Living in Sabbath Time

“He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,
and went according to his custom 
into the synagogue on the sabbath day.
He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:
            The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
                        because he has anointed me 
                        to bring glad tidings to the poor.
            He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives
                        and recovery of sight to the blind,
                        to let the oppressed go free,
                        and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.
Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,
and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.
He said to them,
“Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21)
 
Keeping the Sabbath Day holy, in addition to being one of the Ten Commandments, is a longstanding custom born in Judaism and lived out in modern times by both Jews and Christians around the world. While the other days of the week deserve the God-given respect and attention they are given, the Sabbath is set apart to reflect on the previous six days and prepare for the days ahead. A day of rest affords “quality time” for reflecting and provides for the proper disposition to study and learn. Sunday Mass, safely nestled within The Lord’s Day, is the consummation of the “worship men offer to Christ”, and the ultimate expression of our faith.
 
In Catholicism, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is referred to as the “source and summit” of faith. In addition to the elements of bread and wine, the time during liturgy is consecrated (set aside) to receive God in the Word and in the Eucharist. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:
 
“The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that communion in the divine life and that unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God’s action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit.” (CCC 1325)
 
“Sabbath Time” can be partially experienced in daily life as we tend toward and flow from the Sunday Gathering. Consecrating times and places throughout the day for prayer can effectuate the rest needed for our spiritual health and restoration. While a nap is no substitute for eight hours of sleep, fifteen or twenty quiet minutes can go a long way toward supporting mental alertness. The same can hold true for the time we spend in prayer throughout the week.
 
Let us pray for the grace to enter into Sabbath rest at every opportunity throughout the days, weeks, months and years God gives us as we journey toward Heaven.