How to Keep Holy the Sabbath

Hello dear friends,

In a time when public Masses have been suspended across the US and parts of the world, we must not become lukewarm in our prayer.  Even though we cannot attend Mass and receive Our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion, we have to increase our prayers because our world is so lost.  Yes, the spread of a worldwide virus can be a frightful thing, but we must not loose hope and trust in Our Lord.  

In my city all Catholic Churches have been completely closed to the public.  This means we cannot even visit the church to pray in front of the tabernacle.  So what can we do, especially on Sundays, to stay close to Our Lord?  How do we keep holy the Sabbath when we can't attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?

Photo credit: Blessed Is She

Firstly, we should prepare ourselves the night before.   Prep your outfit, food, and prayer resources.  Remember that tomorrow is a holy day and it belongs to God.  Maybe read the readings for Sunday ahead of time.  this is all about getting yourself in the right frame of mind.  Prepare almost just like you would if you were going to Mass on a normal Sunday.

Dress in your Sunday best.  Just because we're not going out does not mean you can't dress up for the Lord's Day.  Especially for our family's time of prayer, we should dress in a manner respectful to God giving Him the importance that He deserves.

Photo credit: Loja Modesta

Watch a live streamed Mass from your home.  So many churches are making these available.  My family watches livemass.net.  Now watching a streamed Mass does not take the place of attending Holy Mass and does not fulfill your Sunday obligation, but it can help us meditate on the Mass more attentively and we can benefit from a homily.  Also make an Act of Contrition and Spiritual Communion.

Prepare a special meal.  Most Sundays, my family will go out to brunch or fix something special at home.  We love breakfast casseroles, French toast, fruit, whipped cream, coffee cake, tea, quiche, or other special Sunday treats.

Easter Brunch Table

Just because it's another free day at home does not mean you should do servile work.  Keep the Lord's Day holy by making it a day of rest and prayer.  Especially now that we're all pretty much home on quarantine, we must certainly save unnecessary work for the other 6 free days of the week.

Pray your Rosary, morning prayers, and night prayers; pray for the salvation of souls, for the end of this pandemic scourge, for all those who will die alone and without the Sacraments, for all priests, bishops and Our Holy Father the Pope, and for the conversion of sinners.  Of course you should pray for these things all the time, but especially on this day which we devote to God let us offer Him our prayers of petition and thanksgiving.

Photo credit: One Peter Five

Read a spiritual book and/or your Bible.  Now that we have lots of time to read, don't forget to nourish your soul with the words of Our Lord and His Saints!  Did you plan to read something for Lent but haven't kept up on it?  Well, now is a great time to pick that book up again and finish this Lent strong.

Of course, most of these suggestions are wonderful to do any day of the week, any time of year, no matter whether you can go to Mass or not.  I just wanted to remind you and encourage you.  It is so hard not to be able to attend Holy Mass and receive Our Blessed Lord in the Eucharist, but God can still give us grace, and He will to get us through this.  Now is the time to unite ourselves spiritually with the Holy Sacrifice which is still being offered all over the world.  Send your Guardian Angel to Mass for you.  Unite yourself with Jesus' suffering on the cross.  Take this time to grow in fervor and grace being very careful to avoid occasions of sin especially if you do not have access to the Sacrament of Confession.  If you do have access to it still, go!  You do not know when it may be too late.  Even if the graces of the sacraments are beyond our reach, we must continue to avail ourselves of the graces of sacramentals; Holy Water, the Scapular, the Rosary, Exorcised Salt, and others.  May this time away from Holy Mass give us a greater appreciation for it.  May we long to receive Our Lord and never take His sacraments for granted.  These are such special gifts.

Finally, I would like to leave you with these very beautiful and timely words from one of my dear patron Saints.  May we make her prayer our own.

"Ah!  I cannot receive Holy Communion as often as I desire.  But, Lord, are You not all-powerful?  Remain in me as in a tabernacle and never separate Yourself from Your little victim."

~St.  Thérèse of Lisieux

I will be praying for you in these uncertain times.  Please pray for me and my family.

God love you,

Sarah