Should We Do This on a Sunday or not?

[catholicboy2]

Hi, me and my mom tomorrow (Sunday) are going to Nebraska Furniture Mart to buy me a Tempurpedic mattress for my birthday and a night stand table to go alongside it and we’re also going to get me a haircut for my school year. We are still going to church, but would this be a sin (mortal or venial?) and would grocery shopping on Sundays be a sin?
and also I’ve heard of this penance or fast on ALL fridays - is this true? I don’t think my mom or sister knows this, but my priest said I probably don’t need to inform them of something like this (my sister doesn’t do much when it comes to the Catholic Church) but I could ask this question to him before Friday.

 

[presidentjlh]

The Lord Himself showed that we can do necessary errands on Sundays, as evidenced by the fact that he healed people on those days. By a day of rest, we mean that one should not work for payment as they would the rest of the week (And that’s not all inclusive - Doctors are excepted from that, for example, as they are necessary for people to live). You can make purchases on Sundays, it’s perfectly fine.

 

[Sanctifiable]

I have changed my view on this. I don’t do any shopping on Sundays unless its nessasary like if I absolutly need food or gas to travel. I don’t do any work either, not for my work or around the house. I do some things that you need to like cleaning dishes and cooking. I took a look at myself and realized how lightly I was taking this commandment and decided to change things. I spend the day doing something relaxing and reflecting on God and praying. Since I’ve done this I found that things still get done during the week even around the house and I look forward to Sundays. I also have a good meal on Sundays too. I think what Jesus did on the Sabbath is an example of good works like if a neighbor needed your help ect…Try it out. Just sit in silence and reflect. Read your Bible.

 

[CDNowak]

Yes the Friday fast (or penance, in the US) remains in canon law.

My opinion: Since working grocery I have hardened my view on this. While it may not be a sin to shop on Sunday (being a pleasurable activity) you are fueling the demand that makes it nearly impossible for someone to work in the industry if they are Catholic (or Christian).

 

[catholicboy2]

Yes the Friday fast (or penance, in the US) remains in canon law.

My opinion: Since working grocery I have hardened my view on this. While it may not be a sin to shop on Sunday (being a pleasurable activity) you are fueling the demand that makes it nearly impossible for someone to work in the industry if they are Catholic (or Christian).

well that’s what I thought too, but then I thought that if they were catholic (or Christian) then they would have asked not to work on that day
would getting a haircut then be OK?

 

[jmcrae]

You can make purchases on Sundays, it’s perfectly fine.

… as long as your action of shopping or doing errands isn’t causing someone else to work for pay on a Sunday, since you would be contributing materially to their sin, if so.

 

[StrawberryJam]

One man’s “work” is another’s labor of love. Not everyone works for an employer. Not everyone works the same way.

 

[jmcrae]

One man’s “work” is another’s labor of love. Not everyone works for an employer. Not everyone works the same way.

Right. But the odds are pretty good, if you’re at the mall, the people you’re buying from are working for an employer, for pay - not doing it as a hobby.

If you go to a farmers’ market, on the other hand, most of the people there are hobbyists, doing it for fun, so that’s a totally different thing.

 

[CDNowak]

well that’s what I thought too, but then I thought that if they were catholic (or Christian) then they would have asked not to work on that day
would getting a haircut then be OK?

Unfortunately it doesn’t always work that way. After 2yrs,I negotiated (with my boss putting her job on the line) one Sunday a month. I was one of the few willing to fight for it, but it was understood that everyone requested every Saturday and Sunday off.

 

[catholicboy2]

I am scrupulous and it’s hard to tell when I see two different sides being showed to me (no offense), but I looked it up and found a website that helps with scrupulous people. It says shopping should not be done, but it isn’t forbidden-here’s a copy of it

mission.liguori.org/newsletters/pdf_archive/april2005sa_web.pdf

Q. Is shopping on Sunday wrong? If so, is it also wrong to attend flea markets and antique
markets on Sunday if you buy a few things when doing this?
A. A scrupulous person often sees things as black or white, and this question is a
good example of how scrupulosity can creep into other areas of our life. A behavior is either
right or wrong. But a behavior can be acceptable in one circumstance and completely wrong in another.
For instance, an infant learning to walk can sneak up to the coffee table and snatch the cookie you
have in front of you, and we think that is cute. Wrong, of course, but we can accept it. When that same
baby is sixteen and does it, we no longer thing it is cute. We say then that it is not polite and wrong. This
is a small example of what it means to have “shades of gray” in a moral situation.
The question offers another gray area of moral behavior. On the one hand, we are to keep holy
the Sabbath and go to Mass on Sunday. So, if you are going to flea markets instead of Mass, that is
wrong. But what if you are doing both? Then we need to expand our thinking a bit.
We should not shop on Sunday if we can avoid it. Really, we should not shop on Sunday unless
we really need to do so. Perhaps we need to buy a prescription for someone who is sick. We can do
that. But, Sunday should not be a regular market day. Shopping, however, is not a forbidden activity.
The question is about buying things at flea markets. Since shopping is not really a forbidden
activity, you can buy things at flea markets and antique sales on Sunday. Sunday is the only day that
some of these function, so you may take advantage of that. Sunday is a day when we should rest and
refresh ourselves, and flea markets may do that for some people. They use it as recreation.
Your normal shopping should not be done on Sunday, as a general principle. For other circumstances,
such as the health of a person or simply for the recreation a flea market provides, such shopping
is not forbidden.

 

[catholicboy2]

and this link too, forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=462564&highlight=shopping+on+sunday

some of the posts say they went out to eat with priests and a bishop on Sunday(the priests/bishop wouldn’t have gone out to eat if they felt it was a sin to because it causes people to work for pay), and another saying shopping on Sunday can be relaxation

I read what the Catechism says on it and I think it just says it should be avoided, but it isn’t condemned (that I know of)

 

[jmcrae]

Unfortunately it doesn’t always work that way. After 2yrs,I negotiated (with my boss putting her job on the line) one Sunday a month. I was one of the few willing to fight for it, but it was understood that everyone requested every Saturday and Sunday off.

I can understand them balking at people wanting the whole weekend off, but if you just want a couple of hours on Saturday evening or Sunday morning (or evening) off, that shouldn’t be an issue - even if everyone on staff is a practicing Christian, you can negotiate, who will take Saturday evening off for two hours, who will take from 8:30 am to 10:30 am off for a 9:00 am service or Mass, and who will take 10:30 to 12:30 for an 11:00 am service or Mass, and who will take from 4:30 to 6:30 off for an evening Mass on Sunday.

I think if it were presented like that, without needing the entire day or the entire weekend off, then you’d reach a compromise that you can both live with.

 

[StrawberryJam]

I can understand them balking at people wanting the whole weekend off, but if you just want a couple of hours on Saturday evening or Sunday morning (or evening) off, that shouldn’t be an issue - even if everyone on staff is a practicing Christian, you can negotiate, who will take Saturday evening off for two hours, who will take from 8:30 am to 10:30 am off for a 9:00 am service or Mass, and who will take 10:30 to 12:30 for an 11:00 am service or Mass, and who will take from 4:30 to 6:30 off for an evening Mass on Sunday.

I think if it were presented like that, without needing the entire day or the entire weekend off, then you’d reach a compromise that you can both live with.

Evening Mass on Sunday? I never knew about that before. That is a very nice option for those who work on weekends.

 

[jmcrae]

Evening Mass on Sunday? I never knew about that before. That is a very nice option for those who work on weekends.

Most Dioceses even offer a 7:00 pm Mass on Sundays for those who simply can’t make it at any other time on the weekend.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Most Dioceses even offer a 7:00 pm Mass on Sundays for those who simply can’t make it at any other time on the weekend.

I will simply have to re-visit the Chicago arch site again to see if I can pull that off. I know that I will be going to the early Mass tommorow and I wish I had been able to do it today.
We have evening Masses for “specials” not sure that is the correct term, but only on special holy days. At least at the parishes close to me.

 

[Sanctifiable]

and this link too, forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=462564&highlight=shopping+on+sunday

some of the posts say they went out to eat with priests and a bishop on Sunday(the priests/bishop wouldn’t have gone out to eat if they felt it was a sin to because it causes people to work for pay), and another saying shopping on Sunday can be relaxation

I read what the Catechism says on it and I think it just says it should be avoided, but it isn’t condemned (that I know of)

I think your on the right track

 

[LilyM]

… as long as your action of shopping or doing errands isn’t causing someone else to work for pay on a Sunday, since you would be contributing materially to their sin, if so.

Why? The vast majority of people who work on Sundays do so either because their work is necessary (eg emergency workers) or because THEY need the work (ie a full time student who can’t work during the week and must work Saturday AND Sunday to support themselves).

With the economy being as it is, more people need weekend work than ever before. I don’t see it as usually contributing materially to any sin, even if part of the money earned goes to the owner or manager of the business - in many cases they need it as much as any of their employees!