Vacation during Holy Week

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chopstocky

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My wife really wants to go away on vacation (likely to another country) during Holy Week before Easter as the kids have off from school. I am concerned that being away during Lent/Triduum is not observing that season properly (maintaining a spirit of sacrifice and solemnity, keeping God first, etc). I am just not sure spending the week at a resort is the best use of that particular week. My wife maintains that balancing family time and time off from school helps us bond. Mainly I do not want to offend God or violate any Church standing on the matter (not sure if the Church has any opinion on such a thing), and I want to teach my children respect for the liturgical season. If we do go I would want to make sure a Church is nearby for services.

Am I over-thinking this?
 
I don’t think you are over-thinking it, I agree with you. If I did go away, though, I would choose somewhere peaceful where my family and I can keep good Friday solemn, while fasting and abstaining from meat (not Disney World/Six Flags/ Universal/ places with lots of music and concerts etc etc etc) and just make sure Good Friday is respectful, that we can go to Mass for Easter Sunday of course, and try to make it to other services as well, but if not do a Via Crucis on Good Friday, etc. I woudl enjoy celebrating Easter Sunday though :).
 
The first few options she looked at had us away for Palm Sunday weekend through to the morning of Good Friday. So we would be back for services on Good Friday and Easter weekend (I also hope to keep up the First Friday and Saturday devotions that weekend). So it would mainly be Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday Mass with continuing the fasting throughout.
 
Would making a pilgrimage or vacationing to a region that traditionally observes Holy Week be an option?
 
Where does she want to go?
I’d google the options for Catholic Churches at your destination and plan accordingly.
 
pianistclare said:
Where does she want to go?
I’d google the options for Catholic Churches at your destination and plan accordingly.
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Exactly:thumbsup:

Any time we leave town, whether for a few days or a long time, part of the planning process is to locate a Church and its Mass Schedules…it has been easy in Mexico and Italy, of course, was a little tougher in early post-soviet Eastern Europe when we travelled frequently to Slovokia, Hungary, and Latvia, and proofed challenging when we lived in Taiwan and SKorea, but if it’s important enough, you’ll find a way.

And, unlike one poster suggested, I wouldn’t worry about where your trip takes you, whether its Las Vegas or Vatican City, you can still have fun and serve the Lord!
 
Go to Rome 🙂 I went during the week lent began and it was great. It’s pretty cheap as well, once you’re actually IN the city. The plane flights in are expensive.
 
chopstocky said:
My wife really wants to go away on vacation (likely to another country) during Holy Week before Easter as the kids have off from school. I am concerned that being away during Lent/Triduum is not observing that season properly (maintaining a spirit of sacrifice and solemnity, keeping God first, etc). I am just not sure spending the week at a resort is the best use of that particular week. My wife maintains that balancing family time and time off from school helps us bond. Mainly I do not want to offend God or violate any Church standing on the matter (not sure if the Church has any opinion on such a thing), and I want to teach my children respect for the liturgical season. If we do go I would want to make sure a Church is nearby for services.

Am I over-thinking this?
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Catholicism is a very universal religion. Unless you are going to Antarctica or a Muslim country or China, I would think you should not have a problem. You might even find a more serious and devout observance of Holy days depending on where you go. America is not known for it’s Catholicism…
 
To be clear I will only go someplace where we have access to a Catholic Church, during Holy Week at least. To do otherwise would be unthinkable to me.

My issue is more about whether to be in ‘vacation-mode’ during that week at all. I am reading from the comments that the suggestions would be getting to Mass on the Holy Days is what’s important. What about the rest of the time? What would you do in that situation?
 
Well, there’s Mass and the reading of the Passion on Palm Sunday. Then, they are “free” so to speak until Holy Thursday, which is the first day of the Triduum, but not a Holy Day of Obligation. One of my most favorite Masses of the year. Then, Good Friday, Stations at 3 maybe, or a Communion service with the Passion in the evening. Again, not a Holy Day of Obligation, but most worthy to attend. They are arriving home in time for Easter Sunday. I’m assuming they don’t have a friend or relative coming into the Church at the Vigil Mass.
Room for vacation and plenty of opportunities for worship. Again, check the local churches at the destination.
 
I would go. Once the kids are in school, there are so few opportunities to get away and have fun as a family. Remember that your family is the domestic Church, so doing things that cultivate your relationships with one another IS glorifying Christ. Your family is your mission field - it’s okay to do things to strengthen it during Holy Week! Like the others have said, make sure you have access to a parish so you can make the necessary Mass times, and go enjoy your kids and your wife. You can still be reverent to Christ and aware of His sacrifice and enjoy some downtime with the family.
 
While the Church gives us encouragement to love to our utmost, another role of the Church is to guard against “hyper-piety.” IOW, while we are never given maximum limits of love, we are given clear guidelines as to what, at minimum, displeases God (sin). This guards against people wondering if they don’t go “above and beyond the call of duty” that they are sinning. They aren’t. An example I give of this is the fasting laws for receiving Communion. You must fast an hour before receiving. Can you fast 3 hours before? Sure. Can you fast from the night before. Sure. However, should you feel like you are letting God down if you AREN’T fasting from the night before? No.

When it comes to the Triduum, there are no Holy Days of Obligation involved. It is good to go and participate, but other than the fasting and abstinence on Good Friday, we are not obliged to attend Mass. Of course, on Easter Sunday we are obliged to attend Mass.

So, if you and your family want to go vacation you can go knowing that you aren’t displeasing God. On Good Friday, you should abstain from meat and follow the prescribed fasting laws. If you want to augment this with other devotions, I’d recommend Stations of the Cross or the Liturgy of the Hours.
 
There are Catholic Churches everywhere … go on vacation … what better witness can you give your children that you are Catholic everywhere and everyday …

You don’t just pray over meals at home - but wherever you are - home or restaurants, when eating alone or with others -

You don’t just participate at Mass on Sundays when you are at home and there is noting better to do … but every Sunday - at home, at the Beach, in the US or in another country …

Think about the universal Church - experience Church … Jesus gave us the command to spread the Good News [Gospel] to every people and every nation … if you never leave home - you miss that concept …

We always check out where we will attend Mass when we are away from home - for work or vacation - The Mass - Jesus in the Eucharist - God’s Word proclaimed - that is the anchor - the center our week … that is who we are …

Wherever you go attend Passion Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil/Easter Sunday … show you family how important Jesus is … and how He is everywhere 👍
 
Avocadomom said:
I would go. Once the kids are in school, there are so few opportunities to get away and have fun as a family. Remember that your family is the domestic Church, so doing things that cultivate your relationships with one another IS glorifying Christ. Your family is your mission field - it’s okay to do things to strengthen it during Holy Week! Like the others have said, make sure you have access to a parish so you can make the necessary Mass times, and go enjoy your kids and your wife. You can still be reverent to Christ and aware of His sacrifice and enjoy some downtime with the family.
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This is an excellent point. What better way to glorify God than by incorporating prayerulness into what is sure to be extreme fond memories for your kids? I remember the minutest details about our family vacations because it was so, so special. If my parents had said the stations of the cross with me, that would’ve been an incredible “domestic church” moment. (I probably would’ve resisted at the time but looked back on it with maturity and appreciation later, like everything else.) Like other posters said, be with your family. Enrich each other. Keep the spirit of the liturgy in small ways, but don’t worry about having too much fun the Tuesday before Easter.
 
Good thread - thanks for it. Reminded me of when we went on a large cruise ship (Royal Caribbean) for vacation, and there was no Mass at all available out at sea on a Sunday (not Easter). Only a non-denominational type of Christian service was available. Very disappointing to learn this, to say the least. I had asked prior to going if there would be a Mass on Sunday, but they said they wouldn’t know for sure until the cruise was under way. Asked again the day before on the ship and was told no-- there were no Priests on board who could do one. Just something for anyone reading this to keep in mind if planning a cruise. Maybe some cruise lines assure a Sunday Catholic Mass (I hope so), but Royal Caribbean definitely didn’t, at least a few years ago. At the fairly high cost of cruises, it’s very sad that they can meticulously plan and cover all kinds of varied “entertainment” on board but not one single very important Sunday Catholic Mass.
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone! Especially the points where showing my family that Jesus is everywhere and celebrating the Mass in different countries would be special. I also talked to my Confessor about it and he said it was fine. I feel much better now. I think we are going to move forward with it.
 
As others have noted, it is importance to balance piety with family obligations. Ideally, from a liturgical and spiritual standpoint, Holy Week should indeed be a time of penance and reflection, but as fathers and husbands we also have to consider the practical needs of our families: how often are the kids available for a vacation? It should be easy enough to get to mass on Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday, if you plan ahead, and for the remainder of the days…even if vacationing, there are a number of things you could do as a family to foster respect for the liturgical season:
-Pray morning or evening prayer together as a family from the Liturgy of the Hours (the prayers and readings will reflect Holy Week and will help prepare your family for the celebration of the Easter Tridiuum).
-Pray the Rosary together as a family (I would suggest praying only the Sorrowful Mysteries for the duration of Holy Week - and then switching to the Glorious Mysteries for the Easter Octave the following week).
-Abstain from meat if feasible.
 
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