Preparing for a heavenly vacation

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I’m gearing up already. Even though I have two weeks until I go on vacation, I have already begun preparations! Indeed, for those who are blessed with the opportunity to be able to take a vacation, most will spend some time, perhaps even a significant amount of time planning and preparing. What kind of preparations have I made?

A few minutes ago, I sent an email to Petersburg Parishes’ deacons, checking to see if they are able to make themselves available to help the visiting priests who will take my place on the two weekends I will be away. Last week, I made a call to Minnesota, to the people who coordinate the summer volunteer-priest program at St. Catherine Church in Lake Itasca, in northern Minnesota.

For the past 18 years I have been blessed to be one of the volunteer priests who enable the little, closed parish at the North entrance to Lake Itasca State Park, to open from Memorial Day until Labor Day. In exchange for presiding and preaching at the 9 a.m. Sunday Mass for the convenience of those who camp, lodge and fish in the park, I receive a wonderful mobile home/rectory in which to live free of charge in the beauty of the North Country.

Although I could make the trip practically blindfolded, I have obtained my “Trip Tik” from AAA of Shelby County. Even though I know pretty much every summertime festival/event in the small towns within 50 miles of Lake Itasca, I have ordered visitors’ guides to the Park Rapids and Bemidji areas. I’ve already changed the oil and rotated the tires of the car for the 17-hour journey. What still needs to be done?

Over the next weeks, I’ll be scheduling a number of generous volunteers to unlock I.C. Church in the early hours each day and I’ll be rounding up one or two older youth to take care of my cats and water the plants around the rectory. I’ll pull out the provisions list and begin to gather groceries. I’ll change the oil in the outboard motor of my little fishing boat and give the fishing reels a good cleaning and oiling. Lastly, I’ll pack and load up the van and boat and leave way before the crack of dawn. If all goes well, I’ll arrive late that same day in enough time to purchase a Minnesota state park pass and out-of-state fishing license, so that I’m out on the water well before Noon on the first full day of vacation. Actually, I’m tired just thinking about getting ready!!

At the same time, it’s worth it … and all the getting ready for vacation proves to be an awesome analogy the daily work in the life of faith we are called to do to prepare for … an eternal vacation: heaven, everlasting life, the beatific vision, salvation in Christ!

Of course, some might say, for what is there to prepare? All that a Christian need do is to proclaim that Jesus is Lord! This is true…and, at the same time, there’s more. For, to profess that Jesus is Lord with my lips, my whole self and life ought always be busy. What does a Christian look like who is preparing for eternal vacation?

Wonderfully, in the history and tradition of the church, we find plenty of work to be done to prepare for our salvific vacation destination, work that both precedes and follows our profession of faith in the awesome grace of Jesus!

For example, just like we pack a suitcase of clothing for vacation, so also Christ has given to his church seven sacraments of his real presence, where he continues to do today all the awesome things he did in his ministry 2,000 years ago, things like:

1. Initiating others into his life and kingdom through Baptism and Confirmation;

2. Making his saving sacrifice and resurrection of two-thousand years ago really present in the Eucharist/Holy Communion at Mass, giving us his very self;

3. Healing through Anointing of the Sick;

4. Forgiving us through Reconciliation/Confession, and

5. Sacrificing for and serving the world and Church through Matrimony and Holy Orders or the single life dedicated to Christ.

Not receiving and practicing these sacraments is like failing to pack a suitcase for vacation!

As well, the church calls all to prepare for the heavenly kingdom by knowing and being true to the covenants God has made with us in the Scriptures. If we are not working with the Word of God in Old and New Testaments through prayer and practice of the faith, if we are not being obedient to the commandments of Christ and his Church, we are forgetting the map, the GPS or the navigation app that will get us to our heavenly destination!

Those destined for heavenly realms use the road signs and direction given to us by the saints and holy people of all time, especially the Blessed Virgin Mary. Indeed, through the ancient doctrine of the Communion of the Saints, the saints and our departed brothers and sisters pray for us, giving us example, recommendation, companionship and guidance, so that we arrive safely where faith tells us they are already!

Indeed, vacations are a lot of work … and they’re worth it! My simple fishing vacation is most definitely so, even after 18 years. Assuredly, when this earthly journey ends, our heavenly vacation and the work in getting there will be most worth it!

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By the Rev. Pat Sloneker

Your pastor speaks

The writer is the pastor for Immaculate Conception, Botkins, St. John, Fryburg, St. Joseph, Wapakoneta, and St. Lawrence, Rhine.

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