Do You Shop on Sunday?

[lindalou725]

had a conversation with a co-worker yesterday at work. “Isn’t it ironic?” I asked him, that we are closed on Thanksgiving, a secular holiday, but are opened on Easter, the holiest of holy days in the Christian faith?

For us it started in 2000 when VOLUNTEERS were asked for to work that Easter. People actually VOLUNTEERED to work that Easter–now it is a regular workday around here!! We are still closed on Christmas, but that has become so secularized and commercialized that it is hard to remember that it is a RELIGIOUS holy day!!

People at work complain that they can’t get to Church on Sundays, because they have to work. This isn’t a problem for those who are never scheduled to work on Sundays, like me (thanks to God).

We reminisced about the “blue laws” that were in effect when we were kids. Families actually went to Church together on Sundays and spent time together on Sundays. Look what has happened to families with divorce rates at 50% or so and so many families with only one parent. Kids spend too much unsupervised time getting into trouble.

Let’s do something about all this! If you want to take back Sundays, STOP SHOPPING ON SUNDAY!!! This is actually one thing people CAN control! If we don’t SHOP on Sunday, stores will CLOSE on Sunday and we will have more time for our families and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, for GOD! You can’t outdo God in generosity. Give Sunday back to GOD, and he will give life back to YOU!!!

 

[kristacecilia]

We don’t shop or dine out as a rule on Sundays. There have been times where we were not as strict about this as others, like after the birth of a baby and I couldn’t get our errands run by myself during the week. Not that we were okay with that. This time we are going to make more of an effort to do the errands on Saturdays or in the evenings after the new baby comes.

We live in a farming community surrounded by some modestly sized towns and one modestly sized city. The big thing in the local towns is that even the smaller grocery stores are now open Sundays, some are switching over to being open for 24 hours, 7 days a week. We just still do our shopping during the week or on Saturday. Sunday is a family day.

 

[duskyjewel]

Thanksgiving is not a secular holiday! It was instituted by Christians to thank God for their survival in a hostile new land, and for the people who helped them do that! In any case, stuff is open where I live even on Thanksgiving now.

I shop on Sundays sometimes. The reality of family life and full time jobs mixed with part time jobs, school, and extra curricular activities (not excessive, 1 per kid) is that weekends are a time to get things done. Saturdays are clean the house day so that Sunday can feel like a day of rest. We usually have fun while shopping, and it is family time, so I don’t see it as violating the concept of a day of rest. As for those working… how they choose to honor (or not) the Sabbath is none of my business. They could be going to vigil Masses. They might be Jewish or 7th Day Adventists… they might be atheists.

In my experience, one can honor religious obligations and work, and do both well, with some effort, thought, and planning.

 

[lindalou725]

Dusky Jewell:

 You've made my point--because you, and others like you shop for "enjoyment" on Sunday, others are forced to work on Sunday to accomodate YOU.

Don’t you think that the other six days provide enough time (especially with many stores open 24 hrs) to get your shopping done? Isn’t God more important than shopping? What about your family–can’t you just visit family and have either family outings (in parks instead of shopping malls)or even visit sick or elderly people?

The point is, we have lost our sense of God and Family–in that order. Our Gods are now the Computer, TV and Shopping!

Lindalou725

 

[lindalou725]

Dusky Jewell:

You’ve made my point–because you, and others like you shop for “enjoyment” on Sunday, others are forced to work on Sunday to accomodate YOU.

Don’t you think that the other six days provide enough time (especially with many stores open 24 hrs) to get your shopping done? Isn’t God more important than shopping? What about your family–can’t you just visit family and have either family outings (in parks instead of shopping malls)or even visit sick or elderly people?

The point is, we have lost our sense of God and Family–in that order. Our Gods are now the Computer, TV and Shopping!

Lindalou725

 

[duskyjewel]

I am not forcing anyone! Like I said, they could be people who celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday or not at all. They would be working Sunday anyway!

Visiting family and family outings in the park don’t put food or clothes in my house. And my kids need both. My DH works during the day, and I work at night, so that our kids don’t have to be in daycare. I usually get only four or five hours of sleep as it is. And we go to Mass EVERY Sunday and always attend RE regardless of how tired or burned out from the week we might feel. We volunteer in ministry, and our oldest is an altar server. Part of that time we are using up is used serving our parish.

Frankly, I find your judgemental tone on this disturbing.

 

[kage_ar]

Don’t you think that the other six days provide enough time (especially with many stores open 24 hrs) to get your shopping done?

Some people, like me, work 12 hours days, 5 days each week - that does not leave time for shopping during the week (unless I skip showering or sleep).

That leaves 2 days to do shopping, Church/volunteer work, spend time with family - and maybe relax?

Sometimes, we have to shop on Sunday. When I do, I always make a point to thank the people who are working in the store.

 

[jrabs]

I work myself ragged during the week as a single mom. Weekends are used for family and children time - and fiance time. We may go out to grad a meal, go to the movies or shop on Sunday. Plus we love to go to brunch after mass.

No regrets.

 

[CatholicSam]

No, we try hard not to shop on Sunday. Recently we were going to dine out with extended family on Sunday and to my delight, when we got to our intended restaurant, it was closed! It was a Greek Pizza restaurant with pictures of Jesus and Mary all over the front counter No problem, SIL knew another Greek Pizza place in town so we went there. It was closed too! We ended up going back another day and saw a huge donation jar for the local Crisis Pregnancy Center These are 2 restaurants I look forward to supporting further in the future!

I enjoy shopping, but I enjoy taking Sunday as a day set apart from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We go to Mass/RCIA (hubby is a sponsor), visit family, go for walks, take naps, play games, have picnics, etc. On Sundays when we have shopped or run errands, I always feel a little less rested and content than I do on our normal Sundays. It’s also nice for my husband who drives over 80 miles to/from work every day to be able to stay off the roads and out of our town’s terrible traffic on that day.

 

[paradoxy]

I always shop for groceries on Sunday. That is the only day of the week I can get out of the house, b/c we have one car, and dh drives us to town on Sudays to go to church and visit his parents. We pick up groceries for the week on the way. Sorry.

 

[CatholicSam]

I always shop for groceries on Sunday. That is the only day of the week I can get out of the house, b/c we have one car, and dh drives us to town on Sudays to go to church and visit his parents. We pick up groceries for the week on the way. Sorry.

You know, situations like yours are so different from those where people just get in the habit of shopping on Sunday “just because” when they could easily do their shopping on another day. Don’t feel sorry!

 

[Truly_Beloved]

I always shop for groceries on Sunday. That is the only day of the week I can get out of the house, b/c we have one car, and dh drives us to town on Sudays to go to church and visit his parents. We pick up groceries for the week on the way. Sorry.

This is similar to our situation, paradoxy. Don’t feel sorry! Stuff like this is expected when you live out in the middle of nowhere.

I do have to say, I don’t know how you do it all in one day! I usually have no more than 2 days of the week (sometimes less) I can get out of the house, and it’s still a challenge to get everything done. Good job!

 

[Greg72]

Dusky Jewell:

You’ve made my point–because you, and others like you shop for “enjoyment” on Sunday, others are forced to work on Sunday to accomodate YOU…

Absolutely. When I first got serious about my faith (which led to my converting to the Catholic Church shortly thereafter) one of the first things to go was Sunday shopping - for the very reason you mention. Nobody should have to do menial work on Sunday - especially not for my personal convenience.

 

[AmberDale]

There are times that shopping or eating out on Sunday isn’t avoidable.

Maybe those of you who don’t want to work on Sundays should look into getting other jobs? My SIL works FT weekends as an RN 3rd shift (which inclues Fri/Sat/Sun night). She still manages to get to Mass

But there are plenty of places that close on Sunday (like Hobby Lobby) you can support or work for.

shrug I won’t feel guilty for shopping or going out if I have to on a Sunday. If the person is working, maybe they haven’t told their boss it was important for them to be off. Or maybe they did go to church and are working 2nd shift shrug

 

[Greg72]

There are times that shopping or eating out on Sunday isn’t avoidable.

I understand that it is hard for some to avoid, and I hope that I didn’t come off too strongly.

It’s just that I’m having a hard time finding work right now and I know that the fact that I won’t work Sundays isn’t helping (even when I offered to work every Friday night and Saturday morning one employer said that I’d still be required to work at least one Sunday a month).

Maybe those of you who don’t want to work on Sundays should look into getting other jobs? My SIL works FT weekends as an RN 3rd shift (which inclues Fri/Sat/Sun night). She still manages to get to Mass

First of all, getting to Mass is not the issue, doing menial work on Sunday is.

Secondly, RN’s are doing valuable, necessary, loving work - there’s nothing wrong with them working on Sunday.

But there are plenty of places that close on Sunday (like Hobby Lobby) you can support or work for.

I’m aware of that. I was fortunate enough to work for an employer (my most recent one) who actually closed on Sunday. They are an extreme minority these days.

shrug I won’t feel guilty for shopping or going out if I have to on a Sunday.

I’m not trying to make you feel guilty (Catholics have enough of that already

I’m simply pointing out that our actions have effects on others and that we shouldn’t make it difficult for anybody to observe God’s law.

 

[puzzleannie]

my dad was death on Sunday shopping, that was family day
Mass, big breakfast (the only time we had a cooked breakfast other than oatmeal all week, and the last meal my mother cooked on Sunday), drive, walk, some kind of family time, games or reading in bad weather, although we did walk in all kinds of weather, tobogganing, skating etc. We almost never ate out, with 6 kids a big expense, but packed a picnic lunch. we might stop for cider and popcorn at the cider mill, but the few times we did eat in a diner are still major memories for us. Pick up supper leftovers or toast and soup at home, cooked by someone other than mom. get ready for school, and bed early.

I retain that attitude, although I do have to stop for juice and donuts and sometimes tacos every Sunday for RCIA. Even if I stop in a store for an emergency purchase (parts for a broken toilet and home depot for example) I still feel a bit guilty.

Sunday is my big day of rest because it is a big workday (7:30 to 1:30) so I always take a nap. then usually birding later in the afternoon (nature walk and Sunday still go together in my mind, thanks to dad). I am not above stopping for fast food or chicken on the way home, however.

around here stuff-mart and grocery stores are PACKED on Sunday I would rather be tortured by rock music at Mass than shop on Sunday. it does seem to me the no.1 family outing – flea markets are even more packed.

 

[snowfly]

Dusky Jewell:

 You've made my point--because you, and others like you shop for "enjoyment" on Sunday, others are forced to work on Sunday to accomodate YOU.

You and I hold the same views.

Don’t you think that the other six days provide enough time (especially with many stores open 24 hrs) to get your shopping done? Isn’t God more important than shopping? What about your family–can’t you just visit family and have either family outings (in parks instead of shopping malls)or even visit sick or elderly people?

The point is, we have lost our sense of God and Family–in that order. Our Gods are now the Computer, TV and Shopping!

Lindalou725

Yes for some it seems like it’s in your face God

I rarely buy on Sundays, petrol, a loaf, milk et; but more and more super stores here are opening, it’s a disgrace.

Matt: 12:11 **But he said to them: What man shall there be among you, that hath one sheep: and if the same fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not take hold on it and lift it up? ** Seems from this that some things have to be done on the Sabbath, but not unnecessary servile work.

Even roadworks on Sundays, I won’t even mow the lawn on a Sunday.

"Those that work on Sunday shall come to poverty " St John Vianney.

Come to think of it some of those stores that opened on Sunday are now struggling with all the competition around.

Then again I know a man who refuses to open on Sundays and his business is thriving. :twocents:

 

[lak611]

One of my friends works in retail and has no choice to never work on Sundays. He does have some Sundays off, but not many, since Sunday is the busiest shopping day. The customers see the ads that are in the Sunday paper and then head to the stores. My friend is still able to go to church services, though, since the store does not open extremely early on Sunday (he is Methodist, not Catholic). He would prefer a job that did not require Sunday work, but after being laid-off by a bank and two factories (none of which were open on Sunday), he had no other option.

 

[lindalou725]

Greg 72 (and other’s who responded to my post),

I’m glad you feel as I do. Actually, my SPIRITUAL conversion eight years ago helped me to see that what we do does affect those around us as you said. My concerns about working on Sundays were answered by God:

I was laid off from work in Feb of 2000. The first day of my 3 week lay-off, I heard an internal voice tell me, “Go to Mass.” I knew that he (it was a male voice) meant DAILY mass even though I had never been to daily Mass. I walked the 2 miles to Church and loved daily Mass.

When the end of the three weeks came, I found ways to keep going to Mass each day. In mid Aug. 2000, I needed to get to noon Mass, but my customer had a problem that I couldn’t handle–so I passed him off to a supervisor in another Dept. and rushed off to mass.

When I got back, my supervisor was upset with me. I told him that after my daughter got married the next month, I would find another job. This was scary because my husband is self employed and I was working not only for the income, but for the great benefits we have as well. My supervisor just said, “That’s fine!”

The following week, our manager returned from vacation. When I told him what I had decided, he said,“Well, we really don’t need you before 9 am, so from now on you can come in at 9 am or after.”

I then swallowed hard and told him there was one other thing that REALLY bothered me–I was very uncomfortable working on Sundays. He then told me he would see what he could do.

A month later, I was called into the office by the Store Manager. I thought I was going to be fired. He then asked me, “How would you like to have every Sunday off?” Then he explained that there was a hiring freeze and he couln’t hire a cashier, but, if I would consent to become a cashier, he would give me every Sunday off and I could work mid shifts or later.

I just looked Heavenward and said, “Thank you, God!”

The next morning I attended Mass and as I was driving down the road to get on the expressway to go to work, I was saying, “Thank you, God!! Thank you, thank you!!”

As I said that I looked up and saw a figure of God in the sky that looked like a white marble statue of God in an arched window. I couldn’t BELIEVE what I was seeing!! I KNEW then that God had done that for me. As I thought about it since then, I have come to realize that it was probably because I was ready to give up the job I so desperatly needed in order to put God first in my life that He did this for me.

That was 7 years ago and I am still not working on Sundays.!! I am so grateful to God!!

To those of you who HAVE TO grocery shop on Sunday, perhaps God will understand, but we MUST put God before anything that we could do another time.

God’s peace and love to all.

Lindalou

 

[duskyjewel]

Nobody should have to do menial work on Sunday - especially not for my personal convenience.

I work for a newspaper. So if you really want to stop making people do menial work on Sunday, then stop taking the newspaper, because Sunday is the worst one! It’s huge, takes forever to put together and deliver, and is full of materialistic advertising for stuff literally no one needs.

Those of you who have a very rigid view of shopping on Sunday and suggest getting other jobs… I view my obligation to actually be there for my children everyday as much more important than having a job I might like. What’s more important to me is having a job, since I must have one, that has hours that fit around that primary obligation. My husband and I vowed that when we made a family, we would actually do the caretaking, not pay someone else to do it. So I work at night and he works during the day.

As I said, I get usually four to five hours of sleep a night. Then I take care of my children and home during the days. One night a week is dedicated to religious ed at church. Mass is a priority, and as I said, we go every Sunday.

Judge me if you wish, but the reasons I do the things I do are because they are what I think God expects of me. If you think I am going to start paying strangers to raise my kids so that I can get a more convenient job, making it possible to grocery shop other nights of the week, you are seriously mistaken. Besides, this is not an every Sunday thing…we do it when we need to but usually don’t. We just don’t have a strict rule about it.

I am putting God first, because I am obeying what I truly believe He wants of me. It may make other things harder, but the right path is never the easy one, is it?