Are you off for a great summer? Need some great virtuous and fun ideas?
While we might not have any relief from the heat, summer brings a relief from the routine of our lives. With our children out of school, we find ourselves with extra time on our hands and nothing to fill them.
On the other hand, no schedule can leave the day without focus and the time runs faster than any hourglass. There is an unsettling feeling that can come with misspent days strung together. Do we have anything of value at the end of the week or only hours on technology? How can we make this a summer of virtue?
Don’t get me wrong, relaxing during the summer is the whole purpose of summer but we don’t want to the sluggard of Proverbs 6, “How long, O sluggard, will you lie there? When will you rise from your sleep?”
What’s the balance? Making a few plans for activities and a few plans for no activities! That’s right, making plans to do nothing ensures it happens.
As for those activity days? Library days, park days, hiking days, water fun days, outdoor camping days, inside puzzle days, are a few things you can do as a family while practicing charity, patience and generosity with each other.
Need more ideas? Check out our list of patron saint badges such as Photography, Sewing and so many more. We even have a Blessed (now almost Saint) Pier Giorgio Frassati badge. These are great, easy, fun and virtuous ideas to make good use of those summer days.
Working on one (or more) of these badges for an activity as a family. These are easy to do with Mom and Dads’ help, all the siblings together and before you know it, everyone has earned their own badge! Maybe invite grandparents to the fun? Maybe Grandpa will sew his new badge to his golf hat!
We also have an entire summer camp planned for you if you are looking to join other club families or within your parish. CAMP 2025 – HOPE IN THE CHURCH
Our blog has all the information for you – https://beholdpublications.com/home/behold-publications-blog/
Just scroll to the bottom and you’ll find all the camp posts!
Finally, consider taking a day trip (or longer) to your diocese’s shrines and churches in honor of this Year of Jubilee. Most diocesan websites list the special Year of Jubilee sites if you don’t know what they are.
https://www.usccb.org/jubilee2025
Check out this site for information on all that is happening including how to receive the special indulgence granted during this Year of Hope.
We hope and pray that summer 2025 is full of lovely memories and grand adventures. With the speed of life seemingly never slowing down, we have to stop and make treasured moments happen for ourselves. Making moments in your own backyard, local park or vacation trip will have a lasting effect on you and your family. God cannot be outdone in His generosity so let us reflect that generosity by being lavish with our families and our time a few times this summer. Let us give our children some treasures of their own, memories to ponder in their own hearts long after this summer is over.
