Summertime comes as a welcome break for millions of children the world over. Adults also look forward to summer, when schedules relax and long summer days give us more time to enjoy the outdoors and one another.
With summer, as with the changing of every season, our mindset often changes and the particulars of the time of year become our focus. With summer we may look forward to barbeques, swimming, and fresh peaches. We may also ask what can I look forward to spiritually during this time of year?
Like with other seasons the Church marks the summer calendar by moving through the life of Christ and His Saints. Certain feast days stand out and they place their impression upon this time of year in a unique way. Summertime in the Church means the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul (June 29) and of the Apostles (June 30) and the corresponding fast that precedes it in the month of June. It includes the feasts of many beloved Saints like the Prophet Elias on July 20 (a feast in which many pilgrims head to mountain top chapels to celebrate liturgy, here in Colorado the faithful head to Hot Sulphur Springs and the chapel of the Prophet Elias located there) and Saints Paraskevi and Panteleimon on July 26 and 27 as well as the somber commemoration of St. John the Baptist’s beheading on August 29 (a day many faithful refuse to eat on plates since John’s head was served to the king in this way).
We also celebrate our Lord’s Transfiguration or Metamorphosis on Mount Tabor on August 6 forty days before the commemoration of the Elevation of the Cross on September 14. These two feasts are connected and we know that we can only understand the cross by understanding the transformation that comes through sacrifice and love. Finally in the month of August one of the four great fasts of the Church, the fast of the Theotokos is observed. From August 1 through August 15 the Church fasts and marks these two weeks with extra prayer and reading of scripture similar to that of Great Lent. Often parishes celebrate the service of Supplication (Paraklesis) to the Theotokos daily culminating in the liturgy of the Falling Asleep (Dormition) of the Theotokos on August 15.
So as you make your summer plans consider also how you will spend your time spiritually. Summer is one of my favorite times because of the relaxed schedule and warm days that accompany the season. It can also be one of the best times to recommit to Jesus Christ and a living and vibrant relationship with Him. We can use this time wisely and while we take a break from the many activities that fill up our schedule during the rest of the year we can find more time for God and for spiritual work. We wish you a very pleasant summer break and we hope you will mark your summer calendars with some of the special feasts and spiritual destinations that come during this time of year.