St. Mary's Church Elizabeth, IL

9/27

The Sabbath rest isn't optional

READ HEBREWS, CHAPTER 4, VERSES 1 TO 10

The Sabbath is a typical and fundamental Jewish practice, a touchstone of Judasim:  "More than the Jews have kept the Sabbath, the Sabbath has kept the Jews" (Asher Hirsch Ginsber, 1856-1927), a leading scholar of Judaism in Eastern Europe).  When opening their weekly celebration, Jews hail the Sabbath, both as a Queen and a Bride.

     Why speak of the Sabbath here, since we are not Jews and since our Sundays are celebrated on the first day of the week in remembrance of the Ressurection of Christ, and not on the seventh day!  Because, as the author of Hebrews reminds us we, the followers of Christ are invited to welcome the "Sabbath rest" that God has in store for us:  "A Sabbath rest still remains for the people God...Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest..."

                            "A Sabbath rest still remains for the people of God."

                                                                                                                   Hebrews 4:9

     As the author of Hebrews rightly reminds us, the Sabbath is more than a human matter.  In agreement with the Bible and with Judaism, the author's views are first and foremost theological.  The Sabbath is what it is, a day of rest, because God himself rested from his work of creation.

     There is then a sabbatical rest for Christians that I meant to connect us both ot God and his work of creation.  It shouls be a time and opportunity for us to be reminded of our vocation toward creation and to enjoy what we have been privileged to accomplish.  A time also to decide wheather or not we want to listen to the word of God and then have a share in God's rest.

     How can I make my Sunday days in which I enter God's rest?

Prayer Starter:  Lord of the Sabbath, we than  you for always keeping open the promise of entering your rest.  May our desire to reach it keep growing every day.

LAMB OF GOD

Just before receiving the Body of Christ in Communion during Mass, the congregation repeats three times:  "Lamb of God, you take away...".  "Lamb of God" is the title given to Christ by John the Baptist.  It also appears several times in the New Testament.  It reminds us that Jesus is the Lamb of New Covenant and we were ransomed with the precious blood of Christ.  The simultaneous breaking of the bread during Mass and the repeating of the invocation stresses the unity, "for we all partake of the one loaf" (1Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 17).

Fr. Joachim