January 18.  the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath.   Audrey shared, “Isn’t it strange that when some of us decide to take a rest on a Sunday we feel guilty, or we think others might see us as lazy, while plenty of people seem to be happy to take time to relax.  And yet psychologists and personal coaches keep telling us that rest is essential for physical and mental wellbeing.  I wonder if and when the tradition of keeping Sunday as a day for God and a day of rest worked better when shops and entertainment places were closed?  I suppose not having everything open all the time did have an impact.  Why did we stop that?  I would like to begin at least in our family to make an effort some time on Sundays to relax. Becoming an eco-friendly family:  Praise God for his wisdom and care and pray or sing St Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures    

It happened that one sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.  The Pharisees said they were doing what is not lawful on the sabbath.  Jesus said to them, the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath, so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath.   Mark 2 :23-28.  Pope Francis.   After the Flood God decided to open a new path of salvation and gave humanity the chance of a new beginning.  This entails respecting the rhythms inscribed in nature by the Creator as in the law of the Sabbath.  On the 7th day God rested. He commanded Israel to set aside the 7th day as a Sabbath day of rest. Every 7th year was a sabbatical year as a complete rest for the land. The law of the Sabbath and of jubilee came about to ensure balance and fairness in their relationships with others and with the land on which they lived and worked. LS71