How do you celebrate the Sabbath?

[char1963]

As recent revelations have led me back to the 10 commandments , I decided to start with really keeping the Sabbath. As I am following Jesus’ example, I have decided to celebrate from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. The trouble is I dont even know how! I have some general ideas, but I was hoping that other Sabbath keepers ( whether its Sat or Sun or even some other day of the week) could give me some suggestions. I am going to Church on Saturday and not do any unecessary work. Some things I have read, and Jesus modeled were healing the sick and tending to the needy.The trouble with that is since that is sort of what I do all week, doing that on my day of rest is sort of missing the point. Since I love animals , I wondered if ministering to them in some way would be approriate. Praising God and spending time appreciating his creations also come to mind. Since this is my very first day of Sabbath keeping, I have already made mistakes and run into temptation. I was not properly prepared houseworkwise and had to explain to my husband that I did not want to go the store or discuss our finances until tomorrow evening. On the other hand, knowing that tomorrow I am free to rest and worship God is a joyous feeling!

 

[ProVobis]

You bring up an interesting point. Can Catholics consider Saturday as the day to keep holy and workfree instead of Sunday? I can see where allowing you to fulfill your Sunday obligation on Saturday could lead one to treat the whole day as the Sabbath but does this really hold? After all only the EVE of Sunday is addressed in Canon Law. I would like to hear the answer from a theologian, which I’m not.

To answer your other questions, I don’t see where those can’t be used to keep holy the Lord’s Day. I like your idea about animals, though, since I have three cats and I understand the Pope also spends much time with them.

 

[thecross]

I don’t keep the Sabbath, most of the Roman Catholics don’t celebrate the Sabbath either. We celebrate the Ressurection of the Lord and the Decent of the Holy Spirit on Sundays, the day after the Sabbath. The Catholic Church celebrate the Sabbath on Sundays. We do have a Sundays service on Saturday evenings. Our day of rest is on Sundays!!!
I am an Eucharistic Minister on Saturday evening Mass; and I also enjoy sleeping in on Sunday and resting all day.

 

[Corki]

You bring up an interesting point. Can Catholics consider Saturday as the day to keep holy and workfree instead of Sunday? I can see where allowing you to fulfill your Sunday obligation on Saturday could lead one to treat the whole day as the Sabbath but does this really hold? After all only the EVE of Sunday is addressed in Canon Law. I would like to hear the answer from a theologian, which I’m not.

To answer your other questions, I don’t see where those can’t be used to keep holy the Lord’s Day. I like your idea about animals, though, since I have three cats and I understand the Pope also spends much time with them.

I am not a theologian but I think you can’t do “instead of” and still be fulfilling the precept of the Church to avoid servile work on Sundays. You could do both though.

 

[Lycorth]

I don’t celebrate the Sabbath either; Christ fulfilled that and now we celebrate Mass on Sundays, or the vigil of Sunday, which is Saturday. Marking the old Sabbath is unnecessary and, honestly, sacrilegious, as it is a religious practice that is not Christian.

 

[ProVobis]

You could do both though.

As long as your boss approves.

 

[Lancer]

Simply…we as Christians do not keep the Sabbath…we keep the Lord’s Day (Sunday) Holy. I believe these two paras. of the CCC clarify…

Sunday - fulfillment of the sabbath
2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ’s Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man’s eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ:107

Those who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope, no longer keeping the sabbath, but the Lord’s Day, in which our life is blessed by him and by his death.108 2176 The** celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart** to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship "as a sign of his universal beneficence to all."109 Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people.

So, the Lord’s Day (Sunday)…can begin with the Vigil on Saturday, i.e., the Saturday Vigil Mass …normally @ the sundown time period…this Vigil Mass is considered equal to the Sunday Holy Mass…thus it fulfills our Catholic Church precept to attend Mass on all Sundays…and …it fulfills the Old Testament Commandment to Keep Holy the Sabbath (The Lord’s Day for Christians)…which for Christians is seen as a natural law written on everyone’s heart…because Christians are not bound by the Old Testament Mosaic Laws or obligations anymore (Saint Paul is very clear on this in several letters…esp. Romans):

Romans 2:14 (New International Version)

14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law,

Romans 3:20 (New International Version)

20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Romans 3:28 (New International Version)

28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

Also, since the last Mass of the Lord’s Day ends @ 7:00 P.M. on
Sunday evening…this seem to fit the ancient custom of the Holy Day beginning at sundown the day-before and ending sundown the day of…close enough to honor the custom without being bound by the O.T./Mosaic Law.

Pax Christi

 

[bpbasilphx]

\I decided to start with really keeping the Sabbath. As I am following Jesus’ example, I have decided to celebrate from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.\

**Sabbath observance was NEVER obligatory upon Gentiles.

Galatians has some choice words and warning for those Gentile Christians who think to pick up Jewish practices. In short, “If you accept circumcision [which is shorthand for Jewish practices], then Christ will do you NO GOOD.”

Besides, the commandment as given has NEVER been about worship.**

 

[char1963]

"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." Isaiah 58:13-14

How can I not want to celebrate that no matter which day?

 

[Tantum_ergo]

"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." Isaiah 58:13-14

How can I not want to celebrate that no matter which day?

Matthew 12: 1. At that time Jesus went through the corn on the sabbath: and his disciples being hungry, began to pluck the ears, and to eat. 2 And the Pharisees seeing them, said to him: Behold thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days. 3 But he said to them: Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him: 4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the loaves of proposition, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for them that were with him, but for the priests only? 5 Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple break the sabbath, and are without blame?
6 But I tell you that there is here a greater than the temple. 7 And if you knew what this meaneth: I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: you would never have condemned the innocent. 8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath.

 

[prodigalson12]

"If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, **nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: **

Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." Isaiah 58:13-14

How can I not want to celebrate that no matter which day?

Good point

 

[white_sheep]

You bring up an interesting point. Can Catholics consider Saturday as the day to keep holy and workfree instead of Sunday?

No. That would be a heretical view. You can’t make up your own rules.

I think it is Acts 2 where the apostles changed the day of worship. Under whose authority could I change it back?

 

[Shin]

We celebrate the Lord’s Day as a day of rest… and contemplation of God… dedicated to Him…

It is in many ways our guiding day… to bring us more greatly into the contemplative life… and for us then to carry that with us for the rest of the week…

Every day truly should be as dedicated to the Lord as we can make it. But Sunday, will always be special.

Forbidden servile labor… called to the Holy Mass…

We cannot go back to the old ways, and deny the new, that is true. But we can bring what we learned from the old to the new.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in paths of righteousness for his name sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

 

[Shin]

As recent revelations have led me back to the 10 commandments , I decided to start with really keeping the Sabbath. As I am following Jesus’ example, I have decided to celebrate from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. The trouble is I dont even know how! I have some general ideas, but I was hoping that other Sabbath keepers ( whether its Sat or Sun or even some other day of the week) could give me some suggestions. I am going to Church on Saturday and not do any unecessary work. Some things I have read, and Jesus modeled were healing the sick and tending to the needy.The trouble with that is since that is sort of what I do all week, doing that on my day of rest is sort of missing the point. Since I love animals , I wondered if ministering to them in some way would be approriate. Praising God and spending time appreciating his creations also come to mind. Since this is my very first day of Sabbath keeping, I have already made mistakes and run into temptation. I was not properly prepared houseworkwise and had to explain to my husband that I did not want to go the store or discuss our finances until tomorrow evening. On the other hand, knowing that tomorrow I am free to rest and worship God is a joyous feeling!

May I suggest spending some time in meditative prayer? I.e. take a book of meditations and set aside some time to read a portion of it then pray about it, while turning it over in your mind?

I’m always going back to St. Francis’s meditations. And I am trying to gather more and make my own from inspirational quotations.

The Psalms are good to pray…

Take the day slower… don’t let anything disturb your peace… Don’t do unnecessary physical labor (mowing the lawn, etc.) or shopping that can be done tomorrow or the day before…

Contemplate nature… sit with a book…

For a Catholic I would say… go early and stay late at the Sunday mass… sit in the pew and adore Christ in the tabernacle… or read a prayerbook for awhile… if the church is kept open… it’s a peaceful place to stay. And you miss out on your weekly brush with death in the parking lot. Too.

 

[peary1]

It’s Saturday. I go out and have fun!

 

[char1963]

“Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as you love yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matt 22:37-40)

Wouldn’t the first part include include keeping the Sabbath day, which was made for man and who Jesus said he was Lord of?

Perhaps a clarification of my perception of the Sabbath is necessary. My understanding is it is a day ( a 24 hour period) to give over to the Lord. To rest from our everyday labours and spend our time contemplating His wonders.To praise and worship Him. Also, we may attend to others physical and spiritual needs.

Whether we do it on Saturday, Sunday or some other day wasnt my actual question

 

[Ultima_Ratio]

“Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as you love yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matt 22:37-40)

Wouldn’t the first part include include keeping the Sabbath day, which was made for man and who Jesus said he was Lord of?

Perhaps a clarification of my perception of the Sabbath is necessary. My understanding is it is a day ( a 24 hour period) to give over to the Lord. To rest from our everyday labours and spend our time contemplating His wonders.To praise and worship Him. Also, we may attend to others physical and spiritual needs.

Whether we do it on Saturday, Sunday or some other day wasnt my actual question

I agree with you. I think, in addition to the minimal requirements of attending Mass and not performing servile work, we should try to find ways of dedicating the entire day more to the things of God. By just doing the minimum we may fulfill the letter of the law, but not necessarily its spirit. By trying to dedicate the entire day to the things of God, we will be fulfilling both.

 

[peary1]

“Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbour as you love yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matt 22:37-40)

Wouldn’t the first part include include keeping the Sabbath day, which was made for man and who Jesus said he was Lord of?

Perhaps a clarification of my perception of the Sabbath is necessary. My understanding is it is a day ( a 24 hour period) to give over to the Lord. To rest from our everyday labours and spend our time contemplating His wonders.To praise and worship Him. Also, we may attend to others physical and spiritual needs.

Whether we do it on Saturday, Sunday or some other day wasnt my actual question

Christians are not under the Old Law. They are not under any obligation to keep the Sabbath as do the Jews. We keep the “Lord’s Day” which is Sunday, the first day of the week.

 

[char1963]

Perhaps I should rephrase the question then. How do you celebrate the Lord’s day?

 

[stuart12]

The Sabbath (Saturday) was for the Old Covenant. As it was the last day of the week it recalled God’s first creation, but since Christ our Lord rose from the dead on a Sunday (The Lord’s Day), a new creation is brought about, which we remember.

As a Catholic, you are obligated to observe the Lord’s day, by attending Mass (on Sunday itself or the vigil), refraining from unnecessary servile work and by making more time for prayer.