Enjoy St. Luke's Little Summer with Rock Art and More

Last year, the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist fell on an unseasonably warm day here - a truly "St. Luke's Little Summer" sort of day.  Thus, we combined an excursion to our favorite "lazy river" with a feast day celebration, thereby enjoying an afternoon filled with faith, friendship, and fun.

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This year, it looks like St. Luke's Day will once again bring beautiful weather, so as we plan to enjoy another outdoor celebration with friends making rock art to leave behind for others.  This seems an ideal (and easy!) activity to enjoy for St. Luke's day, since St. Luke is patron to artists and painters,  his name means "bringer of light" and he was an evangelist among gentiles.  Creating rock art with faith-based images and messages on them and leaving them behind to brighten other's days can help share a bit of light and the love of God.  

A Look Back at Our Our St. Luke's Day at the Lazy River

Last year, as I mentioned, we ended up spending St. Luke's day outside enjoying the incredibly warm fall weather we were having. 

However, it was not just warm weather, it was unusual King Tide weather.  So, when we arrived at the beach, we found the King Tide was causing the parking lot to flood.

Thus - much to my amusement - while we waited for friends to arrive, my children decided to get to work right away building dams. 

Meanwhile, St. Luke (in peg doll form) watched over us.

Soon enough, the waters in the lot began to recede a bit, and our friends arrived, so we walked out onto the beach.

As we trekked down to the typically lazy river, we were surprised by how high the tide was. We'd never seen it so far up on the beach before.

Luckily, the "Give One - Take One" rocks my daughter had left on an earlier excursion were high enough up on the beach to escape the King Tide, and some still sat ready to greet passersby.

Then, when we got to the lazy river, we found the tide had made it more of a lazy river-lake. 

That was A-okay with the kiddoes.  

They enjoyed the warm ocean water caught in the deep tidal pool.

Meanwhile, I found a high bank to set up our St. Luke's Feast Day picnic on.  For it, we used a lace tablecloth atop our picnic blanket, since St. Luke is patron to lacemakers and set out our St. Luke peg doll and the Picture Book of Saints.  

Most of our fare was not so much symbolic as easy to take along to the beach, although I did make mini-meatballs since St. Luke is patron to butchers and is often symbolized by a winged calf.  These did not make it into the picture though as the boys scoffed them right up as soon as they saw me taking them out. 
 

So, it was onto prayers, lunch, and a reading and chat about St. Luke.

Then, it was time for more lazy river fun for the children while I packed the food away and out out Sharpies, paper, color sticks, and a few rocks.

And, oh the fun they had!

The lazy river was not so lazy at times...

After they children had enjoyed riding the current for some time, I invited them back to the blankets and suggested we make artwork to leave on the beach for others to find, since St. Luke was an evangelist and is also patron to artists and painters.

Some of us made Mary rocks, since St. Luke was said to have painted a number of images of Mary and Baby Jesus.

My oldest made Armor of God rocks.

Friends made artwork on rocks and paper, too.

After that, it was time for more fun straight through the golden hour.

It was truly a delight-filled celebration, and, this year, although we won't be returning to the lazy river on St. Luke's feast day, we intend to evangelize by rock out made outside again after Mass and co-op.

Perhaps where you are will experience St. Luke's Little Summer, as well, and be able to use our idea of creating rock art in honor of St. Luke's patronage and leaving it behind to brighten other's day's, in honor of St. Luke's name meaning "bringer of light" and of him being an evangelist.

Three More Ideas for the Feast Day

• Enjoy a Name Day Tea
• Utilize any o all of the ideas from my St. Luke's Round Up.
• Play Commissioned, or another game about the spread of the early church.

St. Luke, pray for us.