THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Taken from the “Catechism Of The Catholic Church”
Latin text copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Citta del
Vaticano 1993
Edited, abridged, and rewritten in places by DSB
THE THIRD COMMANDMENT
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor,
and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your
God; in it you shall not do any work (Ex 20:8-10; Deut 5:12-15).
The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of
Man is lord even of the sabbath (Mk 2:27-28).
I. The Sabbath Day
The third commandment of the Decalogue recalls the holiness of the
sabbath: "The seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the
LORD" (Ex 31:15).
In speaking of the sabbath, Scripture recalls creation: "For in six
days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them,
and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day
and hallowed it" (Ex 20:11).
Scripture also reveals in the Lord's day a memorial of Israel's
liberation from bondage in Egypt: "You shall remember that you were a
servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out
thence with mighty hand and outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your
God commanded you to keep the sabbath day" (Deut 5:15).
God entrusted the sabbath to Israel to keep as a sign of the
irrevocable covenant (Ex 31:16). The sabbath is for the Lord, holy and
set apart for the praise of God, his work of creation, and his saving
actions on behalf of Israel.
God's action is the model for human action. If God "rested and was
refreshed" on the seventh day, man too ought to "rest" and should let
others, especially the poor, "be refreshed" (Ex 31:17; cf. 23:12). The
sabbath brings everyday work to a halt and provides a respite. It is a
day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money
(Ex 31:17; 23:12).
The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating
the sabbath law. He even gave an unheard of before understanding of
this law: "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath" (Mk
2:27). Yet Jesus never failed to respect the holiness of this day (Mk
1:21; Jn 9:16). With compassion, He declares the sabbath for doing good
rather than harm, for saving life rather than killing (Mk 3:4).
The sabbath is the day of the Lord of mercies and a day to honor God
(Mt 12:5). "The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath" (Mk 2:28).
II. The Lord's Day
This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in
it (Ps 118:24).
The day of the
Resurrection: the new creation
Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week"(Mt 28:1; Mk
16:2; Lk 24:1;Jn 20:1). Because it is the "first day,"
Christ’s
Resurrection day recalls the first day of creation when God brought
light into the darkness and separated the light from the darkness (Gen
1:1-5). Because it is the "first day" following the sabbath (Mk 16:1;
Mt 28:1), it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ for all
who repent and believe in Him. Added to this is the giving of the Holy
Spirit to the Church on the “first day” of the
week, the
day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).
Therefore, when Christians gather on Sunday, they are first and
foremost celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then they are
commemorating the new creation they have become because of Jesus Christ
along with the giving and receiving of the Holy Spirit.
Sunday - fulfillment of
the sabbath
Though the Law commanded keeping the sabbath, the disciples moved the
Christian day of worship and rest to Sunday. This appears to be
affirmed by scripture and clearly affirmed by church history. From the
disciples onward, most Christian’s have followed their lead
and
keep Sunday as their sabbath day rather than Saturday.
According to the New Testament, there are numerous references to the
sabbath in the Gospels. However, following Christ’s
ascension,
the only references to the sabbath are found in Acts, Colossians, and
Hebrews. The sabbath is mentioned eight times in the book of Acts. The
first mention of the sabbath in Acts is Acts 1:12, and it is used to
measure the distance the disciples traveled from Mount Olivet
(Christ’s Ascension) back to Jerusalem. The next references
appear in Acts 13 (four times), in relation to Paul’s first
missionary journey and his practice of going to a synagogue on the
sabbath to evangelize Jews. The sabbath is mentioned in Acts 15:21 in
relation to new Gentile believers and the fact that they can hear the
Law on any sabbath since it is read in every synagogue each week. Acts
16:13 and Acts 18:4 are the final two references to the sabbath in
Acts, and both speak of occasions when Paul was using the gathering of
Jews on the sabbath to evangelize them. No where in Acts is the Church
enjoined to gather or worship on the sabbath, and nowhere is it
inferred that keeping the Jewish sabbath was the standard practice of
the Church.
Beyond Acts, the sabbeth is mentioned by the apostle Paul in Colossians
2:16 where he is defending the Christian’s freedom in regard
to
keeping the sabbath. Paul’s exhortation there has to do with
not
allowing anyone to push you or shame you into keeping the Jewish
sabbath. It therefore seems wise to prohibit Sunday worshipers from
condemning those who choose to keep the sabbath instead of joining the
Church for Sunday worship.
The last New Testament reference to the sabbath is found in Hebrews 4:9
where the writer of Hebrews is comparing the sabbath rest to the new
life in Christ that Christians enter through repentance, faith, and a
sanctified life. This final reference has nothing to do with which day
to keep, but rather how the essence of the sabbath rest is made real in
the Christian’s life.
Finally, though both sabbath and Sunday worship honors God, they are
distinctly different in relation to Christ. Sabbath worship prefigured
some aspects of Christ and His work, and it prepared the worshipers for
the coming of Christ, the Messiah. Sunday worship exalts the living
Christ (Eucharist) and celebrates the work of Christ on our behalf.
Under the Law, the sabbath worshiper could draw near to God because a
lamb was sacrificed for sin. Under grace, the sabbath and Sunday
worshiper can draw near to God because the Lamb of God was sacrificed,
once for all time, for sin. These are the reasons why Sunday is known
by Christians everywhere as the Lord’s Day.
Therefore, an honest dealing with this subject acknowledges that
switching the sabbath from Saturday to Sunday breaks the third
commandment just as stealing breaks the seventh. In that same spirit of
honesty, it is true that some Christians find this switch indefensible.
Yet Sunday worship has been the sincere practice of the Church (both
East and West) since the time of the disciples. It also appears this
switch is supported by the writings of the New Testament, not because
it is indisputably explained and defended, but because it is not
specifically condemned.
The Sunday Obligation
Tradition preserves the memory of an ever-timely exhortation: Come to
Church early, approach the Lord, and confess your sins, repent in
prayer.... Be present at the sacred and divine liturgy, conclude its
prayer and do not leave before the dismissal.... This day is given to
you for prayer and rest. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds the faithful
"not to neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but to
encourage one another" (Hebrews 10:25).
This gathering of believers is the corporate opportunity to celebrate
the glory of God and the gracious work of Jesus Christ. It is the
repeated occasion for teaching Christ’s saving and
sanctifying
doctrines, and to encourage the faithful to the daily practice of love
and good deeds. It is the place where a gathering of Christians can cry
out to God in prayer as from one heart and mind. And it is the place
were God’s people can find comfort and help in their time of
need.
Participation in the communal celebration of the Sunday worship,
prayers, Eucharist, and teaching is a testimony to the unbelieving
world of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church.
Going from the Sunday gathering to live godly lives the whole week
through is a testimony to God’s holiness and worthiness to be
praised, adored, and obeyed.
A day of grace and rest
from work
Just as God "rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had
done" (Gen 2:2), human life has a rhythm of work and rest. Keeping the
Lord's Day provides an occasion of rest from the affairs and labors of
life so Christians can focus on the glory and goodness of God and
cultivate their spiritual and familial lives.
Therefore, it is right to refrain from engaging in work or activities
that hinder the worship and devotion owed to God, the joy proper to the
Lord's Day, the performance of the works of mercy, and the appropriate
relaxation of mind and body.
Family needs or important social service can legitimately excuse us
from the obligation of Sunday rest. However, the faithful should see to
it that legitimate excuses do not lead to habits that harm or diminish
the fuller intent of the day.
Sunday is traditionally consecrated by Christian piety to good works
and humble service of the sick, the infirm, and the elderly. Christians
will also sanctify Sunday by devoting time and care to their families
and relatives. And of course, Sunday is a time for reflection, silence,
cultivation of the mind, and meditation which furthers the growth of
the Christian interior life.
Sanctifying Sundays requires a common effort. Every Christian should
avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from
observing the Lord's Day. In spite of economic constraints, Christian
employers are to maintain a similar obligation toward their employees.
There are some who are required to work on Sundays (medical, police,
fire, etc.). If this is your situation, live and work each Sunday as
the day of our deliverance from the power of sin and death, and as the
time for gathering together the "assembly of the firstborn who are
enrolled in heaven" (Heb 12:22-23).