Byzantine Catholic Family Matters

The Good Old Summertime

I like most times of the year, from the fall foliage to a quiet winter morning when all is still as the snow falls and few have ventured out; from early spring days with the young blooms of the daffodils and cherry trees to summertime when the daily routine for school children is suspended for two months. I admit, winter can test my patience and I long for spring by January’s end, but that’s the subject of another column. There is something special, however, about summer, or more precisely summertime. My father was an educator, and though he taught summer school, August was reserved for family outings, occasional vacations, and projects around the house. My late father-in-law was a family physician in solo practice. He would shutter his office for the month of August and the family would often find themselves spending the month on Cape Cod.

Today it is increasingly difficult for many parents to take the time off that their employers allot them. Indeed surveys show that as recently as two years ago, American workers took an average of thirteen vacation days in a year. North of the border in Canada the number is twenty-six days, across the Atlantic in Great Britain it is twenty-eight days, and across the Pacific in South Korea and Japan it is twenty-five days apiece. Recently the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine reported that the more overtime people work, the more likely they are to experience depression and anxiety. When we are on vacation so many of us find it difficult to ignore our voice mails and emails. We are so connected and at one and the same time so disconnected – from the really important things in life.

During his first summer as pope in 2005, Benedict XVI traveled to the Alps in Italy’s Valle d’Aosta region. He met briefly with the press corps and, as reported by the Catholic News Service, recalled that John Paul II had begun the annual tradition of including an Alpine retreat during the summer holidays. Benedict spoke of how “vacation time offers the unique opportunity to take pause before nature’s striking displays.” He went on to say that spending time in natural settings allows one to ponder our relationship with God and His creation.

Summertime is a time to get reconnected with God, creation and family in ways less possible during other times of the year. It may be the pleasure of plucking a tomato off the vine in the backyard and taking a bite to experience the rich taste not found in one purchased at the supermarket. It may be a family vacation to a favorite spot.

What I marvel at whenever our family vacation takes us down the Garden State Parkway to Ocean City – a virtually annual event – is how families joyfully settle into the rhythm of the boardwalk. The day begins with early morning jogs and walks when few are out and the sounds of the ocean surf, the rhythmic sounds of joggers on the wood planks, and the calls of the seagulls break the morning silence. This is the time parents are found taking their turns for some quiet time alone as their spouse stay in with their sleeping children. As morning progresses after the children have awakened the boardwalk comes alive with families pedaling surreys and riding bicycle. By late morning and throughout the afternoon it is onto the beach for fun on the sand and in the water. As evening arrives the boardwalk fills with strolling families and the amusement rides are full of laughing and screaming children, teens and adults.

When our Ocean City vacations have overlapped with the Feast of the Dormition (Assumption) we take the time to celebrate the feast at St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church. The church is filled with families – sometimes three and four generations strong. After the morning Mass the priests, and sometimes the bishop, lead a procession to the beach for the annual blessing of the sea – linking God and His creation. In the Byzantine Catholic tradition the priest blesses flowers on the Feast of the Dormition and fruits, the first harvest of the summer, on the Feast of the Transfiguration.

Yes, summertime is a time of reconnecting with God, creation and family. In an age when families struggle to find the time to enjoy vacations together, when employers are less generous in benefit time, and when employees as well as the self employed find it hard to break away from work; we need to seriously question those conditions and values that have brought us to that point. And while the recent upswing in food and fuel prices have put a crimp on many a family’s budget, it remains important to get away – perhaps to a local county or state park, the local u-pick-it farm, take in a minor league baseball game, check out the nearest county fair, visit a religious shrine or even attend a pilgrimage. Forget about your voice mails, emails, and what awaits you at work. Above all, don’t be guilty, because, if you ask me, summertime is a glimpse into God’s time.