We’re a very busy family. Too busy. My weekdays are packed with work, chores, phone calls, emails, projects, diaper changes, feedings, cleaning, play time, programming, flockNote help desk, walking the dog, chasing the cat, paying the bills, and making lists of the things I’ve yet to do but will never get to. Weeknights are more of the same. On a rare occasion we find the time for a meal, a bit of sleep, perhaps some exercise and nowhere near enough prayer. Saturday, if we’re not out of town, maybe I’ll get just enough yard work done to keep the HOA away for another week.
Ok, maybe it’s not quite that bad all the time – but it is far too close to that. Either way, come Sunday, assuming I have no work deadlines to make, I’m ready to relax. I finally get some time for me. I can hit up Mass, watch some Football, maybe play some golf, go out to lunch, catch a movie and otherwise do whatever I want to do. After all – after a long hard week, I deserve it, right?
Recently I’ve been reassessing. Is this what God meant by keeping holy the Sabbath? Something he thought important enough to make one of the ten commandments?
Not that those things I mentioned doing on Sunday are necessarily unholy, but aside from Mass, am I doing them in the right spirit? Am I truly giving that day to the Lord? Or am I taking it for myself?
We spend so much time working and packing our weeks full of activity, that when we finally get to the day we aren’t supposed to work – Sunday – we have a little trouble giving it up. Yet that is precisely what we’re commanded to do.
It seems I’m quite comfortable using Sunday as an excuse not to do the things I don’t want to do. But it often stops there. Do you ever get the same feeling? Is Sunday the Lord’s Day or Your day? What are some ways we can better celebrate Sunday as the Lord’s Day?
Loading ...
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
We’ve turned Sunday’s into friends and family days. For example yesterday, we started out with Faith Formation for our child making her first communion, then attended a Latin Mass, followed by a parish potluck with 2 talks by our priest about apologetics and catechism. After that we usually end up at a friend’s house for games, food and a rosary. We usually discuss past homily’s, books we’ve read, etc. and have a wonderful day. Thanks be to God.
Sometimes I really miss my Steubie U Sundays sometimes! We would go to Mass and just invite home anyone and everyone for Sunday brunch. Then we would have impromptu praise and worship for an hour or so. Good times, and good point in your article. =)