Homework on Sundays

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Hello

I normally do my weekend homework on Sundays but I remembered about the rule that you are not supposed to do servile work on Sundays, is homework servile work? Thanks in advance.
 
I try to finish my homework on Friday and Saturday. It’s much nicer to relax on Sunday and not have homework hanging over your head all weekend, don’t you think?
 
The traditional definition of servile work does NOT include intellectual work, such as studying, translating, reading, writing, doing art, practicing or performing music or doing homework.

Current guidlines say that any work done on Sunday should not hamper worship or detract from the joy of the Lord’s day.

The prior poster JaredR made a good suggestion to get it over and done before Sunday, so you can enjoy the day. For practicality, if anything takes longer than you expected, you still have a cushion of time if you start on things early.

Betsy
 
here’s the exact quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

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 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

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 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.
Code: 
The charity of truth seeks holy leisure- the necessity of charity accepts just work.124
So if the intellectual work hinder worship owed to God (which I believe is improbable) then it should be avoided. Note that the Catechism says however that “legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life and health”. If the intellectual activity done every Sunday may harm family life (or even health) then it must be avoided.
 
It seems to me if it’s a grind, or real work, that’s taking away from the peace and God focus of the day, and so – do it Saturday.
 
Just as a practical matter, advice I’d give to anyone, do your homework on Friday or Saturday so it’s done. I don’t know what grade you’re in but you might have more or less depending on where you are in school.
 
Until they start calling it “homeplay” it’s probably better to get it done on other days of the week.
 
KC91 said:
Hello

I normally do my weekend homework on Sundays but I remembered about the rule that you are not supposed to do servile work on Sundays, is homework servile work? Thanks in advance.
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Not really, but Sunday should be a day of rest and worship. If you leave your homework until Sunday, you can become tempted to skip Church and family time in order to complete your homework.

Church and family come first on Sundays. 🙂
 
Perhaps it’s worth mentioning that some colleges have a MUCH larger workload than high school does. I try to avoid doing my homework on Sundays, but there are times when it is just not possible.
 
Student09 said:
Perhaps it’s worth mentioning that some colleges have a MUCH larger workload than high school does. I try to avoid doing my homework on Sundays, but there are times when it is just not possible.
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Even with a higher workload (I went to art school, so I know about heavy workloads) you can still budget your time so that Sundays are normally free. I also worked in the advertising industry, and was able to keep my Sundays free most of the time - there was the occasional customer who came in on Saturday night or early on Sunday morning and needed something completed for a Sunday afternoon press run, but that was quite rare - most stuff could be either deferred until Monday morning, or completed on Saturday night.
 
I am in Grade 12 (last year before college) and I normally do my homework on Sunday nights so I don’t miss mass. But thanks for the answers I will now do it on Saturday, starting today
 
jmcrae said:
Even with a higher workload (I went to art school, so I know about heavy workloads) you can still budget your time so that Sundays are normally free. I also worked in the advertising industry, and was able to keep my Sundays free most of the time - there was the occasional customer who came in on Saturday night or early on Sunday morning and needed something completed for a Sunday afternoon press run, but that was quite rare - most stuff could be either deferred until Monday morning, or completed on Saturday night.
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Usually, but not all the time. Honestly. If you do not believe that there could ever be a college more demanding than the one you went to, at least say for the sake of argument that a college student is unable to get his/her work done, at least on certain weeks when there is an important paper assigned or something, without doing some work on Sunday. Is it then acceptable to do it? If the only alternative is not doing all the work, must one take that alternative?

I agree that it is preferable to not do any work on Sundays on a regular basis, but I do feel that it is *occasionally *unavoidable. Is it then sinful?
 
KC91 said:
Hello

I normally do my weekend homework on Sundays but I remembered about the rule that you are not supposed to do servile work on Sundays, is homework servile work? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
As long as you don’t use homework as an excuse to skip Mass, then you’re fine. I actually do most of my homework on Sundays. Fridays are no different from any other school day in terms of wearing me out at the end.

I consider Sunday a day discipline for me. Not only do I have to wake up early to attend Mass, I make myself do homework later. Combining both helps steel my mind away from slacking (at least, for one day :o).
 
Student09 said:
Usually, but not all the time. Honestly. If you do not believe that there could ever be a college more demanding than the one you went to, at least say for the sake of argument that a college student is unable to get his/her work done, at least on certain weeks when there is an important paper assigned or something, without doing some work on Sunday. Is it then acceptable to do it? If the only alternative is not doing all the work, must one take that alternative?
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Obviously, you have to do your school work. When you are in school, your school work is your main employment, and it comes ahead of every other earthly consideration.

If you have somehow backed yourself into a corner and you have to do it on Sunday, then, yes, you have to do it on Sunday.

What I am trying to get across is that, even if you have a busy schedule, there are other times than Sunday when you can do the extra work. For example, I spent many evenings both at school and at my job, often until one or two in the morning, and then back to work again at 7:00 am the next day, and doing this six days a week for three or four months at a time. Obviously, I slept a lot on Sundays, but I also made it to Church, and Sunday was really a day of rest for me.

There are times in your life when that’s how it goes, and the four years that you’re in college is one of those times.
I agree that it is preferable to not do any work on Sundays on a regular basis, but I do feel that it is *occasionally *unavoidable. Is it then sinful?
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I am thinking that if you have done everything possible from the moment the assignment was given, and it’s due at 7:00 am on Monday morning - you’ve been working every day since it was assigned, taking only short meal breaks and getting by on the minimum amount of sleep, with no TV watching, socializing, or computer usage, and it’s Saturday night, and you still have four or five hours of work to do, then - sure, you have to work on Sunday; there is no way around it.

However, if you’ve been slacking off all week, watching the Olympics, hanging out with your friends, and playing on the computer all day, and then it’s Saturday night, and you still have the whole project to do (but it will only take you four or five hours to do it) then, neither God nor the teacher is to blame for that - only you.
 
Ok, I think we are in agreement, Jmcrae. 🙂 At least, I agree with everything you said.
 
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