Maria Byrne
A Parent’s Perspective
We’ve all been enjoying the recent, uncharacteristically hot, weather. It’s not the typical Irish summer when you can breakfast in the garden, head to the beach several days in a row and, instead of a rainy few weeks in Ballybunion or Bundoran, it’s been more like the Costa Brava.
The glorious weather has been a godsend for parents, with children out playing from dawn to dusk, sporting tans that are usually only seen after a few weeks in foreign climes.
The author and essayist, Charles Bowden, when referring to the summer said “summertime is always the best of what might be”. As a child, summer stretched out like some delightful vista full of promise. Summer was going to last forever and I always felt somewhat cheated when the end of August loomed with all those endless days behind me. The end-of-summer blues always hit hard with all the overambitious plans shelved for another year.
It’s always a bit of a seasonal joke among parents to bemoan the fact that the summer holidays are very long and that they’ll be expected to step into the role of events manager making sure that the holidays are action packed.
Bucket list
While some parents love those summer bucket list memes with a hundred helpful suggestions, I always felt that it was more of a list of things that we definitely wouldn’t be doing. Magical movie nights in the moonlight sound great in a Facebook post but the reality would probably be a little less idyllic.
As some of my children are a little older now, they seem competent enough in organising summer socialising. I feel I can assist them in another way by linking summer to Faith, family and fun. I think Catholic parents are finally focusing on the fact that if they’re not at the forefront of their children’s Faith formation, there isn’t anyone else who will take their place.
The founder of the Catholic organisation, Opus Dei, St Josemaria Escriva, was a great proponent of having a “plan of life” which involves having a daily schedule of prayers and activities which help us to have a good relationship with God and to live a true Christian life.
The summer holidays is a great time to intertwine our Catholic faith into our summer plans and to form habits that will continue on into the autumn and winter.
When my siblings and I were small, there were very few lie-ins when we were off school. My parents developed the habit of going to daily Mass and, while there’s always the temptation to stay in bed, it’s a great way to start the day.
As Catholics, the Eucharist is the centre of our Faith. There is great concern about the fall off in Mass attendance particularly among the young. Developing a child’s love for the Mass from their early years is a priority. During the summer, the whole family can attend if possible and make it into a bit of an occasion with ice-cream or some activity afterwards.
A little more flexibility in the summer allows us to focus more on family prayer. I sometimes make the mistake of being overambitious in this regard; a little, often is the best approach.
I came across a booklet published by Scepter titled A Plan of Life. Written by Joseph M. Muntadas, it suggests that “a personalised, fully thought-out plan will enable us to accomplish more with the time we have available”. He talks about beginning each day well with a quick morning offering, a “hello, Lord” which includes some good resolutions for the day ahead.
Sometimes, the summertime can become a time for just lounging around doing very little, but a conscious effort to offer one’s day to God gets the focus right from the minute the day begins.
Not every family can afford a foreign holiday but whether holidaying at home or abroad, include visits to local churches and shrines in the schedule. Every country has its own beautiful chapels and grottos. Often, they may be less than an hour from our own homes so, even if we’re having a staycation, we can take a day trip to a monastery, shrine or famous church and research the different types of spirituality that are part of our Catholic faith.
A lot of Irish people visit the Marian Shrine in Knock in Co. Mayo every year or two. It’s a great place for a family pilgrimage. The youth HUB in Knock is run by the Youth Ministry and is a vibrant programme for young people. It’s well worth checking out the website, www.knockshrine.ie. There’s a family day on August 19 which would be great preparation for the visit of Pope Francis for the World Meeting of Families.
Ideal time
One of the best things the summer is ideal for is a general slowing of the pace of life. Summer is a time to reassess our priorities and simplify our lives.
We can teach our children about Faith in action and practical Catholic social justice by taking on some works of mercy even if it’s only sorting through our numerous belongings and donating some to our local charity or helping an elderly neighbour by mowing his or her lawn.
With a few small undertakings and a plan which helps to structure our family’s day, the summer won’t just be a fun time for rest and relaxation but a time of spiritual growth and enrichment.