How Do You Sabbath, My Friends?

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FossilResin

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My friends! I’m-a make “sabbath” a verb: “to sabbath” 😁 How do you sabbath? More seriously, how are we actually expected to observe the sabbath reverently? I never hear about “keeping the sabbath” at church anymore 😦 Honestly I think our cousins the Jews still have the right idea with how lovingly they do it. Jesus being Lord of the Sabbath, taking life-saving liberties with it as He did, should be all the more reason to keep it holy. I want to give the sabbath to God completely, but I’m afraid we’re treating it as if it is of no importance.
 
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Do you mean the Saturday Sabbath, or the Lord’s Day on Sunday?

If the latter, we keep it holy by attending Mass, praying, and reconnecting with the LORD.
 
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Do Catholics now use the term “Sabbath” to mean Sunday? If they do, I suspect that must be a fairly recent change. In Ecclesiastical Latin, Sabbatum is Saturday. Sunday is Dies dominica, the Lord’s day.
 
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaanhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Please not another ‘let’s make a noun into a verb by adding ‘to’ in front of it’.

Please.

What’s wrong with:

How do you celebrate Sabbath?
How do you practice the Sabbath?
How do you perceive the Sabbath?
How do you understand the Sabbath?

I’m probably the only person in world since Nero Wolfe left us to eschew using ‘impact’ as a verb. . . so I believe I will eschew Sabbathing, along with ‘healthing’, and any other ‘nouning’. Please don’t take offense, and enjoy the thread --but may its answers be so full and helpful that this thread ends quickly.
 
If we add ‘ing’ it becomes a verbal noun.

Tomorrow I will go sabbathing in the park.
 
Woah. Uhm… ok, everybody, please take a breath.
  1. As for my lighthearted use of “sabbath” as a verb, I’m really just being playful. Really.
  2. If “sabbath” isn’t a universally Christian term, I wasn’t aware of it. I honestly was under the impression that “the sabbath” and “the Lord’s day” were the same thing, just with some changes through time.
  3. As for the Christian sabbath, yeah, I mean Sunday.
  4. I was under the impression that both Jews AND Christians are still commanded to “remember the Lord’s Day (the sabbath) and keep it holy.” If one is a Christian, how then can you not keep the sabbath?
  5. Yes, attending mass, praying and reconnecting with the Lord are obviously great starting places for Sabbath/The Lord’s Day. My question is more about what else we could traditionally do to make the day special, what customs are there in our Catholic history that we could really enjoy reviving. It’s very tempting for people to just rush in and out of mass because they don’t see the whole day as holy.
I hope this clarifies things.
 
That triggers you, does it, @stpurl?

I used to find the verb “to gift” irritating in that way, until I noticed that M. R. James uses it in one of his ghost stories, first published in 1911. I’m more tolerant now of “gifting”, though I still don’t use it myself.
 
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While I wouldn’t expect Catholics to go all out like the Jews do, I could see some wonderful traditions develop if one wanted to.

For families, consider it a day for sharing family stories, bible stories, Saints stories or catholic history stories.

For singles, a day to to read about Saints, history or the Bible.

For all, to take walks through the neighborhood and perhaps meet and chat with neighbors.

Take nature walks weather permitting.

Gather with friends and watch an old movie, discussing it afterwards.

Most of all, a day to turn off the computers, phones and TV. Play some board games or cook as a group and then, of course, eat it!

Add anything else that connects you to family and friends without electronics or long travel involved.
 
I try to keep Sunday as a day apart. I go to Mass, may go out to eat, may spend time with friends and just generally relax. I don’t go shopping, run errands, or do chores around the house.
 
Go to Mass, read the Scriptures or other religious writings, pray the Rosary or some other prayers that resonate with you, spend time with your loved ones, engage in wholesome activities and light entertainment, do a kindness to someone who needs one, refrain from any unnecessary shopping or commerce, refrain from heavy housework or laborious chores… the list goes on.

Bottom line, keep in mind that the day is special, and treat it that way.
 
Well, I work that day… After my shift I go home and straight to bed. Then I wake up and go to 4pm Mass.
 
Working in the railroad industry, I may have to work that day. The transportation industry is 24/7.

Either way, I make sure to go to mass first thing in the morning.
 
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I was just reading an essay about incorporating Sabbath practice into every day - setting aside holy moments for extra prayer, spending time with family free from work distractions, etc.
 
jimmymac said:
I recognize that Saturday is the biblical day. And the Sunday 1st day is a Catholic day.
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Sunday is not a “Catholic day”. We do not call it the Sabbath. We celebrate the resurrection of the Lord on Sunday.
 
jimmymac said:
I recognize that Saturday is the biblical day. And the Sunday 1st day is a Catholic day.
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Where do you get your thinking from? Are you a Catholic or not? Your profile says Cathol. Don’t know if that’s a joke or not.
ALL Christians, Catholic and non-Catholic keep the Lord’s day which is a Sunday. Christians do not keep the Sabbath which is a Saturday.
If you are a Catholic or non-Catholic Christian you would know this.
 
FossilResin said:
sabbath” isn’t a universally Christian term, I wasn’t aware of it. I honestly was under the impression that “the sabbath” and “the Lord’s day” were the same thing, just with some changes through time.
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The Sabbath as observed by Jews is on Saturday. Christians are not required to observe it. Our “sabbath” (or day of rest) falls on Sunday, the Lord’s Day. Some Christians do observe the Sabbath on Saturday, but that is not Catholic teaching.
FossilResin said:
was under the impression that both Jews AND Christians are still commanded to “remember the Lord’s Day (the sabbath) and keep it holy.” If one is a Christian, how then can you not keep the sabbath?
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As stated above, the Christian sabbath is Sunday. We keep it holy by attending Mass. Presumably we spend the rest of the day in a state of prayer and rest.
FossilResin said:
My question is more about what else we could traditionally do to make the day special, what customs are there in our Catholic history that we could really enjoy reviving. It’s very tempting for people to just rush in and out of mass because they don’t see the whole day as holy.
Click to expand...
There is no harm in importing Jewish (or other) traditions, if you wish. Personally I find spending Sunday without electronics to be refreshing. You can also, if you like, refrain from driving, so walk to Mass shall you. You can light candles Saturday at sunset to celebrate the coming of the Lord’s Day, etc…
(Disclaimer: I am not versed enough in Judaism to ascertain whether all Jewish sects observe these rules. Perhaps @Pattylt can help).
 
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I have heard that we should rest from things like washing clothes on a Sunday but never that we should rest from other stuff we do during mon-sat. Why is it ok to play music all days but not wash clothes all days?
 
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