Even though I didn't understand what they were saying, I rushed through the English translation to keep up with the Hebrew. Just hearing the Hebrew itself was beautiful, but knowing the history of these prayers, the Psalms, and the history of the Jewish people made it much more beautiful. Here are a people who have been persecuted and exiled for over three thousand years and here they are gathered to pray and give thanks to their God.
After each service we talked to the rabbi or a member of the congregation. Something struck me when I heard them: How seriously they take the Sabbath and the command to keep the Lord's Day. To a Catholic, observing the Sabbath means to go to Mass for an hour. The rest of the day is like any other. However, to Jews their entire day is for the Lord. They just don't go to synagogue for an hour then get into their cars and go out to dinner at a nice restaurant or to the mall. They walk home after synagogue because you can't drive. Their day is a day spent with family and in prayer to God and remembering and honoring Him.
That is something I have been thinking about ever since. We Catholics seem to no longer do this. We no longer remember that the Lord's Day is not the Lord's Hour, but the whole day. We have let our culture and society dictate our lives. What's wrong with having one day where you do nothing but spend time with the people you love and care about while remembering and thanking God for all He has given you?
Don't just go to church, observe Shabbat!
