Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on 16th Sunday of Ordinary Time.
My dear Parishioners,
Peace! There are seven (7) “In Brief” articles in the Catechism of the Catholic Church addressing the Third Commandment of the Decalogue, ‘Keep Holy the Sabbath.’ The following is a reflection on CCC 2194.
When considering Sunday as an institution, there are six things which the Catechism has us consider, citing the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern Worlds, Gaudium et Spes, 67. First, we should consider Sunday itself as an institution. Certain civil legislation has recognized Sunday as an institution through the passage of so called “Blue Laws” which may restrict certain forms of commerce. Blue Laws have made appeal to both religious and secular reasoning, out of respect for the Deity (God), out of a human need for rest.
Part of Sunday being an institution is allowance of a time of rest. The Sabbath as a “day of rest” is a part of Sunday as an institution. All work and no play makes us dullards at best. Wholesome human physiology and psychology requires periodic rest. In short, we are not machines. By not spending our every day and every waking hour with our “noses to the grindstone” we show that temporal gain and wealth are not our false gods.
A second part of Sunday as an institution is allowance for time(s) of sufficient leisure. There are various forms of leisure which build upon the Sabbath day of rest and the institution of Sunday. Some people are happy to stroll along a boulevard, others to run or jog, and various forms of sport as leisure activities. While these often require exertion, they prove restful via the change of pace.
A third part of Sunday as an institution permits the cultivation of family life. If the parents are free from their work responsibilities and the children are free from their responsibilities at school, then they will be able to spend “quality time” together, thanks to the institution of the Sunday Sabbath.
A fourth part of Sunday as an institution permits the cultivation of cultural life. What is “cultural life”? While the root word of “culture” is “cult” that is the worship of God, cultural life also includes the arts and various forms of recreation. To visit the theater, the museum, the concert hall are all parts of cultural life, which the institution of Sunday allows.
A fifth part of Sunday as an institution permits the cultivation of social life. Because God has made us as social beings, people made for communion with one another, the cultivation of social life is a significant aspect of our human nature, which the Sunday Sabbath institution allows.
Finally, part of Sunday as an institution permits the cultivation of religious life. Religious life is cultivated especially by our participation in the Holy Mass each Sunday. The study of sacred doctrine, the making of pilgrimage, doing various works of mercy also allow for the cultivation of religious life and keeping holy the Sabbath.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr