding 5 more minutes to your daily prayers. Seems to me, each of us might benefit from daily meditations within our living spaces to have a minor vacation each day.

Parish Cluster Website

Approximately one year ago we revealed our individual parish and joint parish cluster website. As these things are ours, as a work in progress. Know the website is formatted for personal computers, tablets, smart phones, iPads and the like. So, if you'd like to add our website to your favorites, here's your option:
icfountaincity.org
stlawrencealma.org
stbonifacewaumandee.org
tresecclesiae.org

A fact which you'll quickly establish is that all four are the same. And, they all get transferred over to tresecclesiae.org . On the homepage, you have the option to select each individual parish and the Catholic school. Enjoy staying in touch!

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