Monday, June 09, 2008

Sabbath

SABBATH, n. A weekly festival having its origin in the fact that God made the world in six days and was arrested on the seventh. Among the Jews observance of the day was enforced by a Commandment of which this is the Christian version: "Remember the seventh day to make thy neighbor keep it wholly." To the Creator it seemed fit and expedient that the Sabbath should be the last day of the week, but the Early Fathers of the Church held other views. So great is the sanctity of the day that even where the Lord holds a doubtful and precarious jurisdiction over those who go down to (and down into) the sea it is reverently recognized, as is manifest in the following deep-water version of the Fourth Commandment:

Six days shalt thou labor and do all thou art able,
And on the seventh holystone the deck and scrape the cable.


Decks are no longer holystoned, but the cable still supplies the captain with opportunity to attest a pious respect for the divine ordinance.

2008 Update:  The day on which, by holy writ, the long week's virtues become sin.  Industry, charity and asceticism wane while indolence, gluttony and self-regard are celebrated.  Clearly, a day set aside by providence to appreciate the nature of creation.

13 comments:

TLP said...

Sunday: For most people it's better than Monday.

Tom & Icy said...

Another day.

mireille said...

Where's meditative self-reflection in all this. Um, don't tell me. xoxo

Mother Theresa said...

What you say when it's not a shower...'s a bath. ;)

Anonymous said...

I thought that was the day one washed the Saab.

Anonymous said...

I believe that's when one tackles the pile of laundry with a hangover but I could be mistaken. I'll let you know next week.

Doug The Una said...

TLP, sure. Sunday is a lot like Tuesday-Saturday in that regard.

Icy, can dogs be heretics?

Berkeley, Mireille, and some parts of Seattle.

Well, hello, Spain! En todos terras catolicas, el Domingo es una diĆ” por novias.

Quilly, I'm sure that's right in Sweden and Hawai'i.

Jenn, you'll figure it out next time you're sober and ladylike.

Anonymous said...

I hoping for some divine explanation as to Ozzie and his mad cough on Sweat Leaf.

Maybe I ought to go ask the Amish; they always seem to be tending to their tobacco crops on my Sabbath.

Jamie Dawn said...

Sabbath: I must admit that gluttony has been celebrated a time or two on my Sabbath. Slothfulness has been practiced on several occasions as well, also, too. I do my best not to beat the kids since that would not be observing the day of rest.

Jim said...

Sabbath: The end of the week is finally here! It is time to rest my weary bones and muscles.

Sabbath: The day Doug writes his weekly Chronicles.
..

Doug The Una said...

Sauerkraut, to paraphrase Jesus, if a tobacco leaf ripens on the sabbath, will you not pick it?

Jamie Dawn, it depends on whether beating your kids is work or not, seems to me.

Jim, on the Hebrew sabbath, not the day rose. Heaven knows why I would be indignant about the difference, though.

Actonbell, you can see the benefit of salt air, can't you?

javajazz said...

i prefer to celebrate the Sabbath
on off hours or days, often when
no one is looking...i appreciate
your update, as usual, especially
the part about celebrating
self-regard...
and yes, that was really funny
about the Saab bath...

Anonymous said...

I hike on Sundays, enjoy the beauty of nature and then pig out. so yeah I pig out afterwards.

So, yup.