The Third Commandment128
“Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy”129
1. We have just seen how many good works are contained in the second commandment, but they are not good in and of themselves but only when they are done in faith and with confidence in divine benevolence. You see now how much we have to do if we desire to honor only that commandment, but unfortunately many others, who do not comprehend it, busy themselves with other works. Now comes the third commandment: “You shall keep the Sabbath holy.” The first commandment showed our hearts the proper way of thinking, and the second showed our mouths the right way of speaking. The third commandment now teaches us how our relationship with God should influence our actions. These commandments are written on the first tablet of the law that Moses held in his right hand and that govern us on the right side, that is, in those matters that relate to God and to our direct relationship to him without any intermediary.130
The first work
The first work of this commandment, commonly called worship,131 is obvious and easily recognizable: attending Mass on holy days, praying, and listening to the sermon. Many people think this commandment entails only a few works. If they are not done, however, in faith and with trust in God’s goodwill, they are worth nothing, as we said earlier. Consequently, it is desirable to have fewer holy days, especially since our activities on those days—killing time, eating and drinking too much, amusing ourselves, behaving dissolutely—are for the most part worse than what we do on workdays.132 In addition, going to Mass and hearing a sermon have no positive effect on people, and the prayers are said without faith. We must think it is enough to watch the Mass being performed, hear the sermon only with our ears, and mouth the prayers. We take it all lightly, without considering what we are supposed to receive from the Mass into our hearts; learn from the sermon; and petition, desire, and expect from prayer. The bishops, priests, and all those who preach are even more at fault. They fail to preach the gospel or teach people how they ought to view the Mass, listen to the sermon, and say their prayers. For that reason we will treat each of these works in more detail.
2. At the Mass, it is necessary that we be present with our whole heart; this happens when we train our hearts to believe. We have to repeat the words that Christ spoke when he instituted the Mass: “ ‘Take and eat; this is my body given for you.’ In the same manner, he took the cup and said: ‘Take and drink from it, all of you; that is the new, eternal covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. As often as you drink it, do it in remembrance of me.’ ”133 With these words, Christ created a memorial or anniversary Mass134 that is to be celebrated daily throughout Christendom in accord with his example. To that he attached a glorious, rich, and generous testament, which promises us in place of money and worldly valuables the forgiveness of all our sins and eternal life by God’s grace and mercy. Everyone who comes to the memorial shall receive what this testament promises, and Christ has died so that the testament has become durable and irrevocable. As a pledge of good faith, instead of a sealed charter, he has left us his own body and blood under the bread and wine.135
It is necessary for us to practice the first work of this commandment properly. We should not doubt but should allow the testament to be trustworthy so that Christ is not made into a liar. If you do nothing at Mass but stand there without realizing or believing that through this testament Christ has promised and bestowed the forgiveness of all your sins, how is that different from saying: “I do not know or I do not believe that here all my sins have been forgiven”? Countless Masses are now said throughout the world, but very few hear them with this kind of faith and awareness! It provokes God’s anger, and as a result the Mass bears fruit only for those who are disconsolate, yearn for divine grace, and wish to be rid of their sins. Even if they approach the sacrament with a bad attitude, it still works for them if they are transformed during the Mass and desire the benefits of this testament. For that reason, in former times notorious sinners were not admitted to the Mass.136 When, however, this faith is in order, the testament should make the heart rejoice and warm it to the point of melting. Praise and thanksgiving will arise from a clean heart, and therefore the Greek word for “mass” is eucharist, or “thanksgiving.” We should praise and thank God for such a consoling, rich, and sublime testament, just as we would be thrilled by inheriting a fortune from a friend. All too often, however, Christ receives the same response as others who have made people rich through their wills. The heirs quickly forget them, and they never receive praise or appreciation for what they did. The same happens now with our Masses: they are merely celebrated, but we do not know why or who benefits from them. We are not grateful, nor do we express any love or admiration, but we remain barren and unmoved, saying at most little rote prayers.137
3. The sermon should be nothing other than the proclamation of this testament. But who will hear it if no one proclaims it, and those who should preach it scarcely comprehend it themselves! The sermons wander and fizzle out in useless fables with the result that Christ is forgotten. Our situation is similar to that of the man in 2 Kings: “We see our goods, but we cannot enjoy them.”138 The Preacher also refers to it: “It is a great misfortune when God gives people riches but does not allow them to be enjoyed.”139 We see innumerable Masses but do not know whether they are testaments or something else entirely, as if they were any commonly performed good works that stand on their own. O God, how totally blinded we are! Wherever this testament is rightly preached, it is necessary that we listen attentively, comprehend and retain it, and continually meditate on it, so that faith is strong enough to resist the attacks of sin—past, present, or future. Christ has instituted only this ritual for Christians to observe by gathering and standing in harmony with one another. He has not allowed it to be like any other work but added to it an abundant and overflowing treasure, which is given to all who believe.
The sermon should entice sinners to feel remorse for their sin and inflame the desire for that treasure. It follows that it must be a grave sin for those who do not listen to the gospel and spurn this treasure, the bountiful meal to which they are invited. A much graver sin, however, is committed by those who do not preach the gospel and thereby allow those who wish to hear it go to ruin, although Christ has steadfastly commanded them to preach the gospel and this testament. He did not want the Mass to be celebrated unless the gospel was also preached. Thus he says: “As often as you do it, do it in remembrance of me.”140 That is what Paul meant when he reported: “You are to proclaim my death.”141 In our day, it is a formidable task to be a bishop, pastor, or preacher, for hardly any of them is aware of this testament, not to mention failing to preach that which is their single highest duty and obligation. It will be difficult for them to account for so many souls who go to ruin because that sermon was absent.
4. Do not pray in the customary way by turning pages in the prayer book or counting beads on the rosary.142 Instead, we should bring our concerns before God, earnestly seek aid, and place our faith and trust in God so intently that we have no doubt we will be heard. Saint Bernard told his brothers this very thing: “Dear brethren, do not belittle your prayers as if they were said in vain; for in truth I tell you that before you utter the words they are already written in heaven. And you should be quite certain that your prayer will be answered or, if not, that it is not in your best interest for it to be answered.”143 Prayer is therefore a special exercise of faith, which makes it so agreeable, for either the prayer is answered or something better than what was requested is granted. As St. James says: “Let whoever prays ask in faith, never doubting; for whoever doubts does not expect to receive anything from God.”144 That is a straightforward declaration that is both positive and negative. Whoever does not believe receives nothing—neither what was petitioned nor anything better.
In order to awaken such faith, Christ himself said: “I tell you, whatever you ask for, believe that you will receive it and it will certainly happen.”145 And: “Ask and it will be given you, search and you will find, knock and it will be opened for you. For whoever asks receives, whoever searches finds, and whoever knocks, for them it is opened. What father among you gives his son a stone when he asks for bread, or a snake when he asks for fish, or a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you, then, who by nature are not good, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give a good spirit to all who ask.”146
5. What people are so callous and stony-hearted that such powerful words do not move them to pray gladly and with complete trust? But think how many prayers would have to be rewritten if they wanted to pray rightly according to these words! Every church and cloister is without question full of praying and singing. How, then, can it happen that they bring so little improvement or benefit and things keep getting worse? The reason can only be what St. James indicates: “You pray much, but you receive nothing because you pray in the wrong way.”147 For if prayer is not offered with this faith and trust, then it is lifeless and nothing but toil and effort; even if something is received, it is of worldly use alone, offering no benefits and help for souls but instead bedazzling them and causing them great harm. They rattle on without trust, unawares, without noticing if they receive what they request; they remain obdurate in this unbelief, which is a deplorable habit that contradicts both the exercise of faith and the essence of prayer.
Those who ...