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It’s Day 283!!
A DAY OF GRACE AND REST FROM WORK
We are coming to the conclusion of the Third Commandment as well as the Commandments that are directly related to God
There are some aspects of the Third Commandment that can be convicting
There are some aspects that will make us wonder what it means for us
That is really really good
If this command to rest from work doesn’t just land on me, it actually lands on how I live my life because are we choosing to spend our Sundays in such a way that we are forcing other people to work?
Then we may need to make an evaluation of how we spend the day of rest, the Lord’s Day
So many of us resist the commandment to be a day of rest and grace
So our rebellious hearts need to be surrendered to the Lord
Let’s pray!!
Prayer by Fr. Mike “Father in Heaven, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, I ask you to please send your Holy Spirit in this moment. Send your Holy Spirit into this next time of listening to your Church explain to us how you are calling us to live out the Commandments. Particularly the command to rest, to not be a slave, to rest from servile work, and to rest from allowing these idols in our lives to become powerful. Lord God, we ask you to help us kill our idols so that you can be the true God in our lives. We make this prayer in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen”
So there we have it!!
Every one of these Commandments has something to convict us
This part of the Third Commandment goes against how we live our lives in the West
We have non-stop work and activity
You might even say that we have made activity an idol
You might even say that we have made work an idol
The context for entering into rest is that we are slaves no longer
We have been set free
So we have to live as free beings
Paragraph 2184 says, “Just as God ‘rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done,’ human life has a rhythm of work and rest. The institution of the Lord’s Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives.”
How much time is there for family in our day and age?
There is so little time
Back in the day, there were no sporting events on Sunday
And now Sunday is no longer off limits
Sunday is just another day you get to take advantage of an all-day tournament schedule
Paragraph 2185 says, “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body. Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it that the legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health. The charity of truth seeks holy leisure; the necessity of charity accepts just work.”
If we work in such a way that it takes away from our ability to get to Mass, we need to avoid that
The Commandment is not that you can’t work or do strenuous things or engage in labor
It is to avoid SERVILE LABOR
If you are going to garden, it is probably because you enjoy gardening
If you are going to work on house projects, it is probably because you enjoy doing house projects
The goal is not avoiding work
The goal is entering into rest
How many of us have cultivated the Lord’s Day as a day to perform the works of mercy?
What are the works of mercy?
FEEDING THE HUNGRY
CLOTHING THE NAKED
VISITING THE SICK AND ELDERLY
Etc.
In our world, it is so rare that you find a family or individual who say that Sunday is a day for works of mercy
Sundays are still only 24 hours long so chances are, you can’t do all these things on one Sunday
How do we incorporate these things into our lives?
If you are the primary breadwinner of your household and in order to make ends meet, your boss says you have to come into the office on Sunday
That is a family need and obligation you might have
That might legitimately excuse you from this particular Sunday
At the same time, it is upon us to be able tell the boss we would like Sundays off because it is important to exercise our religion
We are called to worship
We are called to rest
We are called to enter into family life
If you ask your boss and they still schedule you on Sunday, that could be a legitimate excuse for not entering into rest and worship
Be careful that legitimate excuse does not lead into habit
Paragraph 2186 says, “Those Christians who have leisure should be mindful of their brethren who have the same needs and the same rights, yet cannot rest from work because of poverty and misery. Sunday is traditionally consecrated by Christian piety to good works and humble service of the sick, the infirm, and the elderly. Christians will also sanctify Sunday by devoting time and care to their families and relatives, often difficult to do on other days of the week. Sunday is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life.”
Sometimes the temptations is to get ourselves and our house in order
In the 2,000 year history of The Catholic Church, Sunday is the day that we serve others
Sunday is the day that we perform those acts of mercy and love for those who need them
What if we looked at Sunday as the kind of day of entering into worship and entering into rest and a day where we have good works and humble service of the sick, the infirm, and elderly?
Families are so scattered right now
Maybe Sunday can be a phone call day for grandma and grandpa
Or mom and dad
Or to your siblings
Sunday can be an incredible day for spending time together
It is an opportunity to rest, worship, and rhea out to family
Let’s listen to Fr. Mike talk about his trips to Israel…
There is something in the human heart that longs for resting with family
If you could do that, why not do that?
Paragraph 2187 says, “Sanctifying Sundays and holy days requires a common effort. Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord’s Day. Traditional activities (sport, restaurants, etc.), and social necessities (public services, etc.), require some people to work on Sundays, but everyone should still take care to set aside sufficient time for leisure. With temperance and charity the faithful will see to it that they avoid the excesses and violence sometimes associated with popular leisure activities. In spite of economic constraints, public authorities should ensure citizens a time intended for rest and divine worship. Employers have a similar obligation toward their employees.”
If we go to a movie on Sunday, that means someone is working at that movie
If we go out to eat on Sunday that means someone is working at that restaurant
There is no black and white answer
The Church is not prohibiting sports or restaurants or movies
Isn’t there some point where we say that’s enough?
If there is anything that afflicts the human heart in the Western world in the 21st century it is the inability to say, “Enough.”
We always want to pack in our days with stuff
What if we worked together for an opportunity to do less
Let’s listen to Fr. Mike’s example about Fr. Bill Baer…
The idea was to train themselves to enter into rest
Why?
Because we are not slaves
We are free
Whether we do this as families or individuals
At some point on Saturday, set work aside
Enter into the Lord’s day and worship and rest
Worship and rest on Sunday morning
Call your family
At 1 or 2 pm pick up the work that may need to get done
You will carve out a time and space that belongs to the Lord
You exercise the NO muscle
The ability and capacity to say NO
The ability and capacity to say YES to God who commands this
We want to say we can’t do this
So start where you can
May Fr. Baer rest in peace
May all of us rest in this life
Fr. Mike is praying FOR YOU!!
Please pray for Fr. Mike and for each other!!
I cannot WAIT…
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