Accepting a Sunday Job

[Marines]

All,
Some jobs, such as emergency crews, etc. consist of a 12-hour, 7days on/7 days off schedule. May a Catholic freely accept such a job, even if he knows beforehand that it may interfere with his ability to go to Mass?

• Joe

 

[Jermosh]

Jesus was adamint that to “Keep the sabbath holy” was not to be taken to extremes. The apostles ate wheat berries.
With a informed conscience one can really look to see if working on Sundays is sinfull. If its something to deal with the health and safety of the general population then that is a no-brainer. If its something else, then do you need to job? Do you need to feed your children? Are you working for God? Etc, etc.
But this goes beyond just working, what about shopping? Are you going out of your way to force others to work on Sunday? Again just use your moral compass.
In the end ask your pastor. They can determine what is right or wrong, and even change your day of obligation(I think).

 

[jeffreedy789]

i’ve resigned from a position because of sunday obligations before.

but the church does not require that you NOT work on sunday, only that you go to mass once per week. if you miss mass, you are committing a mortal sin. so if you take a job that requires that you miss mass every week, you are putting yourself in a place to commit mortal sin continually.

the church also teaches that we follow our conscience. this is the main reason i resigned. my conscience bothered me about staying with the job when it suddenly started requiring me to work sundays.

God bless you as you seek His will in this situation.

 

[Fidelis]

jeffreedy789:

the church does not require that you NOT work on sunday, only that you go to mass once per week. if you miss mass, you are committing a mortal sin. so if you take a job that requires that you miss mass every week, you are putting yourself in a place to commit mortal sin continually…

Just to clarify, this obligation is for SUNDAY attendance (in our day also including the Saturday vigil). It is not satisfied by a weekday Mass. I’m sure that’s what you meant, but I just thought it needed clarifying.

As for the post in question, I guess there’s kind of a sliding scale. A career in public safety is an honorable one and someone needs to be there at all times (same for other occupations like nursing and soldiering). If a person has a choice in taking a non-critical job that requires one to work on Sunday as opposed to not working on Sunday, of course the latter should be chosen. Finally, if it is a choice between taking a Sunday required job and not having one and starving, then one should take the job.

It should be noted that in most places today, Saturday vigil masses are available so that no one should not be able to make their obligation.

 

[pnewton]

jeffreedy789:

if you miss mass, you are committing a mortal sin. so if you take a job that requires that you miss mass every week, you are putting yourself in a place to commit mortal sin continually.

Missing mass to for work is not a sin at all. There are several exemptions from our Sunday/Holy Day mass obligation; for work, for illness, to take care of an ill family member. This is all spelled out in the Catechism.

It surely would be prudent to make sure that you could have adequate and regular recourse to the Eucharist, but I am thankful for all the fine Catholic brothers that work with me in law enforcement.