The Third Commandment

Plain Text Version

The Third Commandment: Remember to Keep Holy the Lord’s Day.
The Lord’s Day (Sunday) is a great blessing. It is an opportunity to relax from our work routine and draw closer to the God who loves us so much.
The Lord’s Day gives us a glimpse of life in heaven, where we live in the total goodness of God.
The Lord’s Day and The Sabbath
When one day ends and another day begins, we need to sleep. The refreshment of sleep allows our bodies and our minds to be strengthened. In the same way, we need a weekly break from work. On this day, we take time to worship God, rest, and spend time with our loved ones.
God commanded the people of Israel to complete their work in six days, and rest on the seventh. This day was called the Sabbath.
Jesus made the Lord’s Day a much deeper celebration than the Sabbath. Jesus emphasized the blessings we would receive: “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).
On many occasions, Jesus healed on the Sabbath, even though some teachers claimed that it was forbidden “work.”
The Resurrection: The Beginning of the Lord’s Day
After His death and burial, Jesus rose on the first day of the week. The celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday is the highlight of the Church year. In addition to Easter Sunday, we celebrate the Resurrection on the first day of every week.
A Day for the Holy Mass
The obligation to participate in the Mass on Sunday is clear from Scripture and the constant teaching of the Church. We must have a very good reason to miss the Sunday Mass.
This obligation is for our benefit, not because God likes to give orders.
A Day of Rest
On Sunday, we must rest from any activities which interfere with worship of God, or disrupt proper peace, joy, and rest.
Taking a Day of Rest in a Secular Society
In Western society, work, noise, and distractions fill the entire week. Some types of Sunday work are necessary; most are not.
With planning, we can avoid some of the problems. If overtime is required, we can offer to work on Saturday. We can avoid shopping on Sunday. We can order things online early in the week.
If we can take half an hour in extra prayer or study, God will multiply it’s benefits for us.
Holy Days of Obligation
In addition to the weekly cycle of work and rest, there is a yearly cycle. The Church calls us to observe the major events of our salvation. On these days, we must participate in the Holy Mass and rest from unnecessary work.

Many thanks to: Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., Pocket Catholic Catechism, 1989, Doubleday
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Saint Joseph New Catholic Bible, 2019, Catholic Book Publishing Corp.