Question: “Good night,
Jerome.
I wanted guidance,
as mother and
wife, how should I sanctify Sunday.
for a mother of
the home, which is lawful or unlawful to do on Sunday,
because after the
Vatican Council 2, he failed to teach everything in respect to
salvation.
Thank you for your
guidance.
God bless”
Answer: Hello!
As a mother and wife you can sanctify
Sunday by doing fun things with your family. You could also go to
mass if you have one available (that is, if you consider any Mass
acceptable according to your current beliefs), or watch a pre-Vatican
II mass on youtube – or some other mass you think is acceptable
from various traditional organizations.
Everything is lawful to do on Sunday
except servile work. So if you don't like to scruple, consider
everything as lawful but servile work, such as laundering, cutting
wood, cleaning, painting the house, buying stuff (necessity excluded)
etc.
Some say that even cleaning etc. can be
performed on a Sunday, provided it is performed as a recreation or
for some necessity, such as cleaning a fish tank. I am not sure how
to view it, though. I myself try to avoid doing anything with servile
work (unless I do it for helping souls for the Love of God), or if I clean something, it is usually something small that
does not take long time. One can do many various things on a Sunday, of course,
even tiring things like playing football or jogging, but also picnicking, cooking, walking the dog etc., and
even working for pay, provided the work is necessary for the good of
society, such as nursing, public transport (buss or train driver) and
security and health (police officer, fireman, doctor etc.) Also, if
you risk loosing your job by not working on Sundays (such as your boss won't accept you taking leave on Sundays), then it is also
lawful to work on Sundays.
It is preferable, however, not to do
anything on Sundays but spending most of the time with God in prayer
and spiritual reading. Sunday should thus be used for God, your own
soul, and to strengthen family ties.
If you want to learn more about what works or activities can be performed lawfully on Sundays, please consult the pre-Vatican II theologians and/or someone more learned on the topic. I will quote from one Moral Theology book:
Moral Theology: A Complete Course
Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern Authorities, by John
A. McHugh O.P. and Charles J. Callan O.P.
REVISED AND ENLARGED BY EDWARD P.
FARRELL, O.P.
Nihil Obstat
ELWOOD FERRER
SMITH, O.P., S.T.M.
BENJAMIN
URBAN FAY, O.P., S.T.LR.
JOHN A.
GOODWINE, J.C.D.
Imprimi
Potest
VERY REV.
WILLIAM D. MARRIN, O.P., P.G., S.T.M.
Provincial
Imprimatur
+ FRANCIS
CARDINAL SPELLMAN
Archbishop of
New York
New York, May
24, 1958
2579. Servile Works.—The prohibitory
part of the precept is concerned with servile works, that is, labor
of a kind that tends to make one unfit for devotion or that shows
disrespect for the sacredness of the day, even though the labor be
done gratis, or for recreation, or out of devotion. Hence, the law
forbids:
(a) works given to the service of the
devil, that is, sins that deprive one of holiness, such as riotous
recreations, gambling, drunkenness, reading improper matter, and
attendance at evil movie performances. But these works are opposed to
the end, not to the text, of the law; and hence the circumstance of
time aggravates their malice but does not give them a new species
(see 2314);
(b) works given to the service of the
body (servile works properly so called) or to the service of external
goods (forensic and commercial works). Servile works in the strict
sense cause bodily fatigue and are taken up with material things, and
hence they distract the mind from religious thoughts. Such are manual
labors (e.g., plowing, digging, housecleaning) and mechanical or
industrial labors (e.g., printing, building, plastering, shoemaking).
Forensic and commercial labors (e.g., arguing in court,
auctioneering) are also of a very worldly kind and unsuitable for the
quiet and recollection of Sundays and holydays.
2580. The prohibitory part of the
Sunday precept does not affect works which are no impediment to
devotion and which cast no dishonor on the day. Such are:
(a) works devoted immediately to the
service of God. The purpose of the law is to allow leisure for these
works, and hence manifestly their performance is not forbidden. Such
works are saying Mass, preaching, administering the Sacraments,
singing in church, and visiting the poor and sick (John, vii. 23;
Matt., xii. 5). But works that are only remotely related to divine
worship (e.g., cleaning the church, painting the altar, repairing the
vestments, decorating the shrines) should not be done on Sunday
without necessity;
(b) works devoted to the service of the
mind (liberal works). These works are of a more elevated kind, do not
require great bodily exertion, and are not looked upon as unsuitable
to the Sabbath. Such are intellectual works (e.g., teaching, reading,
writing, studying), artistic works (e.g., playing the organ, singing,
drawing, painting a picture, embroidering), and works of recreation
(moderate sports or diversions such as baseball, tennis, and chess).
2581. Other Kinds of Works and Sunday
Observance.—(a) Common works are those that stand between the
liberal and the servile, since they are exercised equally by mind and
body, such as walking, riding, hunting, and fishing that is not very
laborious. These are lawful.
(b) Doubtful works are those that are
now non-servile, now servile, according to the manner in which they
are conducted, such as the work of painters, sculptors, typists,
seamstresses, and photographers. Thus, it is a liberal work to paint
a portrait, a servile work to paint the walls of a house. In settling
the character of various kinds of work, one must be guided by the
prudent opinion of one's locality, and in case of doubt and need must
seek a dispensation. (For a history of the theology of servile works
see Franz X. Pettirsch, S.J., "A Theology of Sunday Rest,"
Theology Digest, Vol. VI, no. 2, Spring 1958, pp. 114 ff.; for a
survey of modern studies on the problem see Proceedings of the
Catholic Theological Society of America, 1957).
2582. Is it lawful without necessity to
hire the servile work of non-Catholics on Sunday, if these persons
are not thereby impeded from the natural duty of worshipping God and
no scandal is given?
(a) If the non-Catholics are infidels
and not bound by church laws, this is lawful. The same would be true
of those who lack the use of reason (see 427 sqq.).
(b) If the non-Catholics are heretics,
it is not lawful in the case given to make them work on Sunday.
2583. Obligation of First Precept.—The
first precept of the Church obliges under pain of grave sin, because
it determines a necessary act of religion (2148), and experience
shows that where the Sabbath is neglected the social, spiritual and
physical interests of man are seriously harmed (see Denzinger, n.
1202). There is always hope for Catholics who attend Mass, whereas
those who miss Mass soon become Catholics only in name. But since
neglect of worship may be only slightly disrespectful, and since the
end of the precept may be substantially obtained without complete
fulfillment, a transgression may be only venial by reason of
lightness of matter.
(a) Preceptive Part.—Grave matter is
a part of the Mass that is notable on account of dignity (i.e., the
essential and integral parts of the Mass, for example, the
Consecration and Communion), or on account of its duration (i.e., a
third of the whole Mass, e.g., from the beginning to the Offertory
inclusively, from the beginning to the Gospel and from the Communion
to the end, from the Preface to the Consecration, from the
Consecration to the Agnus Dei, etc.). Hence, he who is culpably
absent or asleep during a notable part of the Mass sins gravely, but
he who is absent or asleep during an inconsiderable part of the Mass
(e.g., one who arrives just at the Offertory or who leaves after the
Communion) sins venially, unless he is so disposed that he does not
care how much he misses.
(b) Prohibitive Part.—Grave matter is
labor that is notable on account of its quality (e.g., forensic
proceedings even for a brief space on Sunday would be a serious
distraction and scandal), or its quantity (e.g., two and a half hours
given to very exhausting manual work, such as digging a ditch, three
hours given to less arduous labor, such as sowing). He who commands
ten laborers to work an hour each on Sunday coöperates in ten venial
sins (see 219), but he may be guilty of mortal sin on account of
scandal.
2584. Excuses from Observance of First
Precept.—These reasons may be reduced to two classes, namely,
external reasons (i.e., a dispensation or a lawful custom) and
internal reasons (i.e., one's own inability or necessity).
(a) External Reasons.—Dispensations
may be given under certain conditions by local Ordinaries, by
parish-priests, and by superiors of exempt clerical institutes (Canon
1245). Custom in certain places excuses from Mass for a month women
who have just given birth to a child or who have lost their husband
by death, and also—from the Mass in which their banns are to be
proclaimed—those women who are about to marry. Custom further
permits necessary labors, such as cooking, ordinary housecleaning,
barbering, the work of railroad and garage men, etc.
(b) Internal Reasons.—Impossibility
or serious inconvenience excuses from hearing Mass (e.g., those who
have to walk an hour's journey to church or ride a two hours'
journey, regarding which, in terms of distance travelled, it has been
suggested that the figures should be more than three miles each way
if one must walk, more than thirty miles if a car is available and
the roads are good; those who will suffer great detriment to health,
honor, fortune, etc., if they go; those who are kept away by duties
of charity or employment or office that cannot be omitted). Necessity
or duty to others permits one to work on Sunday at least to some
extent (e.g., those who must labor on a Sunday in order to live, or
to keep out of serious trouble, or to perform services or works of
charity that cannot easily be done at another time). To avoid
self-deception the faithful should consult their pastor or other
prudent person if there is doubt about the sufficiency of the excuse.
2585. Though the Church does not impose
excessive Sabbatarianism, neither does she admit laxity in the
important matter of the Lord's Day.
(a) Hence, not every reason excuses
from the church precept. Thus, those are guilty who unnecessarily
place themselves in the impossibility of observing the law (e.g., by
moving to a place where there is no church, by taking a position that
requires work all Sunday morning, by starting on a vacation or auto
trip to a churchless region), or whose excuses are frivolous (e.g.,
those who stay away from Mass because they dislike the priest, or who
work on Sunday merely to keep busy).
(b) Reasons that excuse from part of
the ecclesiastical precept do not excuse from all of it. Thus, those
who are unable to hear Mass are not thereby justified in doing
servile work, those who can hear the essential part of Mass
(Consecration and Communion), but not the other parts, should hear
the essential part; those who can hear Mass only on one Sunday a year
are not excused on that Sunday.
(c) Reasons that excuse from the
ecclesiastical precept do not excuse from the divine precept (see
2575) of worshipping God. Hence, those who are really obliged to work
every Sunday should sanctify the Lord's Day by whatever private
prayer or devotion they can substitute. Some authors very rightly
believe that those who can never go to Mass on Sunday are held by
divine law to hear Mass on weekdays three or four times a year at
least, when this is possible (see 2148, 2180).
From Catholic-Saints.net
KEEP HOLY THY SABBATH DAY OR SUNDAY
[AND HOLY DAYS]
Since many people who are reading this
have not been taught these concepts by modernist heretics, we must
point out a few other things in this regard: servile works are
forbidden on Sundays [and Holy Days]; people should not do laundry on
Sundays; people should not do yard work (such as mowing the lawn,
etc.) on Sundays; people should not shop food on Sundays unless they
are starving etc... Exceptions to this would be work that absolutely
must be done. For example, making a fire in your home so that you can
be warm and survive is works that are completely acceptable. If you
are able to make your food for the whole family before the Sunday,
you must [or should] do so. One should not spend the Sunday on making
food for the family which may take several hours of the day. You may
of course (if you don't have any prepared food) take time to make
something small for you or the family which does not require much of
your time or take some food that you already have and warm it up. You
cannot cut wood on Sundays and you must restrict yourself to only do
things that are absolutely necessary for survival. If you must shovel
out your driveway after a heavy snowfall, so that you can get to
work, then you could do so on a Sunday. This, of course, implies some
preplanning, but no one should refuse to obey the divine commandments
since this action will undoubtedly lead to eternal damnation. An
obedient person will see the beauty of God forcing man to rest from
physical works.
To do unnecessary works on Sundays [and
Holy Days] is completely unacceptable unless you starve and don't
have the means necessary to support your family. In the richer
countries, even going so far as begging or receiving social welfare
checks every month is far better than to do unnecessary work on
Sundays, since this not only damns yourself, but also damns your
employer (unless ignorance excuse him). Your employer will in fact be
punished for every single person he has allowed or forced (by
threatening with layoffs) to work on Sundays. That can be thousands
and thousands of people attacking one man for all eternity! What a
horror!
People should of course also try to
arrange with their employers that they don't have to work on Sundays
[and Holy Days]. Likewise, other work that should or must be done on
Sundays, due to one's work, occupation or state (such as tending the
sick), can be done. If you have exhausted all the options for not
working on Sundays or for receiving an income, for example: looking
for another job or moving to another place, or any other lawful means
of receiving an income, (like receiving social welfare checks for the
support of the necessities for you or your family, as long as this do
not imply that you have to compromise your faith or safety in any
way,) then you are not obligated to stay away from work and can
safely work on Sundays [and Holy Days] as long as it is your last
option. Below are some examples of acceptable reasons of why you can
work on Sundays.
For example, if you cannot continue
home-schooling your children, this would be an acceptable reason with
continuing to work on Sundays. Another example would be if you had to
move to a bad neighbourhood with much drugs, violence or
lasciviousness that would influence you or your family in a sinful
way, or if by quitting your work, you may be forced to take another
work that is sinful or immoral. This would be another reason to
continue to work on Sundays until you have found another work where
you are not forced to work on Sundays or forced to put your family's
spiritual wellbeing in jeopardy.
This goes to say if the work you do is
acceptable before God. If you sin against God or your neighbour by
the specific work you do, such as selling, packing or stocking
contraception, porn, bad newspapers with immodest images or stories
about sex or other sins etc., then you cannot go to that work even if
you starve or don't have the means to support yourself or your
family. In such cases you have to put your entire trust in God. You
cannot be the cause of your brothers mortal sins without yourself
being guilty of mortal sin!
“Therefore
I say to you: Be not solicitous for your life, what you shall eat,
nor for your body, what you shall put on. The life is more than the
meat: and the body is more than the raiment... seek ye first the
kingdom of God and his justice: and all these things shall be added
unto you.” (Lk. 12:22-24, 27-28, 31)
However, in the poorer countries where
there is no chance of getting social welfare or income in any other
way, it is totally acceptable to work on Sundays as long as the
person must do it in order to survive. Many people do not operate
under these conditions but work on Sundays in order to have more
money than they need to survive. Yes, many people have the means
necessary to stay away from work on Sundays, but only go to work to
receive more abundance in riches. This is a clear mortal sin! [Also
consider that even poor people in Catholic countries before in time
avoided working on Sundays, yet they survived and did not starve. Why
is this? Answer: When people honor God and try to please Him, God
will bless them in return and give them abundance! In contrast, when
people disobey God by working on Sundays and Holy days without
necessity, they will loose graces, commit sin and even make a loss in
their temporal needs.]
The following example on this [of
people working to receive more abundance in riches] can be seen
clearer from St. Bridget's revelations, in the book rightly entitled
the Book of Questions. It is composed of questions which Our Lord and
Judge give wonderful answers to:
“Third
question. Again the monk appeared on his ladder as before saying:
“Why should I not exalt myself over others, seeing that I am rich?”
“Answer
to the third question. The Judge answered: “As to why you must not
take pride in riches, I answer: The riches of the world only belong
to you insofar as you need them for food and clothing. The world was
made for this: that man, having sustenance for his body, might
through work and humility return to me, his God, whom he scorned in
his disobedience and neglected in his pride. However, if you claim
that the temporal goods belong to you, I assure you that you are in
effect forcibly usurping for yourself all that you possess beyond
your needs. All temporal goods ought to belong to the community
and be equally accessible to the needy out of charity.
“You
usurp for your own superfluous possession things that should be given
to others out of compassion. However, many people do own much
more than others but in a rational way, and they distribute it in
discreet fashion. Therefore, in order not to be accused more severely
at the judgment because you received more than others, it is
advisable for you not to put yourself ahead of others by acting
haughtily and hoarding possessions. As pleasant as it is in the
world to have more temporal goods than others and to have them in
abundance, it will likewise be terrible and painful beyond measure at
the judgment not to have administered in reasonable fashion even
licitly held goods.”
“The
third commandment is that thou have mind and remember that thou
hallow and keep holy thy Sabbath day or Sunday. That is to say, that
thou shalt do no work nor operation on the Sunday or holy day, but
thou shalt rest from all worldly labour and intend to prayer, and to
serve God thy maker, which rested the seventh day of the works that
he made in the six days before, in which he made and ordained the
world. This commandment accomplish he that keep to his power the
peace of his conscience for to serve God more holily. Then this day
that the Jews called Sabbath is as much to say as rest. This
commandment may no man keep spiritually that is encumbered in his
conscience with deadly sin, such a conscience can not be in rest nor
in peace as long as he is in such a state. In
the stead of the Sabbath day which was straightly kept in the old
law, holy church hath established the Sunday in the new law. For our
Lord arose from death to life on the Sunday, and therefore we ought
to keep it holily, and be in rest from the works of the week before,
and to cease of the work of sin, and to intend to do spiritual works,
and to follow our Lord beseeching him of mercy and to thank him for
his benefits, for they that break the Sunday and the other solemn
feasts that be established to be hallowed in holy church, they sin
deadly, for they do directly against the commandment of God aforesaid
and holy church, but if it be for some necessity that holy church
admitteth and granteth.
But they sin much more then, that employ the Sunday and the feasts in
sins, in lechery, in going to taverns in the service time, in
gluttony and drinking drunk, and in other sins, outrages against God.
For alas for sorrow I trow there is more sin committed on the Sunday
and holy days and feasts than in the other work days. For then be
they drunk, fight and slay, and be not occupied virtuously in God’s
service as they ought to do. And as God command us to remember and
have in mind to keep and hallow the holy day, they that so do sin
deadly and observe and keep not this third commandment.” (From the
Golden legend or the Lives of the Saints, volume 1, page 122-123)
From the above quote can be learned
that man should not do the things on a Sunday that he would do on the
other days. The Sunday is intended for God to be kept in holiness.
Thus, if the only difference for you on Sundays is that you keep away
from servile work, but do not give any of your time to God and
instead watch the television etc., what profit is there for you? (It
is nothing wrong with walking the dog on a Sunday, or to have
sporting activities with friends and family.)
God commanded at least one day off for
man so that man could rest from the world and use it for his and his
family's spiritual wellbeing, in praying, reading, picnicking and
doing other good works for the soul of oneself and the family. You
should thus spend the Sunday in abstaining from your own will, such
as watching the tv, playing video games, listening to music or the
radio, etc., and instead strive to know God in solitude, prayer and
meditation.
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