Is it a mortal sin to work on Sundays?

[Pythagoras]

My professor in Theology (an Opus Dei priest) once taught us that it is a mortal sin to work on the Sabbath Day , Is this treally true? How about those people working in malls, restaurants on sundays , do they sin then?

 

[Katie1723]

Pythagoras:

My professor in Theology (an Opus Dei priest) once taught us that it is a mortal sin to work on the Sabbath Day , Is this treally true? How about those people working in malls, restaurants on sundays , do they sin then?

Unless I am mistaken, it is “encouraged” that we devote Sundays to the Lord. I don’t think it is a “sin”. I try to do “relaxing” things on Sunday. But if I have to work, I do pray as I am working. But you don’t want to hear what I am saying when I do the wash…
~ Kathy ~

 

[Karin]

Pythagoras:

My professor in Theology (an Opus Dei priest) once taught us that it is a mortal sin to work on the Sabbath Day , Is this treally true? How about those people working in malls, restaurants on sundays , do they sin then?

Well if it is my H is going straight to HELL…he is a chef and has to work Sundays…I can see him telling his Jewish boss…I need off Sundays (all of them) due to religious reasons…he would be out of a job in a heart beat…**Sad, **but this is the dilemma that many people face that have to work Sundays.

 

[Catholic_Heart]

Although we are encouraged to “rest” on Sundays, and to not do things that cause others to have to work, I don’t beleive it is a sin to work on Sunday. Many of us have to.

BTW…When I was a little kid…back in the fifties…nothing much was open on Sundays…If you didn’t get your shopping done on Saturday, it didn’t get done…Not many restaraunts were open, either.

My grandaddy…on my mother’s side…always believed it a sin to go to the movies on Sundays, and I always heard you couldn’t sew either…

 

[Mom_of_5]

“Keep holy the Sabbath Day”, can bring in a lot of ways to keep it holy. As another poster said, “pray as you work”. I take care of my DD SIIL 24/7. Offer up all your days work for the souls in Purgatory, begin the day with asking God to accept the days work as an offering to him. I start each day that way, because sometimes I become a bit impatient and it seems that it helps me maintain a fairly good attitude for my days work. Have a wonderful “holy” Sunday.

Love and peace

Mom of 5

 

[Feanaro_s_Wife]

I think “unneccesary” work on Sundays could be a potential sin. But many people have to work. Hey, even priests work on Sunday

It is another one of those things that needs to be discerned by the individual. Can they rearrange their schedule to keep Sundays free? Are they choosing to bring their work home with them so that they can take longer luch breaks during the week?

Also, it depends on a person’s definition of work. For me, mowing the grass is work! But I have read many responses on this forum where mowing the grass is a form of communing with nature, a time to pray, and relaxing…

Where would we be if police, firemen, and paramedics all took Sundays off? What about doctors and nurses? They are not sinning.

I hope this helped you out a bit…

Malia

 

[Coder]

I agree that working on Sunday for valid reasons is not a sin. However, I think in general as a community we need to have more respect for the Sabbath than we do today.

 

[soonersvi]

Coder:

I agree that working on Sunday for valid reasons is not a sin. However, I think in general as a community we need to have more respect for the Sabbath than we do today.

Coder, I couldn’t agree with you more! When I was growing up in the 50’s, I went to school Monday through Friday and on Saturdays I cleaned my room. I played after school. AFTER I finished my homework and my mother had checked it. After I finished my chores on Saturday, I could play or go to a movie.

Sunday morning we ate breakfast, went to church (I was reared as a Presbyterian), came home, changed out of our “Sunday Best”, then my parents would load up the family and go for a ride or we’d visit family. We didn’t call our friends because they were doing the same thing. My life as a child may sound boring to you, but it was a routine that I thrived on. :twocents:

 

[turboEDvo]

soonersvi:

Sunday morning we ate breakfast, went to church (I was reared as a Presbyterian), came home, changed out of our “Sunday Best”, then my parents would load up the family and go for a ride or we’d visit family. We didn’t call our friends because they were doing the same thing. My life as a child may sound boring to you, but it was a routine that I thrived on. :twocents:

You lucky dog. For the past four years (and still, as I’m in college), my Sundays are as follows:

Saturday Night: “Clark, can I pleeeease borrow your car again to go to church?..Thanks man”

Sunday Morning:

Breakfast
Church
Me and my friend Joe always hit Starbucks on the way back

Then, I just do homework like all day, with little deviation. Yeah, it sucks, but that’s life. There’s just no way around it.

But it’s true, the whole time I’m pray…
…
…
…
“Lord, let me get this work done early, just this once…”



Eamon

 

[Fashina86]

I don’t think so… otherwise I should be studying… doing HW… etc. on Sunday… Mom says taht we are just supposed to go to Mass and try to keep this day special…

 

[LionHeart1981]

Well, if we were to keep holy the sabbath day, we wouldn’t work on Saturdays!

Saturday in the Jewish calendar is the Sabbath, and the Church never changed that.

What it did say however, is that we would have Sundays as a day for God, for it is the first day of the week, and God the deserves the first not the last!

Blessings and Peace,
Lionheart

 

[threej_lc]

Well, its a precept of the church to abstain from all non-necessary servile labor.

Keywords: non-necessary. Stuff you don’t have to do to sufficiently support yourself in life.
servile: manual, physical labor. Sadly, homework doesn’t count in that. Nor does deskwork. Etc.

Otherwise, being a precpet of the church (basic, minimal requirement of its members), I’d say violation of it would be a grevious matter.

Josh