Note: On Tuesdays, you can find me at Your Daily Tripod, owned by my friend TonyD. A longer version of the post below appears there.
Sabbath.
Even reading or saying the word makes you smile and sigh a bit. The sibilant ess, the hard pair of b’s, and that closing th that almost 
begs to be followed by a deep breath and an “ah.” It gives you momentary peace.
In today’s Gospel reading from Mark 2, Jesus reminds the Pharisees what Sabbath is…and what it is not. It is a time of rest, not a time so chockfull of rules and admonitions that there can be no rest. In some ways, the Sabbath conditions placed on the children of Israel might be considered analogous to our own, personal “rules” about Sabbath: I’ll sit quietly after Mass… just as soon as my emails are all answered. I’ll say a rosary… just as soon as the groceries are bought and put away and the errands are run. I’ll reflect on the day’s readings… just as soon as I finish the laundry and the rest of my to-do list. Our priorities are out of whack. We forget that time with God and our replenishment so that we may share the Good News rank anything else on our lists.
The Catholic Catechism puts it this way: “If God ‘rested and was refreshed’ on the seventh day, man too ought to ‘rest’ and should let others, especially the poor, ‘be refreshed.’ The sabbath brings everyday work to a halt and provides a respite. It is a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money.
As someone who struggles to keep the Sabbath, on Sunday or any other day, I was moved recently when a dear friend, Letitia Suk, gave me a copy of Wayne Muller’s Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives. I had shared with Tish that I knew I was copping out to the concept of Sabbath by saying that I spend the time in activity honoring the Lord and so it’s all good. I read Sabbath slowly at two different retreat centers in a two-month period; too many distractions arose when I tried to read it at home. The book is rich with stories and advice from people, famous and otherwise, from a number of faith traditions. But the words that most resonated with me come early in the book:
Sabbath is more than the absence of work; it is not just a day off, when we catch up on television or errands. It is the presence of something that arises when we consecrate a period of time to listen to what is most deeply beautiful, nourishing, or true. … Sabbath does not require us to leave home, change jobs, go on retreat, or leave the world of ordinary life. We do not have to change clothes or purchase any expensive spiritual equipment. We only need to remember.
As for me, finding Sabbath in a familiar setting is still difficult. Maybe it is for you as well. May we remember what Jesus tells us in Mark 2—he’s in charge of Sabbath, and he desires us to find peace and joy in it—and Him.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Ah Melanie, I have been wondering how your Sabbath practice has been evolving. Good words. After all my years of observing this day, I still must intentionally each week, “Enter” Sabbath, not just “not do stuff.” In my very intense season of late, it has been my most precious day. Sort of like standing under a fountain when the previous six days have wrung you dry. I look forward to continuing this dialogue with you!
You’ve been in my prayers, dear friend. So glad you are still finding Sabbath. I’m finding more snippets of 15 minutes or a half hour each day. I’ll get there yet! More in person.