In the story of creation, God rested on the seventh day; hence, the commandment to rest on the Sabbath day.

Leviticus extends the notion of the seventh day of rest to seven cycles of seven years, creating the basis of the Jubilee Year every fiftieth year. Not so long ago, in the year 2000, we celebrated such a Jubilee Year.

The notions of Sabbath and Jubilee are significant features of God's revelation to us, for they are tied up with the doctrine that we are not slaves; we are children who enjoy the "glorious freedom of the children of God", as St Paul once expressed it. Therefore, while we must earn our livelihood "by the sweat of our brow" as Genesis expresses it, we are entitled to a certain freedom from labour, a certain rest.

Jesus once invited his disciples to "come aside and rest a while". For us, then, rest is not a negative thing not just a rest from work, doing nothing. Rest is an opportunity to be with the Lord, to turn aside from the daily grind, to be with Jesus a while.