The Catholic Importance of Sunday

     As Catholics, our goal is to honor God in everything we do. One of the ways we accomplish this is by following the Third Commandment; keep holy the Sabbath day. What does this mean to us? Keeping the Sabbath holy means different things to different people, but the obligations are the same for all. 
     First off, what is the Sabbath? The Sabbath, for Catholics, is every Sunday. It is a day set aside to rest and honor God. God created the world, and then rested on the seventh day, and blessed the seventh day.
 We honor God on the Sabbath through prayer and by attending Mass. Many Catholics do not keep the Sabbath holy, treating it like any other day. This is a violation of the Third Commandment. Sunday especially should be a day centered around God.
 
     Sunday is also a day to commemorate the Resurrection. Jesus was crucified on Good Friday, and resurrected a day later on Easter Sunday. Each Sunday is a little celebration of Easter; of the Resurrection. That is part of the reason why it is so important to honor the Sabbath; we are celebrating the Resurrection. The Resurrection symbolizes new creation ushered in by Christ.

     Another reason for going to Mass each Sunday is for the Eucharist. The Eucharist is important to us as Catholics because celebration of the Eucharist is the center of Church life. You cannot pray at home as you can at church. The fellowship of the congregation, the union of souls, and the prayers of the priests all make the Mass a more complete form of worship. Reception of the Eucharist on the Sabbath honors God and gives us grace.
     In Genesis, God rested on the seventh day after all that He had done. This is a model for us, as Sunday is a day for rest and graces. We are able to rest from our work and labor and spend time with family. We must be mindful of those who cannot take a day of rest because of poverty or illness. Sunday should be a day to relax and worship God.