June in Minnesota is like heaven on earth: the mosquitoes aren’t thick yet, the fish are biting, the flowers are blooming, and the sunsets are gorgeous. Sundays in June can be particularly glorious. The archdiocese encourages us this month to Reclaim our Sundays by skipping the screens—the phones, tablets, TVs, and computers--that dominate our senses and steal our time.
But how can we do get along without these tools, even for a few hours a week? June offers special liturgical opportunities to begin building new habits:
This Sunday, June 7, we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi and our pastor’s anniversary of ordination. Make plans to join the parish celebrations including the
Eucharistic procession after the 9:00 am Mass, or the 11:00 am Mass, followed by the luncheon and Holy Hour of Gratitude in honor of Fr. Tollefson’s 25th Anniversary
On June 14, we thank Fr. Erickson for his service to us at Nativity with ice cream after each of the Sunday morning Masses.
June 29 is the feast of our diocesan patron, Saint Paul. Consider going to Mass at or making a visit to the Cathedral.
June also means school is out, baseball and soccer are in season, and gardens need tending. We are spending more time outdoors, and we might grow through the gifts of these rare days:
Connect with others by suggesting a potluck picnic with extended family or neighbors.
Teach kids to say a quick prayer as they step up to the plate or hold the hose over the tomato plant.
To relax, watch the ducks at the pond or the songbirds at the feeder instead of Netflix. Watch the sun go down and for the first stars to appear. Stroll rather than scroll.
Pray the rosary during each drive to the cabin or with morning coffee on the deck.
Perhaps it’s really not so hard to turn away from the screens. We just need the will to do it. And when we do, we will discover the colorful, richly textured, and joyful seasons of our faith and our created world!