Work after Saturday Mass

[Coder]

Suppose you were planning to do some work Saturday evening into the night and participate in mass on Sunday. However, due to a winter storm predicted for Saturday night, you decided that in order to attend mass it would be best to go Saturday afternoon.

Would it still be OK to work Saturday night or does your Sabbath start after attending mass? [Either way, I would not plan to work Sunday (the only exception being that sometimes I work past midnight but I am not scrupulous about that).]

Thank You

 

[Traditional_Ang]

Coder:

Suppose you were planning to do some work Saturday evening into the night and participate in mass on Sunday. However, due to a winter storm predicted for Saturday night, you decided that in order to attend mass it would be best to go Saturday afternoon.

Would it still be OK to work Saturday night or does your Sabbath start after attending mass? [Either way, I would not plan to work Sunday (the only exception being that sometimes I work past midnight but I am not scrupulous about that).]

Thank You

Coder:

4 Questions:

1. What kind of work are we talking about ? How necessary is this to the functioning of the community and or your family?
2. Is this work that can be done earlier or that can be “Put off until tomorrow”?
3. How bad of a Winter Storm are we talking about? Are we dealing with something that you bbelieve will resonable blosk the roads and rebove you access to your mass?
4. Have you taked about this to you parish prist or your spiritual director or so other authority in your parish and in your life?

Let’s try answering those so we have a better idea just what it is we dealing with. The fact that you’re the question says something favorable about your character.

May god bless you with discernment,

In Christ, Michael

 

[Coder]

Hello,

The question is general in nature. Remember we are talking about work on Saturday and in general any kind of work is acceptable on Saturday. [For the curious, the work is writing software and/or related activities (note my screen name).]

The crux of my question, again a very general one, is this: If a person participates in mass on Saturday does that also mean that the person should beging observing the sabbath on Saturday after the mass?

 

[kmktexas]

Maybe someone can ask this in the AAA fourum but this is the way I explain it to my CCE students.

1. Keeping the Lord’s Day holy is following one of the 10 commandments. Unnecessary servile work on Sunday etc. can be sins against this commandment.
2. Attending Mass on Sunday and Holy Days of Obligation is a precept of the Church. The Church currently allows attendance at vigil Masses to fulfill this obligation. Purposely mising mass on Sunday, or the Saturday vigil could be sinful as a violation of a precept of the Church.

The two are related, of course, but the rules for one do not necessarily automatically carry over to the other. This is why when you look at most Examinations of Conscience you see questions for both the 10 commandments AND the precepts of the Church.

Work on Saturday doesn’t violate the Commandment to keep the Lord’s day holy even though attending Mass on Saturday night is in keeping with the precept of the Church regarding Mass.

 

[Digitonomy]

I asked this sort of thing previously:
Beginning and end of Sunday?

When does Sunday begin and end?

Basically, it boils down to what kmktexas said. Sunday under canon law is understood to last 24 hours, from midnight to midnight. That does not change.

However, the Church has specifically spelled out that the obligation to attend Sunday mass may be fulfilled on the evening of the previous day.

This does not change the rules about Sunday for any other matter - Sunday still begins and ends at midnight. You are in no way disregarding your obligation to keep holy the Lord’s Day if you work on your software until 11:59 pm Saturday.

 

[Coder]

Thank you kmktexas and digitonomy for the good answers that are well explained.