“REMEMBER THAT THOU KEEP HOLY THE SABBATH DAY.”
“Keep you my Sabbath: for it is holy unto you: he that shall profane it, shall be put to death, he that shall do any work, his soul shall perish out of the midst of his people.” (Ex. 31:14). What’s that you say, Lord? If they profane it, they will be put to death? Is it that serious? The Lord replies, ‘’ Let that man die, let all the multitude stone him without the camp.’’ Numbers 15:35. ‘’ He hath contemned the word of the Lord, and made void his precept: therefore shall he be destroyed, and shall bear his iniquity. And it came to pass, when the children of Israel were in the wilderness, and had found a man gathering sticks on the sabbath day, that they brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole multitude. And they put him into prison, not knowing what they should do with him. And the Lord said to Moses: Let that man die, let all the multitude stone him without the camp. And when they had brought him out, they stoned him, and he died as the Lord had commanded.’’ 31-36.
The Lord was dead serious about them remembering the commandments of God. ‘’ The Lord also said to Moses: Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt tell them to make to themselves fringes in the corners of their garments, putting in them ribands of blue: That when they shall see them, they may remember all the commandments of the Lord, and not follow their own thoughts and eyes going astray after divers things, But rather being mindful of the precepts of the Lord, may do them and be holy to their God.’’ 37-40. Just for gathering sticks on the Sabbath, God said to stone him to death, which they did. Fr. Leslie Rumble, with Radio Replies said, “The seriousness of the punishment, shows the seriousness of the crime.”
NO BUYING OR SELLING; NO COMMERCIALIZING: “And if the people of the land bring ware, that we would not buy it of them on the Sabbath, or on the holy day.” Nehemiah 10:31. Sunday is the holy day, the Lord’s Day, as we call it, and also the holy days throughout the year designated by holy Church must also be observed. It is called ‘The Lord’s Day,’ because it belongs to him, and not to us. St. John Vianney said, “When we work on Sunday, we steal the Lord’s Day from him.” And what about all those restaurants who open on Sunday in order to gain monetarily? Are restaurants a necessity? One of the things Chick Filet were noted for, was their respect for the Holy Day, and closing on Sunday. There is a story of a lady who quit the Church, opened a restaurant, kept it open on Sunday because Sunday was a good business day, and closed on a weekday. Instead of going to Mass, she ran the restaurant on the Lord’s Day. And many people went out to eat there. Directly or indirectly they were supporting her in her sin. And what about us? Is it necessary that we support them on Sunday? Are we supporting them in their sin? Or could we fix a lunch to take with us if we get hungry before we return home?
PROFANATION OF SUNDAY IS AN INJUSTICE: A farmer ridiculed his neighbor because he did not, like himself, work on Sunday, but on the contrary attended the Church service. “Suppose,’’ said the neighbor, “I have seven shillings in my pocket, and meeting a poor man on the way, I give him six., what would you say?” “Well,’’ said the farmer, “you would be very generous, and would deserve every thanks.” “But instead of thanking me, he threw me down and robbed me of my last shilling, what then?” “Why, such a man would deserve to be hanged.” “Friend,” replied the neighbor, ‘’that’s your very case.’’ “God has given you six days to labor in, and has reserved only the seventh for himself, and commands us to sanctify it; and instead of being thankful for his gifts and respecting his will, you rob him even of the seventh day. Are not the two cases alike?” The farmer agreed, he admitted his fault , and corrected it. Should we not do the same? (Stories From The Catechist # 488)
THE BISHOPS CONDEMN MARKETING: # 497, Declaration of the Council of Paris: In the Sixth Council, held at Paris in the year 829, the Bishops, after condemning marketing, bargaining, and all country business on the Sundays, add: “There are many who have been struck by lightning for working on these days; of many of these we have been eyewitnesses ourselves, and of many more we have heard by the relation of others. There are also others who have been punished by a sudden contraction of their nerves and more have been struck dead by fire, and for their sins, their bodies and their very bones have in a moment been reduced to ashes. Besides, many other terrible judgements there have been, and still are, whereby it is sufficiently declared how much God is offended by the profanation of the Sabbath day.” Thus verifying the terrible words of Scripture: “He that sinneth in the sight of his maker, shall fall into the hands of the physician.” Ecclus. 38:15, and, “He that shall profane it, shall be put to death, he that shall do any work, his soul shall perish out of the midst of his people.” (Ex. 31:14). Scripture passages taken from Douay Rheims Bible, drbo.org. There was a prelate in the Church who attributed the 1st World War to 3 causes, and one was, the profanation of Sunday.
In our own day, one man who was working on the Lord’s Day suffered a massive heart attack and almost died. Another case in our own time was of a young man, very wicked, went to a service drunk, mocked the service, and died an early death in his twenties. His jeep overturned on him, and killed him. My friends, it is very dangerous to break God’s law. Sin has consequences, and sooner or later, it will catch up with us. King David was terribly punished in his time for his sins. “There is no health in my flesh, because of thy wrath: there is no peace for my bones, because of my sins. For my iniquities are gone over my head: and as a heavy burden are become heavy upon me.” Ps. 37:4,5. And also, because of his adultery with Bathsheba, the prophet told him after he repented, “Therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Urias the Hethite to be thy wife… Nevertheless, because thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, for this thing, the child that is born to thee, shall surely die.’’ 2nd Book of Kings (2 Samuel)10,14. Here is a good argument for the protestants who deny purgatory. Nathan plainly tells him his sin is forgiven, but adds, “The sword shall never depart from his house, and his son shall surely die.” If his sin is forgiven, why is he still being punished. Answer: Because we have to do penance for our sins, either here, or hereafter. Why do you think Jesus spoke of sins being forgiven in the world to come, St. Matt. 12:32, if there were no purgatory?
In the Book of Judith, chapter 5, Achior gives Holofernes an account of the people of Israel. He tells the general concerning the people doing God’s will, “[21] And as long as they sinned not in the sight of their God, it was well with them: for their God hateth iniquity.” But he tells Achior that if he can find any sin in them, he can overcome them, because God withdraws his protection from us when we sin. ‘’ [24] Now therefore, my lord, search if there be any iniquity of theirs in the sight of their God: let us go up to them, because their God will surely deliver them to thee, and they shall be brought under the yoke of thy power.’’ If we do God’s will, God protects us; if not, He withdraws his protection and chastises. A good father does not chastise a good son. A powerful means of helping us to do God’s will, and of drawing down his protection, is by praying the rosary each day, as Our Lady of Fatima insisted. In her 2nd promise she says, “I promise my special protection, and the greatest graces to those who pray the rosary. https://motherofgodlibrary.org/?s=my+special+protection.
Missing Mass on Sunday is a grave sin! THE MASS DRAWS DOWN GOD’S MERCY. The following story bears this out. The one who went to Mass was saved; the one who did not , was killed! St. Antoninus relates the story of two libertines, who went one day into the forest, one of them having heard Mass, the other not. Soon, it is said, there arose a furious tempest, and they heard, amid thunder and lightning, a voice which cried, “Slay!” and instantly came a flash which reduced the one who had not heard Mass. The other, all terrified, was seeking escape, when he heard the same voice, which repeated, “Slay!” The poor youth expected instant death, when lo, he heard another voice which answered, “I cannot. I cannot; today he heard, ‘Verbum caro factum est, (the Word was made flesh), his Mass will not let me strike.” Verbum caro factum est, is from the Gospel reading at the end of each traditional Latin mass. St. Leonard says, “Oh, how many times hath God freed you from death, or at least, from many most grievous perils, through the Mass you attended!” St. Gregory assures us of the same, “It is most true that he who attends Holy Mass shall be freed from many evils and from many dangers, both foreseen and unforeseen.” St. Augustine says, “He shall be freed from sudden death, which is the most terrible stroke launched by Divine Justice against sinners.” – The Hidden Treasure, St. Leonard of Port Maurice. “And if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand.” [Matthew 18:16]. Here we have three great saints, all saying the same thing.
Sin has consequences! Those who miss Mass on Sundays and Holydays of the year expose themselves to great danger and affliction. Even those who have fallen away from the Church and take part in protestant services. Every Mass they miss is still a mortal sin. As one priest said, “When they die, those who have left the Church, they will be judged as Catholics.” Because they were taught the truth when they were taught you were supposed to go to Mass on Sunday, and they turned away from it. HOW OLD IS YOUR CHURCH? YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT?: https://motherofgodlibrary.org/2022/05/29/how-old-is-your-church-you-ever-thoughtabout-it/ tinyurl.com/3adxfutt.
THE THREE TRADERS: St. Leonard says, “Many are the excuses which those who attend Mass grudgingly and with reluctance find from their tepidity.” He relates the story of “certain traders of Gubbio, 3 to be exact, who had gone to a public fair held in the town of Cisternino, and having made a clearance of their wares, two of them began to speak of going, and fixed to start the next day at dawn, so as to arrive by evening in their own neighborhood. But, the third would not consent to start with them, and protested that, the next day being Sunday, he could never think of commencing a journey without having first heard Holy Mass, that then, after a little food, they might take their departure more to their satisfaction, and that, should they not succeed in getting to Gubbio that evening, there was no want of comfortable inns on the road. His friends did not yield to this wise salutary counsel, but, bent on arriving at home the next night, they took their way on horseback towards home. They arrived near the river Corfuone. By the violent rain that had fallen during the night, it was now excessively swollen, and the current beating strongly against the bridge had somewhat shaken and weakened it. They advanced upon it with their horses, and no sooner had they reached the middle than a still further rise and furious rush of the flood broke down and swept away the whole structure. The two unhappy traders were, of course, plunged with their horses into the river and drowned, losing at once, their money, their good, their lives, and almost certainly their souls. At the sound of the crash, and sight of havoc, the peasants ran to the spot, and contrived with hooks to draw the corpses out, which they then left stretched out on the bank, in order that, if possible, they might be recognized and obtain burial. Soon after, the third trader, who had been detained by his wish to satisfy the precept of attending Mass, and who had taken to the road with joyful alacrity, came up to the river and beheld the two bodies on the bank. Drawing up to observe them, he instantly recognized his two companions, and heard from the bystanders all the miserable catastrophe with the utmost agitation of spirit. Then he lifted his hands to heaven, returning thanks to the Most High, Who had so mercifully preserved him, and he blessed a thousand times the hour in which he assisted at Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, clearly recognizing the source of his safety. When again at home, he announced the sad intelligence, got the relations to procure proper interment for the departed, and stirred up among all a lively desire of daily attendance at Holy Mass.”
St. John Vianney had this to say for those who work on Sunday. “You labor, but what you earn proves the ruin of your soul and body. If we ask those who work on Sunday, ”What have you been doing?’ they might answer, ‘I have been selling my soul to the devil, and crucifying Our Lord. I am doomed to hell!’ When I see people driving their carts on Sunday, it seems to me I see them carting their souls to hell…Sunday is the property of the good God; it is His own day, the Lord’s Day. He made all the days of the week, he might have kept them all. Hehas given you six, and only reserved the seventh for himself. What right have you to meddle with that which does not belong to you? You know very well that stolen good never yield any profit. Neither will the day you steal from the Lord procure for you any advantage. I know two infallible ways of becoming poor, and they are: Sunday work, and taking other people’s property.’’ – St. John Vianney.
Souls in Hell – What the Saints and Scriptures say About it. https://motherofgodlibrary.org/2019/04/
A CAREFUL FATHER I WANT TO BE https://motherofgodlibrary.org/2020/01/