Servile Work On Holy Days?

[cargopilot]

A quick search of servile work performed on Holy days of obligation reveals that I certainly am performing servile work when I clearly shouldn’t be. Had I planned ahead, I could’ve made better arrangements, and I’ll certainly do so, next time.

In my company, other people are able to take off for their religious days, but since I’m Catholic, I assume I don’t have those same rights. What would your employer say if you informed him/her that you were not going to work on Holy days? Who will be performing servile work today, and who won’t be? Can anyone shed a little more light on servile, cultural, ordinary, judicial and commercial work?

 

[BLB_Oregon]

I can’t speak to the various types of work, but I do remember my grandfather shutting down business on Holy Days, the same as if it were Labor Day or the 4th of July. Well, not the same, since our family seemed to be under the impression that Labor Day was a day when you got some big labor out of the way, like splitting and stacking wood or making four tons of sauerkraut. I guess they weren’t big on unions.

We were still sent to school on December 8, though. Although business wasn’t conducted, the desk work of learning didn’t count. It was allowed to study on Sundays and Holy Days, although given the choice you’d do your book reports on week days and catechism on Sunday (if necessary).

We were also taught there was no “unnecessary” servile work allowed on Holy Days or on Sundays. Funny, the necessary stuff always seemed to be the stuff Mom did! (She did try to get as much out of the way as possible…and stuff that could wait, did wait.) Nevertheless, the cooking for a Holy Day like Christmas hardly put it on the calendar as a day of rest for her!

One exception I can remember was on a Sunday. The strawberries on my grandpa’s farm had to be picked on Sunday or the storm coming in on Monday would have ruined the entire crop. He marked the picker’s tickets for that day, and they were paid what the cannery paid him for the crop. Anyone who chose not to come was still eligible for the bonus offered for not missing any days of work. It wasn’t about him making the money, he said, it was about not letting the food go to waste.

Also, the annual church dinner was work allowed on a Sunday, because it was a form of giving alms. If you’re cleaning the gutters of a relative or a neighbor who can’t do it for themselves, or volunteering at a school, then it can still be done if the Sunday or Holy Day is the only day you can get to it. By this logic, it is ok to work for Habitat for Humanity on a Sunday or Holy Day.

 

[ltravis]

This can be a tough issue these days. I would figure that work for your employer is not your decision, and therefore not your accountability. Of course, that assumes you made him aware of your concerns, and didn’t have a real choice in the matter.

At home, the command is as much of a burden as a relief. Just because I don’t have to clean gutters *on Sunday *doesn’t mean I don’t have to clean gutters. It may mean I am going to be really busy Saturday on the ladder instead of watching Notre Dame football!

LT