Talking about work on Sunday

[Kathrin]

God created the world and on the 7th day rejoiced in what He had done.

A catholic author whose book I am reading also interpreted this as meaning that we use this day to reflect rather than to already think further.

But I am having concrete questions regarding this now.
Somebody offered me a translating job. I am not so sure how legitimate it is. Is it ok to talk to my family about this today, ask there opinions, since we have dinner together tonight. Or is this too much business talk for Sunday.

Also is it ok to get back to that person with further questions per e-mail on Sunday, so I can decide whether I want to accept the job and maybe start working on it tomorrow?

Kathrin

 

[utah_rose]

I would think that asking your family’s opinion about a job or even emailing about one would be perfectly legitimate.

I think that Sunday should be a day that if possible we do without shopping or other work that we can do during the week, but let’s not get like the Pharisees.

Jesus after all, cured people on the Sabbath, and I believe that he said that “Sabbath was made for man”.

If you mean actually translating on a Sunday, would that mean doing computer work or something else?

If it means Sunday work and it has to be done that day, and you don’t have a job and need the money, I’d say do it.

There are a lot of people out of jobs right now, and as long as it doesn’t interfere with your Mass obligation I’d say at least inquire about it, and your family may be able to help your insight about this, especially if you are suspicious that it may not be legitimate.

I try to read Catholic literature and just relax on Sunday, but sometimes things come up, like unexpected housework that you absolutely have to do. For example, cleaning up after a spill, garden work that couldn’t be done because of the weather or even snow shoveling. I think we just need to be reasonable about it, and your version of Sunday sounds very family oriented.

 

[Kathrin]

I wasn’t talking about actually translating on Sunday.
I told that person right away that my faith was very important to me and that if possible I don’t work on Sundays.
I was really just asking about TALKING ABOUT work related things.

 

[Gertabelle]

Here’s my humble and not-so-informed opinion:

Menial labor should be avoided on Sundays, as far as possible. In my monastic days, we still did cooked meals and did the dishes, because those were necessary tasks. Softball, basketball, and snowball fights were acceptable and encouraged, as were group walks through the fields in which we were allowed to discuss all kinds of things.

Reflection on God’s plan and His blessings is an excellent way to spend one’s time. But I don’t think this necessarily precludes one from considering the blessings that God is unfolding in one’s life.

Just my two cents.

Gertie

 

[Kathrin]

I wasn’t talking about actually translating, I made my position clear here to the person who offered me the work.

Just about TALKING ABOUT it in order to plan better.

 

[Gertabelle]

I wasn’t talking about actually translating, I made my position clear here to the person who offered me the work.

Just about TALKING ABOUT it in order to plan better.

Yes, you made that clear in post #3.

Reflection on God’s plan and His blessings is an excellent activity for a Sunday. But I don’t think this necessarily precludes one from considering the blessings that God is unfolding in one’s life. In other words, I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t TALK ABOUT a new opportunity with your family on a Sunday.

Gertie

 

[SMHW]

God created the world and on the 7th day rejoiced in what He had done.

A catholic author whose book I am reading also interpreted this as meaning that we use this day to reflect rather than to already think further.

But I am having concrete questions regarding this now.
Somebody offered me a translating job. I am not so sure how legitimate it is. Is it ok to talk to my family about this today, ask there opinions, since we have dinner together tonight. Or is this too much business talk for Sunday.

Also is it ok to get back to that person with further questions per e-mail on Sunday, so I can decide whether I want to accept the job and maybe start working on it tomorrow?

Kathrin

This would be OK.

Yours and your family’s spiritual life and health is not independent from your finances. Your are discussing how this potential job will bless you and how it could do otherwise. This is the kind of thing that seems especially suitable to discuss on a Sunday.

 

[geekborj]

I wasn’t talking about actually translating on Sunday.
I told that person right away that my faith was very important to me and that if possible I don’t work on Sundays.
I was really just asking about TALKING ABOUT work related things.

This is quite late but hey, for future reference…

Talking about work-related things such as to improve our own personal outlook, options and decision making sounds very family to me. Who knows, this “talk” actually makes you closer to your family. Of course, just don’t overdo it. Making yourself the center of the “talk” borders towards selfishness… be careful there.

Maybe it is better to talk about the moral implications of you taking the job instead of centering to you as a taker. What is important is being human – to talk about life. Of course, this must be done after all things are done for the Lord.

 

[Kathrin]

Well, I am a single adult, so implications for my family wouldn’t be the main topic… but since I had dinner with my parents and my brother tonight, I did use the opportunity to talk about this.

And it WAS very much about the moral implications. Which probably is much more important than whether or not the talk took place on a Sunday. Somebody online asked me to translate pages of a Facebook chat for him. Apparently since he doesn’t understand the language he wasn’t one of the two people chatting. He says the chat is ABOUT him, but I still wonder if it is legitimate for him to want it translated, how did he get to it, etc. I would like to help him if it is something important, but I don’t want to do something immoral either!

This thing about putting oneself into the center, bordering on selfishness… this is something where I am very scrupulous to begin with. I struggle with questions like this sometimes. Because, of course, there was also a sense of wanting the others to know that I got offered this, that I probably COULD do a translation like this… but is it wrong to feel good about something like that?? A priest just recently told me it is ok to feel good about doing something well.
Just doing something out of pride is not good, but so often all these feelings are intermixed. How can I be sure what my main motivation was to bring this up? And to not bring it up BECAUSE it may also bring up some sort of feeling good about myself or enjoying talking about myself… wouldn’t be good either right??? Isn’t it human to have all these feelings?

I tend to think way too much about things like that so I better stop before I start “spiralling” about it as somebody has called it before.

Kathrin

p.s. Anyway. This came after a long discaussion during dinner about Faith. Where sometimes some are trying to be a bit provoking towards me… it had gotten to a sensitive point where I was also glad to talk about something else for now, in order to prevent bad feelings.

 

[Don9of11]

Remember the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. Sometimes you have to work on Sunday’s and certainly talking about having a job that would require you to work on on Sunday’s is not a sin nor is working on Sunday’s a sin. Jesus himself did work on the sabbath. We must of course take time to go to church be it on Sunday or a vigil mass on Saturday. I think you’ll do just fine in your new job. Good luck.