Keeping the Lords Day

[anniemart]

I find this interesting of what was taught over 350 years ago.

The Douay Catechism of 1649

The Third Commandment Expounded
Q. 431. WHAT is the third commandment?
A. Remember that thou keepest holy the Sabbath day.
Q. 432. When did the Sabbath begin to be kept?
A. From the very creation of the world; for then God blessed the seventh day, and rested
on it from all His works. Gen. ii. 2.
Q. 433. When was this commandment renewed?
A. In the Old Law; when God gave the commandments to Moses on mount Sinai, written
with His own finger in two tables of stone, Exod. xx. 1, &c. xxxi. 18.
Q. 434. Why was the Jewish Sabbath changed into the Sunday?
A. Because Christ was born upon a Sunday, arose from the dead upon a Sunday, and sent
down the Holy Ghost on a Sunday: works not inferior to the creation of the world.
Q. 442. If keeping the Sunday be a church precept, why is it numbered in the
Decalogue, which are the Commandments of God, and the Law of Nature?
A. Because the substance or chief part of it, namely Divine Right, and the Law of Nature;
though the determinating this particular day, Sunday rather than Saturday, be a Church
Ordinance and precept.
Q. 443. Did not Christ, when he confirmed the rest, confirm also this
Commandment?
A. In as much as it belongeth to the law of nature, he did: but not as it belonged to the
ceremonial law of the Jews, and was affixed to Saturday, therefore, now we are not bound to keep Saturday.
Q. 445. To what are we obliged by this precept?
A. To spend Sunday in prayer and divine service.
Q. 446. What is the best means to sanctify the Sunday?
A. By hearing mass, confessing our sins, communicating, hearing sermons, and reading
good books.
Q. 447. What is forbidden by this precept?
A. All profane employments, and servile labours, excepting such as are of necessity, as dressing meat, serving cattle, &c. or such as appertain to piety and works of mercy.
Q. 448. Who break this commandment?
A. Such as without necessity spend any considerable part of the Sunday in servile labours.
Q. 449. How else is the Sunday profaned?
A. By spending all the morning slothfully in bed, or vainly dressing ourselves; by missing divine service when we may hear it, or spending a part of the day in drinking, gaming, dancing, or the like.
Q. 450. Is there any thing now in this first table of the law impossible to be observed?
A. No certainly; for nothing can be more easy and delightful to the true servant of God, than the things that are here commanded.

**This is awesome information…if it could be taught in RCIA, I’m sure it would make a difference in the attendance that many of our brothers and sisters, newly received into the Church, keep once RCIA is over. Thanks so much…

God blesses us every minute of every hour of every day.**

 

[LilyM]

adoremus.org/eucharisticummysterium.html

Eucharisticum mysterium
28. Anticipating the Sunday and Feast Day Masses on the Previous Evening
Where permission has been granted by the Apostolic See to fulfill the Sunday obligation on the preceding Saturday evening, pastors should explain the meaning of this permission carefully to the faithful and should ensure that the significance of Sunday is not thereby obscured. The purpose of this concession is in fact to enable the Christians of today to celebrate more easily the day of the resurrection of the Lord.

Going to Mass on Sunday in the morning or afternoon because you need to go somewhere, like visiting parents, kids etc is completely different than going on a Saturday. You are making Sunday a special day. You are making a sacrifice to go on Sunday even though it might be more inconvenient.

It is clear to see that Saturday Mass was made for one purpose only “to celebrate more easily the day of the resurrection of the Lord”

You’re missing entirely the point of Saturday vigil Mass if you think this. Vigil masses exist because Saturday evening is*** just*** as much the Sabbath, just as much the day of the Resurrection of the Lord - at least as Jews, including Christ himself, reckoned time.

From time immemorial Saturday vespers have been labelled as Evening Prayer ONE of Sunday, Sunday Vespers being Evening Prayer TWO, for this very reason. They are in fact, in every way that matters, the same day.

So by sanctifying Saturday evening with Mass attendance, you are doing exactly the same as you do by going to Mass at any point on Sunday.

Fact is that Canon law makes absolutely no distinction between Saturday vigil and Sunday, and clearly states that our obligation is fulfilled equally by either. And pointedly neglects to say that any special circumstances or necessity are required in the slightest to choose Saturday Mass, any more than special