Faith on the Quad A Christian's Summer Work-Out

Jun 23, 2009

Summer break is an extraordinary feeling for all of us students, whether we are in 1^st grade or 15^th. The relief from rigorous academics, more free time, and the warm weather satisfies all but few. Summer itself has always been my favorite season. Since I was eight years old I have played competitive summer baseball, but this year, graduating from high school, I did not. Not playing has really given me a break during the summer for the first time in a while.

 

I did not know, however, how to handle this “break.” In sports, I was always told that practice during the off-season is where the best are born. Every time I heard this, especially from a coach, I would be incredibly pumped up to go and spend hours in the weight room, but it proved much more difficult to maintain the interest, excitement, and effort during the times when no one was forcing me to participate. My faith life has mirrored that scenario this summer. With no baseball to occupy my time and more freedom from parents, it is easy to put my faith life on the back burners. Summer is, in a sense, the off-season for the faith life. You are away from your team, the group of students you rely heavily on at school, but it is essential to continue to work hard, because it can be a time of incredible growth.

 

The three parts of the human person that need nourishment are the soul, mind, and body. Therefore, the Christian summer workout must include all. Although they are intricately related, each one can be targeted specifically. By developing each one, you will adequately prepare yourself to fight the struggles of summer, as well as develop both physical and spiritual strength for the next school year.

 

The first and most important aspect of a person, the soul, is most effectively worked out through the sacraments. Nothing can help you more in keeping your soul strong. Frequenting Confession and receiving the Eucharist will feed your soul and make it energized to fight all attacks made by the devil. Perfectly supplementing the sacraments is prayer. Taking time daily, whether it be at a job or doing housework, to offer up your activities to God is a great way to start active communication with Him. Saying the name “Jesus” out loud, invoking Him to come near you, provides an easy method of bringing Christ to any situation that you encounter. Spiritual reading is a great resource for prayer as well. An encounter with God in the words of saints or theologians is very healthy food for the soul.

 

To keep both the mind and body “worked out” during the summer, you must do what is obvious to keep them in shape. Reading good literature or poems, observing the beauty outside, or physical activity at the YMCA are as simple as it gets, and that is all it really takes. If you are not accustomed to doing these things, they can be extraordinarily difficult. It is hard for us just to sit and relax in modern society, but it is beneficial and even essential for your whole being. These “exercises” are great fillers for down time instead of television or Facebook; they will make you healthier and increase your brain power!

 

In his book Prayer for Beginners, Peter Kreeft says that “in order to stop doing things, we must first be doings things” (Kreeft 35). This paradox could not be truer than during summer break. To experience the break that we are intended to have, one that relaxes our whole self, the soul, mind, and body must be worked out. By staying focused during the break, you will both nourish your soul during the sometimes-strenuous summer and engage in the training needed to continue to be a faith-filled man or woman for God during your next semester.