Sunday Struggles

[Convert_in_99]

I am struggling with the concept of Sunday rest.

I have the worship part down. We never miss mass unless I am really sick. I go to confession regularly (every 2-4 weeks) to prepare for the Eucharist.

My husband hardly ever does his day job on Sundays. Only when it is necessary. I don’t work, but when I did, it was never on a Sunday.

My dilimea/problem lies in housework, shopping, and eating out. What is the fine line/boundaries on these things? Here is what I see: I prefer a clean house and its better for my health. I like shopping, it gets me out of the house. I enjoy not having to cook one day a week. This could be forcing others to work, but they also might not have a job if Sundays weren’t a new-fangled day of work. The weekend workers seem happy to just have a job. I figure most of them must need it. I still fell bad though.

I am kind of torn. This came to my mind today as I realized I went shopping and purchased items from two stores and one restaraunt. Also, as my husband has been having to do some of the heavy duty cleaning (due to my illness) he will often do it on Sundays. This includes cleaning the bathroom, vaccuming, scrubbing floors, etc. I also felt guilty so I folded some laundry while I rested, did some dishes as able and now wondered if I should have. I know he likes to rest some on Saturdays too, as he is a VERY hard worker during the week. So he divides the work up between the two days. I feel like I am making him work Sundays though.

Also, we always get a Sunday paper. Where we live it is not available on Saturdays like some places. So we pick up a few grocery items while we are at it. This happens every Sunday.

Am I a big time sinner here? I hope not. Could you please share with me what you do to observe the Sunday rest? Or tips on my situation?

Thanks! May God bless you and yours!

 

[Andruschak]

Am I a big time sinner here? I hope not. Could you please share with me what you do to observe the Sunday rest? Or tips on my situation?

Thanks! May God bless you and yours!

In my very limited understanding, it would come down to weather the work was necessary, and not able to be done at other times. I am a bachelor, working six days a week. Sundays are my days off.

Mass, yes. And Sunday evening at Alcoholics Anonymous. But also laundry. Cleaning out, scrubbing out, rinsing out, and putting new litter into the cat’s litter boxes. Mother Mary probably had to change Jesus’s diapers on the Sabbath anyhow, and may even have done laundry on that day to keep up. In my situation, this work is necessary, and cannot usually be done on weekdays.

But inbetween the laundry chores and the cat chores, I have time for extra prayers and/or spiritual reading. I’m sure God understands that I am doing the best I can.

 

[puzzleannie]

some housework is inevitable and necessary, but to leave the heavy cleaning or chores that could easily be done during the week may be overdoing it, but that depends on your own family situation. For some couples, maybe shopping together is the only chance they get to talk, I know it was like that for us many years, but you could not drag me to a grocery store, mall or wallyworld on a Sunday, I like to shop when it’s quiet and uncrowded.

Yardwork may be a relaxation for someone who works in an office all week, and a big job done together may be a family bonding event. If it rained all week, Sunday may be the only chance to cut the grass. Who knows? Only you and your family. You know, we discuss this so frequently here, I simply cannot understand why if an individual has a personal question about a personal situation that may or may not be sinful, they don’t just ask their priest, instead of taking moral advice from strangers on the internet. People are expected to use their own prudent judgement on these things.

 

[Convert_in_99]

Thanks Andruschak! Thanks Puzzleannie!

I realize it is somewhat flexible. That it depends on the person and the person’s circumstances. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Unfortunately I don’t have any priests to talk to where I now live. I used to talk to priests all the time about matters like this. I just am uncomfortable with the ones in my new diocese…so that is why I search for answers on CAF all the time now.