How many days did it take God to create the earth? Most people say 7 as they scan the pages of Genesis in their minds.
But no, it was 6. And on the 7th day, God took a break.
That Old Testament story no doubt inspired the rule that we must keep holy the Sabbath – the notion that on at least one day of the week, we should refrain from work and the busy-ness of our lives to rest and to ponder the works of God.
For us, that often involves going to Mass and then spending at least part of the day with family. But is it enough to simply visit with your kids?
Shouldn’t that visit also include a healthy discussion of religion?
(Cue screams of horror).
Religion? You don’t talk about religion. Or politics, right? That’s a sure fire way to end a pleasant visit
And yet … we must find a way to keep holy …
“So (insert child’s name) how is your relationship with Jesus these days?”
(Eyes rolling) … “Oh, we get along fine (insert judgmental parental name here). I pray all the time.”
(Older eyes rolling) … “Praying is fine, but are you going to Mass? Are you going to confession? Still hanging out with your heathen neighbors upstairs? When are you going to get a real job? When are you going to settle down and get married? Why can’t you be more like your sister?”
(Eyes squinting in anger) … “Well maybe I would do better if our Church would stop preaching so much on (insert controversial topic) and focus more on (insert feel good topic). And when are we going to start changing our beliefs on (insert subject of theological debate here).”
And thus, the conversation ends and we’ve satisfied our keep holy …
Or maybe not.
Such conversations don’t always go so bad. Sometimes they are good, healthy discussions about our spiritual journeys. Those are important and we need to keep trying.
Or maybe we keep holy … by visiting a friend or family member in a nursing home. Or a hospital. Or volunteer at a food pantry.
These things … these little acts of love and mercy … are important on any day of the week, not just the Sabbath. When they are done alongside family and friends on a Sunday, it can be even better.
But here is the problem. What happens if your boss asks you to work on Sunday? Or what if Sunday is the only sunny day of the week and your grass has grown to your shoulders. You need to mow!
We all get busy and we all need to respond, no matter the day.
In today’s gospel, Jesus is being put to the test by those who demand absolute adherence to this holy command. Even when a fellow human is suffering, Jesus is not to perform any miracles on this holy day, or so the law would demand.
He does it anyway. And the plotting begins.
This story, like others about this topic of the Sabbath, shows Jesus consistently preached a little moderation and less judgmental nit-picking by those seeking to trap us in the letters of the law – especially when it involves sowing love and compassion or coming to the aid of another.
We may struggle these days about what exactly it means to keep holy … but that’s a good struggle to have. Rather than simply ignore the commandment, it’s imperative that we instead find ways to “spend the day” with God. Of course, we should always have Him on our minds and our hearts – every day, every hour, every moment
But we do get busy.
And if the devil had his way, we’d be so busy that there would be no room for God at all.
Ah, but you’ve read this little reflection to this point, which means you were NOT too busy … at least not today.
Let us pray that we continue to find the time and inspiration to keep holy … in our own special way … this very special day.
And every day, for that matter.
