Summer Time Spirituality
By Alice Matisz
In Summer our schedules go out the window. With schools closed and many other activities suspended, the ordered progression of days that we follow during the colder months abruptly ends. As sunlight hours grow longer, time takes on a peculiar elasticity. We stretch out the day with more and more activities until it snaps into darkness. We find ourselves reverting to more primitive rhythms controlled by the Sun rather than by electricity. Our clocks and watches seem to melt like a Salvador Dali painting, their glowing numbers incomprehensible as they deny the evidence of our eyes. In this tranquil time warp, it can be difficult to stick to a Sunday Mass schedule. However, instead of skipping Mass altogether, why not hit the road and discover God in a whole new place.
Country Churches
Within about an hour's drive from Lethbridge, you can find a dozen diocese churches and missions, ranging from St Michaels' in Bow Island to St. Joseph's in Vauxhall. Check the diocese website (link below) for Mass times then prepare to be delighted by the diversity of our sacred spaces. Stop by the grotto at St Paul's in Standoff, admire the stained glass window at St. Catherine in Picture Butte, inspect the sliding church wall at St. Augustine's in Taber. Wherever you go, flip through the hymn books, examine the Stations of the Cross and be sure to talk to a parisioner or two to find out where everyone gathers after Mass. You'll probably find yourself as welcome as a visitor from another country, and you might even reconnect with a long lost neighbour or school friend. After all, isn't Mass the common denominator for all Catholics?
After Mass you might want to extend your Summer adventure with a visit to a local attraction. Be dazzled by the Altaglass exhibition at Medicine Hat's Esplanade Centre, bemused by the exhibits at Coaldale's Gem of the West Museum or simply beguiled by whispering cottonwoods in Taber's Provincial Park. These venues and many more are listed in the “Alberta Inroads Guide – 101 things to do in Southern Alberta” which is available at most tourist information centres.
And what would a road trip be without a meal? So pack a picnic or ask the locals for a restaurant recommendation. Even if you only stop for ice cream, it will probably taste better than eating at home.
Natural Spaces
If nature is God's cathedral, then here in Southern Alberta we are abundantly blessed by God's handiwork. A short drive from Lethbridge will take you to the eerie spherical boulders of Red Rock Coulee or the powerful, runoff-swelled torrent of Lundbrek Falls. Shady river valleys and peaceful lakes abound, and few can deny the awesome beauty of the mountains.
When you travel this Summer, be alert to the wonders around you as more than merely scenic attractions. See the hand of our Creator in both the vast and the tiny details of our world. Use all your God-given senses to enjoy the experience. Children do this instinctively but adults sometimes forget to use more than their vision. Try sniffing the air or the flowers. Trail your fingers through a steam or brush a hand over tree bark. Listen to the wind or the silence. You might even taste a wild berry (with extreme caution!).
Should you not go beyond your backyard or balcony this year, there are micro-adventures to be had all around you. A friend recently described his pleasure at watching a tiny wasp navigate a dandelion. The insect hovered, darted, even flew backwards; “like a miniature Harrier jet”, he said. It was a small thrill akin to birdsong or the smell of fresh-cut grass or a friendly word from a stranger.
So welcome to Summer – welcome to a whole new way of experiencing “church”.
http://www.calgarydiocese.ca
Country Churches
Within about an hour's drive from Lethbridge, you can find a dozen diocese churches and missions, ranging from St Michaels' in Bow Island to St. Joseph's in Vauxhall. Check the diocese website (link below) for Mass times then prepare to be delighted by the diversity of our sacred spaces. Stop by the grotto at St Paul's in Standoff, admire the stained glass window at St. Catherine in Picture Butte, inspect the sliding church wall at St. Augustine's in Taber. Wherever you go, flip through the hymn books, examine the Stations of the Cross and be sure to talk to a parisioner or two to find out where everyone gathers after Mass. You'll probably find yourself as welcome as a visitor from another country, and you might even reconnect with a long lost neighbour or school friend. After all, isn't Mass the common denominator for all Catholics?
After Mass you might want to extend your Summer adventure with a visit to a local attraction. Be dazzled by the Altaglass exhibition at Medicine Hat's Esplanade Centre, bemused by the exhibits at Coaldale's Gem of the West Museum or simply beguiled by whispering cottonwoods in Taber's Provincial Park. These venues and many more are listed in the “Alberta Inroads Guide – 101 things to do in Southern Alberta” which is available at most tourist information centres.
And what would a road trip be without a meal? So pack a picnic or ask the locals for a restaurant recommendation. Even if you only stop for ice cream, it will probably taste better than eating at home.
Natural Spaces
If nature is God's cathedral, then here in Southern Alberta we are abundantly blessed by God's handiwork. A short drive from Lethbridge will take you to the eerie spherical boulders of Red Rock Coulee or the powerful, runoff-swelled torrent of Lundbrek Falls. Shady river valleys and peaceful lakes abound, and few can deny the awesome beauty of the mountains.
When you travel this Summer, be alert to the wonders around you as more than merely scenic attractions. See the hand of our Creator in both the vast and the tiny details of our world. Use all your God-given senses to enjoy the experience. Children do this instinctively but adults sometimes forget to use more than their vision. Try sniffing the air or the flowers. Trail your fingers through a steam or brush a hand over tree bark. Listen to the wind or the silence. You might even taste a wild berry (with extreme caution!).
Should you not go beyond your backyard or balcony this year, there are micro-adventures to be had all around you. A friend recently described his pleasure at watching a tiny wasp navigate a dandelion. The insect hovered, darted, even flew backwards; “like a miniature Harrier jet”, he said. It was a small thrill akin to birdsong or the smell of fresh-cut grass or a friendly word from a stranger.
So welcome to Summer – welcome to a whole new way of experiencing “church”.
http://www.calgarydiocese.ca
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