Joshua Bennett
The Catholic Church observes Sunday as a day of rest and worship, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus and celebrated with the Eucharist. This practice has its origins in the early Church Fathers, who approved of non-observance of the Sabbath, which was originally the seventh day of the week, Saturday. By the 1800s, the Catholic Church had long established Sunday as the Lord's Day, and Catholics observed it by attending Mass and refraining from servile work and commercial activities. While there were some variations and dispensations, the general practice of Sunday observance among Catholics in the 1800s reflected this tradition of worship and rest.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Day of the week Catholics observed | Sunday, the first day of the week and the "eighth day" |
| Activities on Sundays | Holy Mass, rest, worship, reading of the holy scriptures, fasting, charitable works, exercising, studying, teaching, etc. |
| Organizations promoting Sunday Sabbatarianism | Day One Christian Ministries (formerly the Lord's Day Observance Society), the American Sabbath Union (also the Lord's Day Alliance), the Sunday League of America, the Catholic Sunday League |
| Catholic teachings on Sabbath | "Do what we can to observe the sabbatical rest on Sundays and Holy Days, hear Holy Mass, and take the time to rest your minds and bodies." |
| Catholic figures on Sabbath | Pope John Paul II, Augustine, St. Caesarius of Arles, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Ignatius |
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What You'll Learn
Catholics observe Sunday as the Lord's Day
While the Bible teaches the observance of the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week (Saturday), the Catholic Church celebrates the Lord's Day on Sunday, the eighth day. This tradition, handed down from the apostles, originates from the day of Christ's Resurrection.
In the 1800s, as today, Catholics observed Sunday as a day of rest from servile work and a day for assembly and worship. This practice is in line with the Sabbath's original purpose, as a day of rest from labour, but on a different day of the week. The Catholic Church's stance is that the day of rest was changed by Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead on a Sunday, inaugurating the "day that the Lord has made".
The Catholic Church has long held that Sunday is a day to be kept holy, with Pope John Paul II writing an apostolic letter in 1998 titled "Dies Domini" ("On Keeping the Lord's Day Holy"), encouraging Catholics to remember the importance of keeping Sunday holy. This was a continuation of the Church's teachings, with Catholic theologian Augustine proclaiming in the 4th century that "the holy doctors of the Church have decreed, that all glory of the Jewish Sabbath is transferred to it [Sunday]. Let us therefore keep the Lord’s Day as the ancients were commanded to do the Sabbath".
The early Church Fathers also supported the shift from Sabbath observance to the Lord's Day, with Ignatius of Antioch approving non-observance of the Sabbath in the 2nd century. By the 4th century, the Catholic Church had made it illegal to "Judaize" or be idle on the Sabbath, solidifying the shift to Sunday as the Lord's Day.
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Sunday is a day of rest from servile work
The Catholic Church encourages its followers to observe Sunday as a day of rest and worship, refraining from servile work and commercial activities. Servile work refers to manual labour or physical work that one would typically be paid for, such as "plowing, sowing, harvesting, sewing, cobbling, tailoring, printing, masonry works, and factory work". Commercial activities prohibited on Sundays include "marketing, fairs, buying and selling, public auctions, and shopping in stores".
The observance of Sunday as a day of rest and worship is not unique to Catholics. Many Christian denominations, including Baptist, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian, also uphold the importance of Sunday as a day of rest and worship. Organizations such as the Lord's Day Alliance, founded in 1888, work to "encourage all people to recognize and observe a day of Sabbath rest and to worship the risen Lord Jesus Christ on Sunday".
While the Catholic Church encourages rest on Sundays, light manual labour for charitable purposes is considered lawful. Dispensations can also be granted by a bishop or parish priest in certain circumstances. For example, in 1722, Bishop Giffard, the Vicar Apostolic of London, approved a dispensation for Catholics in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, allowing them to be excused from holy day obligations for just cause.
In conclusion, for Catholics, Sunday is indeed a day of rest from servile work and commercial activities, with the focus being on worship and spiritual activities. This practice has been observed by Catholics for centuries and is shared by many other Christian denominations.
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Sunday is a day for assembly and worship
> On the first day of the week let there be service, and the reading of the holy scriptures, and the oblation [sacrifice of the Mass], because on the first day of the week [i.e., Sunday] our Lord rose from the place of the dead, and on the first day of the week he arose upon the world, and on the first day of the week he will appear.
In the Latin Church, Sunday is kept in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus and is celebrated with the Eucharist. The Lord's Day is considered both the first day and the ""eighth day" of the week, symbolizing both the first creation and new creation.
In 1998, Pope John Paul II wrote an apostolic letter, "Dies Domini", "on keeping the Lord's day holy". He encouraged Catholics to remember the importance of keeping Sunday holy, urging that it not lose its meaning by being blended with a frivolous "weekend" mentality. This sentiment is echoed by various Sabbatarian organisations, such as the Lord's Day Alliance, which was founded in 1888 and continues to encourage people to recognise and observe a day of Sabbath rest and to worship Jesus Christ on the Lord's Day, Sunday.
In summary, Sunday is a day for Catholics to assemble and worship, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus and celebrating with the Eucharist. This tradition has been upheld by Catholic leaders and organisations throughout history, who emphasise the importance of keeping Sunday holy and observing it as a day of rest and worship.
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Sunday is the day of Christ's resurrection
The Catholic Church observes Sunday as a day of rest and worship, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus. This practice is often referred to as Sunday Sabbatarianism, with organizations like the Catholic Sunday League promoting the observance of Sunday as a day of rest and worship. The Lord's Day Alliance, founded in 1888, also encourages people to recognize Sunday as the Lord's Day and to observe it as a Sabbath rest, worshipping the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
Historically, the early Church Fathers, including Ignatius of Antioch, approved the non-observance of the Sabbath, which was originally the seventh day (Saturday). Instead, they gathered for worship on Sunday, the day of Christ's Resurrection. This shift in observance was further reinforced by respected Catholic theologians like Augustine, who proclaimed in the 5th century that the glory of the Jewish Sabbath had been transferred to Sunday.
By the 1800s, the Catholic Church had firmly established Sunday as the day of worship and rest. While there were varying interpretations of which activities were considered sinful on Sundays, the overall focus was on abstaining from servile work, judicial acts, and commercial occupations. Catholics were encouraged to attend Holy Mass, rest their minds and bodies, and observe the day as a celebration of Christ's Resurrection.
In summary, Sunday is the day of Christ's resurrection, and Catholics observe it as the Lord's Day, a day set apart for worship and rest. This tradition, established by the apostles, has been passed down through the centuries, with the Catholic Church playing a significant role in shaping its observance, especially in the 1800s.
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Sunday is a day to hear Holy Mass
The Catholic Church teaches that Sunday, the Lord's Day, is a day to commemorate the resurrection of Jesus and is celebrated with the Eucharist. This is in contrast to the Sabbath, which is observed on Saturday and is a day of rest in Judaism. The Catholic Church made this distinction clear, and it is an important part of its theology and practice.
In the 1800s, as today, Catholics were encouraged to attend Mass on Sundays and to observe it as a day of rest from servile work. This was a long-standing tradition by this point, with the Church Father Ignatius of Antioch approving non-observance of the Sabbath as early as the second century.
The Code of Canon Law of 1917 stipulated that "On feast days of precept, Mass is to be heard; there is an abstinence from servile work, legal acts, and likewise, unless there are special indults or legitimate customs, from public trade, shopping, and other public buying and selling." This shows that even in the early 20th century, the Catholic Church placed great importance on Sunday Mass and observing the day as different from the rest of the week.
Even today, Catholics are encouraged to remember the importance of keeping Sunday holy. Pope John Paul II, in his apostolic letter "Dies Domini" in 1998, urged Catholics not to let Sunday lose its meaning by blending it with a "frivolous 'weekend' mentality." This shows that the Catholic Church continues to emphasize Sunday as a day of rest and worship, with Mass as a central part of this tradition.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholics observed the first day of the week, Sunday, as the Lord's Day. This was a day of rest from servile work and a day to worship and commemorate the resurrection of Jesus. Attending Holy Mass was, and remains, a requirement.
The Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, Saturday, when God rested from his work of creation.
The early Church Fathers compared the observance of the Sabbath to the observance of the rite of circumcision, which was abolished by the apostles. The apostles also appointed that there should be a service on the first day of the week, the day of Christ's resurrection.
