How Does One "Keep Holy the Lord's Day"?

[CatQuilt]

I’m having trouble with this Commandment.

This really means no stores, no shopping etc on Sundays, doesn’t it?

That’s a part of the definition according to my favorite priest…

 

[cheeto1]

I’m having trouble with this Commandment.

This really means no stores, no shopping etc on Sundays, doesn’t it?

That’s a part of the definition according to my favorite priest…

That’s what it means to me, and I live by it, but I’ve never
actually met anyone else who feels this way, including
priests.

 

[LilyM]

Put it this way - occasionally shopping may be necessary on a Sunday, if you’ve forgotten a vital ingredient for dinner or something. And there are some people who literally don’t get a chance to shop any other day, they have no alternative.

I certainly have recently been avoiding unnecessary shopping, travelling or paid work on a Sunday. I’d say housework as well, but I’m pretty slack with that every other day of the week too

I don’t think it’s a grave or mortal sin to do any of those things on the day though, as long as they don’t, for example, prevent you from attending Mass or anything.

 

[CatQuilt]

That’s what it means to me, and I live by it, but I’ve never
actually met anyone else who feels this way, including
priests.

It’s difficult.

The priest I talked to about this is a wonderful priest…very holy. Our parish is blessed to have him.

 

[CatQuilt]

Put it this way - occasionally shopping may be necessary on a Sunday, if you’ve forgotten a vital ingredient for dinner or something. And there are some people who literally don’t get a chance to shop any other day, they have no alternative.

I certainly have recently been avoiding unnecessary shopping, travelling or paid work on a Sunday. I’d say housework as well, but I’m pretty slack with that every other day of the week too

I don’t think it’s a grave or mortal sin to do any of those things on the day though, as long as they don’t, for example, prevent you from attending Mass or anything.

I follow the same ‘plan’ for housework.

The way this priest described it to me was that I should avoid doing anything which would necessitate someone else’s employment on Sunday. So actually, doing housework would be okay.

 

[Sr_Sally]

I’m having trouble with this Commandment.

This really means no stores, no shopping etc on Sundays, doesn’t it?

That’s a part of the definition according to my favorite priest…

My understanding of this Commandment was a reminder to ourselves that we are not gods–we don’t keep the world running! So things that we do “because otherwise xyz will NEVER happen” are things to try to avoid.

That commendment also reminds us to place God first in our lives. So other ways of “re-creating” ourselves–like watching TV or pleasure shopping are also things to avoid since they tend to fill us up and leave little room for God.

I’ve actually found that attending evening Mass has given us a better Sabbath. We tend to have a slow, relaxed morning, do something pleasurable in the afternoon like a walk in our favorite park, and then go to Mass. When we attend in the morning, it seems like we end up running errands or doing chores more afterwards.

 

[FCEGM]

Our late Holy Father, John Paul II wrote an Apostolic Letter on the topic:

vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_05071998_dies-domini_en.html

 

[mdgspencer]

The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” speaks about what rest on the sabbath means. The Catechism is provided on the Vatican website, sections 2184-8 at:

vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s2c1a3.htm#I

I greatly appreciated reading the Papal document identified in the preceding post. I found that this document speaks of the sabbath rest in sections 52 and 64-68, for those interested.

 

[Andruschak]

I’m having trouble with this Commandment.

This really means no stores, no shopping etc on Sundays, doesn’t it?

That’s a part of the definition according to my favorite priest…

Sunday is my only day off. I try to avoid shopping, but do so when needed. Buying cat food, for example. I try to use the extra time on Sunday to pray and read. But I also have to scoop out the cats litter boxes, do laundry, and sometimes give a litter box a complete scrub down and cleaning.

Note: Mother Mary probably had to change Jesus’s diapers on the sabbath, and maybe even launder those diapers on the sabbath.

I avoid TV, going to movies, and, in general, make sunday a day of rest from work, trying to focus on God. I am quite sure that God understands I am doing the best I can, and understands that clean litter boxes promote healthy cats.