“Take care to keep holy the Sabbath day… The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath… [so] the SON OF MAN is LORD,

even of the sabbath.”-Deut 5:12a; Mk 2:27-28

Sabbath?This is the day which the LORD

has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Sabbath• A weekly day of rest or time of

worship.• Shavat/ savat

The Sabbath - Rest and Liberation

• The third commandment says, "The seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord" (Ex 31:15). Scripture recalls that God created in six days and "rested the seventh day," thus blessing "the sabbath day" (Ex 20:11).

• Keeping the Sabbath is Israel's way of remembering their liberation from Egypt, "The Lord your God brought you out. Therefore, he commanded you to keep the Sabbath day" (Deut 5:15).

Sign of the Covenant• Israel was to keep the Sabbath

as a sign of the irrevocable Covenant to recall both God's creation and his saving actions for Israel.

• The Sabbath is God's model for human activity for he "stopped working and rested" (Ex 31:17). It is a protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money.

Jesus' Interpretation• Jesus always respected the

Sabbath, giving the law its authentic interpretation. "The Sabbath was made for man" (Mk 2:27). The Sabbath is meant "to do good" and "to save life" (Mk 3:4). Jesus is "Lord even of the Sabbath" (Mk 2:28).

The Lord’s Day Jesus rose from the

dead “on the first day of the week”; it recalls the first creation and is the 8th day after the Sabbath, symbolizing the new creation ushered in by Christ’s resurrection.

For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the “Lord’s Day!”

For Christians its ceremonial observance replaces the Sabbath because it fulfills its spiritual truth and announces man’s eternal rest in God through Christ.

The celebration of Sunday observes the commandment to render to God an outward, visible, public and regular worship as a sign of His goodness.

A New Hope - A New Day Sunday replaces the Sabbath for

Christians because Christ's Passover fulfills the truth of the Jewish Sabbath. The Old Law worship prepared for the mystery of Christ. "We have come to a new hope, no longer keeping the sabbath, but the Lord's Day" (St. Ignatius of Antioch).

Six Holy Days of ObligationThe Sunday Eucharistic

celebration of the Lord's Day is at the heart of Church life, "the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church." Canon 1246 also lists six other days as holydays of obligation which have been accepted by the United States bishops:

1. Christmas

1. Christmas

The Weekly Parish Gathering The practice of the weekly

Christian assembly comes from the apostolic age. "Do not neglect to meet together but encourage one another" (Heb 10:25). "Come to Church early, approach the Lord and confess your sins, repent in prayer. Be present at the sacred and divine liturgy, conclude its prayer, and do not leave before the dismissal" (Sermon on the Lord's Day).

The Weekly Parish Gathering For Eucharist, the faithful gather at the

parish (a stable community entrusted to a priest by the diocesan bishop). The parish initiates Christians, gathers them for celebration, teaches Christ's doctrines, and shows charity in good works. "You cannot pray at home as at Church where there are great multitudes crying out as from one great heart. In Church, there is the union of minds, the accord of souls, and the prayers of the priest" (St. John Chrysostom).

a Grave Obligation "On Sundays and holy days the

faithful are bound to participate in the Mass" (Canon 1247). This is satisfied in any Catholic rite on the day or the evening before (Canon 1248).

a Grave Obligation “Under obligation of grave sin, the

faithful are bound to attend Mass unless excused for a serious reason (e.g. illness, care of infants) or dispensed by their pastor (Canon 1245).

The Sunday Eucharist & Obligation The Sunday celebration of the Lord’s Day and his

Eucharist is at the heart of the Church’s life. It is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated

in light of the apostolic tradition and is a holy day of obligation in the Church.

The parish is the place where all gather regularly for this communal worship.

“On Sundays & other holy days the faithful are bound to participate in the holy sacrifice of the Mass.”

Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday Eucharist is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church.

a Grave Obligation “By Sunday participation the

faithful witness to their belonging to the Church, to their communion in charity, and to their hope of salvation.

When No Priest “If a sacred minister is not

available, the faithful should gather in the Church for the Liturgy of the Word, or set aside time with the family or with groups of families for an appropriate period of time (C1248 #2).

Day of Grace & rest from work The Lord’s day helps us enjoy adequate rest & leisure

to cultivate familial, cultural, social & spiritual lives.

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 appropriate relaxation of mind and body.

Family needs or social service can excuse one from the obligation of Sunday rest.

Legitimate excuses should not lead to habits that are prejudicial to religion, family life and health.

Christians should seek recognition of Sundays & the Church’s holy days as legal holidays.

Grace and RestSunday Priorities “Human life should have a rhythm

of work and rest. By keeping the Lord's day, the faithful cultivate their social and religious lives.

Grace and RestSunday Priorities “The faithful must not engage in works that

hinder the worship due to God, the needed works of mercy or the appropriate relaxation of mind and body. Family needs or social services can legitimately excuse but should not lead to habits that harm religion or family life. "The charity of truth seeks holy leisure; while the necessity of charity accepts just work" (St. Augustine).

Grace and RestSunday Priorities “Christians with leisure should use

the day to help the sick and the elderly. Believers should devote this time to their families, and to prayer to grow in the interior life.

Grace and RestA Common Effort Needed Sanctifying Sundays requires a

common effort. Christians should not make excessive demands on others. Although traditional activities require some to work, everyone should still set aside some time. Public authorities and employers should ensure citizens and employees a time for rest.

Grace and RestA Common Effort Needed Christians should seek recognition of

Sundays and holy days as legal holidays. By defending this Sunday Tradition, they will contribute to public life. Even if a country's laws require Sunday to be a "work day," Christians should celebrate it as a festal "day of deliverance.“

The Third Commandment “Keep holy the Sabbath.” God entrusted the Sabbath to Israel as a sign of His

irrevocable covenant with them. The Sabbath is for the Lord; it is holy and set apart for the

praise and worship of God. God’s action is the model for human action; since God

rested on the Sabbath, man too ought to rest from his labor and be refreshed in contemplation.

The Sabbath brings everyday work to a halt. The Sabbath is a kind of ‘protest’ or limit against the

servitude of work and the worship of money.