In today’s Gospel, Jesus refers to Himself as the “Lord of the Sabbath” and uses this authority to rebuke the Pharisees for their misplaced zeal in the observance of the Jewish Sabbath. Yet, His dominion over the Sabbath should also call us to reflect on our observance of the Sabbath and ask if we are truly allowing Christ to ‘reign’ over our sabbath.
Ancient Origins
The Jewish Sabbath originates from the 3rd of the Ten Commandments received by Moses:
Remember to keep the sabbath day holy. Six days for drudgery, for doing all the work thou hast to do; when the seventh day comes, it is a day of rest, consecrated to the Lord thy God. That day, all work shall be at an end, […]. It was six days the Lord spent in making heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them; on the seventh day he rested, and that is why the Lord has blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it. (Ex. 20:8-11)
God ties the reasoning for the Sabbath to special sanctity given to the seventh day in Creation and calls His Chosen People to join Him in His rest.
The Apostles understood clearly that a new day had been sanctified to replace the Saturday Sabbath: Sunday, the day of the Lord’s Resurrection. This shift also reflects a fundamental change that comes with Christ: The New Creation. The Jews rested with God on the seventh day when He was finished with the First Creation. Christians consecrate to God the first day of the New Creation Week.
A Human Necessity
In the ancient world where manual labor was an invariable necessity of life for many, this mandated day of rest served to ensure that all people had time to refresh their bodies, offer worship to God, and cultivate their higher faculties. This was a part of the reason for the much higher number of holy days of obligation in the past (20+) as those days (as well as all Sundays) carry the obligation to abstain from unnecessary manual labor. (CCC 2185)
In the modern world, while manual labor is not nearly as ubiquitous as in the past, the incessant fixation of productivity has filled its place. The necessity of a mandatory day of rest, therefore, has not diminished. It should be noted that recreation is a virtue (the virtue of eutrapelia) and therefore it will be uncomfortable if one has not practiced it. We will have to work to be comfortable not working. This does not mean that the day of rest is meant to be a day of ‘veggie-ing out.’ On the contrary, intentional rest and recreation enables one to work during the week with fresh strength. Intentional recreation activities include walking, reading, board games with family, painting, etc.
A Sacred Offering
It should also not be forgotten that rest is not the only goal of the ‘Lord’s Day.’
That is why the Lord has blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it. (Ex. 20:11)
Sunday is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life. (CCC 2186)
We must offer to the Lord of the Sabbath the first fruits of our week by dedicating to Him the first day of the week. Since Sunday is a day “consecrated to the Lord thy God,” (Ex. 20:10) we disengage from activities such as work and shopping as this day is for dealing with eternal concerns, not temporal ones; with man’s spiritual nature, not his animal one. This prioritization of God will require active effort to achieve (CCC 2187), but the fruits are guaranteed. St. Zelie Martin attributed the great success of her husband’s, St. Louis Martin, jewelry business to his fidelity to closing his shop on Sunday even though many people from out-of-town only came into town on Sunday. God will not fail to work with the man that rests with Him.
