The Orthodox practice of resting on the Sabbath while worshiping on Sundays
Although early Christians inherited a sabbath practice from the Mosaic Law of remembering the sabbath day on Saturday, the position of both the Eastern and Western Churches came to observe the Lord’s Day as Sunday. Thus supplanting the Sabbath commandment of the Jews, they chose to celebrate the Christian community’s deliverance from captivity to sin, Satan, and worldly passions, made possible by the resurrection on the first day of the week. Early Christians observed the seventh day Sabbath with prayer and rest, but they also gathered on the first day. By the 4th century, the Church was officially observing the first day, Sunday, as their day of rest, not the seventh.
As Christians, our main concern must be to journey toward God, without whom we can find no rest. The Old Testament Sabbath was the image of God’s resting after His creation of the world, and God’s image of His internal divine life. The day of rest was meant to encourage the higher spiritual, contemplative life of man, which the Sabbath rest summons us to. The Lord’s day for we Christians is Sunday, our day of prayer, learning God’s Word, and Communing in the Eucharistic banquet, as well as a day for good and charitable deeds.
We must each take part in the life of the Church, for each person is social, and our participation in the life of other persons is familial, and communal. Common prayer in church makes individual prayer easier when alone because the Holy Spirit and the unison prayers of other people intensify the power of individual prayer in church. According to the teaching of the Church, the prayers of the angels and the saints are joined to the prayers of the faithful standing in church. One hymn of the Church speaks of this: Now the powers of heaven invisibly serve with us.
The true understanding of the gathering on Sunday for worship is based on the Resurrection, the Eucharist, and the theology of the eschatological Eighth Day. Since the Church has always understood Sunday as the day of Resurrection, the significance of gathering on this day was to commemorate and confess the Resurrection of Christ. The foremost sign of our undivided love for God and our fellow man is thus our participation in the Eucharist, and in our reception of the Holy Mysteries, which grants us the strength to do good. And, although Sunday is our day of worship, we Orthodox also keep the day of rest, which is on Saturday, the biblical Sabbath.
With love in Christ,
Abbot Tryphon
Thursday July 26, 2018 / July 13, 2018
9th Week after Pentecost. Tone seven.
Synaxis of the Holy Archangel Gabriel.
Venerable Stephen of St. Sabbas’ Monastery (794).
St. Julian, bishop of Cenomanis (Le Mans) in Gaul (1st c.).
Martyr Serapion, under Severus (193).
Martyr Marcian of Iconium (258).
Translation of the relics (1620) Venarable Anthony Leokhnovsky (1611).
Venerable Abbess Sarah of Seeds in Libya (370).
Venerable Just, monk in Cornwall (5th c.) (Celtic & British).
Venerable Mildred, abbess of Minster in Thanet (England) (700) (Celtic & British).
Synaxis of Hilandar Saints, Mt. Athos (Greek).
Virgin-martyr Juthwara of Cornwall.
The Scripture Readings
1 Corinthians 14:6-19
Tongues Must Be Interpreted
6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? 7 Even things without life, whether flute or harp, when they make a sound, unless they make a distinction in the sounds, how will it be known what is piped or played? 8 For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle? 9 So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them iswithout significance. 11 Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me. 12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.
13 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.
18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
Matthew 20:17-28
Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection
17 Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, 18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”
Greatness Is Serving
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.
21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”
22 But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
They said to Him, “We are able.”
23 So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”
24 And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Good to see you back in the saddle (so to speak) again my friend, Can I use your short article on “Keeping the Sabbath” or do you have something else you would rather have me use for the Credo Magazine?
Absolutely you may use it, Father Bernard.
How are we supposed to keep the Sabbath? There don’t seem to be guidelines on the subject and so I think most Orthodox Christians don’t observe it.
I’m not sure what you are addressing in your post, Heather. Are you referring to Saturdays?
One way to look at it is, the law is all intended for the good of man. The Sabbath is intended for the good of man. But as Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath does not violate the Sabbath as good is done that is intended to be done. Common sense is interjected. Where good is revealed.