Weekly Reflections for August 28, 2022

“End of Vacation”

Vacation…that wonderful event that we all look forward to every year!  Time away from our usual surroundings; time off from the work that we do to make a living; time for relaxation and fun.

As a schoolteacher, I often knew the number of days left until summer vacation better than the students did.  I couldn’t wait to send the students home, lock up the classroom, and sit on the porch swing for a couple of months.  However, once August arrived, the strangest thing would happen.  I would start to miss everything that I left behind in June.  I needed to feel productive and useful again.

Well, here we are again at the “end of vacation.”    Another summer is coming to a close and it is time to pack away the beach gear and get back into our normal routines.   So, the question that comes to mind is, “What is the best way to feel productive and useful again?” 

Maybe one of the best places to get started is in our own parish community.  There are so many opportunities to witness to our faith right here in our parish.  We can share God’s Word by being a lector, share his warm welcome by being a greeter, share his compassion by helping with the many Outreach projects, and the list goes on and on.   When we play an active role in our parish community, our faith and commitment are strengthened by the relationships we build.  Then, we take that faith out into all the aspects of our lives. 

Jesus said that everyone would know his disciples by their love for one another.  Let us come together as a community of faith to share that love with one another and the community at large.  Then, we will be productive and useful in the best possible way.