TGIS

20th Sunday A Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
Thank God It’s Sunday (T.G.I.S.)

And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, ministering to him, Loving the name of the LORD, and becoming his servants -- All who keep the Sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, Them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; Their holocausts and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples (Is.56:6-7).

It was Christmas morning. A priest stands at the door of the church after the mass to shake the hands of the people as they leave. He grabbed the hand of one of the parishioners and pulled him aside. He said to him, "You need to join the Army of the Lord!" The man replied, "I'm already in the Army of the Lord, Father." So the priest questioned, "Then how come I don't see you except at Christmas and Easter?" He whispered back, "I'm in the Secret Service."

The fourth commandment of the Decalogue states, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Sabbath is from the Hebrew word šabbât, which means, to rest. Fr. Kevin O’Shea, C.Ss.R. described Sabbath as getting to the root of everything or getting to the reality at its deepest level. Entering Sabbath allows us the opportunity to be aware that God and us are bonded together in a covenant. This is our time of “togethering” with God. In the first reading, God is concerned that His people and the foreigners (Gentiles) hold on this, His covenant, and do not profane or defile the Sabbath (Is.56:6). Profane means to treat with irreverence. Sabbath is the barometer of our relationship with God. Our Sabbath as Christians is Sunday. "Sabbath" means "Rest" not "Saturday" or "seven" or "week," so even if the Mosaic Laws were binding on Christians, there is no need for it to be kept on Saturdays instead of Sundays. We gather on Sunday because this is the Lord’s Day for us. In the Letter of Barnabas 15:6-8, written in A.D. 74, at the end of a few paragraphs on the old Jewish Shabat vs. the Christian Lord's Day, wrote: "We keep the eighth day [Sunday] with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead."

What should be our disposition on the Lord’s Day? Just like in Isaiah, one of the earliest Christian writings Didache chapter 14 says, “But every Lord's day, gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one who is at odds with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned.” Both Isaiah and Didache speak of the importance of Sabbath and not profaning it. If we are going to check honestly what’s going on in our church, without any doubt we are guilty of not keeping the Sabbath holy. How many of us would miss Sunday liturgy for no valid reason at all? How many of us go to church not reconciled with their wrongdoers of harboring grudge in our hearts? How many of us would go to church not properly dressed, with cell phones on, coming late, and not actively participate in the liturgy? God blesses us abundantly and we must be grateful to Him. Don’t forget: “Thank God It’s Sunday (T.G.I.S.)”.

Let us not stay in the Secret Service because the CH- -CH is nothing if “UR” not in it. God bless you all batchmates!!!!