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Hands up who’s feeling a tad burnt out from the crazy busyness of modern motherhood? The school run, the activities, the cooking, the home, the work… never mind all the relationships. Wouldn’t it be good to have a regular break? A pause. A celebratory recharge and a reset. A day of rest. A Sabbath.
I decided a year ago that was what I certainly needed. But where to turn to make this day of rest a practical reality? Over these two blogposts I’ll recap my research on the matter as well as how to apply my findings to modern life.
What is the Sabbath?
Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. Like, how about the biblical beginnings of humanity?
Genesis in fact. This is where we first find the exhortation for a day of rest.
Just about a page into the Bible after God has created the sky, the sea, the stars, the moon, the land, the fish, the birds, the creepy crawlies, the beasts and then man. All in six days.
Impressive stuff. Hard work as well. Thus, it comes as no surprise that…
“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.”
Gn 2:2 KJV
This day of rest is a constant theme from thence forward. People need to rest, to grow spiritually as well as emotionally. It’s about creating space for relationship as well as being physically restored.
God repeats this exhortation several times during the Pentateuch such as
8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Ex 20:8
And
12 Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.
Deut 5:12
But, biblically, what happens if we decide that, actually, we’d rather be busy on the Sabbath? Surely it can’t be that bad. Or can it? (SPOILER ALERT. THIS IS THE OLD TESTAMENT)
32 Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. 33 And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron, and to all the congregation. 34 They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him. 35 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.” 36 So, as the Lord commanded Moses, all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died.
Num 15:32-36 KJV
Wowsers.
I don’t know about you, but I’d been doing a little bit more than just gathering sticks on a Sunday. I’m crossing fingers God won’t smite me so dramatically. Nonetheless I took this as an excuse to stop and to make a conscious choice to have a day of rest once a week.
Christianity and the Sabbath
So, I decided to have a look at my own tradition of Christianity, what with it having defined Western Christendom for a couple of millennia. Surely there’d be something useful in there as there’ve been a lot of Sundays since Jesus walked the earth.
However, as a practicing Catholic and one with a PhD in Medieval Saint Cults of the Adriatic, I couldn’t think of any exhortations or practical recommendations for a restful Sabbath.
Sure, there are various feasts & celebrations that define the year (you may have heard of them) the biggies being Christmas and Easter. And you’ve got culinary traditions throughout Europe that are associated with particular Saints’ Days, such as the biscotti di San Martino baked in Southern Italy for St Martin’s day on 11th November.
(In fact, there’s an amazing website dedicated to all these recipes! http://www.saintsfeastsfamily.com/ Do have a look and have a go.)
But for the Sabbath? Nothing aside from the obligation to attend mass.
Which certainly ticks the boxes for topping up your relationships, both spiritual and communal. Restful however? Well, it depends if you have children and how old they are…
Back in the home though, the people still need feeding. In the UK, the tradition is a roast dinner on a Sunday. For the Anglicans, meat of some sort would be put in the oven before the Sunday morning service so it would be ready bang on lunchtime. However, the cooking of roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, associated vegetables, although absolutely delicious, are not exactly setting you up for a restful Sunday (the leftovers are spectacular though).
Meanwhile the Eastern Orthodox Christians, whilst excellent at making sure their days of fasting are delicious and full of some spectacular vegan food (VEGAN BACON BEGONE!), are also lacking in some sort of Sabbath day structure.
Why is there no Sabbath homemaking tradition in Christianity?
Having a quick peek at the New Testament might reveal why this is. In Matthew 12:1-14 Christ does all sorts of things on the Sabbath, such as plucking heads of grain to nibble on because he & the disciples were hungry and miraculously healing a man with a withered hand. This is the moment when Christ teaches that the Sabbath rest isn’t violated if you’re serving God or your neighbour (read that as literally your neighbour but also your family).
Which is great. I’m not going to be smited nor stoned. And nor are you.
However, Mama still needs a break! So where to turn now? Ah yes…
Judaism: The Shabbat
It might be worth referring back to a tradition that has been practicing a proper day of rest, the Shabbat, for a good few thousand years now: Judaism.
I’ll give a super brief summary. The Shabbat starts at sundown on a Friday evening and finishes at sundown on a Saturday. Spiritual needs are fulfilled by services at the Synagogue whilst at home there are prayers and hymns (including one called the Eshet Chayil, from Proverbs 91, which honours and praises the homemaker for her gifts and talents. More of that please in this world during these times).
Now for the actual practice; if you’re in an orthodox household, you’re not allowed to “work”. Remember the exhortations in the Pentateuch above? Today, this includes switching lights on and off or putting on the kettle or keeping the food warm. Luckily, modern technology is such that timers, hot water urns and hot plates now exist. Hurrah!
However, guests are also very welcome to join in the main Shabbat meals and there’s the fact of, well, meals. Guests mean hospitality and hospitality means tidiness and food. And someone’s got to do that! But how?
How to prepare for the Shabbat
A day or so before Shabbat, the tidying and cleaning of the house begins so everything is ready by Friday evening. And I mean EVERYTHING. Including the laundry folded and put away.
Just pause to imagine that.
The table is also laid, the house is calm and ready. Food has been prepped for a day or two as well, alongside the regular cooking you’d do anyway. What’s an extra carrot or three when you’re already chopping? This means by Friday there are soups or stews (known as cholent) in the slow cooker, gefilte fish and salads and any extra treats ready for the meals.
Having filled your soul spiritually at Synagogue, now is the chance for the busy mamas to rest, enjoy the honouring of the Eshet Chayil, and know that all the people are fed and content.
Job done.
Now this is all marvellous, but how can we take some of these traditions and apply them to modern life? To create that day of rest we so desperately want and need? Read Part 2 to find out how to make it happen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are you supposed to do on Sabbath day?
Go to Church, pray, rest as best as you can and enjoy delicious food with family and friends.
What is the best way to keep the Sabbath day?
Go to Church, pray and prep as much as you can e.g. with cooking and cleaning so that you can actually rest.
How to start practicing Sabbath?
Take time out to plan (this 3-Step Guide might be handy for the practical side of things) , pick a date and start.
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