Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Taking Back Sunday for the Family

Rosie Bartel, diocesan religious education director, pauses to shares some thoughts on the long-lost art of treating Sunday as a true day of rest!

In my family Sundays are sacred. Early on, my children knew they did not make plans for Sunday that did not involve the whole family. Those plans had to include time for God and time for fun.

What did you do last Sunday?

Most peoples’ lists contain items like shopping, laundry, their child’s sporting events, errands and catching up on chores around the house and yard. You are not alone. We live in a 24/7 world. Families see Sunday as an extra day for getting things done that did not get done during the week. When this happens, it affects everyone in the family.

This hectic lifestyle is not what God had in mind when he created Sunday as a day of rest. God rested on the seventh day. He was not tired, but he wanted to show us how to live. He knew we would get tired. He wanted us to know it was important to rest.

We must reclaim Sunday as a day of rest. Pope Benedict XVI said, “That men and women in our technical age risk becoming victims of their own intellectual and technical achievements, ending up in spiritual barrenness and emptiness of heart.” This is happening in our families. Families need to take a day of rest not only because God tells us to, but because it is good for us. Rest is good for the mind, body and spirit.

How can your family make Sunday a special day?

If you plan to reclaim Sunday, you have to make the day a priority and you have to make it fun. The best way to start off your day is by going to Mass as a family. Everyone knows it is hard to get out the door with small children, but make getting ready for church a special activity. With little girls, bows and ribbons help, little boys might need promises of outdoor activities after Mass to help them focus.

It is a good idea to arrive at church at least five minutes before Mass. This gives you time to find a pew and settle in with your family. These few minutes of quiet time before Mass helps create a spirit of Sunday rest. It helps you have a quiet moment with God before Mass begins.
After Mass, grab some breakfast and make a list of things the family could do make it a day of rest. What could you change to free up some quality time? How about starting a new family tradition or resurrect family traditions from your childhood. Choose one thing to stop do on Sunday like shopping or cleaning. Replace it with something restful and spiritual like a walk in the woods, gardening, playing with your children, family game time, a movie and popcorn, visiting friends and family, handwriting notes to people you do not see often, read a book together, go fishing, visit an art gallery and the list can go on and on.

If you start taking back Sunday this summer, by fall you will have created a new spiritual habit for your family.

In today’s society there is no plan for reclaiming Sunday as a holy day for rest of mind, body and spirit. Do not be surprised if other families notice what you are doing with your Sundays and ask about the reason for your change in lifestyle. There is a hunger in the world for spiritual meaning. There is a need to celebrate what is good and holy. By taking back Sunday you may start a grassroots’ interest and enthusiasm for building up the home, parish and community.

See you at Mass next Sunday and then let’s have a real day of rest!