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Summer Sunday Mass: Obligation or Option? |
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By Father Michael Van Sloun - Special for The Catholic Spirit
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Tuesday, 23 June 2009 |
Sunday is the Lord's Day. Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday morning, so Sunday is reserved as the "Lord's Day," the day to remember the Resurrection and to offer our praise and worship. Sunday is the Christian "Sabbath," a shift from the Jewish Sabbath that runs from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday. God gave us the Third Commandment as a solemn obligation, not a suggestion or an option: "Keep holy the Sabbath day (Ex 20:8-11; Dt 5:12-15) (see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Numbers 2174 - 2178).
Regular Sunday worship dates back to the first generation of the
Church. Early Christians instinctively gathered to study the teachings
of the apostles and to break the bread (Acts 2:42). The Letter to the
Hebrews gets straight to the point: "We should not stay away from our
assembly [i.e., the liturgical assembly, the Eucharist], as is the
custom of some" (Heb 10:25).
I'm shocked by the number of people who have told me that they believe
they are excused from Sunday Mass when they are on vacation or
traveling. This is not the case! Church teaching is clear: "On Sundays
the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass" (Canon 1247).
There are a few legitimate reasons to miss Sunday Mass: illness or
disability, serving as the sole caregiverfor someone in need of
constant attention, a natural disaster like a flood or a blizzard, or
the absence of a priest. There is no exception for vacation or
traveling {Catechism, Nos. 2180-2188).
All we have is a gift from God, so God is entitled to our weekly
thanks. Time is a precious commodity, and how we spend it is a clear
indication of our priorities. There are one hundred and sixty-eight
(168) hours in a week, and one hour spent in worship barely puts a dent
in the praise that we owe our God.
We need to put first things first, and for Christians, God comes first!
If there ever was a time that God deserves extra thanks, it would be
vacation time. It is a huge blessing to be able to take time off, to
have the resources to travel, to have the wherewithal to enjoy a cabin
or a RV or a lake home, to be blessed with the beauty of the lakes and
the forests, and to have the leisure time to spend with family and
friends.
The common error is to make recreational activities the starting point
in building one's weekend vacation schedule, and to relegate God and
Mass to an afterthought, something to fit in if there is time left over
or to be skipped entirely. The proper way is to decide on a Mass time
and place first and then figure outthe rest of the weekend's
activities. Let us remain ever mindful: "It is right to give God thanks
and praise!"
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