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Summer is a time to connect with family, friends and Jesus in the Eucharist
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July 25, 2024Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
For the Fourth of July this year, I was able to enjoy a wonderful visit with family and friends for a BBQ at the shore. Besides my siblings and some of their family members, some of my cousins and priest friends from the Camden Diocese were invited. It was nice to catchup with extended family and friends. I am fortunate to be able to visit with my mother during the year with some regularity after Sunday Masses, and with my siblings, too, but I often cannot find the time to see my cousins and my friends down in South Jersey as often as I would like. Besides the delicious food and beautiful fireworks, it was indeed enjoyable to catch up with the family and friends on the Fourth!
Summer provides time for these types of gatherings, whether it is down the shore, in backyards or enjoying the beauty of the Delaware Water Gap or the Poconos. We have so many wonderful places to enjoy one another’s company and our beautiful natural environment God has provided for us here. I hope you are able to take advantage of the slower times during the summer to gather with family and friends, although it seems there is still plenty going on.
As well as making time for family and friends during summer when hope-fully things are a bit less hectic, it is also good opportunity to make more time for the Lord. Obviously, attending Sunday Mass is our most important time with Him, even while on vacation. Sunday Mass gives us the chance to praise and thank God for the blessings of life as well as to be nourished and strengthened by His coming to us anew in the Scriptures and the Eucharist.
Some people have not broken the habit of livestreaming Mass picked up during the pandemic, or do it when they feel tired or just don’t feel like making the effort to go to Mass. Of course, if you are sickly or elderly, this might be a very good option for you and that is why livestreaming is still provided. But if we are not in those categories, we should be attending Mass in person, for our own good and the good of our community of believers with whom we worship. Make this summer a restarting time for you and your family to attend Mass in person, not letting this picked up habit turn into a vice!
Also, during the summer, if you are able, make time to go to a daily Mass and perhaps afterwards even go out for breakfast with family or friends. Extending such an invitation to family or friends is something that no doubt will be appreciated as they get to spend time with you and the Lord!
Of course, this month, I am preparing to go to the National Eucharistic Congress along with 63 pilgrims from our Diocese from July 17-21. Tens of thousands of people will gather for these days in Indianapolis, but no doubt there will be ways to connect during those days on TV or through the internet. It isa wonderful opportunity for all of us to recommit ourselves to the Lord and to receiving Him in the Eucharist and to be grateful for the incredible gifts He gives us in Eucharist. He gives us the divine help we need to be His faithful disciples in a world where that can be so challenging. He doesn’t leave us alone to figure it out.
I will be praying for you on this pilgrimage and ask you to pray for me too! Also please say a prayer of thanksgiving for our priests who serve here in our Diocese and who work hard in our parishes to provide Jesus in the Eucharist for you as well as any pastoral care you need! May this summer be for them, too, a time to connect with family and friends and also an opportunity to deepen their friendship with Jesus! May the Lord pro-vide us with many more good young men who will make the effort to quiet themselves and ask the Lord to share His will for their lives, so that we have enough shepherds for our parishes. Know of my love, prayers and gratitude for you, and being so thankful for your kind prayers for me. God bless and enjoy this summertime.
Most Reverend James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA Bishop of Metuchen
