Recovering the theological significance of Sunday is fundamental to rebalancing our lives.

For Christians, Sunday, the Lord’s Day, is a special day consecrated to the service and worship of God.  It is a unique Christian festival.  It is “the day the Lord has made” (Ps. 117 (118):24). Its nature is holy and joyful. Sunday is the day on which we believe God acted decisively to liberate the world from the tyranny of sin, death, and corruption through the Holy Resurrection of Jesus.

The primacy of Sunday is affirmed by the liturgical practice of the early church. St. Justin the Martyr writing around 150 AD notes that “it is on Sunday that we assemble because Sunday is the first day, the day on which God transformed darkness and matter and created the world and the day that Jesus Christ rose from the dead (First Apology, 67).” Sunday has always had a privileged position in the life of the church as a day of worship and celebration. On Sunday the Church assembles to realize her eschatological fullness in the Eucharist by which the Kingdom and the endless Day of the Lord are revealed in time.  It is the perpetual first day of the new creation, a day of rejoicing.  It is a day for community, feasting and family gatherings.

Read more

How should the Catholic keep Sunday holy, and how does he profane it?

Sunday is kept holy by abstaining from all servile work performed for wages or gain, or not commanded by necessity; by passing the day in works of piety; in hearing Mass devoutly, listening to the word of God in church and spending the day at home in a quiet manner pleasing to God.

If justly prevented from being present at church on Sundays and holy days of obligation, we should unite, in spirit, with the priest and the faithful assembled there, and pray fervently; during the rest of the day we should read books of devotion, and endeavor to perform some work of charity.

Sunday is profaned by being spent either in idleness, or in unnecessary servile work, or in that which is still worse, debauchery, and other sinful actions. It would be better, that is, less sinful, as St. Augustine says, to till the field on such days, than to spend them in frivolous, dangerous, and sinful pleasures.

But it is not forbidden, after having properly attended divine service, to participate on Sundays and holy days in honorable, decorous entertainment of the mind and heart.

Excerpted from “Explanation of the Epistles and Gospels” by the Rev. Leonard Goffine (1874)

Go To Bob Stanley’s “The Catholic Treasure Chest”

Survey Says: On a given Sunday only about 15.6% of American Catholics attend Mass.

Shery Weddell at the St Catherine of Siena Institute reports that 32% of Americans raised Catholic abandon the identity altogether by their mid twenties. An additional 38% retain the identity but rarely practice their faith. 30% of those who call themselves Catholic attend Mass only once a month. On a given Sunday only about 15.6% of American Catholics attend Mass.

Editor’s note: Looking back to my own “fallen away Catholic” days … not attempting to make excuses … but only observations:

When I was coming of age in the late ’60’s and early ’70’s the Catholic Church was in a state of revolution and flux. So great was the revolution that it was virtually impossible to get a straight answer from anyone in authority. And things are not that much better today!

It seems to me that, in the aftermath of the 2nd Vatican Council, the Catholic Church took a decided turn to the left. And along with that sharp left turn came all of the “sins” of modernism and liberalism: Soft, relativistic, revisionary teachings (if any); Change for the sake of change (derision and/or abandonment of virtually all that came before); Political correctness (a commitment to politics and ideology, even above holiness and traditional Catholic dogma).

And while this was especially noticeable in large, urban centers … it certainly was not limited to those venues.

In short … the Catholic Church made a totally unannounced and unexpected, sharp, left turn. Meanwhile, many otherwise faithful, traditional Catholics … continued going straight ahead!

By the time we took the time to look around, what we once knew as “the Church” had become almost unrecognizable … and now seemed (at least in it’s latest iteration) almost totally irrelevant!

For many, it would take quite a few years of “wandering in the desert” before we could even begin getting back together again. Millions upon millions of others are still “lost”.

The continuing, sad state of many Catholic seminaries, universities, and women’s religious orders … along with the recent, virtually world-wide, clerical abuse scandals … coupled with the apparent large number of weak and/or incompetent Catholic priests and bishops … all serve to further undermine the chances for any real progress.

But fortunately … since all things are possible, with God … hope remains. It’s not the first time the Church has been in crisis. Nor is it likely to be the last!

Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away?
And Simon Peter answered him:
Lord, to whom shall we go?
Thou hast the words of eternal life. (John 6:67-68)

Read more

2014 Chicago March for Life – Sunday, January 19 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm

The March for Life Chicago is an annual public event composed of people from diverse ethnic, social, and religious backgrounds dedicated to defending & protecting all human life.

On January 19, 2014, we will march in hope with Chicagoans from every walk of life under one goal: to end abortion.

WHEN:
Sunday, January 19 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm

START:
Federal Plaza (50 W Adams, Chicago) + Rally & Speakers!

END:
State of Illinois Building (100 W Randolph, Chicago)
+ Celebration of Life!

 For more information about the March for Life of Chicago visit www.marchforlifechicago.com or download the flier here. Please share this event with your friends and family!

Submitted by Illinois Illinois Right to Life Committee

The Importance Of Sunday In The Lives Of Christians

The pastoral statement on the importance of Sunday calls for Orthodox and Catholic Christians to recover the theological significance of a day that for many “has become less a day of worship and family and more like an ordinary work day.” It ends with a call to clergy and laity “to work cooperatively within their communities to stress the importance of Sunday for worship and family.”

The full text of the statement is available online here.

Recovering the theological significance of Sunday is fundamental to rebalancing our lives.

For Christians, Sunday, the Lord’s Day, is a special day consecrated to the service and worship of God.  It is a unique Christian festival.  It is “the day the Lord has made” (Ps. 117 (118):24). Its nature is holy and joyful. Sunday is the day on which we believe God acted decisively to liberate the world from the tyranny of sin, death, and corruption through the Holy Resurrection of Jesus.

The primacy of Sunday is affirmed by the liturgical practice of the early church. St. Justin the Martyr writing around 150 AD notes that “it is on Sunday that we assemble because Sunday is the first day, the day on which God transformed darkness and matter and created the world and the day that Jesus Christ rose from the dead (First Apology, 67).” Sunday has always had a privileged position in the life of the church as a day of worship and celebration. On Sunday the Church assembles to realize her eschatological fullness in the Eucharist by which the Kingdom and the endless Day of the Lord are revealed in time.  It is the perpetual first day of the new creation, a day of rejoicing.  It is a day for community, feasting and family gatherings.

Read more

Pope: “Humanity has no future without the family.”

“Humanity has no future without the family,” he said. Young people need to be born and raised in “that community of life and love that God himself wanted,” that is, a family based on marriage between a man and woman, he said.

Read more

Tribune (and others) see nothing wrong with homosexuals openly and lewdly parading on Sunday … the Lord’s Day.

Homosexual journalist and “lapsed Catholic,” Rex Wockner writes:

The Chicago gay pride parade attracts 800,000 people. It proceeds through a heavily congested, dense urban cityscape. Absolutely positively everything in its wake is disrupted. What on earth makes one service at one church on one day special enough to change the start time of a gigantic parade?

The “gay liberation” movement couldn’t care less if their parade of perversion and egregious public lewdness disrupts the services of scores of churches. And likely the Trib’s editorial board doesn’t care either.

Worse than their obtuseness regarding Cardinal George’s analogy is the editorial board’s dishonest misrepresentation of his comments. The editors conclude by asserting that the parade does not “stifle anyone’s religious beliefs.” Nice rhetorical trick. The deceit, of course, is that Cardinal George never claimed the parade would stifle beliefs. He said it might “interfere” with worship. Surely, the editors would concede that it’s possible that it might interfere with worship services. Those who don’t want to see public nudity or wild celebrations of sexual perversion, or who don’t want their children to see such images, might justifiably deem the parade an interference.

Although Cardinal George did not refer to “stifling religious belief,” the editors did, so I will respond: They must be kidding. Are they actually arguing that no member of the “gay liberation” movement seeks to stifle religious belief? Many in the movement to normalize homosexuality seek to eradicate all orthodox religious belief or at minimum make it so socially, legally, and politically costly that no one will dare express such beliefs. The “gay liberation” movement poses a serious threat to First Amendment religious protections (not to mention speech and parental rights).

Read more

How should the Catholic keep Sunday holy, and how does he profane it?

Sunday is kept holy by abstaining from all servile work performed for wages or gain, or not commanded by necessity; by passing the day in works of piety; in hearing Mass devoutly, listening to the word of God in church and spending the day at home in a quiet manner pleasing to God.

If justly prevented from being present at church on Sundays and holy days of obligation, we should unite, in spirit, with the priest and the faithful assembled there, and pray fervently; during the rest of the day we should read books of devotion, and endeavor to perform some work of charity.

Sunday is profaned by being spent either in idleness, or in unnecessary servile work, or in that which is still worse, debauchery, and other sinful actions. It would be better, that is, less sinful, as St. Augustine says, to till the field on such days, than to spend them in frivolous, dangerous, and sinful pleasures.

But it is not forbidden, after having properly attended divine service, to participate on Sundays and holy days in honorable, decorous entertainment of the mind and heart.

Excerpted from “Explanation of the Epistles and Gospels” by the Rev. Leonard Goffine (1874)

Submitted by Bob Stanley

Why should Sunday be devoted exclusively to God?

Why should Sunday be devoted exclusively to God?

Because it is but proper that man, who is created for the service of God only, should reserve at least one out of the seven days of the week for that service, and for the salvation of his own soul; again, in the beginning, God ordered that on the seventh day or Saturday, on which He rested after finishing the work of creation (Ex. 20:11), man should also rest (Ex. 20:8‑10), abstain from all worldly employment, and attend only to the worship of God. This was the Sabbath, or day of rest, of the Jews which they were required to keep holy (Lev. 23:3).

But the Catholic Church, authorized by Christ, inspired by the Holy Ghost, and directed by the Apostles, has made Sunday, the first day of the week, the day of rest for Christians. The holy martyr Justin (+ 167 A.D.) makes mention of this fact. Sunday was designated as the day of rest for the Christians partly to distinguish them from the Jews, as well as for the following reasons: On this day God commenced the creation of the world, so too on this day He crowned the glorious work of our Redemption by Christ’s Resurrection; on this day, as Bellarmine says, Christ was born, was circumcised, and was baptized; and on this day the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles.

Excerpted from the English translation of the “Explanation of the Epistles and Gospels” by the Rev. Leonard Goffine (1874).

Submitted by Bob Stanley

This Week’s Ask Alice: A Question About Sunday – the Lord’s Day – and the Sabbath.

Send A Question To Alice

She’ll answer as many questions as possible,
right here, every Thursday.

Email responses will also be provided, as time permits.

Charles C. asks: Why is the Sabbath mentioned many times in the N.T. and Sunday only mentioned TWICE in over 30 years after Pentecost strengthened the disciples to evangelize? Paul: One time—commands work (gathering an offering to be collected at a later date) to the Corinthian church with a high commandment-keeping Jewish contingency (1 Cor. 16:1-3), See that church’s formation in Acts 18. Luke: One time (Acts 20:4-14)–talks of communion service on Saturday evening (all the disciples used Jewish reckoning, sunset being the new day), then tells of SEVEN commandment-keeping Jews boating all day Sunday with Luke, and Paul hiking throughout the daylight hours of Sunday to Assos.

Alice answers: The Bible does not furnish a complete account of every event that ever happened, throughout the long history of the Judeo-Christian faith tradition. Nor is the Bible a complete catechism, detailing every recommended belief and practice of the Christian faith.

The Bible is the Holy Spirit inspired, infallible Word of God … as faithfully compiled, written (in part), preserved, certified and translated, by the Catholic Church. It’s also important to remember that the Church was already 400 years old, and firmly established, by the time all of this was actually accomplished.

Attempting to determine specific historical details from the scant accounts appearing in the Bible alone … some 2000 years after the fact, without reliance on authentic Catholic tradition … is generally an exercise in futility, leading nowhere … or worse, into serious error.

The simple fact is, there was never a need to put into writing that which the church had always and everywhere, from the earliest days, publicly proclaimed and put into actual practice, since (before the Protestant Reformation) every Christian, in every place (even the illiterate) would certainly know such things by memory and through force of habit. Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and even most Protestants, still do.

Now, for the specifics:

The Catholic Church permits Saturday evening “Sunday” worship. Saturday evening worship generally and customarily fulfills the existing Sunday worship obligation.

There are eight New Testament references to “Sunday” … which officially replaces the Old Testament Saturday sabbath, as the Lord’s Day.

First and foremost, Sunday is the day of Jesus’ resurrection … and ever since, Sunday has been celebrated as the primary Feast Day of (virtually) all Christianity.

1: Jesus rose from the dead early on the first day of the week…

2: He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast out seven demons. (Mark 16:9)

3: That same day Jesus appeared to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus. (Luke 24:33-35)

4: On the evening of that first day of the week, even though the disciples had locked the doors of the place where they were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood before them. (John 20:19)

5: A week later (Sunday) Jesus appeared to Thomas to dispel his doubts about His resurrection. (John 20:26)

6: Pentecost, the birthday of our Church, occurred on a Sunday.

7: While in Corinth, Paul takes up a collection for the relief of needy believers on a Sunday. (Acts 11:27-30)

8: During a Sunday meeting in Troas, Paul preached so long that a youth named Eutychus, who was sitting on a window sill went to sleep, then fell from the third story and died. Paul restored him to life and continued preaching. (Acts 20:3-14)

In two other New Testament sabbath passages we have St. Paul explaining that Christians are NOT required to observe the Jewish sabbath. One key example:

No one is free, therefore, to pass judgmenton you in terms of what you eat or drink or what you do on yearly or monthly feasts, or on the sabbath. (Colossians 2:16)

Paul often preaches in Jewish synagogues on the Sabbath. However, he does not preach in synagogues as a religious obligation, but rather because that is the place where he can reach the largest number of his Jewish brothers and sisters.

Under the Old Covenant, the Hebrews/Israelites/Jews were obligated under the Mosaic Law to keep the sabbath. Non-Jews were never required to do so.

Under the New Covenant, the awesome and virtually unrestricted power of binding and loosing … on earth and in heaven … was given only to the one, holy, apostolic and universal (Catholic) Church. In the words of Jesus Christ:

And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven. (Matthew 16:19)

Now, there would be “The People of God” – the members of the Catholic Church … and universal, Sunday, Eucharistic worship … according to the express command of our savior:

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and giving thanks, broke and said: Take ye and eat: This is my body, which shall be delivered for you. This do for the commemoration of me. In like manner also the chalice, after he had supped, saying: This chalice is the new testament in my blood. This do ye, as often as you shall drink, for the commemoration of me. For as often as you shall eat this bread and drink the chalice, you shall proclaim the death of the Lord, until he come. Therefore, whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink the chalice of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord.
(1st Corinthians 11:23-27)

Jesus Christ gave us an all new, Christian covenant, based on his grace … not on the old law … and on the work, worship, sacraments and devotions of his universal (Catholic) Church … not the old Jewish Temple Worship System, which itself would soon pass away.

After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, neither Jews nor Gentiles were required to keep the old Saturday sabbath, since the purpose of the old law had been served, and the Old Covenant (in its entirety) had been fulfilled and respectfully set aside by Christ, in favor of the New, grace empowered and saving Covenant, which he instituted for us at the Last Supper, paid for on the cross with his own blood, and confirmed through his glorious resurrection:

For there is no distinction of the Jew and the Greek: for the same is Lord over all, rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:12-13)

The Catholic Church … the only living “eye-witness” for Jesus Christ, and for all the events of the New Testament … explains in its official Catechism, the important differences between the sabbath of old, and Sunday, the Lord’s Day:

Sunday – fulfillment of the sabbath

2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ’s Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man’s eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ:

Those who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope, no longer keeping the sabbath, but the Lord’s Day, in which our life is blessed by him and by his death.

2176 The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship “as a sign of his universal beneficence to all.” Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people.

In Christ’s love,

Alice

Click here to see all of Alice’s other columns

Survey Says: On a given Sunday only about 15.6% of American Catholics attend Mass.

Shery Weddell at the St Catherine of Siena Institute reports that 32% of Americans raised Catholic abandon the identity altogether by their mid twenties. An additional 38% retain the identity but rarely practice their faith. 30% of those who call themselves Catholic attend Mass only once a month. On a given Sunday only about 15.6% of American Catholics attend Mass.

Editor’s note: Looking back to my own “fallen away Catholic” days … not attempting to make excuses … but only observations:

When I was coming of age in the late ’60’s and early ’70’s the Catholic Church was in a state of revolution and flux. So great was the revolution that it was virtually impossible to get a straight answer from anyone in authority. And things are not that much better today!

It seems to me that, in the aftermath of the 2nd Vatican Council, the Catholic Church took a decided turn to the left. And along with that sharp left turn came all of the “sins” of modernism and liberalism: Soft, relativistic, revisionary teachings (if any); Change for the sake of change (derision and/or abandonment of virtually all that came before); Political correctness (a commitment to politics and ideology, even above holiness and traditional Catholic dogma).

And while this was especially noticeable in large, urban centers … it certainly was not limited to those venues.

In short … the Catholic Church made a totally unannounced and unexpected, sharp, left turn. Meanwhile, many otherwise faithful, traditional Catholics … continued going straight ahead!

By the time we took the time to look around, what we once knew as “the Church” had become almost unrecognizable … and now seemed (at least in it’s latest iteration) almost totally irrelevant!

For many, it would take quite a few years of “wandering in the desert” before we could even begin getting back together again. Millions upon millions of others are still “lost”.

The continuing, sad state of many Catholic seminaries, universities, and women’s religious orders … along with the recent, virtually world-wide, clerical abuse scandals … coupled with the apparent large number of weak and/or incompetent Catholic priests and bishops … all serve to further undermine the chances for any real progress.

But fortunately … since all things are possible, with God … hope remains. It’s not the first time the Church has been in crisis. Nor is it likely to be the last!

Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away?
And Simon Peter answered him:
Lord, to whom shall we go?
Thou hast the words of eternal life. (John 6:67-68)

Read more

NEW! Catholic TV On WGN In Chicago: Sunday Mornings at 9:30.

Just a quick note about a great new, 1/2 hour Catholic TV program that is now appearing in the Chicago area, on WGN (broadcast channel 9) every Sunday morning, at 9:30.

The show also appears on cable (WGN Coast To Coast – check local listings for time and availability.)

The host of the show is Father Robert Barron, who is a brilliant theologian, a great inspirational speaker, and a good priest.

Father Barron is based in Chicago, and he carries on the great broadcast teaching tradition of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and Father John Corapi.

No need to say anything more.

Just remember to tune in next Sunday morning. Or, if you can’t wait, visit Father Barron’s website: Word On Fire.

37 killed in Iraq, as a Catholic church is taken over by terrorists

Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) — Iraqi security forces stormed a Catholic church Sunday where gunmen suspected of having ties to al Qaeda were holding worshippers hostage, ending an hours-long standoff, police officials said Sunday.

Thirty-seven people were killed in the operation, including hostages, kidnappers and security workers, they said. At least seven of the victims were hostages, police officials said, while another 57 were wounded.

Eight suspects were arrested.

More…

The critical importance of attending Sunday Mass

Why Sunday’s are still for church

Submitted by Robert K.

Cheating on Lenten sacrifice no sin

For those who do sacrifice to get closer to God, what matters is effort, not perfection, said the Rev. Michael Watson of St. Andrew Parish, a Catholic church in Upper Arlington.

“Because we’re prone to human weakness from time to time, it doesn’t mean the end of the world,” he said.

Slipping up is not a sin unless the action you committed is itself a sin, he said.

So if you swore off alcohol and had one cocktail, that’s not a sin. But if you had five and got drunk, you probably committed the sin of immoderation, whether it’s Lent or not.

People who slip sometimes tell the Rev. Jerry Rodenfels of the Church of the Resurrection in New Albany, as if they have to confess their misdeeds.

He tells them “not to worry. It’s not a sin,” he said. But they still feel bad.

“For those of us who are older, there’s something instilled in us called Catholic guilt,” Rodenfels said, laughing.

Churchgoers also debate whether they can “cheat” on Sundays, because those days technically aren’t included in the 40 days of Lent.

The priests say you can. Sunday is, as Rodenfels called it, a “free” day.

That’s because Sunday is the weekly joyful celebration of Christ’s resurrection, said Leo Madden, a professor of theology at Ohio Dominican University.

“It is incompatible for a period of time marked by sacrifice to occur at the same time,” Madden said. “Technically speaking, Sunday is not a day of Lent.”

Read the article

Why don’t we (Christians) keep the Saturday Sabbath?

Q: I understand that we are not under the law because Jesus fulfilled the law. However, we still try to obey the ten commandments. Jesus didn’t tell us we had to stop obeying them. We even fight here in the US to keep the ten commandments on court house walls. We don’t murder. We try not to covet. Etc…etc….

So, my question is, WHY DON’T WE KEEP THE SABBATH? I have read that the Catholic Church was the one that changed it from Saturday to Sunday. I don’t know if that’s true or not. Regardless, we try to keep all of the other commandments, including the two that Jesus commanded, so why not the Sabbath?

A: Nobody perfectly keeps the commandments, not even those who try.

Jesus perfectly fulfilled and respectfully set aside every aspect of the old law, with no exceptions.

If he had not, then we would all still be stuck with every jot and tittle of the old law, until the end of time.

The New Covenant was indeed all new, not a rehash of the old, and it is based on the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. Not any law.

The Catholic Church, given the awesome and unrestricted power of binding and loosing by Jesus Christ, readopted and readapted the spirit of the old commandments to the new covenant realities.

Hence, the ten commandments of the Church are different in both word and application from the commandments of old.

This would explain the difference in the way the sabbath is observed today, by most Christians.

Instead of the curse of the law, we now enjoy the grace, mercy, and peace of Jesus Christ, who alone is the definitive end of the law.

Much more on this here:

https://douglawrence.wordpress.com/christ…

http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c1a3.h…

Why do Christians worship/rest on Sunday when the original day was Saturday?

Q: Why do Christians worship/rest on Sunday when the original day was Saturday?

A: From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

ARTICLE 3
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.90
The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.91

* I. THE SABBATH DAY

2168 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.”92

2169 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.”93

2170 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.”94

2171 God entrusted the sabbath to Israel to keep as a sign of the irrevocable covenant.95 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.

2172 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.”96 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.97

2173 The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the sabbath law. But Jesus never fails to respect the holiness of this day.98 He gives this law its authentic and authoritative interpretation: “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.”99 With compassion, Christ declares the sabbath for doing good rather than harm, for saving life rather than killing.100 The sabbath is the day of the Lord of mercies and a day to honor God.101 “The Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”102

II. THE LORD’S DAY

This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.103
The day of the Resurrection: the new creation

2174 Jesus rose from the dead “on the first day of the week.”104 Because it is the “first day,” the day of Christ’s Resurrection recalls the first creation. Because it is the “eighth day” following the sabbath,105 it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ’s Resurrection. For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the Lord’s Day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica) Sunday:
We all gather on the day of the sun, for it is the first day [after the Jewish sabbath, but also the first day] when God, separating matter from darkness, made the world; and on this same day Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead.106
Sunday – fulfillment of the sabbath

2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ’s Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man’s eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ:107
Those who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope, no longer keeping the sabbath, but the Lord’s Day, in which our life is blessed by him and by his death.108
2176 The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship “as a sign of his universal beneficence to all.”109 Sunday worship fulfills the moral command of the Old Covenant, taking up its rhythm and spirit in the weekly celebration of the Creator and Redeemer of his people.

For more, click here

I’m Roman Catholic is it ok to attend a Baptist Church?

Q: I’m Roman Catholic is it ok to attend a Baptist Church?
OK I was born and raised Roman Catholic and I go to church every Sunday and have christian values but i would not call myself a strict practicer. Well anyways a close friend of mine asked if i wanted to attend her church (Baptist) sometime and i said yeah ok because i thought well a church is a church and its the same god so why not it wouldnt hurt?

A; Catholics are obligated to attend Mass at a Catholic Church, on Sundays … where Jesus becomes present on the altar … body, blood, soul, and divinity … for the building up of the “Body of Christ” … which is the Church … and for the sins of the whole world.

Baptists experience Christ in spirit only.

Many of their beliefs and practices are in serious error, and are at odds with those of the Catholic Church … while their “communion” remains mere crackers and juice.

You have no business being there.

Get yourself to Mass, where you belong!