The first account of creation at the beginning of the Book of Genesis tells us that God rested on the seventh day of creation and enjoyed all that He had done. This is an important reminder for us about rest and enjoying what we have. God’s rest led to the Jewish understanding of the Sabbath rest. When I lived in North London, my Jewish neighbours observed this faithfully. On one occasion, I was asked to turn down their slow cooker, which would otherwise have incinerated the Sabbath meal. Another time, after a key football match, a group of teenagers asked me if England had won. They couldn’t watch the catchup until dusk. The Book of Genesis and the Third Commandment remind us that everything is a gift from God and that we are called to praise and thank God for His gifts. We know from David Attenborough’s wonderful nature programmes that everything is interconnected and that all our actions touch the created world for either better or worse.

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As Christians, Jesus teaches us that love goes beyond the mere observance of the law. At the same time, Jesus does not abolish the Commandments. After Jesus’ resurrection, the Church began to celebrate Sunday as the day of resurrection, a day of celebrating our faith together as a community, a day of rest, and an opportunity for families to enjoy time together.

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Of course, there are those whose work makes it difficult to rest on Sunday. St John Paul II wrote of the importance of Sunday, “Sunday is a day which is at the very heart of the Christian life… today, I would strongly urge everyone to rediscover Sunday: Do not be afraid to give your time to Christ! Yes, let us open our time to Christ, that He may cast light upon it and give it direction. He is the One who knows the secret of time and the secret of eternity, and He gives us ‘His day’ as an ever-new gift of His love.” (Dies Domini 1998, n. 7). For the Christian, Sunday is the ‘Day of Days’ because we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead and our new life in Him. It is not just part of the weekend. It is the Day of The Lord.

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For many people, the days of August, when schools are closed, have a different rhythm. They provide a time of rest for many, and although economic circumstances mean that not everybody can enjoy a holiday away, even a ‘staycation’ can be a time of rest and an opportunity to think about priorities and how to use time well. We can each ask what is truly refreshing and life-giving as we prepare for the days ahead when schools will reopen.

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May God bless you all and keep you safe this month, especially if you are travelling.

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St Christopher, pray for us.

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Archbishop John Sherrington
Archbishop of Liverpool