Chapter 27 — "The Third Commandment: Love The Lord's Day"
OPENING PRAYER
The Divine Praises
Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD;
cry out to the rock of our salvation.
Let us greet him with a song of praise,
joyfully sing out our psalms.
For the LORD is the great God,
the great king over all gods,
Who hand hold the depths of the earth;
who owns the tops of the mountains....
Enter, let us bow down in worship;
let us kneel before the LORD who made us.
—Ps 95:1-4, 6
Source: USCCA, p. 371
"THE THIRD COMMANDMENT: LOVE THE LORD'S DAY"
—CCC, Nos. 2168–2195
What days are most important for you—birthdays, anniversaries, planned trips, holidays, or weekends? What about Sundays—The Lord’s Day?
The Third Commandment calls us to: “Take care to keep holy the sabbath day as the Lord, your God, commanded you. Six days you may labor and do all your works; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord” (Dt 5:12-14).
The Sabbath is the seventh day on which the Lord rested after the previous six days of creation. It is a time for us to renew our covenant with God. The Jewish people celebrated the Sabbath from sunset on Friday evening to sunset on Saturday evening. Christians transferred the observance of the Sabbath to Sunday, the day of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead.
If we never stopped working or engaging in constant activity, when would we ever find time to contemplate and worship our God, and nourish relationships of love with God, our family, and others. As Jesus taught, the Sabbath was made for people, and not people for the Sabbath (Mk 2:27).
The Church celebrates the Easter mystery every seven days, most especially on Sundays. This tradition goes back to the days of the Apostles, in response to Jesus’ call to “Do this in memory of me” (Lk 22:19). Sunday extends the celebration of Easter throughout the year. It makes present the new creation brought about through Jesus Christ and the Spirit. “Sunday is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation of the universal Church…. On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass” (CCC, no. 2192). It is a precept of the Church.
For Christians, Sunday is the first day of the week, but it is also called the “eighth day”—a day signifying eternity and our anticipation of our eternal rest with God. The heart of Sunday is the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. We are called to be present and to actively participate in this celebration, in communion with others, in offering our lives as a sacrifice with Jesus, and in our worship, adoration, and love for God.
While Sunday is a time for worship, it is also a time for rest and relaxation. Although some people are required to work or to engage in other necessary activities on Sundays, everyone should take care to set aside sufficient time to attend Mass, to allow time to rest and relax, and to spend time with one another in meals, conversation, and activities that deepen family life and our relationships with our friends. By doing this, we can also witness to others the importance of the Lord’s Day.
Please read this week USCCA,Chapter 27, "The Third Commandment: Love the Lord's Day," (pages 361–371), the CCC, Nos. 2168–2195, (pages 523–529), and the Compendium, Nos. 450–454
VIDEOS
"The Third Commandment" (Fr. Dan O'Reilly)
"Why Do Jews and Christians Have Different Sabbath Days" (Fr. Mike Schmitz)
"Sunday Sabbath?" (Dr. Brant Pitre)
"Consistency Will Make You Holy" (Fr. Mike Schmitz)
"Keep the Lord's Day" - CCC 2168-2195 (Fr. Daniel Mahan)
"Why Do Jews and Christians Have Different Sabbath Days" (Fr. Mike Schmitz)
"Sunday Sabbath?" (Dr. Brant Pitre)
"Consistency Will Make You Holy" (Fr. Mike Schmitz)
"Keep the Lord's Day" - CCC 2168-2195 (Fr. Daniel Mahan)
MUSIC
"This Is the Day that the Lord Has Made" (The Maranatha!Singers)
"Blest Be the Lord"
"Who is this King of Glory" (Third Day)
"This is the Day"
OTHER RESOURCES
"What Does the Third Commandment Mean? How Do I Keep a Day Holy?" (Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis)
"The Third Commandment: Remember the Sabbath Day, to Keep it Holy" (Diocese of Lansing)
"Keeping Sundays Holy" (A Catholic Mom's Life; video)
"The Third Commandment: Remember the Sabbath Day, to Keep it Holy" (Diocese of Lansing)
"Keeping Sundays Holy" (A Catholic Mom's Life; video)