May - Superintendent's Blog

Summertime Joy

Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising

Give me joy in my heart, I pray

Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising

Keep me praising 'til the end of day

As the weather begins to warm we tend to spend more time outdoors.  Playtime is extended, we get together for barbecues and family gatherings. We start planting flowers and planning vacations.

 All of this helps us to recognize the gift of joy. Pope Francis shares that “Joy is a grace and a gift of the Holy Spirit, not just positive emotions or feeling cheerful. Joy is not the consequence of emotions that burst for a wonderful thing... This joy, this which fills us, is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit one cannot have this joy. To be full of joy is the experience of the highest consolation, when the Lord makes us understand that this is something different from being cheerful, positive, bright...Receiving the joy of the Spirit is a grace."

While we will all experience difficulties in our lives, as Catholics we are joyful because we know that God is always near. It is with this understanding that we begin to realize that if we trust in God we open our hearts to his grace. It is through this action that we choose joy. 

Here are some summer activities that can help your family grow in joy:

• Make bag lunches for a local soup kitchen or homeless ministry
• Do yard work for an elderly neighbor
• Pick wildflowers, write a card, and take them to a homebound parishioner or family member
• Make a meal for someone in your parish who is sick or just had a baby
• Go through your clothing and toys and share with a young family or donate them
• Stay up late and pray under the stars
• Harvest some of your garden produce for a soup kitchen or to share with someone in need
• Go on a hike and pray the Rosary (inspired by John Paul II and Bl. Pier Giorgio)
• Attend a Catholic summer camp

Father, Creator of all, thank You for summer! Thank you for the warmth of the sun and the increased daylight. Thank You for the beauty I see all around me and for the opportunity to be outside and enjoy Your creation. Thank You for the increased time I have to be with my friends and family, and for the more casual pace of the summer season. Draw me closer to You this summer. Teach me how I can pray no matter where I am or what I am doing. Warm my soul with the awareness of Your presence and light my path with Your Word and Counsel. As I enjoy Your creation, create in me a pure heart and a hunger and a thirst for You. 

- Author Unknown