Summer is just around the corner. Many of us are already making plans to go camping, head to the beach, or take an adventurous road trip.
No matter where we are going, or for how long, packing enough clothing for various kinds of weather is essential. And we can’t forget our toiletries, supplements, and other home-away-from-home necessities. Not to mention food, drinks, and kitchen gadgets, if we are preparing meals along the way or once we reach our destination.
Packing all the right material things for our summer trip is important, but what about packing the right spiritual things?
Spiritual Packing List for Summer Travel
Packing a few key spiritual items will help us stay connected to God in prayer, no matter where the summer season takes us. Because we don’t want to take a vacation from Our Lord; rather we want to bring Him with us, wherever we go.
Before We Go
Before jumping in the car or boarding the plane, take some time to spiritually prepare.
- Go to Confession before you leave.
- Determine when and where you will attend Mass, if you are traveling over a Sunday.
- Make part of your vacation a pilgrimage by visiting a shrine in the area where you are traveling.
Sacramentals
Pack a few sacramentals to ensure added blessing and protection along the way.
A sacramental is anything set apart or blessed by the Church to excite good thoughts and to increase devotion, and through these movements of the heart to remit venial sin. The chief sacramental is the Sign of the Cross. // The Baltimore Catechism
- Holy Water // Use holy water to bless yourself everyday on vacation. Also bless your vehicle and accommodations.
- Blessed Salt // Did you know an exorcism prayer is prayed by the priest as he blesses salt? Packing a little container of blessed salt can be powerful against any spiritual attack you may experience while on vacation. Carry it in your purse or backpack. Sprinkle it around the perimeter of where you are staying for added spiritual protection.
- Rosary // My grandma first introduced me to the Rosary on a road trip. This is an excellent prayer to pray, as you begin each day of travel. I like to add the Prayer to Saint Michael at the end of the Rosary.
Prayer Aids
Even when you are in an unfamiliar place, it is vital to maintain your daily prayer routine. This will help begin each day with joy and end each day with peace. Whether you are in the car, in a tent, or in a condo, add a little time with the Lord to your itinerary each day of vacation.
Pack along any and all prayer aids you usually use, to ensure that prayer happens on vacation:
- Bible
- Magnificat (also downloadable on your phone)
- Devotional
- Journal
Faith-Based Reads
All of us love a good beach read, to leisurely enjoy on vacation, don’t we? How about selecting a faith-based novel to quench your thirst for a good story?
- Autor Stephanie Landsem has a wonderful trilogy of Biblical fiction called The Living Water Series. Her newest novel, In a Far-Off Land, takes place in 1930s Hollywood, and is inspired by the Biblical account of the prodigal son.
- The Sword and Serpent Trilogy by Dr. Taylor Marshall takes us back to the time of the earliest Christians and Roman persecutions. Learn about the lives of Saint George, Saint Christopher, Saint Nicholas, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, and more (before they were Saints) in this adventurous tale.
- Teens can explore a variety of summer reading options at Catholic Teen Books—from historical fiction to contemporary and dystopian.
- Kids of all ages will enjoy reading about the saints in the five volumes of Saints Chronicles.
Fun Activities for the Whole Family
To pass the time in the car or on a plane, bring along fun activities with a faith twist. Here are a few to consider:
Easy Evangelization
Traveling can be a fun way to share our Catholic faith. Maybe it is even a good way to practice being more outwardly Catholic, as we most likely will not see the people we encounter ever again. We can do this subtly and simply.
- Affix a Catholic car decal to the back window
- Have the whole family wear Catholic t-shirts
- Decorate your suitcase or water bottle with fun Catholic stickers.
What do you bring on vacation to ensure that you stay grounded in your relationship with the Lord? Share your suggestions in the comments below!
Your Spiritual Packing List for Summer Trips #BISblog //Click to tweet
Sarah Damm is a regular contributor to the BIS blog. She is a Catholic wife and mother of six children, living in Minnesota. She spends her days running errands, helping with homework, and keeping up with laundry and the family schedule. Sarah loves her faith, coffee, and good books. You can find out more about her here. Read all of Sarah's posts here.
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