April 7
But if you do not listen to me, to keep the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.’’ Jeremiah 17:27
Remember when in our neck of the woods, before the “Blue Laws” were changed, driving through any town we would find all the retail stores closed, traffic at a minimum, people walking about at a leisurely pace and more time it seemed, to enjoy life? It was a time when Sunday was a “day of rest,” a family oriented day in our family anyway. The focus in most Christian homes was centered upon attending church and gathering with extended family members: Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins, around the dinner table. But with the abolishment of those laws came increased consumerism and the subsequent need for people to work on Sundays, not only to fulfill the positions required to run businesses, but also to meet this increased material want in our families. Certainly there are some vocations that necessitate work 24/7 to meet specific vital needs, such as in health care. However, in other areas, what initially began as a convenience slowly evolved into economic competition and using this day as any other - to work in a variety of capacities and to shop. Even with the opportunity to attend Mass on Saturday evenings to fulfill our Catholic Sunday obligation, still it seems there is not enough time to do all we want, and we soon got away from centering ourselves around our faith and families on Sunday.
And the fire burns . . . to the point of consumption. We are not satisfied with the extra day, the extra products or the extra money. We hurry about as though there is no tomorrow; yet putting off until tomorrow the most important things, like God and family! The drive to succeed is unquenchable, the desire to acquire is unquenchable, the desire to use every minute for our own agenda is unquenchable, no matter how much we have or do, we are not content. How can we change this; or rather can we? We can make the choice to put God first and foremost in our lives. Only we can choose not to shop on Sunday and use that time to reconnect with God and family. We can choose not to get caught up in consumerism and live a more simple life. The benefits are extraordinary! The blessings numerous! With more attention on the things that matter in life - God, family and faith - our stress will lessen, communication and awareness of the needs of others will improve and once again we will experience the wait to get something we thought we couldn’t survive a day without – an exercise in patience.
God has commanded us to keep holy on the Sabbath and He patiently waits for us to make Him foremost in our lives. He wants us to keep the Sabbath holy to honor Him as we should, and to have time to be aware and grateful of all the blessings He constantly pours upon us!
God forgive us for not putting you first in our lives. May our love for you be an unquenchable fire within.
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson
But if you do not listen to me, to keep the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.’’ Jeremiah 17:27
Remember when in our neck of the woods, before the “Blue Laws” were changed, driving through any town we would find all the retail stores closed, traffic at a minimum, people walking about at a leisurely pace and more time it seemed, to enjoy life? It was a time when Sunday was a “day of rest,” a family oriented day in our family anyway. The focus in most Christian homes was centered upon attending church and gathering with extended family members: Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and cousins, around the dinner table. But with the abolishment of those laws came increased consumerism and the subsequent need for people to work on Sundays, not only to fulfill the positions required to run businesses, but also to meet this increased material want in our families. Certainly there are some vocations that necessitate work 24/7 to meet specific vital needs, such as in health care. However, in other areas, what initially began as a convenience slowly evolved into economic competition and using this day as any other - to work in a variety of capacities and to shop. Even with the opportunity to attend Mass on Saturday evenings to fulfill our Catholic Sunday obligation, still it seems there is not enough time to do all we want, and we soon got away from centering ourselves around our faith and families on Sunday.
And the fire burns . . . to the point of consumption. We are not satisfied with the extra day, the extra products or the extra money. We hurry about as though there is no tomorrow; yet putting off until tomorrow the most important things, like God and family! The drive to succeed is unquenchable, the desire to acquire is unquenchable, the desire to use every minute for our own agenda is unquenchable, no matter how much we have or do, we are not content. How can we change this; or rather can we? We can make the choice to put God first and foremost in our lives. Only we can choose not to shop on Sunday and use that time to reconnect with God and family. We can choose not to get caught up in consumerism and live a more simple life. The benefits are extraordinary! The blessings numerous! With more attention on the things that matter in life - God, family and faith - our stress will lessen, communication and awareness of the needs of others will improve and once again we will experience the wait to get something we thought we couldn’t survive a day without – an exercise in patience.
God has commanded us to keep holy on the Sabbath and He patiently waits for us to make Him foremost in our lives. He wants us to keep the Sabbath holy to honor Him as we should, and to have time to be aware and grateful of all the blessings He constantly pours upon us!
God forgive us for not putting you first in our lives. May our love for you be an unquenchable fire within.
Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson