Working on Sunday

[Jacob18]

Is it a sin to work on Sunday?

Some Catholics seem to think it is completely okay, but I have read books that clearly state the contrary. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

2185 “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God,”

but also,

2186 “Those Christians who have leisure should be mindful of their brethren who have the same needs and the same rights, yet cannot rest from work because of poverty and misery.”

I have had it explained to me before that you can work on Sunday, as long as you fufill your Sunday obligation of going to Mass. In a book that I have read, it clearly states that you are to avoid unnecessary work that requires more labor of your body than your mind, such as digging a ditch, but you can write or draw. It stated you could without sin do small, petty actions such as cleaning a spark plug or puttering around the garden, but much more than that would be venial sin, and more than three hours labor on a Sunday would be mortal sin. The person who told me that you could work on Sunday, as first stated in this paragraph dismissed that claim and told me I needed a new book.

If it is sin generally, under what circumstances would it not be?

 

[Barb3]

What do you think policemen, firemen,doctors,nurses,etc.,etc. are supposed to do on Sunday. My husband was a fireman and NEVER missed Mass when his schedule required him to work on Sunday. This was in the days when there was no Saturday afternoon Mass to fulfill the Sunday obligation. The earliest Mass in our Parish was 7:00 A/.M., and he had to be at work at 8:00 A.M. He asked the pastor to schedule an earlier Mass but was unsuccessful – so he took our one and only car and went to Mass at the Church nearest the firehouse where he worked. Of course, that meant that the children and I had to walk to Church --all right if it wasn’t raining – please don’t criticize anyone who has to work on Sundays.

 

[Jacob18]

What do you think policemen, firemen,doctors,nurses,etc.,etc. are supposed to do on Sunday. My husband was a fireman and NEVER missed Mass when his schedule required him to work on Sunday. This was in the days when there was no Saturday afternoon Mass to fulfill the Sunday obligation. The earliest Mass in our Parish was 7:00 A/.M., and he had to be at work at 8:00 A.M. He asked the pastor to schedule an earlier Mass but was unsuccessful – so he took our one and only car and went to Mass at the Church nearest the firehouse where he worked. Of course, that meant that the children and I had to walk to Church --all right if it wasn’t raining – please don’t criticize anyone who has to work on Sundays.

1. I would not consider the work of a nurse or policeman, etc. the servile work we are to rest from on Sundays.
2. No, I did not intend to criticize anyone, I am asking a question.

 

[KCT]

You have to use prudential judgement. There is not a list of what is OK and what is not.

Working on Sunday to avoid being with your family is not the same as working on Sunday because your job demands it.

 

[Shin]

The Cure of Ars has some good sermons on keeping Sunday holy.

This sermon goes into specific details about what is permitted and what is not.

‘What will remain to you of your Sunday work? You leave the earth just as it is; when you go away, you carry nothing with you. Ah! when we are attached to the earth, we are not willing to go! Our first end is to go to God; we are on the earth for no other purpose. My brethren, we should die on Sunday, and rise again on Monday.’

St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney, the Cure of Ars

‘The Jews crucified Me on Friday, but Christians crucify Me on Sunday.’

Our Lord to Sister Marie de Saint-Pierre, December 2, 1847 A.D.

We should spend Sundays in peaceful and in more contemplative tending activities, so we can keep Our Lord in mind.

There is work that is part of emergency services which is permitted on Sundays. This is because of necessity, for charity’s sake – it’s not a blank check.

 

[revert_jen]

Is it a sin to work on Sunday?

My personal opinion (I do not speak for the whole Church of course) is that it is a sin to work on Sundays if you don’t have to.

There is more to CCC #2185. It continues, “Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest.” I think the first part of this covers people who work in restaurants, stores, etc. in order to provide for their families, and cannot control their own work schedules. The second part covers military, police, firefighters, hospital workers, priests etc. who need to provide services seven days a week.

However, if you do have control over your work schedule and choose to work on Sunday (for example because you need to work on the weekend and there are things you’d rather do on Saturday), you would need to pray hard about whether that was the right choice, and maybe talk to your pastor about it. Even then, if the things you want to do on Saturday are family-related (child’s sports event, care of an aging parent, etc.), or related to serving others (e.g. working in a soup kitchen), working on Sunday may still be the right choice.

I guess the only time working on Sunday is obviously wrong, is when you do it because it will get you more money to buy luxuries, or to “get ahead” when you are already able to supply your family’s actual needs. (Nobody needs to replace a two-year-old car, and nobody needs a smartphone. )

The guidance to refrain from unnecessary work on Sunday is for our benefit. Like the country song says, “Have you ever seen a headstone with these words, ‘If only I had spent more time at work?’” But it is also so that we can concentrate on God and the blessings (e.g. our family) He has given us, and so that we can share our time with the less fortunate.

I never work on Sundays myself, but I consider that a result of good fortune rather than virtue. My life allows me to work late during the week or to work on Saturday if needed.

I think this is a question each person has to answer for him- or herself. If you are concerned about whether you can work on Sunday yourself without sin, the best idea is to talk with a priest. If you are concerned about an immediate family member, maybe you could talk to the priest together. If you’re concerned about someone else, I’d just pray for them and leave them alone.

–Jen

 

[Jacob18]

Certainly very varied answers on this. I talked to a priest the other day and he said it was okay for me to work at a fast-food resteraunt on Sundays because something like ‘Society does not stop just because it is Sunday.’

Some places I can hear that it is okay to work if you need the money.

I work part time at Jack in the Box, over night, a few days a week. I do not know that I can get better hours or different days (I have told my boss not to schedule me for Sunday and Saturday nights, does not mean it is going to happen.) and I am not sure I can really get by with the money I am making now, with the low pay and few hours.

But at the same time, my thoughts are that I could be happy living on the streets.

I, surely, would quit in a second if I thought I was going to commit mortal sin, but I certainly wish that our Catholic Church had more defined, obvious teachings on lesser things, such as wether it is or is not sin to work on Sundays in various circumstances.

 

[garn9173]

Is it a sin to work on Sunday?

Some Catholics seem to think it is completely okay, but I have read books that clearly state the contrary. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

2185 "On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are to refrain from engaging in work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God,"

If your work isn’t preventing you from attending Mass, either Saturday night or Sunday morning, wha’ts the issue?

 

[Jacob18]

If your work isn’t preventing you from attending Mass, either Saturday night or Sunday morning, wha’ts the issue?

I am not sure but I am hoping to find the Church’s official teaching, as opposed to my justification of sin, or lack there of.

I mean, you find people on both sides of the matter on these forums, and you cannot have it both ways.

 

[wendy_w]

I work in the hotel industry and we have no choice but to work on Sundays I always meet my Sunday obligation for Mass. I rather not work Sundays but people don’t stop traveling. I think this is one of those things you need to figure out by your situation. I would not take a 2nd job on Sunday just because I want more stuff, but if you need to take care of your family then God understands. The Sundays I don’t work my family trys not to do alot of shopping and stuff and we stay home and enjoy each others company. This is just my opinion.