After this Christmas season which kept most people busy with visitors, travel, cooking, gift getting and giving, the life of today’s saint, Anthony the Abbot, might seem somewhat attractive to us…at least for a while, anyway, because Anthony lived as a solitary monk in the desert most of his life. He is actually called the Father of Monasticism because he inspired hundreds of women and men to move to the desert and organize themselves into small communities.
Anthony was born in Egypt in the 3rd century, but both of his parents died when he was young. As a young adult, he literally took seriously the words of Jesus to sell everything, give them to the poor, and follow him. Divesting himself of everything, he then went into the desert to live as an ascetic. There he ate little and prayed much. As he grew in God’s wisdom, many people came to him for spiritual guidance, even emperors.
He returned to Alexandria for a short while to encourage and inspire the Christians who were being persecuted at that time. He wanted to be a martyr himself, but that didn’t happen. He returned to the desert where he died at the age of 105.
St. Anthony literally spent his whole life dwelling on God’s presence in his life. Living in the desert to focus on God may not be our calling, but there’s a line in the gospel today that reminds us that we do have that special opportunity each week. Jesus says: “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath”. The sabbath is our desert opportunity…in fact, it’s more than an opportunity…it’s the 3rd commandment: “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath” and it reminds us that God set aside a day of rest so that our bodies and our spirits may regularly be renewed in order to focus on God, others, and the goodness of creation.
The sabbath, which for Christians is Sunday, is there for us to rest from regular work, enjoy creation, connect with family and friends, renew special relationships, and, most importantly, worship and pray together. In Judeo-Christian life, the Sabbath is a central and holy duty before God. To observe the Sabbath means to set aside time to stop our normal activities and focus on the sacred. Attending Mass, reading Scripture, spending quality time with family and friends, listening to inspiring music, etc. are ways to renew our physical and spirituals selves. This saying is true: “Renew your Sabbath, and your Sabbath will renew you.”
Perhaps we can ask ourselves today: “What does the Sabbath mean to me, and how do I observe it?”
