Celebrating Christmas On The Sabbath
In the first reading for Mass on Dec. 16, we hear the prophet Isaiah proclaim: “Thus says the Lord … All who keep the Sabbath free from profanationand hold to my covenant,Them I will bring to my holy mountainand make joyful in my house of prayer” (Isaiah 56).
Webster defines the verb profane as, “to treat (something sacred) with abuse, irreverence, or contempt.” Clearly, the Sabbath must be considered sacred. The Fourth Commandment tells us to “keep holy the Sabbath.”
We celebrate Jesus’ birthday this year on Sunday – the Sabbath. What a joyful, wonderful time it will be.
Or will it?
Without question, we will be happy. Little ones will awaken from what most likely be a night of fitful sleep to rush to the Christmas tree and tear into the gifts heaped under it.
People of all ages will find surprises under their trees – signs that those who care about them paid attention to little things they said and shopped with an eye toward giving them gifts that will matter, regardless of the reason.
Families will gather. I dare say that Christmas dinner gets short shrift across-the-board when it comes to significance because it seems as though the entire Thanksgiving holiday focuses on a meal.
On Dec. 25, one can argue that the real reason for the celebration also gets short shrift because of the ways commercialism has crept into the day. My goodness … I began seeing Christmas TV ads before Halloween this year; stores had their Christmas displays up before they put the trick-or-treat candy on clearance!
Scan up a few paragraphs and re-read Webster’s definition of profane. Focus on the word irreverence.
None of us intentionally profane the Sabbath or Jesus birthday; not on any Sunday in any year. But from here, that doesn’t mean that we don’t subvert each of them by never recognizing their collective reverent nature.
Sure; we go to Mass on Sunday – or to Saturday Vigil Masses. But do we keep holy the Sabbath? I’d like to say I do, but I know better. There are errands to run that I didn’t have time to run through the week, and chores around the house.
I rarely look forward to any Mass or other sacred event on the Sabbath as much as I look forward to the Daytona 500 or the Indy 500 … each run on a Sunday.
I suspect that we all have something in our lives that occurs on Sunday that 1) has nothing to do with the Sabbath or keeping it holy and 2) that we look forward to with great passion and enthusiasm.
In 2016, the anniversaries of the two most significant events – ever – fall on Sunday. We celebrated Easter – when Jesus defeated death to obtain our eternal salvation – on March 27. Next weekend, we celebrate our Savior’s birth – also on a Sunday.
My Christmas wish for you, myself and everyone across the world is that we are able to keep God’s promise, delivered through His prophet Isaiah, in mind. Especially on that Sunday, let us “keep the Sabbath free from profanation” and remember what it truly is – and what it truly means for us.
May you enjoy a Blessed and very Merry Christmas on the Sabbath.
