How to Rest (2)

Finally a qualifier from St. Thomas to help keep us from legalistic interpretations:

In the New Law the observance of the Lord’s day took the place of the observance of the Sabbath, not by virtue of the precept but by the institution of the Church and the custom of Christian people. For this observance is not figurative, as was the observance of the Sabbath in the Old Law. Hence the prohibition to work on the Lord’ day is not so strict as on the Sabbath: and certain works are permitted on the Lord’s day which were forbidden on the Sabbath, such as the cooking of food and so forth. And again in the New Law, dispensation is more easily granted than in the Old, in the matter of certain forbidden works, on account of their necessity, because the figure pertains to the protestation of truth, which it is unlawful to omit even in small things; while works, considered in themselves, are changeable in point of place and time.

We are not to be pharisaical or loose in our obedience. God calls us in the New Covenant to worship Him and rest on the Christian Sabbath of Sunday and other Holy Days. Whatever might conflict with that is wrong. Some things might not be sinful in themselves (mowing the lawn), but do they prevent one from resting (properly speaking) or making the Lord's Day a "family time"? That is a question that each must ask when considering proper boundaries. We certainly should not go out of our way to justify "fun" things on Holy Days (I have read Catholics say amusement parks should be open on Sunday because people like to go to them--imagine all the things you could justify with that kind of thinking!)

To make it more clear, the prohibition is not from "activity" but from "labor". The Jews got the two mixed up and even counted how many steps a person could take on the Sabbath! That is not the point of God's desire for us to rest. Some have fallen into that same way of thinking. One list that I found had 48 "servile works" that were allowed (including teaching classes, architectural design, and playing professional sports) but only 6 servile works that were prohibited. Sounds like someone trying to justify anything he likes and condemning things he does not care about. At that point, what is the purpose?

What is shocking to many people who try to avoid the extremes in obeying the third commandment is to find out that avoiding work is a freedom, and not a restriction! In the commandment of our Lord Jesus, it is more that He is saying "you do not have to work" on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, than Him saying "you must not work". True, He does not want you to work, but not in order to take something away from you, but to give you something: rest, peace, and joyful time with family and friends. Jesus is saying to us on Sundays and Holy Days: "I want to see you in Mass so you can grow in salvation. Do not do the work by which you earn a living unless it is for the necessary well being of others. Then keep the day for rest, so that you can remember that you cannot do any of this on your own; you have to rely on Me. Do this, and you will find true joy."