Remember
the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your
work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall
not do any work.90
The
Sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord
even of the sabbath.91
I.
The Sabbath Day
2168
The third commandment of the Decalogue recalls the holiness of the sabbath:
"The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD."92 ( Ex 31:15.)
2169
In speaking of the sabbath Scripture recalls creation: "For in six days
the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested
the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it."93
2170
Scripture also reveals in the Lord's day a memorial of Israel's liberation from
bondage I n Egypt: "You shall remember that you were a servant in the land
of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out thence with mighty hand and
outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath
day."94
2171
God entrusted the sabbath to Israel to keep as a sign of the irrevocable
covenant.95 ( Cf. ⇒ Ex 31:16) The sabbath is for the Lord, holy and set apart for the praise of
God, his work of creation, and his saving actions on behalf of Israel.
2172
God's action is the model for human action. If God "rested and was
refreshed" on the seventh day, man too ought to "rest" and
should let others, especially the poor, "be refreshed."96 ( Ex 31:17; cf. ⇒ 23:12.) The sabbath
brings everyday work to a halt and provides a respite. It is a day of protest
against the servitude of work and the worship of money.97 ( Cf. ⇒ Neh 13:15-22; ⇒ 2 Chr 36:21.)
2173
The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the
sabbath law. But Jesus never fails to respect the holiness of this day.98 ( Cf. ⇒ Mk 1:21; ⇒ Jn 9:16.) He
gives this law its authentic and authoritative interpretation: "The
Sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath."99 ( Mk 2:27.) With compassion,
Christ declares the sabbath for doing good rather than harm, for saving life
rather than killing.100 ( Cf. ⇒ Mk 3:4[ETML:C/].) The Sabbath is the day of the Lord of mercies and a day
to honor God.101 ( Cf. ⇒ Mt 12:5; ⇒ Jn 7:23.) "The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."102 ( Mk 2:28.)
II.
The Lord's Day
This
is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.103
The
day of the Resurrection: the new creation
2174
Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week."104 ( Cf. ⇒ Mt 28:1; ⇒ Mk 16:2; ⇒ Lk 24:1; ⇒ Jn 20:1.) Because
it is the "first day," the day of Christ's Resurrection recalls the
first creation. Because it is the "eighth day" following the
sabbath,105 ( Cf. ⇒ Mk 16:1; ⇒ Mt 28:1.) it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ's Resurrection.
For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts,
the Lord's Day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica) Sunday:
We
all gather on the day of the sun, for it is the first day [after the Jewish
sabbath, but also the first day] when God, separating matter from darkness,
made the world; and on this same day Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the
dead.106 ( St. Justin, I Apol. 67: PG 6, 429 and 432.)
Sunday
- fulfillment of the sabbath
2175
Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically
every week; for Christians, its ceremonial observance replaces that of the
sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the
Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God. For worship under the
Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some
aspects of Christ:107
Those
who lived according to the old order of things have come to new hope, no
longer keeping the sabbath, but the Lord's Day, in which our life is blessed by
him and by his death.108
2176
The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in
the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular
worship "as a sign of his universal beneficence to all."109 ( St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II 122, 4.) worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm
and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people.
The
Sunday Eucharist
2177
The Sunday celebration of the Lord's Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of
the Church's life.
"Sunday
is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic
tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the
universal Church."110
"Also
to be observed are the day of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
the
Epiphany,
the
Ascension of Christ,
the
feast of the Body and Blood of Christi,
the
feast of Mary the Mother of God,
her
Immaculate Conception,
her
Assumption,
the
feast of Saint Joseph,
the
feast of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, and the feast of All
Saints."111
2178
This practice of the Christian assembly dates from the beginnings of the
apostolic age.112 (Cf. ⇒ Acts 2:42-46; ⇒ 1 Cor 11:17.) The Letter to the Hebrews reminds the faithful "not to
neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but to encourage one
another."113 ( Heb 10:25.)
Tradition
preserves the memory of an ever-timely exhortation: Come to Church early,
approach the Lord, and confess your sins, repent in prayer.... Be present at
the sacred and divine liturgy, conclude its prayer and do not leave before the
dismissal.... We have often said: "This day is given to you for prayer and
rest. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in
it."114
2179
"A parish is a definite community of the Christian faithful established on
a stable basis within a particular church; the pastoral care of the parish is
entrusted to a pastor as its own shepherd under the authority of the diocesan
bishop."115 ( CIC, can. 515 # 1.) It is the place where all the faithful can be gathered together
for the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. the parish initiates the Christian
people into the ordinary expression of the liturgical life: it gathers them
together in this celebration; it teaches Christ's saving doctrine; it practices
the charity of the Lord in good works and brotherly love:
You
cannot pray at home as at church, where there is a great multitude, where
exclamations are cried out to God as from one great heart, and where there is
something more: the union of minds, the accord of souls, the bond of charity,
the prayers of the priests.116
The
Sunday obligation
2180
The precept of the Church specifies the law of the Lord more precisely:
"On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to
participate in the Mass."117 ( CIC, can. 1247.) "The precept of participating in the
Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a
Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding
day."118
2181
The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian
practice. For this reason, the faithful are obliged to participate in the
Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for
example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor.119 (Cf. ⇒ CIC, can. 1245.) Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.
2182
Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a
testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church. the
faithful give witness by this to their communion in faith and charity. Together
they testify to God's holiness and their hope of salvation. They strengthen one
another under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
2183
"If because of lack of a sacred minister or for other grave cause
participation in the celebration of the Eucharist is impossible, it is
especially recommended that the faithful take part in the Liturgy of the Word if
it is celebrated in the parish church or in another sacred place according to
the prescriptions of the diocesan bishop, or engage in prayer for an
appropriate amount of time personally or in a family or, as occasion offers, in
groups of families."120
A
day of grace and rest from work
2184
Just as God "rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had
done,"121 ( Gen 2:2.) human life has a rhythm of work and rest. the institution of the
Lord's Day helps everyone enjoy adequate rest and leisure to cultivate their
familial, cultural, social, and religious lives.122 ( Cf. GS 67 # 3.)
2185
On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from
engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy
proper to the Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the
appropriate relaxation of mind and body.123 ( Cf. ⇒ CIC, can. 120.) Family needs or important social
service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. the
faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits
prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.
The
charity of truth seeks holy leisure - the necessity of charity accepts just
work.124
2186
Those Christians who have leisure should be mindful of their brethren who have
the same needs and the same rights, yet cannot rest from work because of
poverty and misery. Sunday is traditionally consecrated by Christian piety to
good works and humble service of the sick, the infirm, and the elderly.
Christians will also sanctify Sunday by devoting time and care to their
families and relatives, often difficult to do on other days of the week. Sunday
is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation
which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life.
2187
Sanctifying Sundays and holy days requires a common effort. Every Christian
should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from
observing the Lord's Day. Traditional activities (sport, restaurants, etc.),
and social necessities (public services, etc.), require some people to work on
Sundays, but everyone should still take care to set aside sufficient time for
leisure. With temperance and charity the faithful will see to it that they
avoid the excesses and violence sometimes associated with popular leisure
activities. In spite of economic constraints, public authorities should ensure
citizens a time intended for rest and divine worship. Employers have a similar
obligation toward their employees.
2188
In respecting religious liberty and the common good of all, Christians should
seek recognition of Sundays and the Church's holy days as legal holidays. They
have to give everyone a public example of prayer, respect, and joy and defend
their traditions as a precious contribution to the spiritual life of society.
If a country's legislation or other reasons require work on Sunday, the day
should nevertheless be lived as the day of our deliverance which lets us share
in this "festal gathering," this "assembly of the firstborn who
are enrolled in heaven."125
IN
BRIEF
2189
"Observe the sabbath day, to keep it holy" (⇒ Deut 5:12). "The
seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord" (⇒ Ex 31:15).
2190
The Sabbath, which represented the completion of the first creation, has been
replaced by Sunday which recalls the new creation inaugurated by the
Resurrection of Christ.
2191
The Church celebrates the day of Christ's Resurrection on the "eighth day,"
Sunday, which is rightly called the Lord's Day (cf SC 106).
2192
"Sunday . . . is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in
the universal Church" (⇒
CIC, can. 1246 # 1). "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the
faithful are bound to participate in the Mass" (⇒ CIC, can. 1247).
2193
"On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are bound . . .
to abstain from those labors and business concerns which impede the worship to
be rendered to God, the joy which is proper to the Lord's Day, or the proper
relaxation of mind and body" (⇒
CIC, can. 1247).
2194
The institution of Sunday helps all "to be allowed sufficient rest and
leisure to cultivate their familial, cultural, social, and religious lives"
(GS 67 # 3).
2195
Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would
hinder them from observing the Lord's Day.
GO TO:
SECTION TWO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
CHAPTER ONE YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND
PART THREE LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION TWO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
SECTION TWO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
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