
The Catholic Church traditionally observes Sunday as a day of rest, and the faithful are obliged to participate in Mass and abstain from work and other activities that may hinder worship. This is based on the Third Commandment, which states, Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day. However, there are exceptions, and certain professions such as medical staff, first responders, and those providing essential services are often required to work on Sundays. While working on Sundays is generally discouraged, it is not considered a sin, especially if it is necessary for economic reasons or to meet the needs of others.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Reason for the day of rest | Imitation of God, refreshment for workers (especially the poor), avoiding the worship of money |
Day of rest | Sunday |
Activities to refrain from | Work or activities that hinder the worship owed to God, the joy of the Lord's Day, the performance of works of mercy, and the appropriate relaxation of mind and body |
Exceptions | Family needs, important social services, hospital or nursing home staff, restaurant workers, other public services, etc. |
Obligations | Attending and participating in the prayers and offering of the Mass |
Suggestions | Socializing and spending time with family and others, serving the sick, homebound and elderly, refraining from shopping |
What You'll Learn
The Third Commandment and the Sabbath
The Third Commandment states that people who God calls are to "remember to keep holy the Sabbath day". This is based on the belief that even God rested on the seventh day after creating the world in six days. The Sabbath day, or the day of rest, is a day dedicated to worshipping God. For Jews, the Sabbath is Saturday, whereas for Christians, it is Sunday, the day of Jesus' Resurrection.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states that on Sundays, the faithful should "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". However, it is not considered a sin to work on Sundays if it is necessary. For example, hospitals, nursing homes, and restaurants need to remain open to serve people's needs. Similarly, those who work in these essential services are not sinning if they have to work on Sundays.
The Church encourages believers to rest on Sundays, but legitimate reasons can excuse this. The CCC explains that "family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse [a person] from the obligation of Sunday rest". It is important to note that the Church is compassionate and understands that not everyone can take Sundays off. However, believers should still try to prioritise rest and worship on Sundays, and not let legitimate excuses become habits that are harmful to religion, family life, and health.
The spirit of the Sabbath is to take a break from everyday work and to worship God. It is a day to reflect, be silent, and cultivate the mind and soul. It is a day to spend time with family and to serve those in need, such as the sick, homebound, and elderly. It is also a day to socialise and spend time with the community.
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Servile work
The Code of Canon Law states that Catholics are obliged to abstain from "works and affairs which hinder the worship to be rendered to God, the joy proper to the Lord's Day, or the suitable relaxation of mind and body". This includes servile work, legal acts, and public trade or buying and selling. However, there are exceptions to this rule.
Some light housework is also permitted under the necessity exception. This includes basic daily chores such as tidying up a room, making dinner, and washing dishes, as long as they do not constitute the entire day. There is a general time limit for such work, and performing them for more than two and a half to three hours would be considered a sin.
Necessity also permits certain professions to work on Sundays. For example, farmers may harvest their crops if a storm threatens, and mechanics may repair tools needed by farmers and artisans for the following day. Similarly, tailors may work on Sundays if they need to finish mourning clothes for a funeral.
While servile work is generally forbidden on Sundays, there are some activities that are allowed, especially in cases of necessity or when they align with intellectual or artistic pursuits.
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Sunday Mass
The Sabbath day, or day of rest, is observed by Christians on Sunday, the day of Jesus' Resurrection, rather than Saturday, as in the Jewish tradition. This day is also known as the Lord's Day, and is a time for rest, worship and recreation. Attending Mass is obligatory for those who are in reasonable health, and the Vigil Mass the evening before can be attended to meet this obligation, though this should not become the norm.
While it is a sin to skip Mass, there are circumstances that lessen one's guilt or set it aside entirely. For example, those who work in hospitals, nursing homes, or restaurants, or in other necessary roles such as first responders or utility plant workers, are often required to work on Sundays. It is also acceptable to do some light housework, such as cooking or washing dishes, for a few hours. However, this should not become a habit, and one should strive to take Sundays off if possible.
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Exceptions to refraining from work
The Catechism states that "family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse [a Catholic] from the obligation of Sunday rest". This includes hospital or nursing home staff, restaurant workers, and other public services that aid people in resting from work. For example, a mother is allowed to throw clothes in the wash on a Sunday if her children need them. However, this should not become a habit.
Other exceptions include:
- Walking, riding, driving, rowing, and journeying, even when fatiguing.
- Liberal and artistic works, such as studying, teaching, drawing, architectural designing, playing music, writing, painting, delicate sculpting, embroidering, and taking photographs. These works are lawful even if done for remuneration.
- Light housework, such as tidying up a room, making dinner, and washing dishes. However, this should not take up the entire day.
- Poor people may work on Sundays if they cannot otherwise support themselves.
- Farmers may harvest their crops on Sundays if a storm threatens.
- Any necessary work is allowed in the case of an emergency, such as a fire or flood.
- Mechanics may sharpen or repair tools that farmers and artisans need for the following day.
- Tailors may work on Sundays if they cannot otherwise finish mourning clothes for a funeral.
- Light manual labour for charitable purposes, such as the corporal works of mercy.
- Dispensations may be granted by a bishop or parish priest.
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The Lord's Day
In Christianity, the Lord's Day refers to Sunday, the principal day of communal worship. It is the first day of the week in the Hebrew calendar and traditional Christian calendars. It is observed by most Christians as the weekly memorial of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is said to have been raised from the dead early on the first day of the week.
The Code of Canon Law states:
> On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass. Moreover, they are to abstain from those works and affairs which hinder the worship to be rendered to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s Day, or the suitable relaxation of mind and body.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church further explains:
> Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse [you] 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.
The early Christians believed that the resurrection and ascension of Christ signal the renewal of creation, making the day on which God accomplished it a day analogous to the first day of creation when God made the light. Some of these writers referred to Sunday as the "eighth day".
The Bible clearly establishes the seventh-day Sabbath as a holy day instituted by God. God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. He blessed the seventh day and made it holy. The Ten Commandments explicitly state to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. It is a day of rest, a sign of the covenant between God and His people.
Jesus affirms the Sabbath as a creation ordinance, stating that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. This indicates that the Sabbath is a gift from God for humanity's benefit.
The Catholic Church, through the authority of Christ, replaced the Hebrew Sabbath (Saturday) with the Lord's Day (Sunday). This occurred very early on, well before the time of Emperor Constantine in the fourth century. For Christians, two important events happened on Sunday: the Resurrection of Christ occurred on Easter Sunday, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Church on Pentecost Sunday. Also, after His Resurrection, Jesus appeared to the Apostles twice, each time on Sunday. As a result, Sunday became known as the Lord's Day for Christians.
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Frequently asked questions
The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that on Sundays, 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." However, there are exceptions, such as hospital or nursing home staff, restaurant workers, and other public services.
The day of rest originates from the Bible, where it is described how "God rested on the seventh day from all his work" (Gen. 2:2). The Third Commandment also tells us to "remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy".
Servile work is manual work for which someone would be paid, such as landscaping, tailoring, or cooking. Non-servile work includes liberal and artistic pursuits like studying, teaching, drawing, writing, and playing music.
Some servile work is permitted on Sundays, such as light housework (for a limited time), exercising, and travelling to Mass or to visit family.
Prohibited servile work includes plowing, sowing, harvesting, sewing, cobbling, tailoring, printing, and masonry work.