Dear Friends,

One of the great challenges that we face at the present time as Christians is keeping the Lord’s Day holy. I remember growing up in the sixties and seventies in Massachusetts that we had the “Blue Laws.” Wikipedia gives the following definition:

A blue law is a type of law designed to enforce moral standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping. Most have been repealed, declared unconstitutional or are simply not enforced, although prohibitions on the sale of alcoholic beverages, and occasionally almost all commerce, on Sundays are still enforced in many areas. Blue laws often prohibit an activity only during certain hours and there are usually exceptions to the prohibition of commerce, like grocery and drug stores. In some places blue laws may be enforced due to religious principles, but others are retained as a matter of tradition or out of convenience.

In those days the streets were very quiet and the most common sound you would hear was that of church bells. It’s doubtful that those days will ever return. While it is very difficult, if not impossible, to change the attitude of society, we can, as individuals, faithfully resolve to keep Sunday as it’s meant to be: a day of rest and worship of our creator. In fact the fourth Commandment reads, “Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy.” While the Sabbath for the Jews is Saturday, because Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday the Christian holy day is Sunday. The Armenian, “Giragi” for Sunday comes from the Greek word “Kyrie” which means Lord; hence it’s the day of the Lord.

We can make a great difference if we truly keep Sunday holy by faithfully attending the Holy Badarak and by refraining as much as possible from such secular pursuits as shopping. Instead spend time with God in church, with family at home and also reading the Bible or other sacred literature. It’s up to the parents to set the pace in the home by making each Sunday truly a God and family centered day.

We do well to heed the words of the Prophet Isaiah, “If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth . . .” (Isaiah 58:13-14)

May this and every Sunday be truly a day of delighting in the Lord.
       

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With prayers.
Hayr Simeon
July 27, 2008