The Pope and The Sabbath

     You have to love Pope Francis. He's a very smart person to say the least. As such, we should take head to his words on leisure. According to this article the pope holds a certain distaste for our society's view of labor and leisure. According to Pope Francis, leisure is no longer something that we work for in order to enjoy. We know disregard the rest that used to be our Sabbath; instead we use that time to work.
     Possibly more than anywhere else, the U.S. has this problem. The stereotypical businessman works week-long, and never has time for his kids or wife. Almost every single restaurant in the United States is open on Sundays. The Pope says that being a Catholic and not spending time with your kids and wife because of your work is the same as living your life as a fraud. And he's right.
     God did not simply set aside Sunday for the sake of us worshiping him. Although that was the main goal, he intended for it to also be a day for rest, and a day for community. He wanted it to be a day where relationships were re-vitalized, where families took time to be together. This is no longer the case. Even I, in flagrant hypocrisy, am writing my post on a Sunday afternoon instead of being with my family.
       So in order to atone for my hypocrisy, I am going to finish up with this statement. Make time on Sunday for those you care about. Make sure to set aside time not only for God, but also for your family. In the end, being with your family probably satisfies God just as much as you going to Church.