Why aren’t Catholics suppose to work on Sundays?

One particular Sunday after Mass when I was young, I remember noticing a man mowing his lawn a few blocks down the street. Growing up in a family who never worked on Sunday, I recall not only wondering why he was mowing on a Sunday but more so why he hadn’t been at Mass with the rest of us. We had driven 45 minutes to Mass, surely, he could have walked down the street to Mass. It perplexed me.

The primary reason Catholics are not supposed to work on Sundays comes from the third commandment God gave to humanity on Mt. Sinai: “Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. Six days you may labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, your God. No work may be done then either by you, or your son or daughter,… In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them; but the seventh day he rested.” (Exodus 20:8-11) Taking the time to rest allows us to orient our lives back towards God. God gave us this day of rest not only for Himself but that we may never forget who we are, His beloved children.

For the Jews, the Sabbath or Saturday was the primary feast day dedicated to rest so that they could worship God. However, for Christians the primary feast day changed to the first day of the week, the day of Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead, the beginning of the new creation. The early apostles considered the Lord’s triumph over sin and death as the greatest day to be celebrated and set it apart from other days.

In fact, the day became so important in Christian cultures that rather than being called the First Day or Sunday the name primarily has become known as the Lord’s Day. The Church tells us that “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, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, the performance of works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body.” CCC 2185

There are exceptions to refraining from work on the Lord’s Day. The Catechism states: “Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse from the obligation of Sunday rest. The faithful should see to it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits prejudicial to religion, family life, and health.” CCC 2185

More specific examples of the need to work on Sundays include hospital or nursing home staff, restaurant workers or other public services which aid people in resting from work. Regarding, family life, a mother throwing clothes in the wash machine on a Sunday because her children need clean clothes is fine but doing it on Sunday shouldn’t become a habit.

So, what should the Lord’s Day look like for Catholics? Here are some obligations and some suggestions.

Attending and participating in the prayers and offering of the Mass is obligatory for those who are in reasonable health. This action of worship of God sets the first day apart from all other days. The Church does allow the Vigil Mass the evening before to meet the Sunday obligation. Yet, this should not be the norm especially if it turns the Lord’s Day into “me day.” The Vigil Mass was allowed specifically for those required to work on Sunday, like hospital workers, police officers, restaurant workers, etc.

Make Sunday a time to socialize and spend time with family and others around you. Without interaction, many become lonely and isolated. The Church also encourages Christians, especially on this day, to serve the sick, homebound and elderly.

Refrain from shopping on Sunday. We often don’t think about it since shopping doesn’t feel like work. I mention this one especially since by shopping for socks, a new toothbrush, dish soap or the like requires other people to work on the Lord’s Day. We can easily, with a little planning, buy these items on another day, therefore allowing more people to rest. In other words, “Every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord’s Day.” CCC 2195

Lastly, don’t feel bad about taking a Sunday nap if you can. It’s a day of rest after all, a time to relax the body and mind. You can lift your heart and mind to God as you lay there on the couch and thank Him for the new creation He is doing in you.

Fr. Evinger is pastor of St. Joseph in Killdeer, St. Paul in Halliday and St. Joseph in Twin Buttes. If you have a question you were afraid to ask, now is the time to ask it! Simply email your question to info@bismarckdiocese.com with “Question Afraid to Ask” in the subject line.