“Keep holy the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8).” That is the one of the commandments given to the Israelites. The punishment of not obeying this was death. Thousands of years later, the punishment is still death. Not so much a physical death, but a spiritual one. Jesus warned us “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna (Matt 10:28).”
Sometimes we work so hard that we forget what we’re working for. Math homework is completed for a grade rather than increasing one’s knowledge. Going to Mass becomes something for your mom rather than expressing your love for God. And the list goes on. The reason these misguided thoughts happen is because we don’t enjoy the things we’ve accomplished.
God worked hard for 6 days, then enjoyed what he created on the 7th (Genesis 2:2). We’re asked to do the same thing. If we can get all of our work done during the week, then when Sunday rolls around, you’re free from that added stress. You can go to Mass and not worry about finishing up an assignment. You can watch football without trying to do homework between plays.
Over the next few weeks, try to make Sunday a day of worship and rest. Just to give you a glimpse of what having a stress free day feels like, set your timer for three hours where you won’t worry about anything. Do something that relaxes you. It could be working out, cooking, watching a movie, etc. Don’t plan the rest of the week during that time, just enjoy it as a worry free time. You’ll find yourself working harder in order to enjoy more of that worry free time.
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