The Sacredness of Slow: A Catholic Woman's Guide to Sabbath

The world and I suffer from something John Mark Comer calls, “The Hurry Sickness.” The cure for this is Sabbath.

The sacredness of slow and Sabbath has been on my mind and heart a lot recently. In fact, I can’t really get over the message and fruit it has borne in my life.

When this happens to me, I believe it’s because the Lord wants me to share what’s on my heart. So not only will I be writing this blog, my sisters and I will discuss it together on this month’s podcast.

I think generally speaking in our society, we put way too much emphasis and energy on our efforts and not as much on God’s. Sabbath corrects this tendency because we intentionally surrender and do less to invite God to help us readjust what’s important. 

A Great Attack on Femininity

To begin, I wanted to talk about a common attack on femininity that we discuss in the Full of Grace femininity workshop. We not only discuss the framework Mary gives for femininity through her life’s example, but also how Satan hates Mary and therefore schemes to bring every woman down with lies about who and whose she is. He does this through taking something true about femininity and twists it. 

For example, one of the most common lies we are told from the enemy is that we need to be productive to be worthy. He takes the high calling of bearing fruit and producing life, which is arguably the highest honor a woman has, and twists it, using it against women and falsely equates how much we produce with how worthy we are. The truth is, God calls us to be productive, but only the things HE calls us to.

Do you believe Satan’s lie that we are only good when we are productive?

For many of us women, especially those trying to manage a home, raise children, be an attentive wife and/or prove their worth, rest seems wrong, lazy, sinful even. 

But God rested.

After doing what he does and ordering chaos and creating new life, God rested. The Sabbath began as a time to imitate what God did, to dedicate one day to forget about our own wills and simply be, resting in God’s providence.

Sabbath Transforms Grasp to Receive 

We may even ask ourselves, “Well if I don’t do it (chores, meals, laundry, etc.), who will?” And the house NEEDS to get cleaned. And the groceries NEED to be picked up, and the meals NEED to get planned, and, and, and…. Etc.

But does it? Yes, chores need doing, and groceries need shopping, but why wait for Sunday to do it? The Lord needs a day from you to surrender your “to do” list at the altar of transformation, in order to show you what it is HE wants you to do.

The women Eve and Mary beautifully illustrate the difference between grasping and receiving, two very different stances in relationship with God. Eve grasped for the apple, for control, for what she thought was right and good and necessary. Mary, the new Eve, and our perfect example of femininity, did not go searching for her will or for control. She lived out a posture of receptivity. She awaited God’s will for her life and said, “Yes.”

Our pride and need for control stands between us and holiness. The greater we surrender and rely on God, the closer to him we become. Sabbath stands as a practical reminder of this. When we surrender our control, we give God room to work and to cast light on the priorities God has in mind for us. As St. Catherine of Sienna said, "He will provide the way and the means, such as you could never have imagined. Leave it all to Him, let go of yourself, lose yourself on the Cross, and you will find yourself entirely." 

Does Sabbath = No Work?

The Jews observed the Sabbath quite literally and would not do any work whatsoever. But the Jews were also known to follow the Letter of the Law versus the Spirit of the Law. The Spirit of Sabbath is not in avoiding work completely, but in letting rest in recreation rule. After all, we hear Jesus say, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

The sabbath is meant to serve us, to remind us that Jesus is Lord, not our to-do list. But we need a regular reminder of this, which is why sabbath comes weekly. We begin and end our week with the reminder: Jesus is Lord of all, surrender your will to his. This attitude should remain with us throughout our week.

Sabbath doesn’t mean no work is allowed like how the Jews strictly observed it, but to approach work differently. Frederick Dale Bruner, a Scholar in the gospel of Matthew, perfectly explains:

 “Jesus realizes that the most restful gift he can give the tired is a new way to carry life, a fresh way to bear responsibilities…. Realism sees that life is a succession of burdens; we cannot get away from them; thus instead of offering escape, Jesus offers equipment. Jesus means that obedience to his Sermon on the Mount [his yoke] will develop in us a balance and a way of carrying life that will give more rest than the way we have been living.”

Instead of strict observance of no work, it’s more bringing God honor with every action you make. Does the laundry really need to be done? Or can you do it Monday? If it really needs to be done, invite the Lord into it. Let this task bring you the joy that comes with doing God’s will.

Ok fine, I’ll give sabbath a try. What should I do? 

A Catholic Woman's Guide to Sabbath

REFRAME: Sunday should look different than any other day.

• It should not be our catch up day. 

• It should be a day where God leads, not our agenda.

• Keep sabbath in mind all week long

• Maybe we work harder during the week so Sunday can be our rest day, recreation day.

DON'T RUSH: Slow Sunday Ideas

• Think slow: Mass, lunch, we used to do deli sandwiches every Sunday after Mass

• Be unproductive on purpose, remind yourself you do NOT have to be productive to be worthy.

• Rest could mean doing some work you love that draws you closer to God like gardening, going for a run, painting, etc.

RELINQUISH CONTROL: Don’t load the wagon.

• If you have not already, read through this parable and sit with it.

• Prayerfully consider, would the world end if the laundry didn’t get done?

• Prayerfully consider what the work God wants you to do on this day.

• Would Jesus want you to spend the day lounging in PJs, snuggling your babies and baking cookies?

• Don’t accept others’ work and crosses so readily. It may be a part of their own sanctification. 

If you feel stuck, always ask Mary for help! She is an incredible example and always eager to lead us toward holiness and closeness with Christ!