“The Sabbath is a twenty-four hour time period set aside to stop, rest, delight, and worship. It is the best day of the week. In our era of chronic exhaustion, emotional unhealth, and spiritual stagnation, few things are more necessary than the recovery of this ancient practice.” - Practicing the Way.

For most people, Sunday is the best day, but any day can work if you commit to it. Many are aware that Sabbath is a day to not work and attend Mass, but the Catechism of the Catholic Church presents a bolder vision based on the life of Jesus: 

“God's action is the model for human action. 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.” - CCC 2172

In addition to not working (both work we are paid for and work we are not, like housework), we are meant to fill our day with rest and things that bring us delight in God. Rest can be different from person to person. Do whatever will bring you rest and lead your heart to gratitude and worship.

Sabbath is also “a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money.” This is a day to reduce the demand on the poor by staying away from shopping. We can also look to ways we can help the less privileged also enter into the Sabbath rest. It’s a day not to think about the things we want and need but to think about the things we have and are grateful for; not to think about work and to-do lists but to delight in the work that we have already done; not a day to hide from the world but to celebrate with community.

Sabbath is meant to be a weekly holiday. It’s the day we look forward to on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and the day we remember on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

A common question people ask as they begin to practice the Sabbath is this: “what counts as work and rest?” It’s difficult to give an easy answer to this question because it’s different for every person! What might be draining and exhausting for one person could be totally life giving for another. 

I personally have found cooking to be a wonderful way to slow my mind and heart down and express my God-given creativity but my wife prefers to spend the Sabbath out of the kitchen. As a general guideline, ask yourself if your preferred restful activity orients your heart towards God or if it numbs you. This can be difficult to identify! Many people love to rest by watching Netflix or playing video games. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with these activities, it may require some internal evaluation to ensure that doing them will lead your heart towards intimacy with God on the Sabbath.

Tutorial

Before beginning, choose a day to Sabbath. Block it off in your Calendar and invite a few friends to do it with you. This way, Sabbath becomes a day done in celebration and community.

1. Prepare for the Sabbath. Make a list of all tasks you need to get done and journal out anything that could cause you anxiety on the day of. Plan a time to finish your tasks so everything is done when your Sabbath arrives.

2. Choose 2-3 Sabbath activities. This non-exhaustive list is a great place to start: having a brunch or feast, expressing gratitude, singing, worshipping at Mass, taking a walk, napping with no timer, reading, especially Scripture, spending time alone with God, and spending time with family and friends in conversation and celebration.

3. Pick a beginning and ending ritual to do with your community. Here are a few ideas to mark the opening and closing of Sabbath: Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, a feast, or sharing gratitude.

4. Enjoy! Sabbath is not meant to be a burden but something that fills you with delight. Have a wonderful day!

Bonus - We strongly recommend practicing a “Digital Sabbath.” In a Digital Sabbath, you abstain from digital media, including your phone, TV, video games, and more so you can be fully present to the day.

Recommended Reading: https://www.practicingtheway.org/sabbath