Sabbath observance

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This was in today's Catholic World News Vatican Update (reproduced here with permission from the editor):

The rediscovery of the Sabbath observance, the Holy Father continued, is "among the urgent priorities in the life of the Church today." For many believers, he said, Sunday has become simply the "end" of a "weekend." Rather, he insisted, it should be a day-long celebration of the Resurrection.

"Sundays should be sanctified, in obedience to the 3rd Commandment," the Pope said. Attendance at Sunday Mass should be the highlight of the celebration, he continued, but the Sabbath observance should mean time set aside for relaxation and for family activities. This day of rest, he said, "is a time that infuses light and hope into all our days."

The Holy Father urged pastors to take up this issue with their people, encouraging them to act as a "counterculture" by bucking the general trend to make Sunday an "ordinary" day.

How do you spend your Sundays?

-- Anonymous, July 06, 1998

Answers

Here in NY, there is a lot of controversy surrounding Sunday and Sports...children's soccer and football games are often scheduled on both Saturday and Sunday due to the large enrollments and parents usually give up Mass before they give up a game, although many do try very hard to work it all out. Our bishop has asked the various sports groups to try to be more sensitive to Sundays, and Saturdays, as Sabbath days, but it IS difficult for all concerned. In our house, we usually wake up late, try to linger over breakfast coffee and the NY Times, suddenly look at the clock and say, OH NO! We're going to be late for MASS! Then we shower, yell, rush out the door...acutally the conversation is usually:

Hubby: Will you hurry up, let's GO!

Me: Calm down, this is not the way to go to church, we can always go to the later mass!

Hubby: GROWL!

Youngest Child: Can I bring a toy?

Oldest Child: I can't find my shoes!

For all of that, though...when we get to mass, it always has the same quietening effect and we all find ourselves re-connecting in a wonderful way during that hour...the rest of the day goes well - usually I make dinner and hubby and the boys get involved in a project...the latest one is constructing a discreet spotlight for our parish's new statue of Our Lady, who is stuck in a shadowy corner that makes her face look dirty. It's bothered us a lot to see her just shoved there, so we've made this our new project, with our pastor's OK. All in all...not a bad way to spend the day, shedding light on Our Lady! :-)

-- Anonymous, July 08, 1998


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