How to Keep the Sabbath Day Holy (1)

The Christian Sabbath of Sunday is a development from what the Lord gave the Jews in the Old Testament. One way to point this out is to say that in the Old Testament the rule was, "REST and worship" on the Sabbath. In the New Testament the rule is, "WORSHIP and rest" on the Sabbath. The point is: the same rule is there, but its focus has changed.

This means that the primary duty of the faithful is to assist at Mass and secondly to rest on that day. This does not mean that rest is insignificant, but that it is focused on differently than it was before the first coming of Christ. This is because the Jews were resting while they waited for the fulness of what true worship would be in their future (i.e. the Mass). Whereas, the Church, who has the fulness in Christ now worships Him fully and therefore can rest. The first is last and the last is first.

So then, we speak often about the right manner of worship, but what is the rest that God calls us to? Is it ok to mow the lawn on Sunday? Is it ok to wash the dishes? These questions come up and many people have different opinions, even in the Church. I cannot tell you how many times I have had someone ask for a "list" of what can be done on Sunday and what cannot. It would be easy if the Church had a list . . . well, actually . . . it would be easy to become legalistic and avoid true obedience if the Church had a list (that is what the Pharisees did, after all). It would not be good though if the Church came up with an itemized list of do and don't.

So, then, no: I am not going to give you a list. I can, however, give you precise principles (as the Church has for 2000 years now) so that you can determine what you should and should not be doing on Sunday. Before I go further, however, let me make it clear that the "sabbath" is Sunday (midnight to midnight) and not Saturday; not even Saturday after 4:30pm (regardless of what the Jews did -- that is the Church rule). Thus, Sunday means Sunday and always has because that is the day the Apostles set for the Sabbath of the Church.

Therefore, to help us understand the point of what I mentioned in the first paragraph, we need to understand that if the worship of God is the primary duty of all Catholics throughout their lives, and if the Church has clarified the third commandment for us by saying we must attend and participate in the Mass on Sunday, then the prohibition from work--which is secondary--has to do with that primary duty and the accomplishment of it. When she tells us we cannot do our normal "job" that we get paid for on Sunday it is not just to keep us from activity. It is to make sure that nothing hinders our ability to worship God, both in the Mass and throughout the rest of the day. This is balance that the Church wants us to find.

More to follow tomorrow...