Non essential work on Sunday

[Podo2005]

Hello all,

a)What work classifies non essential work on sunday?
b) if I am told to do some non essential work on sunday by someone in authority over me (like a superior, parent or employer etc) does that require obedience?

Yours in Christ,
Zachary

 

[Bookcat]

Catechism:

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.

The charity of truth seeks holy leisure- the necessity of charity accepts just work.124

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.

2188 In respecting religious liberty and the common good of all, Christians should seek recognition of Sundays and the Church’s holy days as legal holidays. They have to give everyone a public example of prayer, respect, and joy and defend their traditions as a precious contribution to the spiritual life of society. If a country’s legislation or other reasons require work on Sunday, the day should nevertheless be lived as the day of our deliverance which lets us share in this “festal gathering,” this "assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven."125

scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c1a3.htm#II

The meaning of rest and of work

1. Finally, it is particularly urgent nowadays to remember that the day of the Lord is also a day of rest from work. It is greatly to be hoped that this fact will also be recognized by civil society, so that individuals can be permitted to refrain from work without being penalized. Christians, not without reference to the meaning of the Sabbath in the Jewish tradition, have seen in the Lord’s Day a day of rest from their daily exertions. This is highly significant, for it relativizes work and directs it to the person: work is for man and not man for work. It is easy to see how this actually protects men and women, emancipating them from a possible form of enslavement. As I have had occasion to say, “work is of fundamental importance to the fulfilment of the human being and to the development of society. Thus, it must always be organized and carried out with full respect for human dignity and must always serve the common good. At the same time, it is indispensable that people not allow themselves to be enslaved by work or to idolize it, claiming to find in it the ultimate and definitive meaning of life.” (209) It is on the day consecrated to God that men and women come to understand the meaning of their lives and also of their work. (210)

–Pope Benedict XVI

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_ben-xvi_exh_20070222_sacramentum-caritatis_en.html

 

[Paul_Bates]

Hi Zachary,

The question that you asked about non-essential work on Sunday is a very good one. But I’m afraid it misses the point entirely. The question of what is and is not acceptable to do on Sundays (within the context of Sunday being the Sabbath) is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is, Sunday was not, is not, and will never be the Sabbath. Any activity that you can do on Monday through Friday can be done on Sunday. The idea of Sunday being the Sabbath; or the Lord’s Day for that matter, is a common misconception in Christianity. I used to also subscribe to this faulty idea. The Sabbath is, was and will always be-Saturday. There are a few reasons for this.

First, why is Sunday not the Sabbath? The short answer to this is-there is nothing in either the New Testament or the Old Testament to support the notion that Sunday is the Sabbath. Jesus never said that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday. The disciples never said that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday. Paul never said that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday. Timothy (who was half Greek by the way) never taught that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday. The Gospel of Luke (the only book of the Bible;as far as we know, to be written by a non-Jew) does not even say that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday.

We know that the early Christians had a habit of worshipping on every day of the week (Acts 2:46). However, this does not mean that every day was the Sabbath. There is no possible way that every day could have been the Sabbath. I think we can all agree on that. But what about Saturday? What does the Bible say about Saturday? In Mark 2:27, Christ says that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. Some may at first understand the “Sabbath” to be Sunday. However, we have to look at who Jesus was talking to. Jesus was talking to Jews, more specifically the Pharisees. Thus between them, there was a common understanding as to which day the Sabbath was. The Sabbath was Saturday. Jesus never corrected them and said that the Sabbath was Sunday or was to be changed to Sunday. At this point, it is also necessary to point out that Christ is using “man” in the universal sense. Jesus is not saying “Men of Israel” or “Men of the Covenant”-he is saying man to stand for everyone. Another interesting point is that while Jesus did raise from the dead on Sunday, he “rested” on the Sabbath in a very literal way! in Mark 2:28, Christ says that the HE is Lord of the Sabbath. Never; as far as I can see, did Christ declare himself Lord of Sunday. Interesingly enough, we know that after Christ was crucified that on Sunday Mary and Martha visited the tomb after they rested on the Sabbath in accordance with the commandments (Mark 16:1).

Interestingly enough, many claim that the early Church kept Sunday as the Sabbath yet the Bible so clearly refutes this idea. All throughout the Book of Acts, it talks about preaching in the Synogogues and people gathering on “The Sabbath.” Sunday is not really mentioned. One interesting example is found in Acts 9. Paul (at that point still Saul) was one of the chief persecutors of Christians. He requested from the High Priest letters to take to the Synagogues in Damascus so that if any were found who were part of “The Way” they could be arrested and taken back. Interestingly enough, the followers of Christ still met in the Synagogues and of course they only would have observed the Saturday Sabbath. At this point; after the resurrection of Christ, the early Christians still felt very comfortable about worshipping and keeping the Sabbath.

There are numerous other proofs that I would love to share with you. Right now though, I will keep my post brief. But if you would like, I can post more in another post.

It is not my intention to put down your religious beliefs, I too used to share them.

God Bless

Paul

 

[marymyheroine]

Paul,

However; Christians are not Jews. Jews do not accept that Jesus is the Messiah. Christ rose from the dead on Sunday. Once he came, he fulfilled the old law. The New Testament was written when Christianity was still in its infancy so you wouldn’t find the reference specifically to “Sunday”. You should check out the writings of Justin Martyr. He specifically lays out the new traditions (celebrating the Mass) being practiced by the earliest Christians. Most people were still devout Jews and still practicing their Jewish faith and struggled with blending it with their new found faith in Jesus as the Messiah. If you read the letters written from St.Paul he tells the Christians in the new churches the apostles have established that the old laws are to pass away (eg. circumcision is no longer the covenant with God as it was with Mosaic law).

God’s Peace

 

[Paul_Bates]

You are right,Christians are not themselves Jews.What separates from the Jewish religion is that we accept Christ as our savior and seek to live by his example. It is interesting that the Jerusalem Church struggled with Judaisizers. There were those who sought to destroy the freedom that we have in Christ. There are some examples of controversies. One example that is covered in the Bible is that of circumscision. It is no longer required that male children be circumscized-though it is still a good practice. In this issue we are free in Christ. Another issue of controversy is that of Jewish feast days. On this issue, we are also free to not observe them. Still another issue that was controversial was that of unclean foods. While there are still unclean foods (from a medical standpoint), there are no spiritually unclean foods. It is true that Christ did away with the Old Covenant.

The Bible is the only infallible Word of God. While I respect many of the early Church leaders who lived and ministered after the writing of the New Testament-ultimately they are subordinated to the Bible.

But, the10 Commandments are not the Old Covenant. Christ himself re-affirmed the 10 Commandments in the New Testament. As Christians, Christ is our example. We know that Christ did more miracles on the Sabbath (Saturday) than on any other day of the week-at least as far as we can tell in the New Testament. In Mark 2:27, Christ is confronted by the Pharisees because the disciples were picking grain on the Sabbath. Christ tells the Pharisees flatly that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath and that the Son of Man (Christ) is Lord-even of the Sabbath. There are two very interesting points here-first, the word man is used in a universal sense-not just Jews. Second, Christ never declared himself Lord of Sunday or Lord of the First Day. When the New Testament talks of Saturday-it always says Sabbath and when Sunday is spoken of it is called the first day of the week.