Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul.
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 2191.
By our faithful participation in the Holy Mass each Sunday and holy day of obligation we keep the Third Commandment, keeping the Sabbath holy by persevering in the doctrine of the Apostles and their successors, united in one accord, in Holy Communion and prayer (cf. Acts 2:42, 46). Concerning the Sabbath there are three considerations we should make, namely: the eighth day; the Lord’s day, and Sunday.
The Sabbath is the “eighth day” from the Sabbath before. Before the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Sabbath was observed on Saturday. The first Easter Sunday was eight days after the Sabbath before. This is the reason why the Catechism cites the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosantum Concilium, 106, of the Second Vatican Council (1962–9165) to identify the Christian Sunday Sabbath as the “eighth day.” By highlighting the eighth day, Mother Church is highlighting the new-creation realized by Christ’s resurrection. The Christian Sunday Sabbath is not just an accommodation of pagan romans who observed an eight-day nundinal cycle to regulate the market week or the false pagan cult of the Sun-god Mithra sung in the Vedas of Hinduism. The Sunday Sabbath is also “the first day of the week” (cf. Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19; Acts 20:7).
The Sabbath is also called “the day of the Lord.” In Sacred Scripture the Greek kuriake hemera is translated as “Lords’ Day” (cf. Revelation 1:10). The Didache and Saint Ignatius of Antioch both provide ancient testimony to the Christian Sunday Sabbath being the day of the Lord (circa 60–90AD and 35–117AD respectively ). The Lord referred to is Jesus Christ the Lord God not any king or emperor. The Latin word Domini for “Lord” carries over to the Spanish word for Sunday, Domingo.
The Sabbath is called Sunday. The Lord Jesus Christ is “light from light” as we pray in the Creed. In this He is greater than the Sun, and with the Father and the Spirit has created the Sun. The Emperor Constantine set aside dies Solis (day of the Sun) as a day of rest (7 March, 321). The causal connection between the birthday of the pagan Sun god Sol Invictus (the unconquered Sun) of the ancient Roman Empire said to have been celebrated annually on 25 December or the contemporaneous winter solstice as determining the setting of the date of Christmas has been raised and questioned. The Christian Sunday Sabbath commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ the third day from His terrible passion. Catholic Christians are happy to recognize the Lord Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecy of the “Sun of justice” who has arisen for us (cf. Malachi 4:2.). There is a happy word play between the English words Sun and Son.
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr