Reclaiming Sunday

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There is a need to reclaim Sunday as a holy day. The Old Testament commandment to keep holy the Sabbath finds its fulfillment in the Church’s command to worship and rest on Sunday.

The 3rd Commandment

The Decalogue as a whole, and the third commandment, in particular, are precisely about remembering what God has done for his people. God prefaces the Ten Commandments by saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Ex 20:2). The commandments are not merely negative precepts that forbid certain actions, rather, they are invitations from the God who saves us to a life of virtue.

The commandments are given in the context of a relationship; God saved the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and for a life of morality in the Promised Land. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it, “Moral existence is a response to the Lord’s loving initiative” (CCC 2062).

This is especially clear in the third commandment as it is worded in terms of recollection, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Ex 20:8). There is a need to reclaim Sundays as holy days; the commandment to keep holy the Sabbath finds its full realization in Sunday, the day of the Resurrection, a time for worship and true rest.

Sabbath vs. Sunday

The Lord commands his people to keep holy the Sabbath, and yet the Church’s preeminent day of worship and rest is on Sunday – how can this be reconciled? In fact, for some, no reconciliation is necessary because Sunday and the Sabbath are inaccurately perceived as synonymous; they might not even realize that the Sabbath and Sunday are two different days.

The Catechism clarifies that “Sunday is expressly distinguished from the Sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians, its ceremonial observance replaces that of the Sabbath” (CCC 2175). Following Thomas Aquinas, the Catechism distinguishes between the moral aspect and the ceremonial aspect of the third commandment – the moral dimension cannot change, whereas the ceremonial can. In other words, God’s command to remember his saving work through worship and rest every week remains constant, however, the day on which this is fulfilled can change. This has in fact changed as we now celebrate the Lord’s saving work on Sunday, the day of the Resurrection.

As stated above, the third commandment is precisely about remembering the work of God, the work of creation and liberation. The Sabbath is a day of rest, for that was the day the Lord rested after creation. The Lord’s Day is also “a memorial of Israel’s liberation from bondage in Egypt” (CCC 2170).

However, the Exodus was merely a foreshadowing of something greater to come; God had an even greater work to perform – liberating all his people from slavery to sin and for eternal life with him. “What God accomplished in Creation and wrought for his People in the Exodus has found its fullest expression in Christ’s Death and Resurrection” (Dies Domini, n. 18). Christ’s great work is remembered on the day of the Resurrection, on Sunday. The Lord’s Day becomes Christ’s Day (Dies Domini, n.18).

Sunday vs. The Weekend

Modern Christians face a great dilemma in celebrating Sundays because there has been a change in the perception of the week as a whole – Saturday and Sunday are seen as a break between times of work. The week is now commonly divided into the working week and the relaxing weekend. Pope John Paul II pointed out in his Apostolic Letter on Sundays that, “The custom of the ‘weekend’ has become more widespread, a weekly period of respite, spent perhaps far from home and often involving participation in cultural, political or sporting activities which are usually held on free days” (Dies Domini, n. 4).

Consequent to the lumping of Saturdays and Sundays together into the weekend is the common misconception of Sunday as the last day of the week. Sunday is often seen as the final day to sleep in before the working week begins, the last day to catch up on schoolwork and studying, or the day to finish projects around the house that there isn’t time for during the week.

Christians are challenged to reclaim Sunday as the first day of the week, as a day of worship and rest; they “are asked to avoid any confusion between the celebration of Sunday, which should truly be a way of keeping the Lord’s Day holy, and the ‘weekend’, understood as a time of simple rest and relaxation” (Dies Domini, n. 4). In her wisdom, the Church facilitates the proper celebration of Sunday through her requirements to follow the third commandment and keep holy the Lord’s Day.

Sunday Obligations

The depth and beauty of the third commandment helps to elucidate and clarify the requirements for fulfilling it. It is important to remember that the commandments are given in the context of a relationship, and so their requirements, both positive and negative, are aimed at fostering this relationship. The Catechism specifies two main obligations on Sundays – participating in the Mass and refraining from work that hinders the worship of God (CCC 2180, 2185). So, the faithful must participate in the Church’s Sunday liturgy (or Saturday vigil), and the faithful may not engage in laborious work that precludes the sanctification of the day for the worship of God. There are, of course, legitimate reasons that can excuse persons from certain obligations (CCC 2185). Worship and true rest are the aim of Sunday.

Worship and Rest

The Paschal Mystery, the ultimate work of God, is most fully remembered in the Eucharistic liturgy, where this great work is re-presented. The Mass not only recalls the great sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, but truly makes it present. Jesus’ command at the Last Supper is actually followed, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk 22:19).

Of the two obligations for Sundays, the requirement of rest may indeed be the more difficult, not only because it challenges common practice, but also because it is not as simple of a command. The expectations for attending Sunday Mass are clear, but the requirement for rest is a little more complex. As discussed above, the distinguishing between Sunday and the “weekend” is extremely important and carries over into the distinction between leisure and sloth, good works and labor.

In regard to the proper rest of Sunday, the Catechism notes that “Sunday is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life” (CCC 2186). As mentioned above, Sunday is not a “catch-up day” before the new week begins; Sunday is the first day of the week, a day of re-creation and leisure. It is not a time for servile work, but a time for contemplation and prayer. It is also important to note that Sunday it is not a time for sloth and laziness but acts of charity and spiritual growth. There is a great invitation to re-create Sundays, to structure them around God and to make them true holy days of prayer and rest, to begin the week re-created and free.

The Church’s Vision vs. The World’s Vision

This does not necessarily mean that Sundays are to be spent in monkish silence and perpetual adoration (though that might sound nice to some). Rather, the important thing to note is the stark contrast between the Church’s vision of Sundays and the world’s vision. We can ask ourselves a few helpful questions to see where our vision of Sunday aligns:

  • Are my Sundays spent in unnecessary busyness and activity?
  • Does Sunday Mass take precedence or do I merely fit it into my schedule?
  • Do I spend my Sundays in slothful laziness?
  • Do I spend time in prayer, reading, studying, and meditation or do I only seek “rest” through sources of entertainment such as social media, television, and video games?
  • Do I treat Sunday as the first day of a new week or the last day of the weekend?
  • Are my Sundays about me or about God?

These questions are not meant to be accusatory, for we all fall short of the glory of God and keeping holy his day. These questions are meant to spark intrigue and desire to reshape Sundays – for yourself and your family. This is not meant to cause guilt or fear or arouse feelings of anxiety and frustration. The Lord gives us the commandments not to constrain us but to set us free! The will of God ought to be our will because it is our good.

Written on the Heart

St. Augustine said, “God wrote on the tablets of the Law what men did not read on their hearts” (CCC 1962). There is a sense in which the command to worship God is written on the heart, though unrecognized and distorted as a result of the Fall. God revealed this commandment at Mt. Sinai out of love, for our benefit, not his. God does not make us worship him because he needs it, but because we do. As Christ said, “‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath’” (Mk 2:27).

Recognizing God’s gift of creation and the grace of salvation, we are moved to remember, through worship and rest, the work of God. Christians ought to reclaim Sunday, the day of the Resurrection, the day of a new creation. It is the day that Christ’s Passover is made present for us in the Eucharist, and the day we rest in God. Our weeks and our lives begin anew every Sunday.

 

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6 thoughts on “Reclaiming Sunday”

  1. Pingback: Remembering to Keep Holy The Sabbath + Genuflect

    1. Some literally have to, but others choose to. Even if one’s employer treats Sunday as a normal working day, one may be surprised at the success of a request not to be rostered on Sundays or Holy Days of Obligation, for religious reasons. Such accommodations are routinely made for Moslems (Fridays), Jews (Friday evenings and Saturdays) and for both of them and Hindus for religious feast days. Yet Christians rarely even ask for similar treatment.

  2. Pingback: MONDAY EDITION – Big Pulpit

  3. Deacon John Lorenzo

    Save Catholic Souls
    HEAVEN or HELL – MAKE YOUR CHOICE

    My dear Catholic brothers and sisters,

    In the United States parish connected Catholics last year (2020) totaled over 67 million.
    Less than 14 million attended Mass every week obeying God’s 3rd commandment – To keep holy the Sabbath day. More than 54 million disobeyed this commandment. Some never attending Sunday Mass. Some occasionally attending and those who attended only Christmas and Easter Sunday. This situation of declining Mass attendance has been the norm over the past sixty years and continues to decline without a solution to correct the problem. In addition, a new phenomenon of the laity is denying their faith, called “nones,” with their numbers increasing yearly. Again, without a solution to stop the exodus.

    Since the main purpose of the Catholic Church is to save souls, these statistics could cause millions of souls being sent to Hell because of false presumptions of God’s mercy and judgment when a person’s life on earth ends. Just the thought of millions of souls going to Hell rather than Heaven is beyond comprehension. It appears that the vast numbers of the faithful who intentionally do not attend Sunday Mass believe it is not a grave sin or believe in God’s mercy to forgive their sins.
    The purpose for drafting this article – Heaven or Hell – Make Your Choice.
    To Save Catholic Souls
    Believe it is God’s desire for all the baptized to go to Heaven when their earthly life ends. Also believe because God loves us, He does not make it difficult to get to Heaven. If anyone believes these truths and are still alive, their inheritance to paradise is still intact.
    1. Those who die with an unrepentant mortal sin on their soul will be sent to Hell. This fact warns us never to commit a mortal sin. If a mortal sin is committed, as soon as possible, go to Confession for absolution and guidance of a priest. If there is doubt if a sin is mortal or venial, do not judge it yourself. Ask the priest in confession.
    2. Concerning the 67 million Catholics in the United States
    This statistic is a good example dealing with God’s 3rd commandment concerning those who attended Mass every week and those who did not. Those who attended Mass every week (about 20%) having obeyed this commandment are doing the will of God. Those who did not attend Mass every week (about 80 %) have rejected the will of God. If this act was done intentionally, knowing it was a grave sin, the sin could be mortal requiring the need to confess to a priest for absolution. It could also be mortal not knowing it is a grave sin.
    3. The 80% who continue to disobey God’s 3rd commandment and foolishly take the chance of being sent to Hell is not only insane, but also stupid, senseless, and ridiculous. Only a moron would trade Heaven (not spending an hour a week with Christ) for eternity in Hell.
    4. Be wise, choose Heaven not Hell. Go to confession, repent, and receive absolution. Return to Mass and receive the Eucharist. Become a prodigal son.
    5. This inspired message of choosing Heaven not Hell must be sent to the millions of Catholics as soon as possible to save souls destined for Hell.
    6. Send this article to every diocesan Bishop in the United States for transmitting to every parish pastor who can email it to every one of his parishioners.
    7. Because this article was inspired by the Holy Spirit, we can expect many lost sheep returning to Sunday Mass and the Eucharist. With God, nothing is impossible.
    8. In conclusion, these statistical results of Mass attendance in the United States, indicate that more Catholic souls are being lost to Hell because of disobeying God’s 3rd commandment than anyone could ever believe or imagine. It could also indicate that this commandment is the most disobeyed and rarely confessed sin to a priest.

    Deacon John Lorenzo

  4. an ordinary papist

    Mr Leonard, what you are asking for here is the equivalent of 52 weeks of daylight savings time. Do you really believe it is within the realm of possibility ?

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