Keeping the Sabbath Holy

[emom]

I am confused on what to do on Sunday. I want to obey God’s law on the Sabbath but I hear so many different things that is acceptable now a days. One thing I often do is clean the house because - Sundays is usaully the day we stay home. Sitting around the house - we tend to clean and do yard work like mowing the lawn. Is this something we should refrain from?

Also, is it a mortal sin if I want to log in to my work’s computer to make sure that a job was processed? If not, it would take me less than five minutes to start the job over the computer on the Internet?

Also, what about supporting all the people who work on the Sabbath, we often go shopping, eat breakfast after church and do activities which require lay people to work? Is that breaking the Sabbath? - in the Bible God stated that everyone even the slaves are not to work on the Sabbath?

 

[Dr.Bombay]

From The Catechism of the Catholic Church:

2184 Just as God “rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done,” 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.

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. 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.

The charity of truth seeks holy leisure - the necessity of charity accepts just work.

2186 Those Christians who have leisure should be mindful of their brethren who have the same needs and the same rights, yet cannot rest from work because of poverty and misery. Sunday is traditionally consecrated by Christian piety to good works and humble service of the sick, the infirm, and the elderly. Christians will also sanctify Sunday by devoting time and care to their families and relatives, often difficult to do on other days of the week. Sunday is a time for reflection, silence, cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of the Christian interior life.

2187 Sanctifying Sundays and holy days requires a common effort. Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord’s Day. Traditional activities (sport, restaurants, etc.), and social necessities (public services, etc.), require some people to work on Sundays, but everyone should still take care to set aside sufficient time for leisure. With temperance and charity the faithful will see to it that they avoid the excesses and violence sometimes associated with popular leisure activities. In spite of economic constraints, public authorities should ensure citizens a time intended for rest and divine worship. Employers have a similar obligation toward their employees.

 

[Katie1723]

This has always been a tough one in my relationship. My partner is Seventh Day Adventist, so he doesn’t work from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday. I am Roman Catholic and not supposed to work Sunday. So the joke is we don’t work at all on the weekends!
~ Kathy ~

 

[erinozak]

I have been learning over time, with God’s help–and His ministers, what it means to live the Sabbath.

In terms of cleaning the house, for example, necessary labor is ok-like cooking and cleaning up dishes

however, if you spend all week at a desk and cleaning the house is relaxing–then you are keeping the Sabbath.
i confessed that i cleaned my car on sundays and the priest asked if i enjoyed it or was it more drudgery–i was a college student and really enjoyed getting into detailing–it was such a break form the books and i prayed–he said that this is a fitting Sabbath activity.
I read about ministers who make a weekdy their Sabbath because they work on Sundays–even ministers need a day of rest! in our modern world, we sometimes have to be resourceful and have a lot of faith to practice this commandment.

John Paul II has a document on keeping the Lord’s Day holy.
it’s available online in many places, e.g. ewtn library and a hard copy is available from the Daughters of St. Paul.

Logiing on the pc even for five minutes doesn’t seem like a big deal–but i imagine it is a great mortification precisely because it could be so easily justified! there is great love in little things!
I also believe that God is very generous and merciful towards the entire race because people are practicing this commandment in a time when everything works against it.
you should see peoples’ reactions when i say i can’t do something because i’m honoring the Sabbath!

 

[Liberian]

Emom,

I must admit to being quite confused on the subject myself. I woudl draw a distinction between worshipping God and refraining from work. There was a quote from the Catechism (starting in paragraph 2184) earlier in this thread, but I don’t know that this is the whole story. The Catechism starts in about the Sabbath in paragraph 2168, and talks about the sabbath being “a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money.” At the moment I am trying to figure out what is appropriate for Saturday and what is appropriate for Sunday–although I don’t intend any sudden changes in lifestyle as a result. Changes, perhaps, but not sudden.

• Liberian

 

[Fizendell]

I too have gone back and forth in understanding this commandment.

Several months ago, I came home from church and proceeded to spend the rest of the day working - yard work, housework, homework for my night class - I barely sat down before 7pm.

I realized part way through Monday that I had not kept the Sabbath at all and was at confession by Wednesday.

I proceeded to inform my husband and son that Sunday was a day of rest and I intended to follow that from henceforth! They asked what that meant for them (were they now expected to do what I did on Sundays?!)

The essence I have tried to keep since then (and no - I didn’t mean that they had to work on Sunday while I sat resting!) is that all of the work we are responsible for should be completed, to the best of our abilities, in the six other days of the week. And while I was not going to expect them to sit and pray with me all day Sunday (can you tell they aren’t Catholic?) I was certainly going to expect their help in completing all home “working” items during the week and on Saturday so that ALL of us could rest on Sunday.

Yes - we do the occassional shopping, load of dishes, or a trip to the gym. But I am so much more focused on the fact that Sunday is the day of rest that GOD commanded me to take - so that I might focus more fully on Him and hope that my week is more focused on Him, even when I must focus on work.

Yes - our world has fashioned itself into a 7-day grind that never ends. Take a cue from God and MAKE time to rest. He speaks to us in the quiet moments - why not make more moments to be quiet so that we can hear Him?

I remember reading that work totaling less than 2 hours on Sunday is “ok” - or if it’s necessary (there’s no dishes to eat off of - so you have to wash some). We can all find our extremes of justification or perfection. But if we focus more on the reason God told us not to work on the Sabbath - maybe we’ll find ourselves not working at all.

Ok, I’ll stop rambling… just my :twocents:

 

[hilde_the_dog]

I work six days a week. I wash the cars and mow the lawn (yes for funn I’ll edge my elderly neighbor’s lawn as well) (Apostles could pick grain)- which I enjoy and find relaxing. Actually after Mass and lunch I generally like to go out into the garden and work on my roses - deadheading spraying weeding- and tend to reflect on the Mass. It a great time to pray nobody bothers you. (I mean who enjoys rose thorns and chemicals)

Lastly as a kid growing up Calvinist my neighbor could not listen to TV or Radio. Could not ride a bike or play basketball or any sports. Sweating was not allowed and had to (as did I) go to church twice on Sunday. My Dad was more liberal so I could play and watch sports so my neighbor would stand on our back deck and talk to me through the screendoor so he could hear the games on TV. That was SAD

 

[space_ghost]

…i have a pet problem with those that can’t find one hour between saturday night and late sunday to spend with the creator, his son and the holy ghost… i’m sure if i looked hard enough there would be a few with legitimate causes, but i can’t help but wonder… maybe it’s just me…

probably is…

Peace

http://mediasoftware.free.fr/index.1.jpg

 

[adventist]

ALL OF U BETTER GET RIGHT WITH THE LORD CUZ THAT SUNDAY WORSHIPPING IS NOT RIGHT YOU WORSHIP IDOLS, THE VIRGIN MARY, CROSSES, AND ESPECIALLY …HOW CAN A PRIEST FORGIVE YOU FOR UR SINS? WHERE IN THE BIBLE IT SAY ANY HUMAN BEING CAN FORGIVE YOU ? YALL ALL ARE WALKING AROUND IN THAT SAME SIN YOU HAD BEFOR YOU WENT TO THAT GUY YOU CALL UR PRIESTHOOD OR… COME TO HEAVEN WITH THE REST OF US… MAY GOD BLESS US ALL THAT CONFUSED FIGURE IS THE CATHOLIC RELIGIONAND YES YALL WILL BRING THE MARK OF THE BEAST AND THERE IS NO SUCH THING MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE AS THE RAPTURE