Disciples of Christ

As disciples of Christ, we are challenged to set a good example for others and to truly and publicly live our faith. We are therefore invited to prayerfully consider making time for the Lord by making the Mass the heart of our day, not just a small part of our day, each Sunday and each Holy Day of Obligation. This is especially true as we make time for rest and recreation as summer approaches.

The third commandment of God is to remember to keep holy the day of the Lord, and keeping holy the day of the Lord is something that Christians of all faith traditions should strive to do. In addition, the Catholic Church has issued certain precepts (or duties) for Catholics. The first precept is to keep holy the day of the Lord by participating in Mass on Sundays and on Holy Days of Obligation. I think it is fair to say that at times some of us struggle to comply with this precept.

As we enjoy our summertime, many of us now focus more on leisure activities. We make time to eat at good restaurants.  We make time to go to the movies. We make time to go shopping at the mall. We make time to go to the beach or to the lake. We make time for short vacations. We make time to visit relatives and friends. Yet some of us have trouble making time to spend with the Lord through our attendance at Mass. We are reminded of the need to spend time with Our Lord and we are encouraged to participate in the Mass in a spirit of reverence and respect.

The following prayer from the Catholic Digest reminds us of the need to keep Our Lord present in our lives especially during the upcoming summer months:

LONG WARM DAYS…

THE PACE OF LIFE SLOWS

A TIME FOR PICNICS AND

REST IN THE SHADE.

LORD HELP ME TO REST AWHILE

IN THE COOLING SHADE OF YOUR PRESENCE.

SLOW DOWN MY RESTLESS HEART

AND FILL ME WITH GENTLE COMPASSION

FOR ALL YOUR PEOPLE.

AMEN.

Fr. Chester