Summer and Sundays with Jesus

I recently received a note from Sean, who is a student at St. Charles Catholic School in Spokane. Sean painted the cover of the note card with the scene of Jesus walking on the water, which we find in the Gospels. The apostles were caught in a storm and, as they saw Jesus walking toward them on the water, they thought he was a ghost. They were filled with fear and anxiety. Despite their lack of faith, the Lord calmed the storm and restored peace in their hearts.

I am pleased that our Catholic school students are familiar with the life of Jesus and how they are encouraged to incorporate their knowledge of  Jesus throughout the ordinary events of daily life – even something as ordinary as a note card. This helps to translate knowledge about Jesus into a deeper relationship with Him.

Building upon one’s knowledge of Jesus and strengthening a relationship with Him is naturally woven into the fabric of the day in our Catholic schools during the school year. This is also the case, but maybe less structured, in the lazy days of summer. Outdoor activities, vacations, camping and swimming at the lake are wonderful opportunities for rest and relaxation – and are wonderful examples of God’s many blessings. We must allow these good things to foster our gratitude to the Lord. 

One of the ways to continue to build up and maintain our relationship with Jesus during the summer months is to make sure we attend Mass each weekend. All of the blessings of summer would not be possible without God’s goodness and generosity. Giving one hour each Sunday especially in the summer keeps our priorities in balance and reminds children like Sean the importance of the Eucharist in our lives as Catholic Christians. 

When traveling, I suggest doing some advance research on the location of Catholic churches. A website such as www.masstimes.org contains Sunday Mass and confession times for parishes throughout the United States.

My wish for all the faithful of Eastern Washington is to have a blessed, restful, and Christ-centered summer.