Don’t Forget to Pack the Holy Spirit

For the first time in two years, families are taking vacations this summer. While tossing such items such as beach towels, hiking boots or matching colored shirts to help spot each other in a crowded theme park into the suitcase, be sure to pack spiritually to enjoy the earthly destination while keeping the divine one, heaven, in mind. 

Dina Dow, director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, reminds families evangelization doesn’t stop when leaving the house. 

“It’s an everyday experience,” said Dow. “It’s not what we’re called to do on Sundays only, but we’re called to bring that faith wherever we go. Whether it’s on the baseball fields, whatever summertime activities are happening, our faith life continues through that, and more substantially it does when we hop in the car, get on the plane, go to another location, another state.

“And so (we think about) how do people know that we are Christians when we live our faith at these different locations.”

Stress often rises when families are crammed together in the car for what may be a long drive. The tendency is to turn to electronic devices and “plug up,” making it a time of isolation.

Dow suggested group prayers and conversations to help keep openness to faith and family. A beginning point can be talking about everyone’s expectations for the trip and then praying about them.

Parents, grandparents or older siblings can lead off a rosary and everyone takes turns leading a decade. Then move into praying the Divine Mercy chaplet, Dow suggested.

“You’re incorporating prayer and everyone is on the same page,” said Dow.

Summer Family Spiritual Connections:

Apps

Hallow – A Catholic prayer app that offers audio guided meditation sessions to help us grow in our faith & spiritual lives and find peace in God.

FORMED – Provides the very best Catholic content from more than 60 organizations to help parishes, families and individuals explore their faith anywhere. It is the Catholic version of Netflix!

Laudate – The most popular and most comprehensive free Catholic App. Laudate features Daily Mass Readings (with Saint of the Day and Reflections), Liturgy of Hours, Latin Liturgy of Hours, Latin Mass, New American Bible, interactive Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Seven Sorrows Rosary and more!

iBreviary – A handy app that helps with completing Liturgy of the Hours!

Podcasts

Abiding Together

Poco A Poco Podcast

Ask Father Josh

The Quizzical Papist

Restore the Glory Podcast

 

TV Shows
The Chosen – a wonderful TV series that focuses on Jesus’ early ministry and his disciples.

Family game time can include “car bingo,” a bingo-style game which calls for spotting sites alongside the road. Movie time might also be an option as many cars today are equipped with that technology.

Also part of “rallying the family” can be listening to a pre-selected playlist of “family tunes,” with everyone picking favorites to add to the repertoire. If kids like a certain radio station, let them listen to it as long as its “clean.” It can help everyone embrace a different way of thinking and tastes.

For individual activities, many church parishes have vacation Bible school materials online for small children.

Mealtimes can also be turned into prayer time. If stopping around noon for lunch, pray the Angelus, a prayer commemorating the incarnation which the church prays at 6 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. daily and can be accessed by a smartphone. 

Before eating, whether inside a restaurant or after going through a fast food drive thru, say grace using the sign of the cross and give thanks for the food and good things that happened that day.

If snags happen? Put that to prayer. If sitting in traffic because of an accident up ahead, pray for the people involved in the accident as well as the first responders.

Use every delay as an opportunity to find a connection with God, Dow emphasized.

When approaching or passing through a city, look up information on that city and share interesting bits on it, including “Catholic” points of interest. If time allows, visit local Catholic sites. 

A Bible is typically on the nightstand in a hotel, which Dow recommended using for immersion into Scripture. She also recommended bringing prayer books.

“Don’t leave home without them,” smiled Dow. 

When you’ve made it to your vacation spot, an unrushed enjoyment of God’s creation is spiritually recharging.

“Whether you’re on the beach with the seashells and the fish and the little crabs, even the jellyfish if you stay away from them,” said Dow. “I remember one time my family went snorkeling and the beauty of the reef, it was like ‘Wow, you know this is truly God’s hand in creation because it’s completely not man made so it’s just beautiful.’ ”

The same applies when soaking up the sunrise or sunset from the top of a mountain or camping in the woods, she added.

Going to an amusement park? While waiting in line, think about how you are being Christ to the person standing next to you. Be courteous and cordial to staff and personnel, whether at the hotel or places your visit.

“There’s  low staffing in the hospitality industry so how are we practicing (being Christ to others)?” Dow asked.  “We have to have patience. How are we understanding there are opportunities just (returning) this summer and the staffing may be a little bit limited so things may not be done as quickly or is what we expected them to be in the past.” 

When tensions set in and there’s been a lot of “together time,” take breaks. If suitable, break up into smaller groups and agree to meet up later at a designated place.

And the most important point during vacation? Find a church to attend Sunday Mass. If several options are available, decide as a family and research the history and other aspects of the church. 

Stressing the importance of attending Sunday Mass, Dow said while  “You’re relaxing from your ordinary (schedule), you’re still living out your faith.”

The trip home is an opportune time to decompress and review the vacation, talking about the highlights and favorite parts and where everyone saw God. Then talk about how to increase family time when back home, “conversion moments” and what they would do differently, Dow suggested.

“That’s taking time before you rest your head that night to pray as a family, thanking God for a good trip,” Dow said.