Why are 'traditional activities' allowed for work on Sunday?

[Neithan]

Catechism 2187:

…] 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…

It looks to me like this paragraph is contradicting itself in the first two sentences. If we are going to sport games or restaurants, aren’t we making “unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord’s Day” ?? I think this exemption threatens to make the whole thing moot, as pretty much anything can be lumped under ‘traditional activities, etc.’ The movies for example: many people traditionally go to a movie or rent a movie on Sunday. Does this mean it’s okay for us to go to cinemas and video stores on Sunday? Many people traditionally go shopping on Sunday too - doesn’t that mean we are free to go to the mall on Sunday?
I can even see visiting forums like this becoming a ‘traditional’ pastime for some of us on Sundays, but aren’t we then making “unnecessary demands” on the moderators here?

Why should sports and restaurants - and whatever we fancy a ‘traditional activity’ - be exempt from the Sunday rest? What exactly constitutes a ‘traditional activity’ ? Ideally, shouldn’t we simply put a ban on any “unnecessary demands on others” ?

 

[scottywolf777]

Ok I’m going to give this a somewhat unique approach. I spent a year in a messianic synagogue to help me understand the roots of our faith. The concept of resting on the Lord’s day which we as Catholic-Christians interpret as Sunday is inherited from our jewish ancestors who honored the sabbath(saturday) in honor of how G-d (since I’m speaking of judiasm I do that intentionally out of respect for the holy name) rested after the creation of the world. In judiasm especially amoung the orthodox rules and norms developed to the extent that an orthodox jew would not carry money(so he couldn’t spend it) or a pen (so you couldn’t write). You were supposed to only live so far from temple etc. There is even the concept of a “temple goy” a gentile whose job it is to turn the lights on and off and the oven on and off on the sabbath so no jew could start a fire (the penalty of which was stoning by the way-which is why ultra-orthodox jews stone cars that pass through their neighborhoods on the sabbath)
When Jesus came along he came up with a new approach to the sabbath. Note Matthew 12:8-12 and Mark 2:27.The question was also put forward by the pharisees about healing on the sabbath.In modern judiasm a doctor may work on the sabbath because it is an act of mercy and healing. The jews were however commanded not only to keep the sabbath themselves but, were actually not allowed to make their servants work on the sabbath as well.
The world now a days really is orienting itself more and more towards a 24/7/365 work schedule which is problematic. The reason why the concept of sabbath rest makes sense is because we humans need time away from our jobs even if they are as important as healing the sick to recharge our batteries. God gave us a built in need for recreation and also one for worship. It is psychologically healthy for us.
One interesting complaint I’ve heard from jews is not so much about a day of rest being on Sunday but, rather that we often don’t make it a day of rest. I do agree that we should try and keep activities down to an extent that we aren’t making people work on sunday especially those who don’t really need to. When I worked for the phone company I often worked Sundays and hated it.Probably 90% of the calls I took on Sunday weren’t something that could wait. I’d get calls for government offices that were NOT open on Sunday and my favoritea guy asking for the number for a strip club on Sunday, I wouldn’t define that as valid recreation!
I think it’s a great idea to try and keep from doing things that would make people work on Sundays down as much as possible which should aso include unnecessary shopping. On the other hand we also have to remember the idea that the sabbath was made for man and not the other way around and even the jews would rescue a donkey that fell into a ditch on the sabbath because it might not still be alive if they waited until the sabbath was over. Also to further muddy the waters, there’s the issue of things like mowing the lawn on sunday which disturbs the peace of the neighbors.

 

[The_Question]

Ok I’m going to give this a somewhat unique approach. I spent a year in a messianic synagogue to help me understand the roots of our faith. The concept of resting on the Lord’s day which we as Catholic-Christians interpret as Sunday is inherited from our jewish ancestors who honored the sabbath(saturday) in honor of how G-d (since I’m speaking of judiasm I do that intentionally out of respect for the holy name) rested after the creation of the world. In judiasm especially amoung the orthodox rules and norms developed to the extent that an orthodox jew would not carry money(so he couldn’t spend it) or a pen (so you couldn’t write). You were supposed to only live so far from temple etc. There is even the concept of a “temple goy” a gentile whose job it is to turn the lights on and off and the oven on and off on the sabbath so no jew could start a fire (the penalty of which was stoning by the way-which is why ultra-orthodox jews stone cars that pass through their neighborhoods on the sabbath)
When Jesus came along he came up with a new approach to the sabbath. Note Matthew 12:8-12 and Mark 2:27.The question was also put forward by the pharisees about healing on the sabbath.In modern judiasm a doctor may work on the sabbath because it is an act of mercy and healing. The jews were however commanded not only to keep the sabbath themselves but, were actually not allowed to make their servants work on the sabbath as well.
The world now a days really is orienting itself more and more towards a 24/7/365 work schedule which is problematic. The reason why the concept of sabbath rest makes sense is because we humans need time away from our jobs even if they are as important as healing the sick to recharge our batteries. God gave us a built in need for recreation and also one for worship. It is psychologically healthy for us.
One interesting complaint I’ve heard from jews is not so much about a day of rest being on Sunday but, rather that we often don’t make it a day of rest. I do agree that we should try and keep activities down to an extent that we aren’t making people work on sunday especially those who don’t really need to. When I worked for the phone company I often worked Sundays and hated it.Probably 90% of the calls I took on Sunday weren’t something that could wait. I’d get calls for government offices that were NOT open on Sunday and my favoritea guy asking for the number for a strip club on Sunday, I wouldn’t define that as valid recreation!
I think it’s a great idea to try and keep from doing things that would make people work on Sundays down as much as possible which should aso include unnecessary shopping. On the other hand we also have to remember the idea that the sabbath was made for man and not the other way around and even the jews would rescue a donkey that fell into a ditch on the sabbath because it might not still be alive if they waited until the sabbath was over. Also to further muddy the waters, there’s the issue of things like mowing the lawn on sunday which disturbs the peace of the neighbors.

I think the key is that the practice of a day of rest, whatever day you choose, is a wise principal that God blesses us with. But for the Christian, the Sabbath is now a law. Paul says “One man esteems one day above another, the other sees every day the same. Let each man be convinced in his own mind.” Believers in Acts met daily. The principal God established with the Sabbath (Saturday, of course) was a great one, and we hurt ourselves if we don’t benefit from it.

 

[Joe_Brown]

I use Sunday as a say of rest and a day to go to mass and worship God exclusively.

I do chores to help out my parents. What that is reforring to is working for money.
If you have gone to mass and felt that you have given enough time to God in the day then you can go to a sports event no problem.

Pax.

 

[lobster]

The cows need to be milked twice on Sunday, even on Christmas or they get sick and die.

 

[wcknight]

The cows need to be milked twice on Sunday, even on Christmas or they get sick and die.

Really !!

I knew there was a darn good reason why I don’t own any cows. Not to mention that I don’t have any place to put them, and the neighbors woud get awfully upset.

I use Sunday as an excuse NOT to mow the lawn, because I hate to mow no matter what day of the week it is.

 

[scottywolf777]

Really !!

I knew there was a darn good reason why I don’t own any cows. Not to mention that I don’t have any place to put them, and the neighbors woud get awfully upset.

I use Sunday as an excuse NOT to mow the lawn, because I hate to mow no matter what day of the week it is.

i guess i’d better not show that post to Todd, the roommate. He already hates the neighbors and might like the idea. Todd is my shabbes goy and he mows the lawn and doesn’t care much about the day at all!