Are you taking a vacation this summer? Many of us set aside time in the summer to explore new places or travel to familiar places to visit family and friends. Whether you are going on a road trip, flying across the globe, or cruising the seas; traveling is a fun adventure and presents great opportunities for us as Christian disciples to answer God’s call to be a good steward.
Travel was a part of Jesus’s ministry from the very beginning. After all Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, when Jesus was born. Luke’s gospel tells us that “each year His parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover.” I imagine when the Holy Family traveled it was more of a pilgrimage than a vacation.
As the mother of four, I remember how uncomfortable long car rides were when I was pregnant. I cannot imagine the discomfort of riding on the back of a donkey for hours. We can all give thanks to God for giving inventors the knowledge and wisdom to invent the modern technology we depend on today. The Holy Family should inspire us to treat our own travels a bit like a pilgrimage shining the light of Christ wherever we go.
The Gospels are filled with stories of Jesus traveling to teaching his disciples. After His resurrection from the dead, Jesus sent his disciples: “He said to them, ‘Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature' ” – Mark 16:15.
Just like the first disciples, travel today still gives us an opportunity to shine the light of Christ to everyone we meet through our words and actions. It is simple, we are called to continue to live our life as a Disciple of Christ remembering everything we have is a gift from God. Don’t take a vacation from daily prayer or Sunday Mass. Give thanks to God for the vacation itself and the ones with whom we are traveling. Pray before meals even if you are on a cruise ship sharing a table with strangers. This pious witness of Christian stewardship speaks volumes.
“Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” – Matthew 5:16.
Vacations allow us to take a break from work and life’s distractions thus giving us quality time together to celebrate God’s goodness, enjoy the beauty of God’s creation and strengthen relationships. May the light of Christ shine brightly on all the world through each of us in our travels this summer.
— Shannon Roh is the Executive Director of the Office of Development and Stewardship for the Archdiocese of Mobile.