How to prepare for the Sabbath and why do so

I have posted about ways to keep the Sabbath Holy, but preparing for it is another story! However, why are most schools and businesses closed both Saturdays and Sundays (or Saturdays are a partial day)? Because Saturday is the day before the recognized Sabbath and Saturday is the day to prepare for it. If you don't have such days off, maybe Tuesday could be your preparation day and Wednesday could be your Sabbath, if you have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off. Also, as I have found, keeping the Sabbath is very difficult when you haven't prepared for it. Here are some ideas on how to do so (assuming Sundays are your Sabbath):
Monday:
After school/work, everyone decides what chores should be done and who should do what. The youngest kids would have the easiest work and the oldest kids would have harder ones.
Tues: After school/work, everyone does one chore. Let's say Mom, Dad, 9 year-old Samuel and 6 year-old Emily make up a household. Mom could sweep and mom the kitchen, Dad could vacuum, and each kid could clean up their room. (The kids should do their homework first.)
This would continue every day. On Saturday, necessary errands (such as grocery shopping) could be ran by one parent and one kid while one parent and kid finished any necessary chores. If the house is clean and homework is done, errands could be split among two people to save time.

WHY KEEP THE SABBATH HOLY?
Several reasons!

1. We are commanded to do so! For God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh!
2. We can slow down and actually focus on God. We might read a few bible verses a day and listen to Christian channels on the radio on the way to and from work, but Sunday can be a day where we just relax and work on our relationship with God.
3. You build relationships with your friends and family. Not only can you connect with your household members more, but you have time to write that letter to your Grandma in Maine or to call your cousins in Colorado. Wish you could see them more often? Even if you can't see them, at least you can connect with them more often, and the Sabbath gives you time to do so!
4. You might get more done during the week. Want to take a nap instead of doing those Saturday chores? Want to take a long lunch that will result in less productivity at work? Sunday is the time to take such breaks. You can think, "I'll have the time soon enough. I'll get this done now and relax on Sunday".

https://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/christianity/6-reasons-to-keep-the-sabbath.aspx?p=6

We are commanded to keep the Sabbath rest. Let's focus on God one day and see what He has in store for us!

Why attend a Traditional Latin Mass

I am a lifelong Catholic, and I admit that I have only been to a few Latin Masses in person. They are just hard to find! However, attending a Latin Mass does have benefits (which I know some of from watching the Daily Mass on TV from a chapel in Irondale, Alabama). I have heard some benefits from others and benefits I have seen myself.

1. Only boys serve at the altar. I have posted about that before so I will leave it for that post. (It was 3 posts before this one.)
2. This was the mass most saints attended. The TLM was formed in the 600 AD century and, while becoming uncommon, is still in existence today. This is also the mass people attended when they came to America to practice religious freedom (and several other things.) Imagine how comforting it was to see and hear similar things when they came to America! Even now, the Novus Ordo would probably still be comforting to these people, but there would be even more similarities because more Latin would be spoken!
3. More universiality. Catholic derived from words that mean universal, so even the Novus Ordo has some universiality, but there will be more similar languages spoken because Latin is used more than at the Novus Ordo. They also all only permit altar boys to serve (once again, already posted about that). The Novus Ordo will have the same readings every week and will usually have similar ways of conduct, but they usually have their own differences. Now, I think every Catholic parish has something unique about it (even tri-parishes have unique qualities), but by choosing a Latin Mass, you will have a better idea of what you are seeing. 
4. More accuracy. The Novus Ordo  has missals in a three-year cycle that attempts to read the whole missal, but this can be done on your own time (and who wouldn't encourage that?). However, the Latin Mass focuses on readings appropreiate for the time of the year and important scriptures (not that they aren't all important!). You will be able to relax and have more time to absorb the scripture.
5. Communion by tongue. Not all Latin Masses force this, but most people who go to the Latin Mass will recieve communion on the tongue. This has felt holier for me (which I've tried in the Novus Ordo) because I will not be spreading particles of the spirit with my hand (which is why the priest rinses his hands with holy water before and after giving the body of Christ). 
6. Silence. There is a lot of sound at many Novus Ordo masses. There may be music playing, people singing, or just a lack of silence. A TLM may have music playing during Communion, but not always, and even when it does, it just feels quieter at Latin Masses (based on the ones I have watched at least). 
7. Encourage benefits of the TLM. By going to the TLM, you are encouraging people to attend (though you may want to preach it to be truly effective!). Since only boys serve, you might encourage people to go to the TLM and encourage altar boy life and cause more vocations to the priesthood. 
8. No "sign of peace". I made the sign of peace before communion for a long time, but I've come to hate that part of the mass. I feel like when I watch a Latin mass, we're looking up to God during the Preparation of Communion in unity without interruption. However, when we give the sign of peace, we're united with each other and with God, but then I feel like we're leaving God for a few minutes to visit with our neighbors. Why would we do that? I feel like we're already in unity with each other anyway because we're looking at God. (I AM NOT happy about the coronavirus, but one good thing about it is that our Novus Ordo parishes have stopped that for now).

Many places do not have a Latin mass and it can be hard to find, but why not try to go to a few to see if God is calling you to switch or at least visit a TLM?

Ways to keep the Sabbath Holy

I am going to list the 10 commandments. Since I am lazy,  I copied and pasted from this site.

The 10 Commandments List, Short Form*

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make idols.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.*
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.

Don't worship other "gods", don't steal or murder, etc. Not that hard. Some commandments are a bit harder to follow, but notice I starred #4: Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. That is the commandment this post is about because it is probably the hardest commandment to keep and the one commandment most don't keep, especially as college students, who are extremely busy. However, notice that God commands it of us and that it is not an option and not advice, for the Lord created the world in six days and rested on the Sabbath, likely the same day Jesus rose from the dead. However, the bible does not specifically say what day of the week that was, so just be sure to work six days (five days of work and one day of household chores) and take a day off. Ideally, this day would be Sunday, but some jobs and schedules just don't allow for that. However, jobs give you two days off in general, so try using one day to catch up on chores and one day to keep holy. 

First, let's clear up a few things about the Sabbath. Resting. Sunday is not a day to do nothing. As St. John Paul II noted:
In order that rest may not degenerate into emptiness or boredom, it must offer spiritual enrichment, greater freedom, opportunities for contemplation and fraternal communion. Therefore, among the forms of culture and entertainment which society offers, the faithful should choose those which are most in keeping with a life lived in obedience to the precepts of the gospel (DD 68).https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/keeping-holy-the-lords-day
Also, there is debate on whether the true Sabbath is Saturday or Sunday. Since there aren't any specific scriptures that clarify this (as far as I know), I assume it's Sunday, but I would think any day would do as long as you keep it on the same day each week. I will assume Sunday is the Sabbath Day as it is likely the most commonly used day for the sabbath.
Here are some ideas to keep the Sabbath (note: this is Catholic-based, but most of these tips are protestant-friendly and even Jewish-friendly):

1. Attend Mass
2. Attend a protestant service
3. Visit a relative
4. Shop and eat out on Saturdays. If you do this Sunday, you force others to work on the Sabbath. Don't support that.
5. Play a game of a sport outside with the family
6. Take a family hike
7. Family rosary, divine mercy, and bible study
8. Make a Sabbath Vlog
9. Discuss what you learned at Mass
10. Donate money
11. Take a family walk or bike ride
12. Have a family discussion on what you’re grateful for
13. Learn the Missionary Discussion
14. Tell a true story about a relative or good friend
15. Make a list to help you prepare for the next Sunday
16. Encourage someone to go to church
17. Cook with a crockpot to minimize the time you spend cooking.
18. CAREFULLY invite relatives to Mass
19. Make a Sabbath day blog/vlog
20. Encourage others to keep the sabbath holy
21. Call distant relatives
22. Memorize verses/scripture
23. Invite other Catholics to your house
24. Play religious based games, like scriptural Scrabble or church pictionary
25. Invite someone to mass/service. I have a cousin and an aunt that I would like to encourage to attend mass with us one weekend. They believe in God, but they don't do much about it, as far as I know. I hope I can encourage them to at least build a relationship with God and even encourage them to be protestant.
26. Do an act of charity. Jesus healed sick people and preached on the Sabbath, so holy work is acceptable. Why not take Sunday as a day to volunteer? You could go to a soup kitchen to serve meals or read books to children in a children's hospital. Or, on a smaller scale, you could make dinner and give a plate to your elderly neighbors.
27. Visit your elderly parents/grandparents/other elderly in your life. My paternal grandmother was my only grandparent to live for me to be born, and sadly she is now deceased, but for the last few years, we would visit her on a weekend (usually on Sundays). When she lived in assisted living (which was about 2 1/2 years), we would take her grocery shopping (this was before I realized the meaning of the Sabbath commandment) and just take her out. Eventually she was not able to go out anymore, but we tried to see her at least every few weeks when she moved to a nursing home. Then she developed multiple illnesses and, while we saw her as often as we could, we gave her the longest visits on Sundays. (As a side note, she passed away on a Sunday. I will write about what happened later).
28. Invite others for church on Sundays for ice cream (sundaes on Sundays)! Encourage them to bring ice cream, a topping, or a drink to share. (Encourage them to buy it on a Saturday though.)
29. Have your children spend one-on-one time with another sibling or parent and take turns. In a house with two parents, two girls, and two boys, there could be all-girl time and all-boy time.
30. Read a book
31. Draw

These are the ideas I have so far, but I am trying to come up with 100, so let me know if you have other ideas!s I have so far, but I am trying to come up with 100, so let me know if you have other ideas!

Benefits and Guide to the Catholic Traditional Latin Mass

In the Catholic church, the Latin mass was used for over a millennium and now most Catholics attend something called the New Mass. I talked last week (I believe) about the Latin mass, and now I am going to explain some of its customs. I have only been to one in person a few times, although I have watched several on EWTN. The TLM can be pretty hard to find, making the drive inconvenient, but when possible, here is why you should give the Latin Mass a chance:

1. Altar Boys- There are a lot pf blog entries regarding whether girls should serve at Catholic masses- most of which are in favor of them. Most Novus Ordo Masses in the world have female altar servers. However, as I discussed a few blogs ago, only boys should serve at the altar for several reasons. Please refer to that blog to see an explanation. (As far as I know, women are also not lectors in the Latin Mass. In fact, in the small number of Latin masses I've attended and watched on TV, the only place outside of the choir that I find women are in the pews, and young girls are basically restricted to the pews.)
2. Communion by mouth- In most Latin masses, most people will have the priest put the Body of Christ on their tongue, whereas in the Novus Ordo, most people will have him put it in their hand. Also, it's usually the priest giving communion during the Latin Mass, while three people assist the priest in passing out communion during the Novus Ordo.
3. Different reading cycles-  Latin Masses tend to give readings that are appropriate for the time, while the Novus Ordo tries to read the whole Missal within three years (giving it a three-year cycle).
4. Silence- In the Novus Ordo, there is almost constantly some sound. If the priest is not talking, there are usually just a few songs and several moments of quiet. In the Novus Ordo, music is being played before and after Communion and most people sing along. However, in many traditional masses, there is no song or only the choir sings, and the congregation has a few moments of quiet prayer time.
5. Music: In relation to the last topic, music during the mass is meant to help people praise God and stay connected in the part of the Mass being conducted. There is often a song going on during communion during the Novus Ordo. In the Latin Mass, music is only performed if it helps people worship God.
   

Guide:

• Dress nicely- At a Novus Ordo, you will find most people dressed relatively nicely, but some people will wear shorts, sneakers, and a T-shirt. At the Latin Mass, dress as if you are in the presence of God (because you kind of are!). Also, men should not wear hats during the mass. While not always required, women often wear chapel veils, typically provided in the back of the mass.
• Communion: A priest will allow you to take communion by hand, but most people will extend their tongue with their mouth open. This is because part of Jesus' flesh will remain on your fingers and spread to everything you touch. There is no telling what will happen afterwards to the flesh particles (it could get vacummed or split if you cut your finger!)
• Silence: Many times, a Novus Ordo will end and people will start talking to each other. Do this outside of the sanctuary and stay quiet while inside it. This allows time for prayer in silence. 

I still have some research to do on this topic so I will get back to this.

https://veneremurcernui.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/fr-rodriguez-on-the-benefits-of-the-traditional-mass/

https://sanctamissa.org/en/faq/newcomers-to-the-traditional-latin-mass.html

Only Boys should be Catholic servers- alternatives for girls

Girls have been allowed to serve since 1994 by the pope, but archdioceses can ban them and priests can band them.
I have been a server for over seven years and I do it weekly due to a shortage of servers in our church. We have a low city population which leads to a low population of our church. Sometimes females need to serve or there won't be any servers at all at church.
However, serving should be just for boys whenever possible. Most priests were altar boys, and girls cannot be priests because the church is the Bride of Christ and boys marry the church. Girls will never be priests for many reasons, but that's another story.
I think another reason only boys should serve is because of how people see look at worship. Males worship to try to fight against evil when they worship God. They are the ones who will fight in the Battle of Babylonian. Their goal is to honor our creator and savior and attempt to repay Him for all He has done for us. Women worship out of love for their Father and Brother, who have come to save us. God is definitely both loving and solicitous, so both perspectives are correct. In fact, I think God made both genders to be that way.
I also think that boys will enjoy it more if it's boys-only because there's just something special about something being for one gender. Remember preferring activities just for people of your gender? Didn't something just seem special about it? Boys and girls need to work together at times, but maybe kids would enjoy church more if they had activities more inclusive for them.
As I said, girls are likely going to go to church anyway out of love for their Father and Brother. However, girls should have a girls-only part in the church because that might keep girls more active in their faith (although there is no evidence to back that up, and girls weren't allowed to serve for almost two milenia and girls continued to attend mass then. I think this shows girls worship out of love and men to fight against Satan.) Anyway, boys taking communion ages 8-22 could serve while girls taking communion ages 8-22 could have a different part. Perhaps those girls could clean the sanctuary two hours before mass, set the altar, and wash and hang up server robes. After mass, girls could set out the candles, neatly fold the altar tablecloth, and clean it up. I explain it more in the video.
Cheers,
Sarah