The third commandment: The third commandment: Remember to keep the Remember to keep the Lord’s day holyLord’s day holy

4747BROWNSCOMBE, Jennie Augusta

Sunday MorningOil on canvas

19 5/8 x 29 7/8 inches (50 x 76 cm)Private collection

Compendium of the Catechism

453. How does one keep Sunday holy?

2177-21852192-2193 

Christians keep Sunday and other days of obligation holy by participating in the Eucharist of the Lord and by refraining from those activities which impede the worship of God and disturb the joy proper to the day of the Lord or the necessary relaxation of mind and body. Activities are allowed on the Sabbath which are bound up with family needs or with important social service, provided that they do not lead to habits prejudicial to the holiness of Sunday, to family life and to health.

Introduction In the book of Exodus we read

what God told Moses and his people: " For six days you shall labour and

do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath for Yahweh your God. You shall do no work that day, neither you nor your son nor your daughter nor your servants, men or women, nor your animals nor the alien living with you. For in six days Yahweh made the heavens, earth and sea and all that these contain, but on the seventh day he rested" (Exodus 20:9-11).

It is God’s will that we devote a day of the week to him in a special way. It is important to underline the true meaning of Sunday. It is not a day just to have fun, and even less to sin. On the contrary, Sunday is a day that we have to sanctify and on which we have to sanctify ourselves.

FOULHAUSE, AugustSunday AfternoonOil on canvasPublic collection

Main ideasMain ideas

1. Sunday the day of the Lord

It is God’s will that we devote a day of the week to him in a special way: a day for him and for our rest.

Jews celebrate Saturday as God ordered Moses on Mount Sinai, but the Apostles decided to celebrate Sunday as the day of Jesus’ resurrection. It was also on Sunday that the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles on the Feast of Pentecost.

In French Sunday is called Dimanche and in Spanish Domingo: day of the Lord (in Latin, Dominus).

PRENDERGAST, Maurice Brazil (1859-1924)Easter Procession, St. Mark'sWatercolour and pencil, 1898-1899Private collection

2. Keeping Sunday and other days of obligation holy

We Christians, besides Sundays, celebrate other feasts to commemorate: the principal mysteries of Jesus’ life:

Nativity, Epiphany, the presentation in the Temple, Corpus Christi…;

feasts of Our Blessed Mother Mary like her divine maternity, the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, the Visitation…;

feasts of saints like Saint Joseph, Saint Peter…

The Church determines which feasts are to be kept holy as days of obligation, that is, to be sanctified as if they were Sunday.

In the Catholic Liturgy the most solemn feast is the Passover or Resurrection of Christ, which is renewed every Sunday.

ALMA-TADEMA, Sir Lawrence (1836-1912)Leaving Church in the Fifteenth Century

Oil on canvas, 1864Private collection

3. To attend Holy Mass

How can we keep holy Sundays and other days of obligation? Mainly by attending Holy Mass.

Mass is the best worship we can offer God here on earth. Just like the first Christians we gather around the altar and the priest, who represents Christ, to celebrate the holy sacrifice of the Mass.

MADRAZO Y GARRETA, Raimundo de (1841-1920)Coming out of ChurchOil on canvasPrivate collection

4. The commandment of attending Mass on Sundays and other days of obligation

The Church has decreed it obligatory to attend Mass, from beginning to end, on Sundays and other holy days of obligation. He who does not attend Mass

commits a mortal sin unless he has a dispensation, such as those who are sick or have to take care of sick persons, or who are too far away from a church, etc.; that is, unless there is a just and serious reason. In case of doubt we have to ask.

The Church can impose this obligation because she has authority to issue laws, and she wishes only to help us to do God’s will. That is why she can specify the meaning of the third commandment of God’s law.

L’HERMITTE, Léon-Augustin (1844-1925)Sortie de l'eglise Saint-Melaine a Morlaix [Leaving the Saint-Melaine Church in Morlaix]Oil on canvas, 1875Private collection

5. How to attend Mass

Mass should be attended from beginning to end, on Sundays and other days of obligation, or on the previous evening, with piety and attention.

This means arriving punctually, listening carefully to the readings and the homily, praying silently and participating attentively in the Mass.

BOLDINI, Giovanni (1842-1931)Portrait of a Man in ChurchWatercolor on paper, 1900Public collection

6. How to rest from work

The institution of the Lord's Day helps everyone to have sufficient rest and leisure to cultivate their family, cultural, social, and religious 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, so as to experience the joy proper to the Lord's Day and to relax mind and body appropriately. GOYA, Francisco de (1746-1828)

Pilgrimage to the Church of San IsidroOil on canvas, 178816 1/2 x 17 1/4 inches (42 x 44 cm)Museo del Prado, Madrid

Resolutions for Resolutions for Christian lifeChristian life

Resolutions to move forward

Resolve to always keep the commandment of attending Mass on Sundays and other holy days of obligation.

On Sundays and other feast days, take better care of those around us while relaxing with joyful and healthy recreational activities.