RE: Working on Sunday

[baylee]

After reading the thread below about working on Sunday, I have a hypothetical question.

I am currently looking for a job and that job may require weekend hours. If I worked on a Sunday, but made Saturday my Sunday (ie. did not work, went to the Saturday vigil mass, etc), would that be a suitable substitution?

 

[Trishie]

Does this paragraph from the Catechism of the Catholic Church sufficiently answer your question?

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.

 

[baylee]

Not really because I am in a position where I might be able to choose what I do for my next job/career. Should I avoid careers that would require Sunday work? Or would it be okay as long as it is an opportunity where I can set aside Saturday as my day of rest?

 

[thistle]

Not really because I am in a position where I might be able to choose what I do for my next job/career. Should I avoid careers that would require Sunday work? Or would it be okay as long as it is an opportunity where I can set aside Saturday as my day of rest?

I don’t think you can choose a career which has no Sunday work. Almost any type of work could entail working on Sundays. Choose a career you are interested in.
As for Mass the Saturday evening Mass fulfills the Sunday obligation.

 

[Schluns]

I don’t think you can choose a career which has no Sunday work. Almost any type of work could entail working on Sundays. Choose a career you are interested in.
As for Mass the Saturday evening Mass fulfills the Sunday obligation.

There are many careers out there that allow no Sunday work. For example, I am a nurse and have not worked Sunday’s for 8 years. However, if I chose to work in a hospital setting I would have a sunday obligation at most every other sunday. The unit that I work prn (name removed by moderator)atient has weekend option people, who choose this to avoid daycare costs, this allows regular staff to work 1 weekend day a month. So I work every 4th Saturday.

 

[cerad]

Priests work on Sundays all the time. Doesn’t seem to bother them.

 

[Schluns]

Priests work on Sundays all the time. Doesn’t seem to bother them.

:doh2:

That’s the great part of vocations.

 

[thistle]

There are many careers out there that allow no Sunday work. For example, I am a nurse and have not worked Sunday’s for 8 years. However, if I chose to work in a hospital setting I would have a sunday obligation at most every other sunday. The unit that I work prn (name removed by moderator)atient has weekend option people, who choose this to avoid daycare costs, this allows regular staff to work 1 weekend day a month. So I work every 4th Saturday.

I would not agree that there are careers which do not ALLOW Sunday working. Almost any career/job could entail working on Sundays at one time or another. If such a time comes then a person would have to decide to do that or not. Nursing in general entails Sunday working. I’m trying to point out to the other poster that choosing a career should not be based on that.
Sunday obligation is fulfilled by attending Saturday evening Mass.

 

[Schluns]

I’m trying to point out to the other poster that choosing a career should not be based on that.

And I’m pointing out: Why should choosing a career NOT be based on that <not working on Sunday’s>?

I don’t mean to be rude, but why not choose a profession that allows you a Monday through Friday work week? Sure I chose Nursing as a profession, but with the knowledge that my plan was to work in an outpatient clinic. A goal I accomplished 4 years after graduation.

And yes, Physicians, nurses, and service professions have a high need for weekend service now. However, Service professions have only been added to this list in the past few generations. Even until recently, one could attend Mass on Sunday and get to their job in the Mall by the time the store opened. As Consumers, we have made it profitable for businesses to be open on Sunday, and have made it profitable for them to open earlier and earlier every year.

And, What about a day of rest? Do we through that out the window because it is not an “obligation”. Do we only strive to meet the bare minimum required of us as Catholics? As humans walking on this planet, it is easy to be distracted by everyday things, and put them before our worship, it is easy to do. I struggle with this everyday. I am still learning how to shut out the outside world to focus on our LORD. Then making exceptions and rationalizations as to why I don’t spend enough time in prayer and reflections, does not help the situation at all, then I backslide into old habits.

 

[thistle]

And I’m pointing out: Why should choosing a career NOT be based on that <not working on Sunday’s>?

I don’t mean to be rude, but why not choose a profession that allows you a Monday through Friday work week? Sure I chose Nursing as a profession, but with the knowledge that my plan was to work in an outpatient clinic. A goal I accomplished 4 years after graduation.

And yes, Physicians, nurses, and service professions have a high need for weekend service now. However, Service professions have only been added to this list in the past few generations. Even until recently, one could attend Mass on Sunday and get to their job in the Mall by the time the store opened. As Consumers, we have made it profitable for businesses to be open on Sunday, and have made it profitable for them to open earlier and earlier every year.

And, What about a day of rest? Do we through that out the window because it is not an “obligation”. Do we only strive to meet the bare minimum required of us as Catholics? As humans walking on this planet, it is easy to be distracted by everyday things, and put them before our worship, it is easy to do. I struggle with this everyday. I am still learning how to shut out the outside world to focus on our LORD. Then making exceptions and rationalizations as to why I don’t spend enough time in prayer and reflections, does not help the situation at all, then I backslide into old habits.

If you read what the OP said you would see he did not suggest throwing anything out of the window and nor did I. He asked if he could make Saturday his Sunday.

It also sounds like you are saying hospitals should be empty on Sundays, police should not fight crime on Sundays, firemen should let house burn on Sundays.

 

[baylee]

If you read what the OP said you would see he did not suggest throwing anything out of the window and nor did I. He asked if he could make Saturday his Sunday.

Exactly. If I pursue a part-time job that requires weekend hours, I want to make sure that I only work one of the days (or I won’t pursue it). I just want to make sure that it’s okay to make Saturday my Sunday on any given weekend if necessary. It sounds like I can.

 

[Schluns]

If you read what the OP said you would see he did not suggest throwing anything out of the window and nor did I. He asked if he could make Saturday his Sunday.

It also sounds like you are saying hospitals should be empty on Sundays, police should not fight crime on Sundays, firemen should let house burn on Sundays.

Sorry, but that is not what I said, yes I did not mention Fire Fighters, or policemen.

So to restate: Service professions, such as Physicians, Nurses, Fire Fighters, Policemen, and others in the Life Protection fields, are fields that also have weekend obligations. However, Service professions such as retail and restaurant, traditionally had been closed on Sundays for family worship, but in the last few generations have begun to offer Sunday hours due to consumerist “needs”.

The only way I think that hospitals should be closed on Sundays, is if all disease were cured and no one was occupying the beds. However, I would leave people on call and the Emergency room staffed in case of Emergency.

These are very vital people in Society. If this is the OP’s passion then I would encourage the OP to follow his/her heart. But in the full knowledge that the OP’s obligation may not be met every week, and that shift work may not be as desirable as it sounds at first.

Working in the Hospital, I would not have been able to meet a Saturday obligation or a Sunday obligation due to 8-12 hour shifts and the difficulty of getting 10 hours of work crammed into 12 hours. So then I would have been forced to work night shift or go into a nursing home; so I chose Outpatient Clinic.

To make it short: You have to decide what you value in life and what your passion is, then attempt to choose a career that does not conflict with them, but mirrors them.

 

[lobster]

Most restraurants used to be closed on Sundays. Now that society has shifted its views, most restraurants are open on Sundays. People who hold on to moral and societal relativity have also shifted their beliefs to say it is okay to give no concern to whether a job entails working on Sunday. The Church specifically says different, and it would be a mortal sin if not something which was necessary. The ten commandments were meant to be followed. Not just to be some amusing historical rules the way things were back in the old days.